Judging by some recent comments from Yes frontman Jon Anderson, it seems that he is making progress in his recovery from a serious respiratory ailment that prevented him from taking part in the Yes 40th Anniversary tour that was scheduled for the summer.

In addition to his struggles with his physical ailments, Anderson was also dealt an emotional blow when the remaining members of the group decided to go ahead and tour without him. A singer named Benoit David from Yes tribute band Close To The Edge, will stand in for Anderson, and is being referred to as an “understudy,” which was likely an effort to make Anderson feel less like he has been replaced permanently.

Although Anderson’s initial reaction to the situation was very disappointing for him, according to his comments on his personal website, he now sounds like he may be prepared to forgive and forget.

Anderson favors taking a break for a while to give the group time to rest up, and to scale back on the time spent touring. He would also like to tone down the  type of performances they had previously been showcasing while on tour, and feels that the lack of new music, in addition to a lack of passion for the music and for each other was having an adverse effect on the group.

Anderson’s comments seem to indicate that he believes that the band has lost it’s way, and needs time to rethink who they are and where they are going. Unfortunately for both Anderson and Rick Wakeman – who was apparently in agreement with Anderson, and has since left the group — the other members did not agree.

In the end, however, Anderson sounds optimistic and closes by saying: “Hopefully we will get back together and perform in the coming years, I truly hope so. The fans deserve it, and so do we.”

See Classic Rock Forever for all of Jon Anderson’s comments.