Customer Reviews

Yes - Yessongs

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

The value of this DVD of the group, shot in December 1972 at London's Rainbow Theatre, depends entirely on your perspective -- Yes music fan or technophile.

While it is true that the audio (uncompressed 48k 16-bit PCM) is barely above bootleg quality and the video is grainy and contains some ticks and scratches, this movie captures the group in their prime and is valuable to those interested in the early 70's period -- especially those of us that were too young to see them live.

The camera work is good and captures, in colorful, moody closeups, each band member doing their thing. At several points in some of the songs ('Close To The Edge' in particular) images of microbial life are introduced, enhancing the organic qualities of the music.

The musical performance is excellent with especially good guitar work from Steve Howe.

While certainly not a candidate for showing off your new DVD player to your friends, Yessongs is a valuable document of the group in the early 70's.

This set here captures Yes in fine form, as they were performing songs to support their 1972 release _Close To The Edge_. As many reviewers have stated, the sound quality is quite faint, which can be inexcusable to many viewers, but the performances are top-notch, and on the whole, is worthwhile for the Yes fan.

The six performances on here are for: "Your Move/I've Seen All Good People," "The Clap," "And You And I," "Close To The Edge," "Jingle Bells/Hallelujah/Roundabout" and "Yours Is No Disgrace" as an encore.

"Your Move.." is quite a nice performance as vocalist Jon Anderson is using his ethereal upper-register, and Steve Howe is playing mind-blowing material on his guitar (though in the first half, he plays what looks like a mandolin.) The vocal harmonies exchanged by Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire and Steve are nice as well. I also liked watching keyboardist Rick Wakeman clapping his hands during the handclapping section. "The Clap" is an extraordinary workout by Steve Howe. It was nice watching the close-ups on the fretboard, and watching Steve's amazing technique and virtuosity.

Elsewhere, hearing and seeing this live performance of "Close To The Edge" was quite refreshing, and sits quite nicely with the studio version. The opening was melodic and mesmerizing, although there were some parts in the beginning where you couldn't see the bandmembers, due to some of the art collages. This may annoy some viewers as this appears in other places during the performance, particularly during the third movement, "I Get Up, I Get Down." It was almost like magic witnessing Rick Wakeman, wearing his glowing silver cape, playing that soaring synthesizer lead before the crashing rhythm section jumps in to close out that third movement.

And, for more Rick Wakeman, he continues his magic on the "Jingle Bells/Hallelujah/Roundabout" medley. The first two parts feature Rick on the keyboards alone. First, he starts with a fairly reverent version of "Jingle Bells," then all of a sudden, it turns into a funked-up, bluesy piece, with the audience members clapping along. Then comes his interpretation of "Hallelujah," which was magnificently done, as he plays a synthesizer with his left hand, and what I think is a mellotron with his right hand simultaneously. It's unbelievable how he could get orchestral/choiral effects out of his instrument. But, of course, that may as well have been the technology at the time. But, in any event, it was nice to watch what many non-prog rock fans would simply call silliness and indulgence. And to end it all, there's an energetic version of "Roundabout." The encore was lots of fun as well, which was the fiery live version of "Yours Is No Disgrace."

To end this horribly written review, I'll just say that this should be owned by Yes fans, especially for fans who wish they could have seen the band play live in their 1970s period. Despite the slightly lacking sound quality, this still shouldn't be ignored, as the performances are excellent.

Recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre December 1972. This brilliant performance became a really great video for any true fan of the earlier forms of Yes (and not for the people who like their 80's stuff like "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"). First the video starts out with some moving artwork from the great Roger Dean to the music of the middle instrumental section of the studio version of "Close To The Edge".

Then after the title shows up, the band goes right into "I've Seen All Good People". The way it's played is great but Rick Wakeman's organ crescendo at the end of the first half doesn't compare to that of organ great Tony Kaye on the studio recording.

After that is a nice version of "The Clap" with just Steve Howe and his Martin 0014 Acosutic Guitar.

Then some tunes from their latest studio album (at the time), first comes "And You And I" where they skip Steve Howe's 12-String acoustic guitar intro (but uses a white Gibson EDS-1275 SG Double-Neck Guitar for the other parts that do require 12-String Guitar) but do an alternate beginning (and a more revelatory one at that). Then comes "Close To The Edge" Yes's 6th Longest song though clocking in at 18:40...

Anyway enough with Yes's longest tunes, back to Close To The Edge, through out the song at different times there are clips of underwater microscopic life which in my opinion should have been left out, and just showed the band play. The song is very close to the original studio version, except the end where they drop it a step from F to E flat (I guess because Jon Anderson's voice couldn't take the pressure he put on it like on the album).

Anyway a little stage chatter and Anderson kissing his microphone he introduces Rick Wakeman to do his "Excerpts From The Six Wives Of Henry The VIII". Though he plays the song by himself, he has Alan White smash cymbals and a couple drums to accompany the classical crescendos of Handel's "The Messiah" and (if you can believe it) "Jingle Bells" (but understand it was December of 1972 when this video was recorded so it was appropiate).

Then comes "Roundabout", I'd prefer the studio version over this, because the band just wasn't able to capture the same kind of magic onstage that was in the studio recording, like Chris Squire's ascending bass riff was dull, Steve Howe had to play his solo introduction on his Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster Electric Guitar instead of his Martin 0014 Acoustic Guitar, and Rick Wakeman's organ had a bit less shine then on the original recording. It was OK but they could have improved on it a bit.

Then comes "Yours Is No Disgrace", a better recording than the original. A nice pop-ish intro, and Steve has a nice unaccompanied solo in the middle (except for Alan White with a little bit of Phased High Hat and Chris Squire shoving in Fuzzy Bass Notes in at times). The only drawback is that after Steves Solo was over they skipped the middle section (ya know; "Death Defying, Mutilated, Army's Gather Near"), but instead right into the end just because they were running short on time. But altogether an electrifying performance.

Then the end credits with the last 2 minutes of Starship Trooper, Steve with his Double Neck Guitar, Chris with Fuzzed Bass, Jon at the mellotron next to Alan, while Rick does an amazing Moog Solo.

A very fine performance for Yes at probably the peak of their fame in 1972-73. Get the video if you want, but be warned once you watch, you will be hooked.

It is obvious that this video was not planned.

If you read any yes books they say they came in and just recorded one of our Yesshows. This is it. Yes at their best in 73.

They are not trying to impress anyone like on MTV, they are playing a concert.

This movie captures Yes the way they were before they got real big and started touring Stadiums. A real Treasure to have.

The sound and picture is ok, but it was 1973. Enjoy the moment for what it was, a Yesshow in 1973. Rob S.

My love of classic Yes -- particularly the live performances of "Close to the Edge" and "Yours Is No Disgrace," on the old Yessongs album, led me to purchase this visual DVD, in part because I needed to actually see Steve Howe's fingers moving over the frets during my favorite parts.

The opening minute or so of "Close to the Edge" on the old live audio album, Yessongs, for example, is, to me, an absolute miracle of guitar playing by Steve Howe -- someone who at his peak in the 1970s combined phenomenal intricacy of rhythm and texture with phenomenal speed, and a sense of unbeatable wildness with classical discipline, and beauty. He was a wonderful fusion of the classic and romantic, the formal and the informal, Vivaldi, Country and the most lovely Rock. So I was disappointed to find that those who filmed the performance rather foolishly filmed, not Steve's fingers on the frets during those moments of incomparable genius during the first minute of so of "Close to the Edge" -- instead, unbelievably, the DVD shows a half minute of images of amoebas bifurcating and so on, as one hears the music unfolding in the background. How could they fail to put this man's fingers and face on film at the moment of his remarkable peak?

Similarly, during "Yours Is No Disgrace" when Howe is playing the longish, brilliant rapid cascading run of intricately shaped notes that precedes the first vocals of the song -- to me, perhaps the most glorious guitar run in the history of music -- truly a full quantum leap above all the other great guitar players I've heard -- a run I can only picture to you by asking you to combine an image of the delicacy and sense of vastness of the greatest impressionist paintings (seen in person), together with an image of the greatest, fastest action or chase sequences you ever saw in any Hollywood blockbuster. Unbelievable drama, brilliantly adept dynamism, indeed heroism, fused with ethereal sublimity. Sometimes, to listen to classic Howe playing guitar, sounds a bit like a classically trained humming bird's invisibly fast wings must be playing the notes, or perhaps it's that time slowed down for Howe, so that despite the incredible speed of the notes, he was able to shape them, and establish remarkably complex rythmic patterns in the midst of that dramatic speed. And above all, so pleasing to the ear (though one might have to listen a couple of times before the beauty of it begins to dawn). And despite all the synthesizers and electronic gizmos available to him and, as I understand, innovated by him, he usually chose a wonderfully raw, pure rock guitar sound.

And what were the filmakers doing during this mighty run of notes by Howe? Incredibly, they were filming not Steve Howe's miraculous fingers working the frets, but Chris Squire, bless him, who was not even doing anything much at that moment. Sheesh.

For those who know the old Yessongs live album/CD, I should note that the performance of Yours Is No Disgrace on that album is not the same as the performance on this DVD. The great longish sort of duet in the middle of the song between Howe and Squire --where Squire interjects every few seconds or so some bass note or other that wonderfully accents Howe's gorgeous lead -- that section, I would say, is not as well done in the concert that was recorded on this DVD -- but it is still great to see Howe on the DVD working out another version (earlier inchoate version?) of the themes worked out so brilliantly on the classic audio recording Yessongs.

For those who love Yes, this DVD is definitely worth it. There are other live performances on DVD, but I haven't got those yet.

Spectacular. Don't listen to tepid ratings. Excellent original executions of the tunes here, very fresh as the tunes have been recently written and published before the concert (i.e. last couple years before the concert).

These musicians' playing is excellent, and their composition is hard to believe - it's hard to believe they just up and created all this material themselves, out of thin air. Pink Floyd was great, and Genesis was great, but could they keep up with these fellows? I think not!

If you appreciate Yes, you ought to have this early taping of Yes when they're all young and their era is young, and everything is new and fresh and excellent.

I remember going to see this concert in the theater when I was merely 12 years old. I was so captivated by the tight orchestration that the band provided, I went to see it almost on a daily basis (summer time) while it played. From there I collected what Yes had recorded by that time (Close to the Edge, Time and a Word etc..). A very tough sell to friends at that time as they were not a "radio based" group, but Yes certainly proved that there was much more to rock than what was being portrayed on the radio which offered such limited access due to music length.

I have to say that the line-up for this concert is what I truly consider to be Yes. Rick Wakeman simply cannot be touched and the same holds true for Steve Howe and Alan White. Which on a side note, Alan did join the group while the tour was on the road and he filled in without flaw.

I had the pleasure of seeing Yes in 1979 (the round stage) and again in 1984. By far the most compelling show was the '79 show which opened with Siberian Katru and went straight into Heart of the Sunrise (same as the CD version of this tour). Granted that there is not mega effects (like say Pink Floyd's Pulse), but we have to remember that this was the early 70's.

For true Yes fans, this is the DVD to own. Trust me on this. If you like Yes, you will truly appreciate this DVD.

If you're a fan of the music or the album, the DVD is worthwhile.
Unfortunately, the photography and the editing look like they were done by a drunken high school student.
When Steve Howe is flying through Yours is No Disgrace, we get to see Chris Squire's boots. Also featured are several close-ups of Rick Wakeman's sequins. Not to mention the overdone, smeared out effects which produce spiffy colours and little else.
Hard to tell that Alan White was part of the band from the movie.
One can only hope (pray, actually) that the original film is in a locker somewhere, waiting to be re-edited by someone who understands the usefulness of split-screen when presenting a band of virtuosos.
Mr. Howe??? Please protect your legacy. Arrange for a proper edit of this wonderful concert. I'd buy it again, if I could actually watch you play.

I am an old white guy who graduated from high school in 1972 and who was utterly enthralled with what is called "progressive rock" for a decade of my young life. At the top of a heap that included bands like Gentle Giant, Caravan, and Emerson Lake & Palmer stood Yes. It's hard to describe what they meant to me. The first record for me was the "Yes Album," and it literally changed my perspective on music. I saw the band for the first of my 23 shows over a period of more than 25 years at a Catholic high school outside of Cleveland on a Sunday afternoon. It was between the release of the "Yes Album" and "Fragile" - they were debuting songs from that record at the show. I saw the tour captured on this DVD three times.

Many other reviewers have pointed out the fairly poor sound quality and the unrestored nature of the film, but toss all of that out. Toss too whether they played "Roundabout" as well as the studio version, or any other detail about a particular song. None of that matters. What matters is that this is the REAL DEAL - this is what Yes was like when they ruled the progressive world like no other.

The energy level is amazing. Steve Howe and Chris Squire are on fire. Jon sings like an angel. Wakeman doesn't miss a note. And a very young Alan White plays with a joy that you won't see very often.

I'd give a particular nod to Steve Howe. This isn't the distinguished old fellow you see on newer Yes DVDS (that's not a knock - we all get old); this is a fellow in his mid-twenties who is perhaps even fueled with some substances... but is playing with manic excellence.

If you came to Yes late (and most of you reading this are probably younger than I am), and you want to see a performance that combines intense discipline with pure joy, BUY THIS TODAY. It is a peak into the distant past that will blow your mind.

Progressive rock will never be better than this. Yes is the Beatles of the genre.

I first saw this concert footage movie back in 1979, at a midnight movie. Although I had always enjoyed Yes, this movie moved them to a new status for me. The songs performed include selections from The Yes Album, Close to the Edge, and Fragile, which I feel was their freshest and most inventive period. Although the sound quality is not what we are used to hearing on a DVD (this sounds like analog quality), and the picture is somewhat grainy, it is a pure reflection of the band in the early 70's, and to my knowledge the only performance recorded on video during the early years. This is something every appreciator of the band should own.