u/LuuTienHuy

Let me lay out the Tony Kaye karmic jackpot. This is not opinion. This is just what happened.

Basically: Tony: "I don't like synths" and the Universe went: "Cool. Here's 90125".

1. Fired from Yes in 1971: Too simple, not "progressive" enough.
2. Quit during 90125 recording: Didn't want to learn modern keyboards. Trevor Horn had to get Trevor Rabin to play his parts.
3. Came back for the tour: Needed the paycheck and to solidify the "Yes" legal name.
4. Ended up with NINE Oberheim DPX-1 units and a custom hard disk system AND Oberheim built it for him because he bought nine of their products and said "this isn't good enough."
5. Needed a hidden backup keyboardist (Casey Young) backstage to trigger samples because his rig was too complex for one person to operate. He literally needed a second pair of hands.
6. Got a Grammy: "Cinema," Yes's only Grammy, which he played on as part of the Cinema lineup + Yes's biggest hit with him.
7. Got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Inducted as a member of Yes.
8. Didn't even attend the ceremony.

Somewhere along, Trevor Horn is somewhere screaming: "Tony, We could have done this earlier!"

Meanwhile:

• Rick Wakeman (cape, virtuoso, legendary solos): No Grammy for Yes work.
• Steve Howe (iconic riffs, architect of classic Yes): No Grammy for Yes work.
• Jon Anderson (the voice, the cosmic poet): No Grammy for Yes work.

The man who was fired for being "too simple," who quit because he didn't want to learn synths, who needed a hidden backup player, who didn't even show up to the Hall of Fame... has the exact same accolades as everyone else. And in some cases, more.

That's not just a comeback. That's incredible ROI.