The Yes Men is our version of poker night, we get together on Tuesday nights to have a few laughs (and a few beverages) and occasionally play some vintage prog rock from Yes.

Live from Brian’s garage! Rehearsal recordings from The Yes Men:
Heart of the Sunrise
Starship Trooper
Khatru12-5-11

The Yes Men are:

Brian Harmer: Guitar
Chris Vreeland: Bass
John Viehweg: Vocals
Mickey McGee: Drums
Patrick McFarland: Keyboards

Here are some photos of The Yes Men in action at our state of the art high tech recording facility (Brian’s garage). Click on any photo to see the full size image:

Amps and recording gear:

Brian:

Chris:

Mickey:

Patrick:

Everyone jamming out on their respective lead axxe (including lead shaker axxe):

LIVE at Hanover’s 1-18-14:

“Love Lies Bleeding”

“The Rain Song”

Live at Hanover’s 2011:

The Yes Men. Live at Hanover’s 2011: Since I’ve Been Loving You

Hanovers6-15-11 Disgrace

The cellar:

Since I’ve Been Loving You

PerpetualFubar

For Patrick:
Southside10-16
Sunrise10-16

Crude demo recorded at David Barrow’s house with his 8 track cassette recorder (late 80s?):
DirtyDeedsSnip

A later demo (’95?) recorded at David Barrow’s house:

KidStuffCPR_LeavingLasVegas2

This was one of the last projects I recorded on the SSL at Austin Recording.  It was released on CD but somehow things got lost in translation from the original mix to the CD and it sounded a bit thin and harsh. Here I have gone back to the original mixes of some of my favorite tunes from the project:

Shawn Maddox: Guitars, backing vocals
Mike Howard: Bass, backing vocals, lead tripe
Andy Brownlee: pretty much everything else

IGuess
Outlets
Primed

This is what happens when the real players don’t show up. Brian Harmer is playing my Firebird thru Ceriatone HRM50 (left speaker) and 2204 HW (Right) amps. I am not a bass player but am playing a Fender P bass thru my ’68 plexi Marshall Super Trem 100. Patrick McFarland (who usually plays keyboards in this band) is playing drums.
2204Blues

One more loose jam, we recorded this when Brian’s finger was out of commission. I am playing his ES335 through Ceriatone HRM50 and JTM45 amps. Chris Vreeland on bass (again through the ’68 plexi Marshall Super Trem 100). Patrick McFarland on keys, Mickey McGee on drums.  VgerFade

Operation: OperationTest

This is only a test: SpeakerTest

In the late 70s we set up a practice room in the enclosed garage area at my parents house in Westlake (thanks Mom and Dad!). Brian Harmer lived around the corner and we spent hours playing guitar together.  Eventually Brian traded his Marshall amp in on a Teac 2340 4 track recorder and the garage became a “studio”. In later years I did a lot of work in real studios but I believe this is the first multitrack recording I ever did. I used a single Shure mic plugged direct into the Teac recorder and recorded the instruments one at a time: Drums, Bass, Guitars.

JV1

Even older recordings from the Westlake garage. This is a cassette recording we did in ’77 preparing for the infamous “Test II” gig.  I remeber I was not yet old enough to drive so 15 at this point:

OffBeatRide77

Stephen is a talented musician and songwriter, I was fortunate to be a member of his band for much of the 80s and 90s. These songs are a cassette copy of a demo we recorded at the Pecan Springs house where I was living at the time (circa 1983 I believe):

Stephen Doster – Guitar, Lead Vocal
John Viehweg – Guitar, Vocals
Pat Cieply – Bass
Mike Smith – Drums, Vocals

Jenni
AfterTheFact
SingleMindedMan
StandUp

This next one is from “Local Licks Live” (recorded live at Riverside Sound). The band is the same except Tommy Holden is playing drums. This is a cassette recording of the FM radio broadcast so not the best sound quality, still one of my favorite songs:

SheWasMyGirl_KLBJ

These were recorded at Joe Ely’s home studio with James Tuttle at the controls. Kyle Brock on Bass, Patterson Barrett on Keys, Mike Smith on drums (and of course Stephen and me):
Into the Wild Blue
IntoWildBlueStuff1-20-12
ClockOnTheWall

One more from the KLBJ broadcast:

We had a power pop band called “Jet” in 1982.

From Left:
Ram Garza – drums
John Viehweg – guitar, vocals
Dickie Sanders – bass, vocals
Dave Hazlett – guitar, vocals

These are home 4 track demo recordings (from the Pecan Springs house) of my original songs:
Say
Sleepless