Rip, Alan White, Yes
Discussion
Alan White....so sad to hear the news of his passing.
Personally I thought he was underrated as a drummer. Very much a team player, all-round musician.
He gave Yes a soul and a heartbeat which suited them down to the ground. He brought more emotion to the band, and after all, it was Rick Wakeman who said that that was what Yes music was all about.
Not for him the clipped, complex, somewhat terse rhythmic vocabulary of his predecessor. Alan came forth with a joyful abandon, a more orchestral style, broad strokes that captivated and enthralled.
At his best he was a monstrous powerhouse with both chops to spare and endless drive.
There's a video on YouTube of Yes playing Glasgow in 1977. His interpretation of Close To The Edge is frightening...full of dramatic flourishes and intense energy.
His bass drum work on things like Silent Wings Of Freedom, or the end of Our Song, had a speeding ,propulsive snap and drive, he could do it live too.
He really seemed like a very nice man. It's notable that when Patrick Moraz talked about Yes as "the festival of egos", he qualified that statement by saying "not Alan"....
I met him a couple of times. Once after a gig on the Symphonic Tour (which frankly was the crowning glory of any Yes gig I saw, the best concert of my life), he was modest and unassuming.
The second time was at a signing in the Oxford Street branch of Tower Records in London. There were many hundreds of people there. I felt he had played really well at the gig the night before and told him so. Despite the fact that he had probably exchanged words with a few hundred people by that point, he seemed genuinely pleased and thanked me for saying so. He autographed my Tales From Topographic Oceans Cd. I treasure that.
It was obvious to me that he had been unwell for quite some time.
I'll remember him as an unstoppable, and positive musical force.
Thank you for the music Alan. You were one of a kind. Rest in peace.
Personally I thought he was underrated as a drummer. Very much a team player, all-round musician.
He gave Yes a soul and a heartbeat which suited them down to the ground. He brought more emotion to the band, and after all, it was Rick Wakeman who said that that was what Yes music was all about.
Not for him the clipped, complex, somewhat terse rhythmic vocabulary of his predecessor. Alan came forth with a joyful abandon, a more orchestral style, broad strokes that captivated and enthralled.
At his best he was a monstrous powerhouse with both chops to spare and endless drive.
There's a video on YouTube of Yes playing Glasgow in 1977. His interpretation of Close To The Edge is frightening...full of dramatic flourishes and intense energy.
His bass drum work on things like Silent Wings Of Freedom, or the end of Our Song, had a speeding ,propulsive snap and drive, he could do it live too.
He really seemed like a very nice man. It's notable that when Patrick Moraz talked about Yes as "the festival of egos", he qualified that statement by saying "not Alan"....
I met him a couple of times. Once after a gig on the Symphonic Tour (which frankly was the crowning glory of any Yes gig I saw, the best concert of my life), he was modest and unassuming.
The second time was at a signing in the Oxford Street branch of Tower Records in London. There were many hundreds of people there. I felt he had played really well at the gig the night before and told him so. Despite the fact that he had probably exchanged words with a few hundred people by that point, he seemed genuinely pleased and thanked me for saying so. He autographed my Tales From Topographic Oceans Cd. I treasure that.
It was obvious to me that he had been unwell for quite some time.
I'll remember him as an unstoppable, and positive musical force.
Thank you for the music Alan. You were one of a kind. Rest in peace.
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