Some people, believe it or not, wouldn’t want to be in Yes. Not Patrick Moraz. And it’s not like he has no alternatives. For starters he could be a talking French poodle on the Ed Sullivan Show. No joke. Let me explain.

I’ve been talking to drummer Alan White for a good hour, trying to figure out how he can “love raggedy music,” put out such a downright rock ‘n’ roll solo album as his Ramshackled and still play with a classi-rock, high-pitched squiggle band like Yes. I mean this was the guy who punched it out like Ringowith-a-temper on the John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band raunch ‘n’ roll classic Live Peace! Well, with all sorts of genuine humility befitting one of the nicest guys in the biz, Alan explains that he likes Yes’s music too and that playing in the band and working with all sorts of weird time signatures has improved his abilities as a drummer considerably. At the same time, he does allow that his more solid approach to the skins may help root the band better than before. Blah, blah, blah. In other words, you love Alan White, and suddenly, in spite of yourself, your opinions about Yes and how arch they are begin to disintegrate.