This great live album was originally released...

[NobodyImportant]

...on May 4, 1973, the day after I was born (and the day that one of my best friends was born). Too bad it took me over 32 years to get the album (er... CD) and truly appreciate Yes, but now they're one of my favorite bands.

Yessongs is definitely a very good album. A coworker of mine thinks that this live album is so superior that it's pointless to have the studio versions. For me personally, I like having both, but I agree that the preformances are very energetic and well done.

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[Squire*Fan725]

I agree, especially where "The Fish" is concerned!!

[francois]

YES !!! this "the" live album ! I like the sound very much ! It sound free, organic (I'm not sure of this word !) and powerfull.
Great moment of music !

[allpurechance]

YES !!! this "the" live album ! I like the sound very much ! It sound free, organic (I'm not sure of this word !) and powerfull.
Great moment of music !

And I agree with you, Francois (hey, I'm Frank, too!Nice to meet you!), except with the term "moment".

Yessongs displays Yes in all of it's live glories.Not the least of which is it's sheer volume, it's length as a live document.Few indeed are the bands who have ever been able to take the stage and enthrall for up to three hours (Yessongs, as a triple LP set originally, clocked in at well over two hours.There aren't many who have ever done this with a live album, and next to none if not none as well as Yes did, and still do, at least until the recent well earned hiatus).

Yes can not only do so, but they can do something like this with a level of effectiveness and passion seldom if ever equalled in not only rock music, but simply put the entire history of music.

The only thing better than a two and a half hour Yes concert is a three hour Yes concert!The only thing better than a three hour Yes concert is...:lmao:!

Yessongs certainly is one of "The" live albums!I think many musicians were like me, back then.

"These guys can't carry this stuff off live!"

Imagine their amazement and astonishment when THEY heard Yessongs!

"Fellas?We have alot of work to do..."

:lmao:

[Yes2Yes]

That was the album that made me a fan.

[NobodyImportant]

Few indeed are the bands who have ever been able to take the stage and enthrall for up to three hours (Yessongs, as a triple LP set originally, clocked in at well over two hours.There aren't many who have ever done this with a live album, and next to none if not none as well as Yes did, and still do, at least until the recent well earned hiatus).

Did Yes do three hour shows back then? I know that Yessongs is "well over two hours," as you put it, but Yessongs is not one concert (it's a collection of live tracks recorded during their 1972 tour), so I have no way of knowing what their standard concert length was.

I do know that Dream Theater often plays for three hours, but they're a rare breed. Yes is a rare breed too.

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[allpurechance]

Did Yes do three hour shows back then? I know that Yessongs is "well over two hours," as you put it, but Yessongs is not one concert (it's a collection of live tracks recorded during their 1972 tour), so I have no way of knowing what their standard concert length was.

I do know that Dream Theater often plays for three hours, but they're a rare breed. Yes is a rare breed too.

:band:
:guitar: :anncr: :keyboard:

The fact is that I do not know about back then, Nobody Imortant (something tells me your handle belies...nevermind!:lmao:)...someone else will have to respond to this question, for...

I spent much too much of my time, ahm, how to say?Rather highly "anesthetized" in the 70's...

:lmao:

(That was delicately put!)

I only managed to get to three '70's Yesshows.My first was Tales at MSG, NYC in early 1974.I was quite young, and my seat was up there in nosebleed territory.That show was in all likelihood just short of 2 & 1/2 hours.They played all of the album Close To The Edge, then all of Topographic, encored with Roundabout and said goodnight.

The second time I saw them was on the Going For The One tour in Springfield, Mass., and don't even ask me how long a show that was, and don't even ask why you shouldn't ask me...:lmao:...for all of that I have remarkable recall of detail from that night, it was a great, great show!But it wasn't three hours worth.

The third time was the Tormato tour again in Springfield, and was the only time I've ever seen Yes less than inspired.And, again, I cannot recall it's exact length, but it wasn't three hours.

I have however seen a three hour Yesshow in this century.Jones Beach, L.I.,N.Y., summer of 2002.Rick Wakeman was freshly back in the fold, and the band were obviously enthusiastic about going out to play in their classic form, again.It should have been the best concert I have ever seen, sheer magic is what it was, but I have seen them just as fine, just as marvellous on the Masterworks tour, then again later in 2002, and twice in 2004.

The Jones Beach show could easily in it's original, unretouched form pass as the Yessongs for the 21st century.The setlist was that good, as well as the quality of the performance.They rocked harder than many a band half their age.And they did so outdoors in the midsummer heat for three hours.

It still amazes me when I think about that!

[NobodyImportant]

Thanks for the info. It's great that Yes gives so much to their fans at concerts. Hopefully they'll tour again and I can see them. (In the meantime, I have Symphonic Live.)

By the way, does the automatic login function not work on this board? I always leave "remember me" selected when I log in, but I always have to login again when I come back. (Other boards log me in automatically, so I don't think it's because of a cookies setting.)

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[Earl Grey]

This was the album that my band-manager handed me, back in 1973, and said: "Try playing more like THAT!".

"Yeah, right!"

It's nothing less than a touchstone of excellence, ...36 years later, we're still catching-up.

The finest live album ever. Where the hell is the RHINO edition, with bonus tracks, and a booklet? 10th Street Management, where ARE you?

Waiting...

:ele:

[Scooty]

I was 2!!! What am I supposed to add to this thread????

I love Yessongs though...very very much.

I bought my first vinyl copy a couple of weeks ago..with the booklet intact and everything!!

[Earl Grey]

Scoot: Does it have the window in front of the LP, and the triple gatefold?

I dont have a copy of that one, ebay?

I DO have an original copy of CTTE, with a Jon autograph in gold, that finishes the cover-art...

But no LP of Yessongs...

Where did you find it, Aomebea records Berkeley?

:ele:

[Scooty]

EG...Fingerprints Records in Long Beach....$3.99....it is definitely the triple gatefold..with booklet and the albums are PRESTINE....the front cover is a little used up...but it is an original. I don't know what you mean by window in front of the LP...there is no window...But a beautiful triple gatefold album none the less Bro.

[Earl Grey]

Very cool Scoot!

The first edition had a cut-out window on the front, that opened to the 'Pathways' painting...

But they were few, and hard to find...

Lord knows I don't have one!

I have the Yessongs 'Atlantic' reissue on CD, which is currently out of print, and it meant so much to so many of us, and where the hell is 10th St Management?

If they knew their hole from an ass in the ground, they'd remaster Yessongs, and get with the program.

EG:yesbird:

[Scooty]

TOTALLY!!!!

Remaster this mutha...please?????

[Earl Grey]

Not like 10th Street had any connection with Warner/Rhino.

It's a many tentacled beast, ...your mission is, to put all the pieces together, and to get YES back on the road in 2007.

It's the 'Yessongs' re-release tour for gawdsakes!

With a Roger Dean enhanced DVD to follow. $$$

Duh.

Silly Suits.

Scooty, why is it that the fans can figure-out how to market the band, and the jerks at the helm have NO clue. A question.

EG:yesbird:

[CybrKhatru]

I was also 2 years ago when this came out, so I can't add much either...

EXCEPT...

I've been comparing the LP and CD editions of this killer album recently, trying to find the one whose sound I like the best.

And you know what? My favorite CD edition is the very first one. It sounds VERY warm. The Japanese HDCD (out of print) brings subtle details more to the forefront, but it is VERY trebly...too much so really.

Besides, if you play the old Atlantic CD (the one in the big 2CD case) and turn the bass and treble up just a bit, you have a beautiful sounding Yessongs. And those 'Subtle details' do come out at you.

---Matt

[Orbert]

I like the way each CD ends with Jon saying good-night, kinduv like each disc is its own concert. I know, the whole album is compiled from different shows from different tours, but Roundabout used to close Disk 2, Side 1, so it was kinduv odd hearing him saying Thanks and Good-night "in the middle" of the show. Now it's at the end of Disc 1, so it works. It's like Disc 1 is a show, and Disc 2 is a show. Or something.

[yesyadda]

I'm showing my age here LOL. But my first Yes show was during the 1972 tour (STILL GOT THE TICKET STUB). Too bad no one knows when/where the tracks were recorded. Some friends who were also at the show (Terre Haute) swear that a track or two are on the album.

[NobodyImportant]

I have the Yessongs 'Atlantic' reissue on CD, which is currently out of print, and it meant so much to so many of us, and where the hell is 10th St Management?

The Yessongs reiussie is still available:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002J1Y/qid=1146515790/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-8575613-4937706?s=music&v=glance&n=5174

http://shop.fye.com/product.aspx?sku=60148806&loc=50244

http://www.yourmusic.com/browse/album/Yes--Yessongs-Remastered-20951.html?cname=BROWSE_DISCO_2341_ALBUMS

I came across this high-priced "Limited Edition" version too:

http://shop.fye.com/product.aspx?sku=64000735&loc=50244

No details are given there, so I have no idea what it's all about.

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[JL]

I was 2!!! What am I supposed to add to this thread????

I love Yessongs though...very very much.

The very next sentence is exactly what you are supposed to add!!!

And I concur! Except I was 5.