I recently read about the early days of Yes, when the first record came out. Critics and fans were amazed by their technical skill, but everybody felt they must be only a studio band. So, they went on tour, and nobody thought they could actually play their songs live with any skill. They were wrong. Time changes, key changes, complicated incomprehensible lyrics, they could do it all live, and just as good as in the studio.
it's amazing to think they were playing this live almost 2 years before recording it. But the recorded tracks is so epic no one can believe it could ever be done live. Damn, YES so good.
Yes sold out Madison Square Garden and the Spectrum in Philly more times than any other act during the 70’s. people loved them the owner of Rolling Stone hated Prog. It’s why just for the reason I stated above belonged in the Rock and Roll hall of Shame so much earlier then they were. Rush had to break the Prog barrier that asshole put up. I’m so glad it’s in Cleveland not Philly. I would have been protesting outside for a years. Lol
It is hard to explain to young people like you just how amazing music in the seventies was .True musicians playing incredible songs covering many different genres . I wish I could go back .
70s stuff was before my time. But anything between the 50s and 80s.... Maybe early 90s was a hell of a run with great, timeless music. Most stuff today is embarrassing and quite frankly..... pathetic.
I remember when the 60’s were over and I thought there can’t be music like we’ve had in the 60’s. Of course, I was wrong. The 70’s were just different music but just as good.
Their concerts were like lining up 15 -20 songs - all just as great and many which were more intricate - and playing them back -to-back-to-back, etc... You leave with your minds completely blown. Can't believe it's been 53 years that I've been listening to them. Can you imagine walking around at 12 - 13 years old with this as one of your foundational bands... and many of your friends thinking you're completely weird, musically? It was great!
I had the good fortune of attending several Yes concerts back in the day and agree completely. Every concert was amazing and mind-blowing. They always sounded so good and the level of musicianship was ridiculous.
The first time I saw them was in 1977. Including encores, they played 10 songs, totaling about 2 hours. The set list included Close to the Edge and Awaken, and several other longer pieces.
@@jdbroders64 Me, too! All 3 Yes concerts I saw were incredible! I believe the last one was just after they released 90125, it started with "Leave It", and ended with "It Can Happen". I wish the boys would do some of these later great songs of theirs.
It was so wonderful seeing Geddy Lee sitting in with the band doing Roundabout during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Chris Squire was an early bass guitar influence.
100%, I would suggest to A&A to just watch that one without videoing their reaction- probably some copyright problems if they tried to post a reaction to it
I've been listening to that since I was a young man. I recommend that the lads give it a listen...set aside a bit of time and just absorb it. I saw the movie too (of course).
What's great about it is they are all playing around without their parts while remaining tight together. It's not like this is the blues: it's ridiculously hard.
he's still got it. he's using youtube's "the band geeks" as his band for his tour. they did a cover of roundabout for their channel and he loved it so much he hired them. it's a great cover, you guys should check it out. they did it during covid remotely, each instrument separately then mixed together and it's fantastic. th-cam.com/video/W_7tBdAWZoU/w-d-xo.html
and he still sounds very good today despite his age and illness that ended his time with the band. the karaoke singer they got now has such a weak voice. i'd rather see Jon with the School of Rock kids than the no original member line up YES has become.
Chris Squire was the only member of Yes to have played on every single studio album, so he's the bass player on pretty much any live footage you see of Yes up until 2015, the year he died.
I was 18, saw them in the fall of 1971 upstairs in a small dance ballroom on 4th and Broadway in Oklahoma City (no chairs, sitting on the oak floors, less than 1000 full capacity, tickets were $1.50) and again in the spring of 1973 when they played in the OKC Fairgrounds arena for over 10k fans. I was then manager of a small vegetarian restaurant called The Tree House and we got the gig to feed them after the show (because they were all vegetarians except Wakeman who didn't travel with the band) so my friends and I sat around the table eating with these legends who were so at ease, calm, friendly and seemed to just want to relax in conversation with us regular folks. Jon was the most friendly and talkative. It was an amazing experience!
The whole concert is available. I saw Yesshows several times as a midnight show in college and I own the DVD. Perpetual Change is a banger from Yesshows.
I had the pleasure of spending a few months working with Yes in the summer-fall of 1999. I was shooting interviews and song videos to promote The Ladder, their 1999 album that marked the return to their classic '70s sound (after going through their "Owner of a Lonely Heart" new wave phase). At that time, I was helping launch DirecTV's Freeview service (free programming for their customers) and the first special I worked on was a live satellite concert of Yes, on Halloween night 1999, from the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. They were all wonderful guys to work with, witty and self-effacing but all class, especially Chris who let me play his iconic bass guitar at an impromptu jam session that broke out between shoots. Seeing them play their classic songs up close over the course of those months was a true privilege.
"Yessongs" is such a great live album. I was watching this concert film with a musician buddy of mine once, admiring Master Rick Wakeman resplendent in his silver lamé wizard robe, and I turned to my friend and said, "You know what's wrong with rock and roll these days? Nobody has the balls to be fucking *majestic* anymore." Also, fun fact: drummer Alan White got thrown into the fire taking Bill Bruford's place in Yes, with only two weeks to prepare to join a tour playing some of the most complex rock music in history. No internet, no TH-cam, no Spotify, no iPod, no tabs, no sheet music, not even a Walkman and a pile of cassette tapes. He had to practice whenever he had the chance, and sit down next to a record player whenever he had the chance. And he absolutely nailed it. This film was shot only 6 months after he joined the band. What a complete boss, and an inspiration.
@@michaelbeerbados3291 Check out a remaster if you haven't. It's probably due for a new one too. I think they could still get it to greatest live rock album ever. Technically, hard to see who could touch them from that period.
@@jameshannagan4256 Couldn't disagree more. When Bruford left for King Crimson and Alan White joined Yes, both bands ended up with the drummer they should have had all along. I love them both for very different reasons.
And Close to the Edge! I mean, with the Fragile songs they at least had a year+ to become comfortable playing them live. But CTTE had been out just a few months! Insane to be playing something that complex live. I don't know that the CTTE songs were the best parts of this performance -- you can see Jon's visible relief whenever they manage to land some super-complex change, it's like Olympic figure skating. Whereas they were utterly comfortable with the Yes Album songs, and that is clear from their performances. Bosses.
My friend and I drew the Yes logo on her bedsheet. We hung out at the back of the concert arena and held it up as their limo drove into the garage. One of them pointed to us as they got out of the car and we ended up getting two passes to the concert in the round. Great memories.
The intense expressions on their faces show that they knew they were creating something epic. It would've been so cool to have an overhead cam to show Rick's fingers flying over those keys.
Indeed. We notice the camera work on this was really subpar. Too bad we don't see Wakeman's playing much or Squire's playing at all or if a drummer exists. At least we can hear it.
If ever someone DESERVED to wear a fully sequined cape.... I cannot explain, as someone who had piano lessons from the age of 4, how much of a keyboard wizard he is.
Vocal harmonies bordering on Beach Boys level greatness and blistering solo's from both Howe and Wakeman, but it's Squire's bass and White's drumming that glues the whole thing together. R.I.P. Chris Squire & Alan White.
RIP Chris Squire. This is from their YESSONGS Album ( originally a triple) now a double on CD. That version of Starship Trooper is Brilliant. have seen them many times Rick Wakeman the Keyboards Player is a phenomenal player and a great personality who has load of funny stories. I have met him a few times.
Starship Trooper and Yours is No Disgrace are both brilliant, as soon as you accept that they're not going to sound exactly like the studio. I'd seen them played "straight" live in footage from a few years before, and they were fine. But on this album they've got loose, funky versions of both. The new intro to Yours is badass. And the live version of Wurm is badass. They were a badass talented band.
The top of the progressive rock mountain. So many have tried to emulate though no band of this style could ever reach or maintain the quality of music that they have done over the decades or live during the 1970’s through the ‘80’s and into the 1990’s!🥁🎹🎼🎤🎸i grew up on my older brother’s albums of YES,(Fragile and YESSONGS).Then I purchased several more in my late teen years, into my twenties and beyond!The pinnacle for me was seeing them live with one of my brothers at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Best concert ever even if I could not hear for a couple of days!Chris was the leader and backbone who was in the band until he passed away in around 2015. To me when Jon Anderson left the band permanently they never reached their highest level again. Jon always hit the notes and still does today on his solo tours around the globe!
The keyboard work is amazing. Basically like Keith Emerson’s. Yes is fantastic and saw them back in the days this was filmed. The concert performances in the 70’s were just so good. Zep in 73 proves that without a doubt if you don’t accept the fact. So glad to be a teen in the seventies.
Emerson gets my vote for best rock keyboardist, but Wakeman is a very, VERY close 1A. I explained the difference between them to a friend like this: Wakeman is a wizard, and Emerson is an assassin. When you need magic, you call on Gandalf, but when you clean and simply need someone's ass completely whipped, you call on Aragorn. ✌️😎
@@joeday4293 i find both amazing. I think that Emerson is a bit superior technically, but i find Wakeman better at conveying emotion and sheer beauty. An example of this is the ways he plays on Morning has broken from Cat Stevens, or the piano on Turn of the Century. Because of that I prefer him to Emerson.
There were two bands growing up in the 70’s that were not cool to be fans of but had a huge fan base. Yes and Rush. Yes has some of the most complex innovative and groovy songs ever. Absolute great band!
Long Distance Runaround/The Fish and Perpetual Change from that album are with Bruford, though that didn't make the movie version :) if you want more live Yes you could check those tracks out!
I saw Yes in 1978 in the round, which was amazing. The circular stage set up in the middle of the coliseum rotated so you could see all the members of the band at some point, with Jon Anderson in the middle. Unforgettable show.
It's maybe only their 17th or their 22nd best of the catalog ! Close to the Edge, The Gates of Delirium, The Revealing Science of God and many more are better for me. ;-)
I saw Yes live several times in the 70's they never disappointed. In the late 70's they toured "In the Round", where they set the stage up in the center of the arena and it would rotate slowly. Jon Anderson would be in the center. The loudspeakers were suspended above the stage. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. As a comparison to this version from '72, as they got older, there is a great live version of "Southside of the Sky" on the 35th anniversary of the "Fragile" albums release. Check it out.
Seen them In the Round in Minneapolis late 70s. The city had passed a Decibel Level Law and the crowd drowned out a lot of the show... Still a good show one of my favorite bands.
I saw Yes in '74 or '75 in Albuquerque. Kind of a blur now 'cause I saw a lot of shows back then. I do remember how tight they played and harmonized. Roundabout was amazing.
This was awesome to see your reaction to Yes. You are spot on with your analysis. I also love you guys because you never stop the song like some other reaction type vlogs. I hate that. You guys are the best not just because of that, but you’re musicians as well. All the other reaction people on TH-cam obviously are also rans to you guys. I will stay watching you guys religiously.
Saw them live for the first time in 1978 on their TOURMATO tour. They still looked pretty much like this. The only big difference was that they used a rotating stage in the middle of Oakland Indoor arena with the sound system suspended overhead. Just an incredible show.
We had never heard anything like this before. We were stunned and amazed and floored. I remember where I was the first time I heard this in ‘72. Still exceptional!
Welcome to my childhood. I ate Yes, ELP, The Who, Pink Floyd, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I saw them live when I was 13. Talkin' 'bout my generation.
Saw Yes many times over the years, but the 1973 Close to The Edge tour was probably the pinnacle. I caught the show at The Forum in LA, with Poco as the opener. One of the many highlights for me was Heart of The Sunrise. One of the best concerts I've seen, we were left with minds totally blown!
There’s an album called yes shows and yes songs. It’s the best live material that you’ll ever hear. They both have some extremely great moments in them and you really get to hear them in top form and reproduce the music live.
"Seven Shows From '72" is a great "Live" album where they recorded several songs that were part of the "YESSONGS" album. This was recorded from their "Close to the Edge" tour. The different versions of the songs makes for interesting listenings.
As you noted, the band added little touches to the YESSONG live versions that were not on the studio recordings. One of the most expanded songs is Long Distance Runaround The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus) with a greatly expanded solo by Chris Squire. It remains my favorite version to this day!
until his death in 2015, Chris Squire is the only member of YES to play on every YES album. no, ABWH is technically not a YES album. i first saw them live in '77, the Going For The One Tour. Awaken, Turn of the Century were highlights for me, but they blew me away every song. they used to rehearse in Lititz, Pennsylvania before the tours. i caught them live and meet some of them there. image standing 10 feet in front of THAT band playing live
I am not a Yes scholar but I think Chris Squire was a pretty constant in the band. I think he and Jon were founding members. Pretty sure that Steve Howe was also pretty much a constant. Y The changing bits were mostly the drummer and keys. P.S. You didn't even mention Wakeman's a mind blowing solo.
I saw Yes twice over the years. Once at the old Arco Arena in Sacramento > the Union tour. The show was in the round with both versions of Yes on the stage at the same time with many songs. It was a dream come true for me. The second was in Sacramento at the old Memorial Auditorium, a small historic venue that holds a couple thousand people. Both concerts were truely epic.
I discovered Yes in 1976. No Yes albums were available for sale in my country back then, so I started my collection of Yes music with cassettes recorded from my friends’ vinyls, purchased abroad. Then in September 16 1999 Yes did a concert in Lima, Peru and my life change. I was in front row a few feet away from Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Igor Koroshev and Billy Sherwood. Best day in my life.
I was 16 when I first heard this in 1974. I was totally hooked by this song. My buddy had bought the album and told me I had to come check it out. I will never forget that day or the fabulous memories that song gave me.
The Yessongs album and film are some of the best live Rock recordings ever. Great to see it here. Definitely do some more - the whole thing is incredible. The Yessongs version of "All Good People" is definitively better than the original.
Hey guys! Seen YES 214 times. Trying to think of a show where they didn't play Roundabout. I can't think of one. It has been their closer or encore for decades!! Such an incredible song. S tier for sure!!!👍😎
At the end of Roundabout on the dada da da da dot section Jon,Chris and Steve are singing but there’s also a 4th harmony in counterpoint to them and the voices heard are played by Rick on the Mellotron. Yessongs is my favorite live album and movie.
I saw Yes on Oct. 1, 1972 in Tuscaloosa, AL at the Univ. of Ala. It was the same tour as this video, just the US leg. It was fantastic to say the least. It was their Close to the Edge tour to promote the album which had just come out in Sept. BTW, the opening act for them was a brand new band called the Eagles. :)
I saw YES in Orlando this past October (Dr. Philips). They were great! I met the artist that created their iconic album covers before the show (Roger Dean), we talked about graphic design and mentioned that I've been a fan of his forever. He looked puzzled and asked how. I said that I was exposed to his artwork as a kid since my older brothers use to use YES album covers to roll joints. We shared a laugh. We then autographed my concert tee.
I discovered Yes when I was in high school (1982ish, after hearing Asia), and they have been my fave group since. As a multi-instrumentalist, I am in awe of the level of mastery of each Yes member. I feel blessed to have seen them a dozen or so times live since the 90125 tour in '84...
Yes, Squire was there with his Rickenbacher. He was a founding member and sang harmonies with Jon. I saw them in '73 and several times after. They never disappoint!
I have been to at least 7 Yes concerts and each one was FIRE! They were the best live band I have ever heard and back in the 70’s I went to many outstanding concerts! I was high for a week after each one!!!❤
Hey A & A.....saw YES a few times but a memorable moment was YES at Madison Square Garden in the Round. Their stage was circular and in the middle of the arena as opposed to the end as is traditional. Steve Howe played 'Dueling Banjo's' by himself! BOTH PARTS! People who actually recognized the song were open mouth in awe! Great band with great lineups through the years!
I attended their show on the 72 tour (and many others as well). This line up is, hands down, the most talented group of musicians ever assembled in the rock or prog rock genre, with the possible exception of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.
I'm first! So I'll sing my one-note song while I've got your attention: you WANT to listen to 801 Live "Tomorrow Never Knows" because it bangs on every cylinder you value. Great live performance, KILLER bass, great arrangement, interesting cast of characters (including Eno and Manzanera from Roxy Music), and trailblazing recording/production. Do yourselves and your entire community a favor and give it a listen!
The Relayer tour was astounding. The LOUDEST concert and the first use of laser beams in a light show. Just a green beam shooting from the stage to the back wall, then splitting into 4, and then into 16 and all it could do is spin around but damn, it was crazy.
July 19 1975 The first three songs of the show were Sound Chaser, Close To The Edge, and Gates Of Delirium. I was so impressed that I saw Chris Squire and Alan White 35 more times till right before Squire passed ✨️🙏✨️
Do you know how they do those swells at the beginning? They played a chord, I think it was e minor, on a piano, and recorded it. And of course it starts at the highest gain and immediately decays from there. Then they played it in reverse leading up to the guitar, so of course it starts low and swells. Quite creative if you ask me. I don't know of anyone else that has done that. If it has been done by someone else, can someone please let me know? I'd love to check it out.
Also, so you know, until his death a few years ago, Chris was the only original member, from the very beginning; so yes, that was him. I remember the first show I saw with Billy Sheehan. The opening, as they came on stage, displayed Chris's Rickenbacker on a stand on stage with a set of his licks playing. I cried. But don't get me wrong, Sheehan is good. In fact he's been with Yes for a long time - decades, mostly as a producer, but with occasional multiple instruments. In fact when Anderson separated from them they wanted Sheehan to sing but he declined because he didn't want to try to fill Jon's shoes. I'm not sure if I ever heard him sing. Also, I went on the first Cruise to the Edge, and Chris was on the same shuttle boat with me back to the ship from Grand Cayman Island.
Not surprising about the Van Halen, David Lee Roth regularly went on tangents and forgot whole segments of songs when they played live. This Yes performance, of course, spotless.
I didn’t know he was in Cirque Du Soleil 😂 He’s one of the very few musicians worthy of a cape because he’s a wizard and the undisputed greatest rock keyboardist of all time.
I remember catching YES in The Round Live!!! Purely magical!! They set up a Round stage in the center of Lakeland Civic Center, and it revolved the entire show!! So no matter where you sat or stood you got multiple times of being in the front rows!! this was back in the days of general admission standing room front row floor area. Everyone standing in the floor was front row!!! Stellar band live! Then a few years back Orlando puts on free concerts downtown and YES was on the ticket!! Wasn't going to miss that! They did not have Rick Wakeman on keyboards; but his son filled in his place! Phenomenal!!! I was blown away how good they still sounded. And they had video boards with the killer album graphics animated flying around!! So cool! Great band live!🎉🎉❤❤
Yes always rocked more live than on their studio albums....I saw them many times live. First time as an opener for Jethro Tull. Then headlining and the opener was King Crimson; still later Yes was headlining and the opening act was The Eagles.
I also like the way Rick Wakeman plays two keyboards on opposite sides of him. And Jon Anderson's vocalizations without words...dah dah dah doo dah dah dah... etc.
In 1971 I saw them open for 10 Years After - They were the opening act - then J. Geils Band - so we were just walking around the concession area checking out people (as you do) and I remember vividly hearing them go into "I've Seen All Good People" - we knew that song but I had never really paid attention to "Yes" - that night I did! Got the album the next day! They were amazing live!
Chris Squire (bass Player) was an incredible singer. You should check out "Lucky Seven" from his solo album Fish out of Water. Amazing. When I got his solo album, I figured out a whole LOT of the Yes sound comes from not only his bass playing, but his vocals also.
Awesome, guys. In 1976, at age 15, I went to see Yes with a few friends for about $5.00. I didn't know them too well. I was so blown away by the level of musicianship and show (kickass lasers). They became my favorite band and Steve Howe my guitar hero. I saw them many times. They never disappointed.
Omg, I’ve never seen that and it was mind-blowing! Thanks, guys! I saw Yes in 1983 for the 90125 album tour, and Jon Anderson fell through the middle of bizarrely angled stage that they had set up, which opened to a set of deep steps going below. It was early in the set, and they turned off all the lights in the concert right after he fell, so we weren’t sure if he died or what might have happened. We all were waiting for news, then 20-25 minutes passed, he came out limping, and then finished the show to great cheering . I was in high school, and this was maybe my second major band concert, so this intense scene is definitely burned in the memory banks. Jon Anderson is a real trooper!
"Witnessed greatness... musical history's being made...immaculate..." you nailed it, Andy! That's what makes Yes arguably the best band ever in rock. And it all boils down to what you said -- "they prepped." And agreed, Alex -- "you're in the groove of the music, but if you look for it, you can't find it." I've seen Yes 5-6 times -- from 1973 to 2013. The most cosmic was the Relayer tour in 1975, I was in the 13th row, center. I knew each note, could see each note played, and could hear each note clearly. Zillions of notes were played, each one perfectly in place, pinnacle after pinnacle. A friend of mine into jazz fusion saw the same tour and was amazed -- he said "I thought that crazy beginning to "Sound Chaser" was improvised on the record, but it was all note for note in concert." Next, go with "And You And I"
Chris Squire playing those bass lines and singing even higher harmonies on top of Jon Anderson is mind blowing.
I recently read about the early days of Yes, when the first record came out. Critics and fans were amazed by their technical skill, but everybody felt they must be only a studio band. So, they went on tour, and nobody thought they could actually play their songs live with any skill. They were wrong. Time changes, key changes, complicated incomprehensible lyrics, they could do it all live, and just as good as in the studio.
it's amazing to think they were playing this live almost 2 years before recording it. But the recorded tracks is so epic no one can believe it could ever be done live. Damn, YES so good.
Yes sold out Madison Square Garden and the Spectrum in Philly more times than any other act during the 70’s. people loved them the owner of Rolling Stone hated Prog.
It’s why just for the reason I stated above belonged in the Rock and Roll hall of Shame so much earlier then they were. Rush had to break the Prog barrier that asshole put up.
I’m so glad it’s in Cleveland not Philly. I would have been protesting outside for a years. Lol
It is hard to explain to young people like you just how amazing music in the seventies was .True musicians playing incredible songs covering many different genres .
I wish I could go back .
70s stuff was before my time. But anything between the 50s and 80s.... Maybe early 90s was a hell of a run with great, timeless music. Most stuff today is embarrassing and quite frankly..... pathetic.
Ground-breaking albums came out weekly.
We were so fortunate to have been able to experience those times!! My high school years, such awesome music!
We saw YES twice and ELP three times, between 1974 and 1978... in Denver for my side.
🎉🎉🎉❤🎉🎉🎉
I remember when the 60’s were over and I thought there can’t be music like we’ve had in the 60’s. Of course, I was wrong. The 70’s were just different music but just as good.
Their concerts were like lining up 15 -20 songs - all just as great and many which were more intricate - and playing them back -to-back-to-back, etc... You leave with your minds completely blown. Can't believe it's been 53 years that I've been listening to them. Can you imagine walking around at 12 - 13 years old with this as one of your foundational bands... and many of your friends thinking you're completely weird, musically? It was great!
I had the good fortune of attending several Yes concerts back in the day and agree completely. Every concert was amazing and mind-blowing. They always sounded so good and the level of musicianship was ridiculous.
Yep. I was in college when I saw them. 1973.
I was 14, and all my buddies had older brothers
The first time I saw them was in 1977. Including encores, they played 10 songs, totaling about 2 hours. The set list included Close to the Edge and Awaken, and several other longer pieces.
@@jdbroders64 Me, too! All 3 Yes concerts I saw were incredible! I believe the last one was just after they released 90125, it started with "Leave It", and ended with "It Can Happen". I wish the boys would do some of these later great songs of theirs.
RIP Chris and Alan... #Legends
It was so wonderful seeing Geddy Lee sitting in with the band doing Roundabout during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Chris Squire was an early bass guitar influence.
Classiest guest spot ever. Stood off to the side playing Squire's part, looking awestruck.
That is a great video if they want to watch that one too.
100%, I would suggest to A&A to just watch that one without videoing their reaction- probably some copyright problems if they tried to post a reaction to it
Yessongs - one of the greatest live albums ever, Yes bringing the heat.
Yesshows is awesome too.
Concur!
I really love Close To The Edge on it. imo is an awesome lp.
I've been listening to that since I was a young man. I recommend that the lads give it a listen...set aside a bit of time and just absorb it. I saw the movie too (of course).
What's great about it is they are all playing around without their parts while remaining tight together. It's not like this is the blues: it's ridiculously hard.
So many memories of Yes - being a teen in the 70's. all we needed was the music, good friends, and good weed.
Amen
Yes!
💯 percent. Life was much more simple to me.
I'm there with you, sister!
especially weed.....
Jon Anderson is INSANE.. vocals top notch
effortless. It really helps to have all the talent in the world.
he's still got it. he's using youtube's "the band geeks" as his band for his tour. they did a cover of roundabout for their channel and he loved it so much he hired them. it's a great cover, you guys should check it out. they did it during covid remotely, each instrument separately then mixed together and it's fantastic. th-cam.com/video/W_7tBdAWZoU/w-d-xo.html
and he still sounds very good today despite his age and illness that ended his time with the band. the karaoke singer they got now has such a weak voice. i'd rather see Jon with the School of Rock kids than the no original member line up YES has become.
@@thomasrudy6132he's touring with the Band Geeks now and they rock.
Chris Squire was the only member of Yes to have played on every single studio album, so he's the bass player on pretty much any live footage you see of Yes up until 2015, the year he died.
My life changed on August 5, 1972 when this tour came to Berkeley California.
I saw them in 1973 at the Forum in Inglewood
I saw them on November 4, 1972 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
I was 18, saw them in the fall of 1971 upstairs in a small dance ballroom on 4th and Broadway in Oklahoma City (no chairs, sitting on the oak floors, less than 1000 full capacity, tickets were $1.50) and again in the spring of 1973 when they played in the OKC Fairgrounds arena for over 10k fans. I was then manager of a small vegetarian restaurant called The Tree House and we got the gig to feed them after the show (because they were all vegetarians except Wakeman who didn't travel with the band) so my friends and I sat around the table eating with these legends who were so at ease, calm, friendly and seemed to just want to relax in conversation with us regular folks. Jon was the most friendly and talkative. It was an amazing experience!
The whole concert is available. I saw Yesshows several times as a midnight show in college and I own the DVD. Perpetual Change is a banger from Yesshows.
I had the pleasure of spending a few months working with Yes in the summer-fall of 1999. I was shooting interviews and song videos to promote The Ladder, their 1999 album that marked the return to their classic '70s sound (after going through their "Owner of a Lonely Heart" new wave phase). At that time, I was helping launch DirecTV's Freeview service (free programming for their customers) and the first special I worked on was a live satellite concert of Yes, on Halloween night 1999, from the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. They were all wonderful guys to work with, witty and self-effacing but all class, especially Chris who let me play his iconic bass guitar at an impromptu jam session that broke out between shoots. Seeing them play their classic songs up close over the course of those months was a true privilege.
Oh baby baby such a beautiful story. Love and hugs to you and your great histories
"Yessongs" is such a great live album. I was watching this concert film with a musician buddy of mine once, admiring Master Rick Wakeman resplendent in his silver lamé wizard robe, and I turned to my friend and said, "You know what's wrong with rock and roll these days? Nobody has the balls to be fucking *majestic* anymore."
Also, fun fact: drummer Alan White got thrown into the fire taking Bill Bruford's place in Yes, with only two weeks to prepare to join a tour playing some of the most complex rock music in history. No internet, no TH-cam, no Spotify, no iPod, no tabs, no sheet music, not even a Walkman and a pile of cassette tapes. He had to practice whenever he had the chance, and sit down next to a record player whenever he had the chance. And he absolutely nailed it. This film was shot only 6 months after he joined the band. What a complete boss, and an inspiration.
If Yessongs had been recorded far cleaner,no doubt would have to be considered the greatest live album ever.
@@michaelbeerbados3291 Check out a remaster if you haven't. It's probably due for a new one too. I think they could still get it to greatest live rock album ever. Technically, hard to see who could touch them from that period.
I like Bruford so much more then Alan White, who is a good drummer but not on Bruford's level in any way.
@@jameshannagan4256 Couldn't disagree more. When Bruford left for King Crimson and Alan White joined Yes, both bands ended up with the drummer they should have had all along. I love them both for very different reasons.
If you can do Majestic you are probably writing for movies or games. There still is majestic music, just not majestic rock bands.
And You And I is a must to watch live.
And Close to the Edge! I mean, with the Fragile songs they at least had a year+ to become comfortable playing them live. But CTTE had been out just a few months! Insane to be playing something that complex live. I don't know that the CTTE songs were the best parts of this performance -- you can see Jon's visible relief whenever they manage to land some super-complex change, it's like Olympic figure skating. Whereas they were utterly comfortable with the Yes Album songs, and that is clear from their performances. Bosses.
@@matrobnew it seems inconceivable, but I think that Howe’s playing on the Yessongs version surpasses by far his playing on the studio version!
My friend and I drew the Yes logo on her bedsheet. We hung out at the back of the concert arena and held it up as their limo drove into the garage. One of them pointed to us as they got out of the car and we ended up getting two passes to the concert in the round. Great memories.
When you hear the studio version you know that they are all great musicians, when you hear them live it becomes clear that they are all God Tier…..
I can’t believe how good they sound live, especially this song!
There ya go. 1972. No pitch correct. No sampling. No backing tracks. Just pure talent.
The intense expressions on their faces show that they knew they were creating something epic. It would've been so cool to have an overhead cam to show Rick's fingers flying over those keys.
Indeed. We notice the camera work on this was really subpar. Too bad we don't see Wakeman's playing much or Squire's playing at all or if a drummer exists. At least we can hear it.
Rick Wakeman still wears a cape today.
Yep he had the wizard cape in 73 when I saw them.
Now I just want to walk into the office wearing a cape
I didn't know that, but I believe it. ❤
If ever someone DESERVED to wear a fully sequined cape....
I cannot explain, as someone who had piano lessons from the age of 4, how much of a keyboard wizard he is.
First heard Rick wakeman on the 'Strawbs' album from the Witchwood
Vocal harmonies bordering on Beach Boys level greatness and blistering solo's from both Howe and Wakeman, but it's Squire's bass and White's drumming that glues the whole thing together. R.I.P. Chris Squire & Alan White.
"Stunning" is an understatement! Insane!!!
Yes needs new adjectives, perhaps combinations like........ phenomenunning.
RIP Chris Squire. This is from their YESSONGS Album ( originally a triple) now a double on CD. That version of Starship Trooper is Brilliant. have seen them many times Rick Wakeman the Keyboards Player is a phenomenal player and a great personality who has load of funny stories. I have met him a few times.
Starship Trooper and Yours is No Disgrace are both brilliant, as soon as you accept that they're not going to sound exactly like the studio. I'd seen them played "straight" live in footage from a few years before, and they were fine. But on this album they've got loose, funky versions of both. The new intro to Yours is badass. And the live version of Wurm is badass. They were a badass talented band.
The top of the progressive rock mountain. So many have tried to emulate though no band of this style could ever reach or maintain the quality of music that they have done over the decades or live during the 1970’s through the ‘80’s and into the 1990’s!🥁🎹🎼🎤🎸i grew up on my older brother’s albums of YES,(Fragile and YESSONGS).Then I purchased several more in my late teen years, into my twenties and beyond!The pinnacle for me was seeing them live with one of my brothers at Madison Square Garden in NYC. Best concert ever even if I could not hear for a couple of days!Chris was the leader and backbone who was in the band until he passed away in around 2015. To me when Jon Anderson left the band permanently they never reached their highest level again. Jon always hit the notes and still does today on his solo tours around the globe!
The keyboard work is amazing. Basically like Keith Emerson’s. Yes is fantastic and saw them back in the days this was filmed. The concert performances in the 70’s were just so good. Zep in 73 proves that without a doubt if you don’t accept the fact. So glad to be a teen in the seventies.
Emerson gets my vote for best rock keyboardist, but Wakeman is a very, VERY close 1A. I explained the difference between them to a friend like this: Wakeman is a wizard, and Emerson is an assassin. When you need magic, you call on Gandalf, but when you clean and simply need someone's ass completely whipped, you call on Aragorn. ✌️😎
We were truly blessed.😊
@@joeday4293 i find both amazing. I think that Emerson is a bit superior technically, but i find Wakeman better at conveying emotion and sheer beauty. An example of this is the ways he plays on Morning has broken from Cat Stevens, or the piano on Turn of the Century. Because of that I prefer him to Emerson.
@@normandaubry You're not wrong. It's like the old saying: that's why they make chocolate and vanilla. And actually, both are awesome.
Roundabout by Yes is my Favorite Yes Song. A&A is Spot on about the Band Members are Super Talented Playing their Respective Instruments.
There were two bands growing up in the 70’s that were not cool to be fans of but had a huge fan base. Yes and Rush. Yes has some of the most complex innovative and groovy songs ever. Absolute great band!
I never saw this video! There’s confetti flying in my brain! Thanks!
Long Distance Runaround/The Fish and Perpetual Change from that album are with Bruford, though that didn't make the movie version :) if you want more live Yes you could check those tracks out!
I saw Yes in 1978 in the round, which was amazing. The circular stage set up in the middle of the coliseum rotated so you could see all the members of the band at some point, with Jon Anderson in the middle. Unforgettable show.
I saw them also but I can't remember anything! Don't do drugs kids...lol
@@j.h.3777 😂😂😂😂
WHOA! I don't comment a lot but OMG! Great live performance and great song to react to 🎉
One of my favorite songs of the decade
It's maybe only their 17th or their 22nd best of the catalog ! Close to the Edge, The Gates of Delirium, The Revealing Science of God and many more are better for me. ;-)
I saw Yes live several times in the 70's they never disappointed. In the late 70's they toured "In the Round", where they set the stage up in the center of the arena and it would rotate slowly. Jon Anderson would be in the center. The loudspeakers were suspended above the stage. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. As a comparison to this version from '72, as they got older, there is a great live version of "Southside of the Sky" on the 35th anniversary of the "Fragile" albums release. Check it out.
Seen them In the Round in Minneapolis late 70s. The city had passed a Decibel Level Law and the crowd drowned out a lot of the show... Still a good show one of my favorite bands.
You're speaking of the Tormado tour. Save the Whale and all that. One of the 4 times I saw them in Vancouver
I saw In the Round Yes in 1979 - Pittsburgh Civic Arena. My 2nd Yes concert!
I saw Yes in '74 or '75 in Albuquerque. Kind of a blur now 'cause I saw a lot of shows back then. I do remember how tight they played and harmonized. Roundabout was amazing.
Someone wrote (Paraphrased):
"When great bass players 'go to summer Bass camp' it is Chris Squier driving the bus" ❤ and meant as a high compliment 😂
Tremendous musicians one and all and of course that thundering bass roars through the whole thing, love it.
This was awesome to see your reaction to Yes. You are spot on with your analysis. I also love you guys because you never stop the song like some other reaction type vlogs. I hate that. You guys are the best not just because of that, but you’re musicians as well. All the other reaction people on TH-cam obviously are also rans to you guys. I will stay watching you guys religiously.
My favorite moment at Yes concerts was the song Perpetual Change. That gets heavy!
It’s just flippin’ unreal that they could do this live. And do it this well.
Saw them live for the first time in 1978 on their TOURMATO tour. They still looked pretty much like this. The only big difference was that they used a rotating stage in the middle of Oakland Indoor arena with the sound system suspended overhead. Just an incredible show.
I saw them on that tour as well.
@@brucecurry1249 Me too Lakeland Florida, July '79 (on acid)
We had never heard anything like this before. We were stunned and amazed and floored.
I remember where I was the first time I heard this in ‘72. Still exceptional!
Welcome to my childhood. I ate Yes, ELP, The Who, Pink Floyd, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I saw them live when I was 13. Talkin' 'bout my generation.
“And You and I” off of their Close to the Edge album is a killer song. The opening guitar solo is so cool and Rick Wakeman’s keyboards are legend.
Probably my favorite Yes song! Absolutely fantastic live too.
Best music ever recorded in capes.
Our minds were blown away when this was first released!!
I will never forget my experience see YES in '73 @ Hollywood Bowl.
Saw Yes many times over the years, but the 1973 Close to The Edge tour was probably the pinnacle. I caught the show at The Forum in LA, with Poco as the opener. One of the many highlights for me was Heart of The Sunrise. One of the best concerts I've seen, we were left with minds totally blown!
Had the pleasure to see them many times. Front row! He looked into my eyes and sang. Awesome!
There’s an album called yes shows and yes songs. It’s the best live material that you’ll ever hear. They both have some extremely great moments in them and you really get to hear them in top form and reproduce the music live.
"Seven Shows From '72" is a great "Live" album where they recorded several songs that were part of the "YESSONGS" album. This was recorded from their "Close to the Edge" tour.
The different versions of the songs makes for interesting listenings.
As you noted, the band added little touches to the YESSONG live versions that were not on the studio recordings. One of the most expanded songs is Long Distance Runaround The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus) with a greatly expanded solo by Chris Squire. It remains my favorite version to this day!
until his death in 2015, Chris Squire is the only member of YES to play on every YES album. no, ABWH is technically not a YES album. i first saw them live in '77, the Going For The One Tour. Awaken, Turn of the Century were highlights for me, but they blew me away every song. they used to rehearse in Lititz, Pennsylvania before the tours. i caught them live and meet some of them there. image standing 10 feet in front of THAT band playing live
I am not a Yes scholar but I think Chris Squire was a pretty constant in the band. I think he and Jon were founding members. Pretty sure that Steve Howe was also pretty much a constant. Y The changing bits were mostly the drummer and keys.
P.S. You didn't even mention Wakeman's a mind blowing solo.
I saw Yes twice over the years. Once at the old Arco Arena in Sacramento > the Union tour. The show was in the round with both versions of Yes on the stage at the same time with many songs. It was a dream come true for me. The second was in Sacramento at the old Memorial Auditorium, a small historic venue that holds a couple thousand people. Both concerts were truely epic.
I discovered Yes in 1976. No Yes albums were available for sale in my country back then, so I started my collection of Yes music with cassettes recorded from my friends’ vinyls, purchased abroad. Then in September 16 1999 Yes did a concert in Lima, Peru and my life change. I was in front row a few feet away from Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Igor Koroshev and Billy Sherwood. Best day in my life.
I was 16 when I first heard this in 1974. I was totally hooked by this song. My buddy had bought the album and told me I had to come check it out. I will never forget that day or the fabulous memories that song gave me.
A&A, you'll love their "Leave It"!!
Excellent choice. “Changes” from that same album (90125) is one of my all time favorites.
The Yessongs album and film are some of the best live Rock recordings ever. Great to see it here. Definitely do some more - the whole thing is incredible. The Yessongs version of "All Good People" is definitively better than the original.
Hey guys! Seen YES 214 times. Trying to think of a show where they didn't play Roundabout. I can't think of one. It has been their closer or encore for decades!! Such an incredible song. S tier for sure!!!👍😎
and you probably saw The Exorcist when you were 8yo and received the Congressional Medal of Honour from JFK, right?
Not necessarily their best song, but no concert would have been complete without it.
@@calguy3838ok sockpuppet
@@calguy3838 👍😎
At the end of Roundabout on the dada da da da dot section Jon,Chris and Steve are singing but there’s also a 4th harmony in counterpoint to them and the voices heard are played by Rick on the Mellotron. Yessongs is my favorite live album and movie.
I saw Yes on Oct. 1, 1972 in Tuscaloosa, AL at the Univ. of Ala. It was the same tour as this video, just the US leg. It was fantastic to say the least. It was their Close to the Edge tour to promote the album which had just come out in Sept. BTW, the opening act for them was a brand new band called the Eagles. :)
This was Anderson, Squire, Howe, Wakeman, and White.
I saw YES in Orlando this past October (Dr. Philips). They were great! I met the artist that created their iconic album covers before the show (Roger Dean), we talked about graphic design and mentioned that I've been a fan of his forever. He looked puzzled and asked how. I said that I was exposed to his artwork as a kid since my older brothers use to use YES album covers to roll joints. We shared a laugh. We then autographed my concert tee.
I discovered Yes when I was in high school (1982ish, after hearing Asia), and they have been my fave group since. As a multi-instrumentalist, I am in awe of the level of mastery of each Yes member. I feel blessed to have seen them a dozen or so times live since the 90125 tour in '84...
Yes, Squire was there with his Rickenbacher. He was a founding member and sang harmonies with Jon. I saw them in '73 and several times after. They never disappoint!
I'm so glad I grew up when I did --- we had the best music there has ever been!!!!
All the greats on stage❤️❤️
I listened to the whole Fragile album over and over again. Just transports me.
1972 same year I saw them.
I have been to at least 7 Yes concerts and each one was FIRE! They were the best live band I have ever heard and back in the 70’s I went to many outstanding concerts! I was high for a week after each one!!!❤
Alan White joined the band just a few days before this tour started. He replaced Buford. Incredible. You should watch the whole Yessongs movie.
Hey A & A.....saw YES a few times but a memorable moment was YES at Madison Square Garden in the Round. Their stage was circular and in the middle of the arena as opposed to the end as is traditional. Steve Howe played 'Dueling Banjo's' by himself! BOTH PARTS! People who actually recognized the song were open mouth in awe! Great band with great lineups through the years!
A&A try Southside of the Sky from the 35th Anniversary video. What you witness will blow you both out of your chairs!!👍😎
👋🎶🎶
@@chriso6719 👍😎
I attended their show on the 72 tour (and many others as well). This line up is, hands down, the most talented group of musicians ever assembled in the rock or prog rock genre, with the possible exception of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton.
I'm first! So I'll sing my one-note song while I've got your attention: you WANT to listen to 801 Live "Tomorrow Never Knows" because it bangs on every cylinder you value. Great live performance, KILLER bass, great arrangement, interesting cast of characters (including Eno and Manzanera from Roxy Music), and trailblazing recording/production. Do yourselves and your entire community a favor and give it a listen!
Manzanera is such an under-appreciated guitarist!
What rock band had a lead guitarist playing a fully hollow bodied guitar?
The Relayer tour was astounding. The LOUDEST concert and the first use of laser beams in a light show. Just a green beam shooting from the stage to the back wall, then splitting into 4, and then into 16 and all it could do is spin around but damn, it was crazy.
July 19 1975 The first three songs of the show were Sound Chaser, Close To The Edge, and Gates Of Delirium. I was so impressed that I saw Chris Squire and Alan White 35 more times till right before Squire passed ✨️🙏✨️
Do you know how they do those swells at the beginning? They played a chord, I think it was e minor, on a piano, and recorded it. And of course it starts at the highest gain and immediately decays from there. Then they played it in reverse leading up to the guitar, so of course it starts low and swells. Quite creative if you ask me. I don't know of anyone else that has done that. If it has been done by someone else, can someone please let me know? I'd love to check it out.
Chris Squire hammering that bass...Oh yeah
Also, so you know, until his death a few years ago, Chris was the only original member, from the very beginning; so yes, that was him. I remember the first show I saw with Billy Sheehan. The opening, as they came on stage, displayed Chris's Rickenbacker on a stand on stage with a set of his licks playing. I cried. But don't get me wrong, Sheehan is good. In fact he's been with Yes for a long time - decades, mostly as a producer, but with occasional multiple instruments. In fact when Anderson separated from them they wanted Sheehan to sing but he declined because he didn't want to try to fill Jon's shoes. I'm not sure if I ever heard him sing.
Also, I went on the first Cruise to the Edge, and Chris was on the same shuttle boat with me back to the ship from Grand Cayman Island.
Not surprising about the Van Halen, David Lee Roth regularly went on tangents and forgot whole segments of songs when they played live. This Yes performance, of course, spotless.
Back in the 70's I saw YES so many times in concert and they were amazing every time!
Every kid should watch concerts like this. They will learn what real music and entertainment is. No auto tune. Real musicians. Pure talent 🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🤟🇨🇦
Keyboardist Rick Wakeman once stated that he took to wearing the cape in order to hide the awkward postions he would find himself in.
I didn’t know he was in Cirque Du Soleil 😂
He’s one of the very few musicians worthy of a cape because he’s a wizard and the undisputed greatest rock keyboardist of all time.
Yes was pure talent! Professional to the max. Original avant- guard prog rock. Just jaw dropping live performances from them
I remember catching YES in The Round Live!!!
Purely magical!!
They set up a Round stage in the center of Lakeland Civic Center, and it revolved the entire show!! So no matter where you sat or stood you got multiple times of being in the front rows!! this was back in the days of general admission standing room front row floor area. Everyone standing in the floor was front row!!! Stellar band live! Then a few years back Orlando puts on free concerts downtown and YES was on the ticket!! Wasn't going to miss that! They did not have Rick Wakeman on keyboards; but his son filled in his place! Phenomenal!!! I was blown away how good they still sounded. And they had video boards with the killer album graphics animated flying around!! So cool! Great band live!🎉🎉❤❤
Yes always rocked more live than on their studio albums....I saw them many times live. First time as an opener for Jethro Tull. Then headlining and the opener was King Crimson; still later Yes was headlining and the opening act was The Eagles.
I also like the way Rick Wakeman plays two keyboards on opposite sides of him. And Jon Anderson's vocalizations without words...dah dah dah doo dah dah dah... etc.
In 1971 I saw them open for 10 Years After - They were the opening act - then J. Geils Band - so we were just walking around the concession area checking out people (as you do) and I remember vividly hearing them go into "I've Seen All Good People" - we knew that song but I had never really paid attention to "Yes" - that night I did! Got the album the next day! They were amazing live!
So many bands from this era are SO talented it's ridiculous.
I’m a boomer. Still going to concerts. Saw Springsteen in August.
I was lucky enough to see Yes in the early ‘90’s. Awesome!!
Chris Squire (bass Player) was an incredible singer. You should check out "Lucky Seven" from his solo album Fish out of Water. Amazing. When I got his solo album, I figured out a whole LOT of the Yes sound comes from not only his bass playing, but his vocals also.
Thanks for the YES. Best band, ever. Period.
Awesome, guys. In 1976, at age 15, I went to see Yes with a few friends for about $5.00. I didn't know them too well. I was so blown away by the level of musicianship and show (kickass lasers). They became my favorite band and Steve Howe my guitar hero. I saw them many times. They never disappointed.
I saw them three times with this classic lineup and looking back... it was a blessing!
Omg, I’ve never seen that and it was mind-blowing! Thanks, guys!
I saw Yes in 1983 for the 90125 album tour, and Jon Anderson fell through the middle of bizarrely angled stage that they had set up, which opened to a set of deep steps going below. It was early in the set, and they turned off all the lights in the concert right after he fell, so we weren’t sure if he died or what might have happened. We all were waiting for news, then 20-25 minutes passed, he came out limping, and then finished the show to great cheering .
I was in high school, and this was maybe my second major band concert, so this intense scene is definitely burned in the memory banks. Jon Anderson is a real trooper!
I'm lucky to have seen them live in 1970s... addicted to them then... and forever.
I know & like Yes since my teens (48 now). I have the Close To The Edge original LP and the Yesterdays cd, both are very good.
"Witnessed greatness... musical history's being made...immaculate..." you nailed it, Andy! That's what makes Yes arguably the best band ever in rock. And it all boils down to what you said -- "they prepped." And agreed, Alex -- "you're in the groove of the music, but if you look for it, you can't find it." I've seen Yes 5-6 times -- from 1973 to 2013. The most cosmic was the Relayer tour in 1975, I was in the 13th row, center. I knew each note, could see each note played, and could hear each note clearly. Zillions of notes were played, each one perfectly in place, pinnacle after pinnacle. A friend of mine into jazz fusion saw the same tour and was amazed -- he said "I thought that crazy beginning to "Sound Chaser" was improvised on the record, but it was all note for note in concert." Next, go with "And You And I"
Great song ❤❤❤❤❤