Yessir

Overall Live Album Score: ***

The general problem with live albums is nearly universal for prog-rock artists. There's no way in heaven or hell that live versions are going to be any better than the studio cuts. Even in that vein, Yes try their hardest to make these songs sound much like the studio versions --- and I'm honestly not enough of a Yes fan to really be able to pick all the differences. There isn't even an extreme amount of effort to expand these tracks with pretentious instrumental noodling (but there are certainly noted instances where this occurs). But all of that just means that these are that much more similar to the automatically superior studio versions. So, the begging question is: Who needs this live album?

I guess the Yes fans will be able to answer that question best: The more classic Yes albums, the better!!! Besides, fans do report that these live versions are significantly different from the studio cuts. Even I can notice that --- usually. If we're going to listen to this album anyway, let's give it a serious listen.

Um... Whenever I get around to finishing this thing, that is. This album is a whopping two hours and 10 minutes long, which extended over the course of three vinyl records. That's something that didn't happen much back then --- but Yes had their die-hard fans, so they get away with it. At least there are only 14 tracks, which means I can get away without writing an entire encyclopedia in the track reviews! What am I to say about live versions of already analyzed studio tracks, anyway?

It's pretty obvious that these guys know how to rock live just as well as they did in the studio. That was valuable information for anyone interested in going to their concerts. You know, they have their fair share of deservedly legendary instrumentalists, and they reproduce almost everything right on-key. Jon Anderson's force is less intrusive here, though, because the virtuosos tend to drown him out --- well that's a nice thing!

Of course, I enjoy listening to this album, and it's such an ordeal! I questioned whether or not I was actually going to write this review, but I obviously managed it! So let's talk more about this live album. Tracks like "Roundabout" that I enjoyed so much from the studio version, you can't help but feel slightly cheated by it. Yeah--- they do manage to make a faithful version that rocks about as much as the original, but it's not nearly as crisp or exciting. ... Only the people who actually attended the concert are likely to feel more from this than the studio. "Perpetual Change" is a song that actually adds to the studio version --- but, oh wait, there's a drum solo there. Drum solos are like tumors. Forget I asked!!!

Oh, but "Long Distance Runaround - Fish" also adds much to the studio version --- about eight minutes of extra rambling. It's mostly meaningless meandering from guitar guru Steve Howe, but he's definitely one crazy guitar player --- so electric guitar fans can feel grateful that this album exists!

Other songs like "Close to the Edge" and "Heart of Sunrise" are as long as hell --- which is exactly how they were in the studio versions. I thought I had it rough listening to these individual Yes albums, but this huge triple album with these epic-lengthed tracks are quite overwhelming. Frankly, I'm just relieved that I managed to sit through this and write a sizable amount of words in the track reviews. I didn't have much insightful to say, unfortunately! Talk to a Yes fan, I guess...

Track Reviews

I have a question answered. Why do so many prog fans like Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite?" Because it plays at the beginning of this live album, that's why! (Or maybe it's just a great piece, and everyone likes it.) The purpose of "Opening" is to set the tone of the concert, I guess. You hear an audience eagerly awaiting YES to come out on stage to take forever playing their classics and they get to hear this much nicer song play before they come out... Well...

OK, Yes have taken the stage and they're playing "Siberian Khatru," from their latest album Close to the Edge. That's an excellent pick for a live version, because it was pretty rollicking. You wonder why they couldn't have made it non-identical to the version I remember hearing in the studio version. I'm sure die-hard fans would be able to pick out subtle differences, but I'm having a hard time. It's certainly nice that the instrumentation is crystal clear and the audience noises are kept to a minimum if you can even hear it at all. This song is rocking and enjoyable! Hard to deny that --- I'll just ignore the fact that this is the same as the studio version except not quite as awesome.

"Heart of Sunrise" was that prog track from Fragile that was so great. Of course, most of the songs from Fragile are great, and these guys prove they knew exactly what they were doing!! Well, of course they did; Yes music is so extraordinarily complex and calculated. This is another energetic track and a great pick for a live cut. They do the furious part perfectly, and it's exactly as I remember it from the studio version. The slower folky parts are just as gloriously pretentious as it always was --- the big difference of course is you hear quiet audience noises throughout!

"Perpetual Change" is considerably longer than the studio cut. The added bits are probably those overextended solos that, up until the climactic final third, are usually boring or too cluttered... The studio version really wasn't my favorite of their songs for obvious reasons --- the development is pretty clunky and it's honestly not a great song to hear them play live anyway. It's pretty boring and I'm not a huge fan of any of the melodies. I mean, it's more enjoyable than not and I can nod my head to it agreeably, but it's the weakest track of this live album thus far... So, I guess this thing is just for the fans --- this is even worse than the studio version just because it's so much longer and it contains a pompous drum solo that nobody needs.

"And You And I" is actually a tad shorter than the studio cut ... Hm!! Maybe I underestimated Yes' inability to write better live cuts of their studio material, after all! Honestly, the studio version of this track wasn't greatly impressive to me, and the live version has the exact same effect. I definitely like this song better than "Perpetual Change." The melody is a little more homely, and the flow is much nicer and smooth. Most importantly, it doesn't contain a drum solo thank goodness.

Actually I liked listening to the clearer rendition of "Mood For a Day" on Fragile a significant deal more than this version --- but I guess that's been the theme this whole review. The live versions just aren't as good. But hey, Steve Howe can play this busy acoustic guitar solo quite well without the aid of a studio. Plus, it's a well written solo!

Rick Wakeman already had his less illustrious solo career underway at this point, and he treats Yes fans to "Excerpts from "The Six Wives of Henry VIII"" --- his first solo album. For some reason, I became accustomed to Rick Wakeman's solo career far longer before I started listening to Yes so deeply... So it's kind of nice to hear this, I guess. Needless to say that he is one WICKED piano player --- but I guess that's all this song is. This is just a grandiose keyboard solo that he's plays like he were providing the music to a silent movie. Later on, he adapts more pompous synthesizers. This is entertaining in its own way --- one reason because this is actually significantly different from what I remember from the studio album. So, hey! Here's one reason to purchase Yessongs.

And that sort of gracefully fades into "Roundabout," which is easily my favorite Yes song up until this point! Why is it my favorite? Because it knows how to rock out mightily! It doesn't rock out any better than the studio version --- if anything, this version is looser and the integrity of the track loses a lot in the process. "Roundabout" was so tight and crispy in the studio... But the melody is still catchy, and I'll always like those guitar licks...

"I've Seen All Good People" actually turns out to be a decent live version... Not that I really had any doubt. That's surprising since this seems to be more of a vocal-driven song, so we have to bear through this group's rather lacking vocal skills. But the interchanges are fun to hear! The organ comes in at a beautiful time to give this a beautifully epic sound --- Oh yeah, that's what this group is famous for you know! Naturally, when the song rocks out (with help from Steve Howe's nice guitar licks), it only gets that much better. How sweet!! This song is a blast!!

I guess "Long Distance Runaround - The Fish" is the reason that we get this album. This is a heavily expanded medley featuring those two tracks from Fragile that originally accounted for about five minutes. Yeah, it's rambly! After that enormously hooky melody from "Long Distance Runaround," there's a strange guitar solo from Howe. It sounds like police sirens or something --- and I had to turn down my speakers for fear that the sound would blow them out!! Well, that's interesting, and kind of cosmic. What follows is an atmospheric section and a sort of jazz-rock fusion section that's very enjoyable. They get a little quiet and useless around the eight minute mark --- they're just goofing around, and showing off their chops. That's fine with me --- I'd want to do the same thing. But is it entertaining? I'm only mildly amused, to be honest. But it picks up mighty steam around the 10-minute mark, and they drench me with their wicked guitars... Just as it starts to grow boring again, they suddenly explode and finish it with an atmospheric song. Well... cool.

"Close to the Edge" also manages to be enjoyable just like the album ...it's pretty similar even starting with those animal noises from the very beginning. Of course, this song is fun to sit through just like the studio version was! Maybe this is a little more fun, because it's rawer. For some reason, even those awkward "aaah" choruses at the beginning are easier to take here... Man, these guys are so pretentious ---- but I guess you knew that. I don't feel like writing anything else... I'm tired.... I'm just going to listen...

Rick Wakeman delivers his mighty keyboard playing skills at the very beginning of "Yours is No Disgrace" --- and then the other instrumentalists come in, naturally. Yikes, this is a 15-minute song. I'm as tired as hell, but I can't deny that this thing isn't lifting me up.... I might be tired, but I'm certainly not bored. Those are two different things! I think maybe "overwhelmed" is the proper tune. I'm enjoying this, but at this point I am looking forward to it being over with!!! Anyway, this is another enormously enjoyable song with tons of energy and virtuosity... Geez, there's no wonder these guys have their fans. This never grows dull throughout its running length.... Excellent! This track is absolutely thunderous.

I finally got to the end! And now the reward... "Starship Trooper," which was one of the finer tracks from The Yes Album. Not that this whole experience wasn't a reward --- well, more or a reward than I asked for!!! Anyway, this is an enormously well written composition and it turned into a great live-show ender --- It's epic sounding as always, and this one seems conclusive! OK--- thanks everybody. I'm going home.

Senor Senor wants you to comment about this thing aqui.