28/08/2007

1980 – Live in Boston

09/09/1980 – Boston Garden, MA, USA

In 1980 Yes did their only album without Jon Anderson. Many people hate this album and many people love it. Both with good reasons.
After Drama, Yes went to tour with this line-up. First, in North America, they found an enthusiastic and receptitive audience. Later, in Europe, they would often find audiences that hated the concerts and screamed they wanted to see the real Yes, with Jon and Rick. Incidentally, Yes would even meet a provisory end due to this.
But this show is from the beginning of North-American tour. The band was playing for just two weeks, and eager to show their new music to the audience. Boston is particularly known for its loud audience, and surely it encouraged the band to put up a better show.
About the show. Trevor Horn did a great job on Drama, in my opinion, singing well and doing things Jon wouldn't do. But he definitely wasn't the right person to sing Jon's songs live. It's so clear here. Yours is no disgrace, the first old song they perform, is rather pathetic. Some other songs, like Parallels and Roundabout, are ok with his vocals, but nothing fantastic.
Highlights are the Drama songs, particularly Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit, with powerful and tight renditions, close to the studio ones. Another great moment is Chris's solo, featuring the religious song Amazing Grace. He takes all the feeling he can from his Rickenbacker.
Take a look also on the new songs, We Can Fly From Here and Go Through This.

Setlist:
Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra
Apocalypse
Does It Really Happen?
Yours Is No Disgrace
Into The Lens
Clap
And You And I
Go Through This
Man In The White Car Suite
Parallels
We Can Fly From Here
Tempus Fugit
Amazing Grace/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
Machine Messiah
Starship Trooper
Roundabout

Links on comments!

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this post. I need a good Drama tour show. I am one who loves this album! White, Squire and Howe were in rare form. Great songs! Geoff Downes did an excellent job as well. It seems Trevor Horne might have been a better singer for Yes if he didn't try so hard to sound like Jon Anderson!!

FHS / Hyman Roth

Anonymous said...

OK! I will try again. But I tried and tried and tried yesterday. I didn't have the problem with linxprotector...it directed me to the site where the download is located and, like I said, I noticed some 330 people had already downloaded the show...so it either worked at one time, or I am just doing something wrong (which might be the case). But I notice some file sharing sites are very confusing and sometimes it is hard to find where to click "download". This one just told me the download was preparing to be loaded and that I could "click here" if it didn't after 15 seconds. When I "clicked here"...it just locked up! But I'll try again today. Thanks for your imput and for your awesome blog!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for re-uploading these files.

Anonymous said...

sounds wonderful!! thank you for all your work on this one - much appreciated and respected.

Anonymous said...

I also have to thank you very much.

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for providing such a great site for Yes fans the world over. I have just found it by accident and it looks fantastic.
I have been looking for live material from the Drama tour for more than 20 years......WOW! Looking forward to hearing 'Into The Lens'and 'Machine Messiah'and others at last. D/Ling now. Please keep up the excellent work.

Anonymous said...

Parabéns pelo blogue. Tô baixando esse som q é d+ mesmo.
Baixando e valeu!

Anonymous said...

hello Martini from a Scottish Yes fan and first-time downloader! fancied a Drama show first as I've never encountered one before - looking forward to it! many thanks - Al

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU

Emilio Pacheco said...

Thanks for sharing this concert, I've always wanted to hear it. I'm a big fan of the Buggles and of Trevor Horn as a singer. It's a shame he gave up singing to become a full-time producer. Although I'm also a Yes fan and Jon Anderson's voice is certainly a major ingredient in the Yes sound, in some ways, I think Trevor's voice is even better, a nice alternative to Jon's nasal, high-pitched voice.

Anonymous said...

THANKS FOR THE DOWNLOADS. I'M SURPRISED FOR SO MANY YES CONCERTS

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this!
One of the better Drama show recordings I've heard.

It's truly a shame that a soundboard recording never serviced from this tour.

Anonymous said...

here's another good record from Dramatour, the first in Toronto, Canada. I think it's better than Boston.

http://leonardinsky.blogspot.com/2008/08/yes-dramatour-live-in-toronto-canada-29_9896.html

Anonymous said...

Actually there should be a soundboard recording from this tour, I remember hearing a concert broadcast live on the radio in 1980.

Josh said...

Thanks for the reup. I'm really digging this show.

Trevor doesn't sound all that bad singing Yes songs (that Jon sang), well most of them on here. "Parallels" is an exception, and I think that was because Trevor's voice does not work with Chris's. It sounded horrible. Jon and Chris's voices always blend beautifully.

It's interesting, because I'm 26, so this tour took place before I was even born. I've been curious on how they sounded for a while. - J

Martini said...

New working link (thanks to leonardinsky.blogspot)
http://depositfiles.com/files/y2vp07c4i

Anonymous said...

I remember being at this concert and it was only average. Was very disappointed that they didn't perform "I've Seen All Good People", especially after using a clip in their radio ads for the concert. I guess this is one they just didn't dare do without Anderson's unique voice.

duanerocks said...

Could you check the link for the drama tour show in boston , it may be down thank-you