2000 - Legendary Works

June 21, 2000
Concord, California, USA
Masterworks Tour

By 2000, Yes had lost Billy (who had seemed increasingly unneeded anyway), but didn't have a new album out. Therefore my expectation was for a retread tour of old material (as OYE had largely been), with Kansas as freebie opener. This turned out to be more-or-less the case, but I would not have guessed they'd choose this particular material!
(...)
And what songs! "Close to the Edge" to start! And "Starship Trooper" to follow! What could be next? Not -- "Gates of Delirium"! This wasn't a concert; this was a 'take no prisoners' blitzkrieg; I remember thinking the performance was mostly convincing -- not bad at all for the second day of the tour. "Leaves of Green" and "Heart of the Sunrise" were this show's equivalent of taking it easy before plunging into "Ritual", which built into a huge climax. Talk about stamina!
After all that, "Roundabout" and "All Good People" were familiar relief. Very much a four-star show, and I wouldn't doubt they managed five later in the tour :-)
(quoted from JPrisco)


Opener was "CTTE..." only on a tour featuring "Gates" could this be construed as an opening song! Jon had been sick and cracked a little during "I Get Up," but otherwise a fine, slightly relaxed version. An amusing quasi-recitation of "Starship Trooper" lyrics pre-tune by Jon...as often with him, seemingly delivered with a knowing wink and not too seriously. "Gates," was not as raw and anarchic as the album sounds (to me), but Jon's voice has improved tremendously. As everyone knows, this piece is as challenging as most symphonies and requires the utmost concentration; I would say Squire and Howe were flawless, with White solid but having cut down the more baroque fills almost completely.

I was actually more impressed by "Ritual," which surprised me...the lengthy, mainly wordless vocal section preceding the first verse seemed to wax and wane naturally. Squire, a narrow (from that distance) giant in black spandex, took over the stage mid - "Ritual" - he'd made pleasingly, exaggerated strides across the stage during the subsonic bass notes in "Trooper," and now seemed determined to shatter his instrument , so hard did he play it.

After that, the standard encores (ISAGP in the Jon-strummed YesWest version) may have seemed anticlimactic, but it was worth listening for Igor's interpretation of the solo in "Roundabout" - he substitutes a wild, almost Tony Kaye-esque flailing for Rick's surgical precision, to pleasing effect - and one might also find space to praise "Heart Of The Sunrise," as it is so often taken for granted. The song is much better live, and evokes a world of differing timbres and moods in 10 min... almost a precis of Yescography in one number, and a spectacular rendition this evening. I see too that I have not mentioned Steve, and it's never fair to take him for granted...he's the glue that holds it all together, especially on steel guitar.
(quoted from Alexander Jones)

Setlist
Young Persons Guide To The Orchestra
Close To The Edge
Starship Trooper
Gates Of Delirium
Leaves Of Green
Heart Of The Sunrise
Ritual
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout

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