It’s been a bit. How are you? How have you been? Well? Well-ish? Life has consumed me, but I need to start blogging again.
Well, crap on a cracker, but what a sad reason to return.
Sunday we lost Chris Squire.
For those of you who don’t know who Chris Squire is– I am deeply sorry. That is a shame. Because you’ll never see him, tall, with a swagger, a soaring voice, and, most of all, a commanding bass guitar. Chris Squire was quite simply the bass player that broke all the rules, the guy that other bassists looked up to. Most people think of the bass as a rhythm instrument, working in tandem with the drums. Squire taught us differently. Not content to be back ground scenery, he threw off the bass player wall flower persona and rocked. If anyone helped give birth to what is today Progressive Rock it was Squire. Aside from Yes, only Genesis can claim to share the mantle to such a degree. Okay, I’ll give an honorable mention to King Crimson if only to keep Bill Bruford from hunting me down and taking direct action.
Bands as varied as Marillion, Dream Theater, Queensryche, Asia, Kansas, Opeth, Muse, Hawkwind, and the Alan Parsons Project owe Yes a huge debt. Talk about doing the heavy lifting.
The thing is, as amazing as the music is, and the music IS amazing. The greatest loss is in terms of the person. And by that I mean, personal time, friendships, those sweet intimate moments that string together a life. It’s the barbecues, the hugs, the tears, and the laughter that make up a person. Now, I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Squire, but I went to… fifteen, eighteen, twenty? Yes concerts: Big Generator, Union, Talk, Learning to Fly, lots of shows. I got to watch him work, no, play on stage many times. The joy and delight he exuded was plain to see. I cannot help but believe that the camaraderie there extended to other areas of his life. I could be wrong but at a guess I would say that whatever the deprivation to his fans and the musical world in general, the blow to family and friends is even more devastating. And I am so sorry for that loss. So incredibly sad.
All that beautiful, lovely music silenced. I cannot believe that there will never be just one more magical summer night. Just one more. Please.
For those remembering Chris or learning of his music for the first time, here are two of my favorite Chris Squire memories from concerts I attended. First, from the Union Tour in 1991, The Heart of The Sunrise featuring his signature driving bass and masterful solo. On the reunion tour Yes featured two drummers, two guitar players, two keyboard players, plus their lead singer– but just one bass player. That was all they ever needed. The second piece is from one of my favorite Yes albums, 1994’s Talk. An underrated record, please enjoy the very lovely I Am Waiting which will always invoke for me gorgeous melodies floating in starlight.
Chris– Every step forward we will be missing you. Our Fish Out of Water. I don’t want you to rest in peace- I hope a part of you still sings with us. Now and always. Love you.
This post was written by Erika Gardner. If you enjoyed it, please sign up to receive updates on this blog. Or you can follow Erika on Twitter @Erika_Gardner or “Like” her Facebook page Erika Gardner- Writer and Storyteller. Check out her contributions to the BBB Blog.
