Here is the link to the interview for those who have not yet read it:
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rick-wakeman-interview-2016/
Rick begins with a comment on information about the trio "leaking out" -
“It leaked out, what we were going to do, as things always do,” he says. “But what stunned us all was the response that we got when it leaked out. I mean, all of our individual websites, Facebooks and Twitters and whatever, went absolutely crazy with so much warmth and love and support from the Yes fans everywhere.[...]"Admittedly I am a bit mystified regarding what he is referring to. Most fans are familiar with how this project had been initially revealed back in 2010, via Rick's UK radio show Planet Rock. And in fact his announcement and subsequent discussion is exactly why the three principles have been frequently asked about the status of the project over the past five years (I was one of the few interviewers who did not ask Trevor about it during the promotional cycle for Jacaranda). During the first week of January, Trevor was the one who provided what many considered more concrete - albeit brief - statements of intent for the project via his Facebook page. So as far as I can tell, the only "leaks" are from the actual people involved, which would tend to put those mentions in the "sanctioned" category instead.
The next interesting tidbit involves news of the new album:
There has been talk of new music as part of the reunion, but Wakeman downplays that a bit, saying that they’re focused on the planning of the tour as their main priority presently. “Trevor, quite rightly, said ‘Hey guys, we’re not going to rush into all of this. This is nuts. It’s going to take us enough hard work to put a great show together.’” he recalls.This turn of events does not surprise me, especially when we consider that - after two years of work - Trevor was only half-finished with his next solo album when he decided to shelve it for the time being in order to focus on ARW. I was rather skeptical that an album could be pulled together in six months, regardless of how many ideas had been traded in five years. As the producer as well as performer and composer, Trevor's process moves at its' own pace, and the results prove its' competency. But Rick does verify what Jon Anderson has been stating in recent interviews regarding the re-imagining of Yes classics for their setlist:
“One of the things that we want to do with the music is look at each of the tracks individually and look at the strengths and highlights of each of the tracks and try to take it to another level,” he says. “We don’t want to do it as it was on the record or indeed, as Yes music has always sort of been played. We want to try and take it to another level. But we’re certainly not taking away all of the elements and the sound that the songs made.”Another continuing (and hotly-debated) discussion in fandom regards the members of the touring band, but Rick wasn't entirely forthcoming:
Wakeman says they’re still working on who’ll play drums and bass, as well as a secondary guitarist and keyboardist. Those additional members should be announced soon.However, earlier this year Rick's son Adam confirmed in an interview that he had been approached to take on the support role for keyboards, but had to decline due to prior commitments with Black Sabbath. So it has been known to fans that support players will be involved in addition to the rhythm section. Thus the speculation continues, although the smart money is on Trevor's long-time rhythmic companion Lou Molino III to be the one installed behind the kit.
