Yes Songs CD reviews

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Hi, I have 4 copies of the Yes Songs album , 1 eightrack, 1 cassett,and 1 cd. My question, is the Yes Songs DVD up to par with the album, does it cover all or most of the songs and is it a quality recording that I should buy?
Thank You Starrship Trooper

[Nick Green]

I think I am right in saying that the Yessongs DVD has not been remastered or cleaned up in any way, and is strictly for the obsessive!

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Thanks Nick, So far your the only repondant to my post. This DVD must be a clasified secrect no one knows much about it.
The album quality is excelent But We are all familure with non BBC or Holywood documentry films having not being the best quality back in the 1960s-70s. And to digitaly clean one up would probably be futile. I guess this will be a puchace based on nostalgia and not entertaiment gratification. When I buy it I'll place a review post.
By the way Nick. I'm jealous I've allways whanted to visit Scottland ,play the links , and end the day with a McKewans ale served at the proper temp. Thanks again
Starrship Trooper

[gathernear]

Let's see, over the years I've gone through 2 copies of the album, 1 set of the 8-track, and both domestic CD releases. The only thing I haven't bought is the Japanese remaster HDCD, which is, by far the best sounding version of the album. It's so darned expensive! Trooper, if you can afford $50-$60 for a CD, ya gotta get it.
As for the movie, yes, the quality is pretty poor. But the performances are top-notch, for most of the film. Close To The Edge is so wonderful in this movie, that alone is worth the price of the DVD (or video). I've had both;)
It's too bad they roll the credits and chop up your namesake at the end, because that's my all-time favorite performance of Starship Trooper. Steve was so aggressive in his playing in those days. His solo at the end is just the best! OK, I'll stop gushing.

Larry

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Thanks Larry, Out comes my wallet. Chopped me up with credits OUCH.
Starrship Trooper

[the'YES'kid]

It's sad to know that the Yessongs VHS or DVD doesn't contains all the songs from the LP but it still worth, the quality is great.
Even the versions are better that the LP's. No song from the Yessongs video is the exact same version of the LP (w/ the exection of CTTE. And guess what, all the versions on the video are (in my point of view) better that the LPs.

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Thanks Yes Kid, I sat down a week ago and played all 4 sides of the albums. This seemed to put the visualization of the early concerts I attended starting back in 1970 and allmost every year since. You made me more optomistic about buying the DVD. I was going to order last week but the transmition on one of my Audis crapped out the day after it past the state inspection. So that gets fixed first. So you wore out 2 Yes Songs albums! That's terrific. I clean my albums everytime I play them and I'm on my second Yes Songs But 4 Relayers. Thanks for the reply
Starrship Trooper

[delerium27]

Hi all, I'm new to this site, having just discovered it after going through a Yes-a-thon of my collection since the Chicago show. Talk about pleased, they can still do it after all these years!

I started listening to Yes about 1970 and first saw them in concert in Milwaukee in 72. They were already in my top 5 at that point and instantly vaulted to a definite #1 with that performance. Talk about blown away! 73 and 74 were just as good. Can you say 'anticipation' to hear Gates of Delirium live? No one was let down, simply beyond this realm of existance. As you may be able to tell from my screen name, it's without doubt my favorite piece by Yes, and by anyone for that matter. Hehe, also the name of my ship in Earth and Beyond...

As far as their early music goes, Yessongs has always been my favorite. More than anyone else I have seen, Yes has excelled at performing their music live. That first time seeing CTTE live was a marvel, how could Howe do it that cleany, talk about complex fret work. Not a peep emanated from the audience while they were playing, simply amazing. Yessongs captures the live feel very well and I have oftened wondered if the video version was any good. I have only had the chance to see a bit of one song from it at a friends house on a regular TV, many years ago, with no sound system. I was not impressed, but then again, Yes just isn't right without a good sound system.

The best thing about the concert- my 13 year old daughter sitting next to me taking it all in. It was her first concert and I am most pleased to announce that we have a new Yes fan! A little bit different music from the stuff she is used to listening to, but she was an instant convert. I haven't had to endure any rap at all since a week ago Thursday, hehe. Her eyes have been opened to a kind of music that just has not been duplicated.

Is the Yessongs DVD the best video from the early/mid 70's so far?

After reading the interviews with Rick and Steve from earlier this year, I am eagerly awaiting some very good new music in the near future.

Nice to meet you all and.... Long live Yes!!!

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Welcome to the site delerium27. You sound like someone who has traveled to my realm before. I'm a major Gates of Delerium fan. Do You remember the green lazer show that flowed in time with gates during the gates concert tour? It allmost pulled my sole out of me during soon.
Starrship Trooper

[nightliner]

So far there are 2 proshot videos from the early/mid 70's. Yessongs and Queens Park. While both are classic performances, neither is what I would call good quality. They are worth having for the sake of having, but don't expect great quality on either dvd.

The Queens Park is the complete show, but Yessongs is missing Siberian Khatru, Heart of the Sunrise and Perpetual Change, as well as the aformentioned edited version of Starship Trooper.

[delerium27]

That may have been the best concert I've yet seen ST. It seemed as if I was transported to a diferent plane of existence.
Thanks for the welcome, I look forward to sharing my enthusiasm with people of like interest. When telling relatives of the concert this holiday weekend, only 1 person knew who I was talking about without prompting, lol.

To me, the music is something like orchestra music in that you need to give it some time to begin to understand and appreciate it. Many people today don't seem to have the attention span to get started, oh well.

I hope to receive the Yes Symphonic DVD for Christmas this year, will be looking for one of the others soon after, hehe. Thanks much for the info!

[R'tanys]

I must confess, delerium, that you have done something I'm a little envious of. Congrats on the arrival of your bouncing baby Yes fan. With luck, during next year's tour, I'll be taking my daughter with me. She really wanted to go with me this year, but school comes first. I can only imagine how great it felt, bonding with your pride and joy that way. I can't wait 'til next year.

[STARRSHIP TROOPER]

Thanks to all of you who responded and here is my eval.
I got the Yes Songs DVD for Christmass and it's poor quality. They don't even show the stage setup which strongly added to the shows atmosphere. And the sound quality was poor. I allmost put on the album instead of the audio track. Yes it was nostolgic but so poorly done it blemished the memories I have seeing those early Yes shows. Sorry Yes but fans save your money and buy the Symphonic DVD.
Starrship Trooper

[delerium27]

Ahh, that's too bad. I was hoping for something with good quality. The recent concert was great, but the setting (much bigger arena) and the massive amount of equipment and power available for the 70's tours just made it an awesome experience.

I didn't get Symphonic for Christmas, so I still have that to look forward to. Working it into my budget as I write, hehe.

So long for now...

[BrianD]

I haven't seen Yessongs since the mid -late 70s when I saw it a couple of times at the movies. It didn't disappoint back then but technology has improved so much since those days I suspect that I will be disappointed when I do see it again. Yet - I think it is so much part of Yes history that it is a 'must see' - whether its a 'must own' may be a different story.

[Dragonfly]

The very ending of "Starship Trooper" on YESSONGS is a unique bit. After the big, crashing ending, an a capella vocal chord is sustained as the very end. It's the only place I've heard it like this and I really like it.

I had YESSONGS long before THE YES ALBUM, so when I finally heard the studio version I was disappointed not to hear that vocal chord at the end. I still hear it in my head, but I've never heard it done that way since (on live albums or at concerts.)

My understanding is that the film was of one (?) gig at The Rainbow Room, but that the album contains tracks from several performances. (Certainly the two songs with Bill Bruford are unique.) Neither my video nor CD versions of YESSONGS list what gigs the various tracks recordings are from. Does anyone know?

Dragonfly :fly:

[BrianD]

Originally posted by Dragonfly


My understanding is that the film was of one (?) gig at The Rainbow Room, but that the album contains tracks from several performances. (Certainly the two songs with Bill Bruford are unique.) Neither my video nor CD versions of YESSONGS list what gigs the various tracks recordings are from. Does anyone know?

Dragonfly :fly:

I have the vinyl Yessongs and on that it states that Bill Bruford played on Perpetual Change, Long Distance Runaround and The Fish.

[Dragonfly]

Originally posted by BrianD I have the vinyl Yessongs and on that it states that Bill Bruford played on Perpetual Change, Long Distance Runaround and The Fish. Yes, I realized that after I submitted my post. I often think of "Long Distance Runaround" and "The Fish" as one, long song.

Does the vinyl indicate what show(s) the various tracks were recorded at?

Dragonfly :fly:

[BrianD]

No - there is just a general statement that all tracks on the album were recorded in 1972.

[PO]

My music is my library and I will always have "the classics". But, the slections on this DVD that are woth the purchase price are:

Firebird/mellotron intro/Siberian Khatru
Close to the Edge
Wakeman solo

Memory lane - I remember first seeing this in a theater. It was a double feature with Pink Floyd Live in Pompeii. What a great cultural happening that would now be illegal (no smoking of anything anywhere now). Wouldn't it be nice to have these "events" now, rather than the sterile, puritan environment that we must deal with? I committed so many modern-day infractions that night!