What is your rating of the DVD/Video Songs from Tsongas?

[BrianD]

Well we have done the albums, now the DVD/videos. Lets see what we think about the quality of all these Yes visual offerings. Just give it your rating out of ten and eventually we'll be able to give our Yesfans combined opinion.

[BrianD]

Haven't seen this one in full yet so I can't vote!

[inside_out]

I cannot comment on this one yet but the chart is interesting. It just looks funny. Like a stickman with a woody. So someday I hope to feel the same way. I mean it is an 8.

[brotherofmine]

It's a little premature maybe for me because I have only heard half of it. However...I don't think there is anything wrong with the sound quality as some have complained..although it is not exceptional it is certainly clean and no problems, picture quality is good too....but it just doesn't take my breath away like some of the Yes DVD's. Maybe we have been spoilt with so many weeds of this tour that it holds no surprises, but it just feels a little sterile....however..i have to say what comes through strongly is the audience energy that certainly added to the DVD you can feel that coming through.
Don't get me wrong I am not saying this a bad DVD by any means..it's a good quality sound and picture...just a slight lack in passion and surprise for me.

[Joe]

I'm giving it a 10!
I won't see it until tomorrow,
but, after seeing that show live,
those guys deserve a 10
for surviving the horrilbe
conditions that night!!!

[Altres]

It is a great thing the Tsonga's DVD and Ritual is worth the entrance fee 100 times over. The whole beauty of Ritual is brought fully to the fore here and the ending is such a unique normalisation of the aspects of life discussed in such alternate extended phrases encapsulated into a phrase. After all the abstractions just getting some one to "call you round" seems almost incandecent in its innocence. This DVD is wall to wall Yes music, what is it you want?

The only truly emarrassing bit is Jon's crowning glory of dad-rock-dom, trotting around the place doing high fives with otherwise happy listeners to "The Rhythm of Love". Oh, and Steve looks like he's from Royston Vassey.

But the DVD is overall a somewhat startling affirmation of a superior Yes facet on tour just a few months back.

Brian

[BrianD]

only 10 votes but averaging 8.7

[neilius]

I gave it a 7.

[YesForSure.]

Good DVD, Gave it a 8.

[antennaria]

Songs from Tsongas:
===============
I give it an 8 out of 10. Worth getting for Rick Wakeman's and Steve Howe's vituosity alone. There is some bad recording here... Chris Squire's base is barely audible throughout the concert, and there are some obvious audio skips during Howe's crucial guitar licks in Yours is no Disgrace near the end.

Jon is great generally, although he tends to blurt out lyrics rather than using the greater range of tones in the original studio recordings. On some long notes, rather than risk carrying the long note, he'll break in with a "yah, yah" sort of think that detracts from just singing a clear note. The Minddrives pieces, along with the Meeting, are great showcases for Jon. The acoustic set in the middle is very interesting, and the version of Roundabout (a song I'm not overly crazy about) done in an unplugged version, with Wakeman's lilting piano work, makes for a new, must-have version.

Rick Wakeman blows me away.. his fingers flying impossibly fast over the keyboards. The end of South Side of the Sky, which starts out a bit lethargic by Yes members, ends up with a dazzling back-and-forth musical dual between Wakeman and Howe, worthy of the 2-DVD cost at Amazon alone. The acoustic set is dominated by Wakeman's lilting piano licks, always soaring above the others musical contributions with amazing clarity and effect. The simple song "The Meeting" starting out with Wakeman and later joined by Anderson, is priceless.

Steve Howe just amazes me when I see him play. Someone said on an Amazon.com review, he looks like the cryptkeeper these days... sure enough, he didn't age well (nor have I)... but his vitality of playing make me believe he is largely responsible for the "sound" of yes. WOW! Chris Squire, on the other hand, in this performance, seems like he's not even plugged in. The bass cannot be heard! Is it a recording thing? Yes, I think so. But also, Chris goes around doing the guitar "power stance" thing, with almost no sound coming out... he looks ridiculous, whereas Steve Howe's sound just lights right up, soaring above Squire at every turn. I think something is wrong here, as the strong base sound on early YES is a signature... but it's missing here altogether.

Not as familiar with Yes's later music, I was glas to hear MindDrive parts 1-3... it's terrific. I had skipped over Tales from Topographic Oceans in my Yes listenings over the years, and only recently bought it. I must say, I just don't get Ritual that much... one of the LONG pieces that ends Songs from Tsongas. I'd much rather hear 20 minutes of Gates of Delirium from Relayer (brilliant) or Close to the Edge.

[podo]

Its ok

Ive had it for yonks, but I cant say Ive ever watched it from start to finish. In fact I think there are parts Ive never watched.

I know this will sound negative, but apart from the Roger Dean set, its just the same old same old.

If they ever bring out another DVD or CD with Roundabout on it, I think I'll refuse to buy it on principle.

[Joe]

My second post here.

Still a 10. It was a hot, humid night inside there.
The guys really came through though. Jon mentioned
how hot it was and you can see it on their faces at
some points on the video. Don't forget all the problems
Rick had with his gear. I guess the humidity screwed
some of his keyboards up. On "And You And I" when he
went into his first synth solo, his synt gave out this high
pitch sound for like 15 seconds (thats a long time!) and the
guys didn't loss a beat. Of course you don't hear that on
the DVD........thank God for editing!

I Love That DVD!

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y209/joeykeyz/Music/linkyes.gif

[Mind Driver]

I gave it a 10. I saw four shows on that tour and absolutley loved all of them. That DVD is a good representation of that tour.

[Close to Loch Ness]

I gave it a 9 for the early material (sweet dreams, every little thing, south side) which I hadn't heard live before, the acoustic set and Ritual. I'm afraid Mind Drive doesn't do much for me. Overall, an excellent DVD.

[Rick N Backer]

I gave it a 2 and thought that was generous. Extremely and deeply dissapointing. Said enough about it already though!

[Hed G.]

I got it for my birthday and watched the whole thing through this
morning! Excellent camera-work, great sound, a great memento from
this tour! One sour note: Squire's singing isn't what it used to be,
and he can no longer hit the high notes. A real shame, as this used
to be a very integral part of the Yes sound. Otherwise, a perfect 10!

[Grover]

It's been a few months now, and these are my thoughts:

I think it is quite good, showing the best looking stage show since the Talk tour, but it does lack some excitement. When recording a DVD, I think Yes should play a few tunes backstage first to warm up. Jon often sounds thin and unsure at the start of a concert, but then his voice becomes more full and smooth as the show goes on.

They needed to rehearse Turn of The Century more. Jon and Steve are trying to follow each other to stay in synch, but they should play it enough times so that they know where the other will be and can just go with it. This, I believe has often been Yes' problem with touring.. they don't rehearse enough, and the first couple of shows have mistakes and unsure moments, and then they start to cook. With Turn of The Century, they never quite got it to cook like it can. Turn of The Century is a beautiful song, and they did an okay job, but it would have been so much better if they had it down so that they could have loosened up and given it the passion that is on the studio version.

House of Yes has a great picture and sound, but the stage show is lacking, and while it was good in one sense that they played lots of new material, it isn't necessarily a set that draws me back.

Yes Symphonic also has a great setlist, but I find the orchestra doesn't make the material better for me. The stage is bigger but there is almost nothing visual to look at.... no colour, and the setup and camera placement looks haphazard.

Keys to Ascension has a really great setlist, and excellent sound. The picture quality is not great, the graphics are ridiculous, and since much of the sound is obviously heavily dubbed, that takes away from this one.

I haven't forked over the rididulous prices for YesSongs, or the QPR concerts. I saw YesSongs on VHS years ago and would like to eventually get it. :et's not talk about Philadelphia.

I have ordered 9012live and hope they release a Union show and any others that they have pro-shot versions of.

I rated Tsongas an 8, but am still waiting for the 10. I would also rate YesSymphonic and House of Yes as 8, for different reasons.

[Vic W.]

If the Yessongs concert was filmed like this one was, it would rate a 10+++++++++++.

I'm very happy with the camera work on this one. No stupid graphics hiding the band, and above average camera work - it tends to catch the solos. And the sound is fine, too, though I don't have a first rate sound system attached to my TV to really make an informed judgment.

The players are pushing 60... I don't expect them to rock like they did 30 years ago. In light of that, I find it hard to take off any points for the performance.

I'm not sure what I did subtract a point for, but I gave it a 9...

[stevie]

I can't remeber what I gave this originally but I would like to amend my vote to 10. I remember initially being slightly dissapointed possibly because we had waited sooo long for it to come out and thier did appear to be one or two little dips in the sound (at least on my copy). But I now find myself watching this DVD over and over again. Symphonic used to be my favourite and I still love that DVD but Tsongas feels a lot more real it feels more like the feeling I have at a Yes concert. I've got over the dips in sound problem just by upping the volume at the appropriate time one of which seems to be during Eclipse in and You And I. I just love the crowds reaction during this song. 10 out of 10

[Faceintheplace]

It's alright. I've heard better shows from the 2004 tour but I'm happy to have a DVD with live versions of South Side of the Sky and Ritual with Wakeman on keys. Yessymphonic is my favorite of the more recent shows on DVD. I'm still waiting for an official Yes DVD, old concert or new that has a five man lineup doing a great version of Heart of the Sunrise.

[robin chun]

An amazing DVD,one highlight for me is AND YOU AND I,but I have to agree with Altres,Jons' "trotting around" is ludicrous! anyway I give it a massive 10.Fantastic!
Robin

[smatt]

I like it immensely! That show does have some special memmories for me..... The last show of a VERY LONG 6 week trip with some very dear friends! :clap:

As far a a musical relaese taking away all the personal stuff.. I'll give it an 8....

[RickyG]

I gave it a 10, easily. What I don't understand is the criticism by those who gave it a 2 or a 5 or something. To each his own, but I just can't imagine what you expect from life. It's like critiquing the sky because the color balance of the sunset is a little bit off from what you'd prefer. This is a great document of a great moment in time, it makes little sense to compare it to wildly different moments in time.

Regarding Squire's bass, I have no problem with it. I can hear it alright on my system. Yes, maybe the low end could have been EQ'd better, but it's definitely there.

And regarding Turn Of The Century, it may not be the best, most sublime performance ever but it's still good. I am incredibly thankful they performed it on that tour and that we have this amazingly well recorded DVD. TOTC is by no means an easy piece to perform. Particularly to get the feel right between the guitar and voice in the beginning sections. In fact I imagine it is rather difficult. And I don't think "lack of rehearsal" is the issue. Remember this was the last show of the Tour, they had been doing the song every night. It's just a very open and intuitive feel rhythmically and they perform it immediately following a blistering South Side Of The Sky.... that's a huge downshift re-adjustment in one's energy.

[smatt]

Hmm, after seeing almost every show on that leg of the tour, 15 in total. I think the Tsongas TotC was about the best performance of the lot really. Too me at least, it jsut never quite hit on all cylinders. I love the song, it's one of my favorites really. But it just never quite got there, never had the feeling it should. It did turn out rather nice on the Tsongas vid though...

[Scottie]

I figure the frivolity that was/is occurring as we speak I might as well have some fun as well!

I’m looking for a lift, a movement of mass maybe ;), so I put on the Tsongas DVD.. The best official released to date IMO

Figure I could share this again with her & her so in goes Disc 2 Acoustic set and lo and behold Owner of a Lonely..….. Smatt?!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally I’ve come of age… I recognize a famous person that is not on the stage!

Well it was a revelation and an exciting thing for me anyway.

But the funny personal part of it is I’m replaying it over and over in order to make sure - and my daughter says “don’t worry mama he’s just excited and not yelling at us… Yes is on.”

Yeah, I’m intense even for those that make an excuse for me.

:lmao:

[MrZuLu]

get your flamethrowers ready!


anyone that rates this DVD as an 8 or less doesn't get it...

These people are not young!


huge disappointment huh?
i would like to see mr Rick-N-sultor play "anything" by YES even 1/100th as good!

I suppose then you would prefer to "never" see them again!


a 2? WTF!

that's not an opinion, that is a blatant insult to the intellegence of the Band and the Fans!

that's My Opinion!

[rembutok]

I liked a lot about this DVD: awesome setlist, great stage, overall length. What I didn't like though was the sound and the energy level. I thought the band looked tired and played that way. Comparing it to Symphonic Live, they seem sluggish. Yes, I liked Wakeman's parts. I just thought for the first time the band was showing their age. Maybe its me, maybe it was a bad night.

Anyway, a question: Where does Tsongas come from? I always need to know those things.

[Terry Shea]

I liked a lot about this DVD: awesome setlist, great stage, overall length. What I didn't like though was the sound and the energy level. I thought the band looked tired and played that way. Comparing it to Symphonic Live, they seem sluggish. Yes, I liked Wakeman's parts. I just thought for the first time the band was showing their age. Maybe its me, maybe it was a bad night.

Anyway, a question: Where does Tsongas come from? I always need to know those things.
I think the first DVD is awesome. The 2nd definitely loses something. I don't think the acoustic set should have been placed right after the intermission. It would have been much better to have the acoustic set at the end of the first set (I think they went about 2 songs too long in the acoustic set too) and then let it rip for the second set. The arrangement of Ritual on Tsongas also doesn't come off well at all. I think they may have shortened up some sections to accomodate Rick, but it sounds chopped up and Chris's bass doesn't come off well at all, unlike Symphonic. Alan's robo-toms were also not very effective. I don't think the first disc could have been better though, especially from Mind Drive to the end of the disc, although I still can't figure out why they broke Mind Drive up the way they did.

[Scottie]

The fact is that this show was the last stop on the first leg of the tour, they should have been tired. Having seen two shows prior to this night and comparing them I noticed them being 'sluggish' as well. This coupled with the fact that there was no AC on in the building that night probably didn't help either.

It still does not diminish the quality of the sound, mix or video of this release IMO.

[cjreyes]

I need to do a bit of listening and then I'll come back and vote. From memory and a coouple of listens a year or so ago, I'll go with a preliminary 8.5.

[YesJen357]

I liked a lot about this DVD: awesome setlist, great stage, overall length. What I didn't like though was the sound and the energy level. I thought the band looked tired and played that way. Comparing it to Symphonic Live, they seem sluggish. Yes, I liked Wakeman's parts. I just thought for the first time the band was showing their age. Maybe its me, maybe it was a bad night.

Anyway, a question: Where does Tsongas come from? I always need to know those things.
The name Tsongas comes from a local dignitary.....Polititian I think. -( Iwas told, and can't remember properly....Former Mayor?)
I saw the show at Madison Square Garden NYC, 2 nights before and the band was on fire! They really rocked, that night. So I'd be inclined to reject the idea that they were showing their age.
A couple of contributing factors come to mind. The first was that the whole east coast was in the middle of a very humid, hot spell and the venue's air conditioning failed that night. Those who were present do testify to the unpleasant conditions on the night. Inside the stadium it was over 85deg. and muggy. That it was energy sapping might be an understatement. Second, I spoke to Rick about it some time after and he simply said that everyone has an 'off' night now and again. This was, in his opinion, one of those.
For the life of me, I wish they'd filmed NYC on the 13th. That would have made a video show to beat them all!
The fact that the show was in post production for so long, and the obvious touch-ups that the sound received, prove that it was far from a good night.
Anyhow, ever since Tsongas was released, I have been singing its praises. Having recently seen Peter Gabriel's 'Growing Up Tour' and 'Secret World Live'....I have reluctantly down graded my opinion of Tsongas considerably. Whoever does PG's stage craft should get on board with YES. They are many times far more impressive shows from a visual perspective.

[rembutok]

Could Tsongas possible be Paul Tsongas, the late democratic presidential candidate? I can't fathom a connection with yes. Anybody?

[tormatotork]

I give a ten just for Sweet Dreams and Time is Time

[rembutok]

I second the fact that the nyc show was superior. I was at the show and I remember the band being very good all night long. Not the same energy level as the Tsongas show.

Interesting experiment. After spending a few weeks with Tsongas and Symphonic I turned to an old VHS of Yessongs. Terrible camera work, sound OK, special effects comical, and band extrememly good. Howe and Squire are playing so much faster and cleaner. White is also more involved. I think the main difference between these two modern recordings and that blast from the past is the almost 30 years that have elapsed.

Here's hoping they continue to age gracefully and put some new music out.

[podo]

Could Tsongas possible be Paul Tsongas, the late democratic presidential candidate? I can't fathom a connection with yes. Anybody?

Tsongas is the name of the place where it was performed. Its eother the name of the town or the name of the theatre...........

Unless Im very much mistaken

[YesJen357]

Could Tsongas possible be Paul Tsongas, the late democratic presidential candidate? I can't fathom a connection with yes. Anybody?
Yes, that's the one.
It is the name of the venue that hosted the concert in Lowell, Mass.

[GatesOfDelirium]

Not the best Yes DVD, imo. I find the set list to be a rather mixed bag, personally. But there are other issues- the version of 'Ritual' is pretty weak, imo. Wakeman just can't get to grips with it live the same way Patrick Moraz and Tom Brislin did- the usually breathtaking percussion/Moog onslaught is pitiful here, as far as I'm concerned. Chris Squire's bass slot isn't all that great, either. I agree that the way that the set is constructed is a bit skewiff, too.

That said, there are of course gems. The two highlights are 'Mind Drive', their best epic since 'Machine Messiah', and 'South Side Of The Sky'- two of the lesser played Yes numbers, in the same way 'Perpetual Change' was on the 'House Of Blues' set. Also, I quite enjoyed the acoustic set.

I'd give it 6.5/10. It's enjoyable, but is pretty far down the list of Yes DVDs for me.

[BillGuitar]

I bought it.

Does that answer your question?

[Topographic][Sardaukar]

I gave it a 6.

The band is sloppy much of the time. I don't know if they were tired or hot but it doesn't sound like they've been playing the music for months together on the road. My weed at NYC sounds much better and was only a few days earlier.

I truly love Yes music but this is not the DVD I'm going to introduce the band to any of my musician friends with. Poor execution detracts from a piece of music no matter how wonderful or beautiful its composition. So I'll just enjoy this myself as a serious fan watching his favorite band. Even so, no amount of gratitude that they're still playing or of pretending this or that wasn't a mess-up even though it really was will make this a 10.

[YesJen357]

Oh, such negative waves!
Come to think of it, my impression of Tsongas went down a little when I saw Peter Gabriel's 'Growing Up Tour' and 'Secret World' DVD's.
They are the kind of clever 'artisty' DVD's I now wish Tsongas was.
Perhaps YES could emply the same personnel for their next major production?
However, I bought 5 copies and gave 3 away as gifts.
Still, you 'aint getting my Tsongas back; - not over my dead body, you aint!

[smatt]

Oh, such negative waves!
Come to think of it, my impression of Tsongas went down a little when I saw Peter Gabriel's 'Growing Up Tour' and 'Secret World' DVD's.
They are the kind of clever 'artisty' DVD's I now wish Tsongas was.
Perhaps YES could emply the same personnel for their next major production?
However, I bought 5 copies and gave 3 away as gifts.
Still, you 'aint getting my Tsongas back; - not over my dead body, you aint!

It comes down to the almighty dollar Jen.. How much you have and how much a DVD's possibly going to make.... You can't put a million dollars into a DVD that's only going to make $200K.......

[somissound]

I have the Gabriel DVD's too..They are amazing...Very cool!

I thought Symphonic was a lot better than Tsongas...The audio/direction. just seemed a bit more thought out and planned.

Maybe finding a young genious to direct the 40th...Like they did on 9012live

[Frosted Sun]

I give it a 10.
I really enjoyed it. The camera shots are really good, I enjoyed the set list of songs, the stage set and lighting was impressive. There was no problem with the sound, the cool graphics titling the song. I liked the feel that I was viewing the band both on the stage and from the audience. I don’t have a problem with it. I felt like I was really right there at the concert. That was enough for me.

The energy of the band and stage presence was high.
I enjoyed all the songs. The Song South Side of the Sky was excellent. Terrific performance. Show Me was good to see. And You and I was great. Ritual, Starship Trooper went out as two enjoyable songs to end.

[Full Tilt Boogie]

At the risk of appearing like a peasant (more than I already do), would one of you kind people explain to me what 'Tsongas' means?

[Frosted Sun]

At the risk of appearing like a peasant (more than I already do), would one of you kind people explain to me what 'Tsongas' means?

What does the last name of Floyd mean, or Adams, Washington, Smith, anyone’s last name?

Songs From Tsongas was recorded in May 2004 at the Tsongas Arena in Boston, Massachusetts during the band's 35th Anniversary Tour.

Paul E. Tsongas Arena is a multi-use indoor sport and concert venue in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Arena was opened and dedicated to the memory of prominent local and national politician Paul Tsongas on January 27, 1998.

[Full Tilt Boogie]

What does the last name of Floyd mean, or Adams, Washington, Smith, anyone’s last name?

Songs From Tsongas was recorded in May 2004 at the Tsongas Arena in Boston, Massachusetts during the band's 35th Anniversary Tour.

Paul E. Tsongas Arena is a multi-use indoor sport and concert venue in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Arena was opened and dedicated to the memory of prominent local and national politician Paul Tsongas on January 27, 1998.

Cheers mate, I obviously hadn't read the cover of the DVD!

Was blissfully unaware there was such a venue/arena or such a person.

Old forces saying: "RTFM" (Read The F*cking Manual) ;)

[rmig68]

I was at this concert and had a pretty good time. Some things I took away:

I really liked Roger Deans stage set. I think I made some jokes before I actually saw it, but I actually ended up liking it.

Too much unplugged. A little would have gone a long way.

I have hated Howe's live sound for quite a while now and the DVD confirms what I heard that night. His sound and tone is too brittle and dry. Even though the DVD is getting his sound directly from the board and I was hearing it ambiently, it sounds exactly the same. Plus his playing has not been great either. It's not his dexterity, although that has suffered (just look at his guitar acrobatics back in the day on YouTube), but more his poor phrasing. He'll do a diminished run on a scale, stop and keep repeating it. This has driven me crazy for a while now. He used to continue through it which sounds and feels better to me.

I noticed they were able to edit out that mess in "And You and I" where Wakemans setting on his keyboard was off just before the "sad preacher..." part. Hearing it live sounded like two cats fighting on top of a baby grand piano as it was being thrown down a flight of stairs. Rick donned the headphones and dialed in the right setting quickly and played good for the rest of it.

...and the biggey. Yes had been going through the motions live for quite a while there and it shows quite clearly on this DVD. Everything is just a nod to the real songs and have had a loungey feel to it. They're not doing the extra things that made most of the live shows I saw earlier in their career have that magic. I blame all the touring and a bunch of bad albums. Also, the Chris Squire sound has vanished from Yes' albums and then their live stuff.

A little defense for them is that the air conditioning went out and it was very hot and stale in there. Jon commented on that. Mix in stage lighting and having to perform and they do have somewhat of an excuse, but still, they had been loungey on at least two or three tours before this.

Don't blame the audiences energy level either. I know someone who did lighting for them on the Talk tour and he said the Boston area generally has a good sized audience and with a lot of Berklee people around, there is also a good amount of energy.

I give it a 4

[CybrKhatru]

Honestly, I have only watched portions of the Tsongas DVD, so I can't give it a fair assessment. The '04 tour was....interesting. Many pros and cons for me personally.

I enjoyed Ritual on the DVD...that much I do remember!

[Frosted Sun]

Cheers mate, I obviously hadn't read the cover of the DVD!

Was blissfully unaware there was such a venue/arena or such a person.

Old forces saying: "RTFM" (Read The F*cking Manual) ;)

One more note FTB, it's Greek to me, I forgot and left that out.....lol.

I really enjoy this DVD...........

[mike on the goldie]

I love the "Live at Montreux" DVD so much that I was thinking of getting this one next, but after reading some of the comments here, now I am not so sure! I thought the Montreux performance was great and would hate to be disappointed with a less worthy DVD. Any suggestions as to which Yes DVD I should get next would be much appreciated.

[Steve Mahoney]

Its pretty good.

[happytheman]

The Song South Side of the Sky was excellent.
Agree, the DVD is worth it for this song alone. After viewing the exchange between Steve and Rick I thought to myself "they still have it, I wonder what they will put together in the studio next". I'm still wondering! Plus I throughly enjoyed the bit in the middle where we saw a "lighter" side of Yes with the acoustic set.

[Mind Driver]

I love the "Live at Montreux" DVD so much that I was thinking of getting this one next, but after reading some of the comments here, now I am not so sure! I thought the Montreux performance was great and would hate to be disappointed with a less worthy DVD. Any suggestions as to which Yes DVD I should get next would be much appreciated.

Tsongas has more material on it, plus you get the Roger Dean stage. I like them both.

[mike on the goldie]

OK, so I tried to order it on Amazon but a message came up warning that it is a "Region 1" DVD and may not play even on "All Region" Dvd players in Australia. I ordered the Montreux one through them and there was no problem, but then again that was awhile ago and I didn't get that message when I ordered Montreux. So I have hestitated in ordering Tsongas and don't know what to do. Any advice?

[happytheman]

OK, so I tried to order it on Amazon but a message came up warning that it is a "Region 1" DVD and may not play even on "All Region" Dvd players in Australia. I ordered the Montreux one through them and there was no problem, but then again that was awhile ago and I didn't get that message when I ordered Montreux. So I have hestitated in ordering Tsongas and don't know what to do. Any advice?
CDUniverse list it as Region 1 as well. Don't know what to say, order it through your local store?

[mike on the goldie]

I took my chances with Amazon. Fingers crossed.....

[mike on the goldie]

I finally got the Tsongas DVD from Amazon and it works fine in Oz, thank goodness. I enjoy it as a retrospective of Yes's career, from early songs such as "Sweet Dreams" right up through "Time is Time." I agree with the comment that some of the performances have a "loungey" feel to them. The band seems less precise, subtle and focused than on the Montreux DVD - perhaps due to the huge stadium venue of Tsongas, as opposed to the more intimate setting of Montreux. The exception is SSOTS which is better on Tsongas than Montreux IMO.

[marklovesyes]

I gave it a 9. The video itself is excellent. Performances superb, but still lacking a bit in places of the fire they are capable of. But I still gave it a 9, so I am not being too harsh!

[mike on the goldie]

Well, after seeing/hearing their performance of "Ritual" again I have to give it a 10.

[harty]

I liked the symphony DVD better. I also feel the band was more alive. Loungy for the tsongas DVD is right on. Show me is good as is south side.
But Gates rates.

[sam]

I am a member of a DVD club and today through the post came the much awaited Songs from Tsongas! Do I watch it alone or wait until my boyfriend's here so he too can experience the joy of Yes? I know what he'd prefer- so I guess it's just me, a bottle of Southern Comfort and the DVD.

[mike on the goldie]

Well I don't know, the "Rhythm of Love" might get you both going.

[sam]

In the event, I forced him to watch it with me. He actually liked "Mind Drive". The performance of "South Side of the Sky" surprised me as the band were actually rocking by the end of it. This performance was the highlight I think.
Off the topic a bit, I like Steve Howe as a performer as there are no grand gestures - he just plays without any fuss and lets the guitar do the talking.

[Gemini]

Gave it a nine. I still say Philly should have gotten the honor of being the venue. (And I'm a New Yorker saying that.) One moment that will go recorded only in the memory of those present is the end of AYAI at MSG. (The Garden gig was the one just before Boston.) The standing ovation seemed to go on forever. We just refused to let Steve close the piece out. I saw them actually confer on stage during the applause because they didn't seem to know whether or not to finish it. (They did.) Magic.

[mike on the goldie]

I tried to get my wife to watch "Live at Montreux" and she fell asleep so I'm reluctant to try with Tsongas. I'll just continue to enjoy them both on my headphones with a beer in hand.

[AwakeMan]

Hi all,

I gave this 7/10. IMO the best "Yes" concerts on DVD are the ABWH and Union tours. The group were at their peak and everyone should have these. The Montreux 2003 concert is also very good but suffers a deterioration in sound from the start of "Awaken" to the end. The Symphonic tour was beautifully done but there's no Rick Wakeman. The Tsongas concert has excellent sound and vision but the setlist (for what was otherwise a spectacular evening) is for me a bit of a hotch-potch. I remember enjoying the actual live concert (London, Wembley) more than the DVD, probably because of the huge scale of the visuals and powerful sound. But it's certainly worth getting as a great memento of the 35th Anniversary.

Sé

[gitsy]

Gave it a nine. I still say Philly should have gotten the honor of being the venue. (And I'm a New Yorker saying that.) One moment that will go recorded only in the memory of those present is the end of AYAI at MSG. (The Garden gig was the one just before Boston.) The standing ovation seemed to go on forever. We just refused to let Steve close the piece out. I saw them actually confer on stage during the applause because they didn't seem to know whether or not to finish it. (They did.) Magic.
Yes I have seen this on 'You Tube' it must have been great to have been part of.