Conspiracy (Band)

Conspiracy was in the 1990s emerged from the collaboration of Yes bassist Chris Squire and singer / songwriter / musician Billy Sherwood British- American rock and progressive rock band, whose latest project is conducted under the name of Psy - Op.

• 3.1 Squire / Sherwood: Conspiracy
• 3.2 Conspiracy: The Unknown
• 3.3 Conspiracy: Conspiracy Live

History

Prehistory, early collaboration, founding

The history of the band Conspiracy is unusual in that the two main parties, Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood, had worked together for over ten years before they officially called their project to life.

When Yes ( Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Alan White and Tony Kaye ) came together in 1989 to the recordings of the follow-up album to Big Generator again, they faced the problem of having to find a singer for their new project: Jon Anderson had frustrated the band leave because Rabin had drawn more and more the leadership of the group itself. They worked together for a while with Roger Hodgson (former Supertramp ) until Squire became aware of the singer and multi-instrumentalist Billy Sherwood of the band World Trade. The two wrote songs together first, including The more we live - let go, which should land on the next Yes album Union ( 1991). As but then became apparent fusion of Yes with the competition band Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe, it was no longer necessary to find a replacement for the singer, Squire and Sherwood, however, remained in contact.

After the end of the Union tour, in August 1992, Squire gave some concerts in California with his new band "The Chris Squire Experiment". Members included the Yes drummer Alan White and Billy Sherwood. The "experiment" played songs of Union and some new pieces that were created in collaboration with Sherwood Squires. The set list for the concert of 25 August 1992 in San Jose, California, was: " Open Your Eyes " (later on the same Yes album, 1997), " The Lonesome Trail ," " You're the Reason", " One World Going Round", " Days of Wonder ", "Follow Our Dreams ". Sometimes even the Yes classic " Long Distance Runaround " ( from the album " Fragile" ) was played.

The collaboration of musicians proved very pleasant, and Squire committed Sherwood as a guest musician for Yes ' Talk Tour (June 18, 1994 - October 11, 1994 (76 shows) ). 1996 and 1997 produced the Sherwood studio tracks of the two Yes albums Keys to Ascension and Keys to Ascension 2 before it was from 1997 to 2000 permanent member.

In the nineties, then a first album the two musicians under the title Chemistry was announced, but which never appeared. At this time wanted Yes go on tour, but her record company insisted that the band should first provide new material. However, since little was available, it was decided, similar to 90125, the remodel at this time, especially in emerging Squire / Sherwood album Chemistry to a Yes album. Squire, Sherwood and White then began to develop a presentable album as soon as possible, singer and guitarist Steve Howe Anderson came only towards the end of the work on the project. It appeared in 1997 as a Yes album titled Open Your Eyes.

In 2000, the first album the two musicians appeared under the title Conspiracy.

Conspiracy

Conspiracy is actually a project that was operated rather loosely by Squire and Sherwood since 2000. The first album is a compilation, it contained pieces that were written in 1989 for Yes, pieces that were played by " Chris Squire Experiment" and songs that were created in advance of Open Your Eyes. It was only after the appearance of the debut, a stable occupation by Squire, Sherwood, Jay clamps ( drums) and Sherwood's brother Michael (keyboards, vocals) came together, which was sometimes augmented by guest musicians.

With The Unknown was released in 2003 the first "real" album of the new band. Involved were now next to Squire, the Sherwood brothers and clamps Jimmy Haun from " Chris Squire Experiment" and the former Yes manager Jordan Berliant. The Unknown is a loose concept album, many of the pieces revolve around the attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York and Washington, DC.

2004 Squire formed, the Sherwood brothers and clamps with keyboardist Scott sway a live band, a planned tour had to be canceled at short notice, however. Instead, a live DVD called Live Conspiracy (2006) was published. The set list included, in addition Conspiracy songs and material from Open Your Eyes and Squires solo album Fish Out of Water (1975).

Work on a third studio album slowed down, as Squire 2005, the U.S. moved to London and later left the band completely. Billy Sherwood, since 2006 with other Yes - musicians in the project Circa: engaged, Conspiracy leads but continued alone for a new album, which is expected also two pieces not used by Sherwood's band World Trade will contain, include guest appearances by the former Yes - musician Tony Kaye and Peter Banks and guitarist Gary Green (former Gentle Giant ) announced. This new project is now under the working title Psy - Op. Billy Sherwood has announced in an interview in late 2007, that there will be no further Conspiracy albums. Distance between England ( Squire ) and the U.S. ( Sherwood ) was too large to maintain long-term cooperation.

Style

The Conspiracy - style moves in the range between progressive rock and American oriented melodic rock. The pieces of the band are between three and twelve minutes, regardless of the length but outweigh the AOR elements, so that longer pieces can not be clearly assigned to the Progressive Rock (although so-called " Epics " as typical of this genre are ). The progressive rock elements are instead used selectively and sparingly. Characteristic are also the powerfully produced polyphonic vocal arrangements.

This style is typical of the work of Billy Sherwood, he finds himself in a very similar way to his solo albums and albums of his bands like World Trade and Circa:. Accordingly, Sherwood is largely responsible for the compositions and the sound shape of the Conspiracy albums. The difference from the other projects is predominantly in the characteristic of Squire melodic bass work.

Here, the first album seems less uniform than The Unknown, which is its property, owed ​​as a compilation of songs that have evolved over a period of 10 years time. In addition, here the Property of Squire elements are even more prominence: His singing is heard more often here alone as is mixed more prominent on several tracks on the next album and his bass playing. The second album, which was created in continuous cooperation of all participating musicians is accordingly uniform, but occurs Squires proportion as with regard to the debut of something in the background.

Conspiracys style similar to the resulting under Sherwood's involvement Yes albums and songs, especially the begun as Conspiracy album Open Your Eyes, most notably the song Man on the Moon and Open Your Eyes, the song Finally by The Ladder (1999) and the song the More We Live - Let go and Love Conquers All from the vicinity of the album Union.

Discography with respect to Yes and involved musicians

The first album assembled pieces that were created over the years in collaboration with different musicians. From a fixed line-up could be at this time no talk.

Squire / Sherwood: Conspiracy

Musicians:

Chris Squire: Voice ( 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10), background vocals (3, 6-8), bass (1-10), Acoustic Guitar (10 )

Billy Sherwood: vocals (3, 6-8), background vocals (1, 2, 4, 5, 9), Guitar ( 1, 2, 4-10), Keyboards (1-10), drums (4, 6, 10), Percussion (1-10)

With

Jay clamps: drums (1, 8, 9 ), Tom Toms ( 4)

Mark T. Williams: Drums ( 2)

Steve Stevens: Guitar ( 3)

Michael Bland: Drums ( 3)

Alan White: Drums ( 5, 7) Keyboards ( 5)

Jimi Haun: guitar ( 7)

Comments

• Days of Wonder, Lonesome Trail and You're the Reason come from the days of " Chris Squire Experiment"

• Light in My Life comes from the Chemistry Sessions

• The More We Live finds himself in a different version on the Yes album Union.

• Love Conquers All is a piece that was intended for the Yes album Union, but was not used. It later appeared on the compilation YesYears.

• Say Goodbye was also provided for Union, but was then used by Sherwood's band World Trade on their second album Euphoria.

• Wish I Knew and Man on the Moon were on the Yes album Open Your Eyes used (the former under the title Open Your Eyes )

Conspiracy: The Unknown

Musicians:

Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals

Billy Sherwood: guitars, keyboards, vocals

Jay clamps: Drums, Percussion

Jimi Haun: guitar ( 8)

Jordan Berliant: Guitar ( 4)

Michael Sherwood: Keyboards (3, 8)

Comments

• " I Could " is an alternative version of the track " Finally" from the Yes album The Ladder (1999).

• The cover is by Bob Cesca, who was also responsible for designing the Yes album Magnification

Conspiracy: Conspiracy Live

Musician

Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals

Billy Sherwood: guitars, keyboards, vocals

Jay clamps: Drums

Michael Sherwood: Keyboard, Vocals

Scott Walton: Keyboards

Swell

• Watkinson, David: Perpetual change - 30 years of Yes. London 2001. ISBN 0-85965-297-1
• Welch, Chris: Close to the Edge. The story of Yes. London / NY / Sydney 1999. ISBN 0-7119-6930-2