22/01/2009

1969 - In the Beginning


This is a bootleg that puts together three small conserts from 1969.
The first one has the worst sound quality, and features different versions of songs that can be better heard live on the BBC Sessions (Beyond and Before).
From the second show, only Eleanor Rigby survived. Their rendition of that Beatles' tune was as original as everything they did at this time, featuring loud organ and Squire's distinctive bass sound. Peter Banks said about it:
People were bemused because we didn't do the 'covers' like the original tunes. We went down pretty good in London, but outside of town we had a lot of very puzzled faces when Jon would say , 'we're now gonna do a Beatles' tune.' And we'd kind of do Eleanor Rigby at 150 beats per minute It wasn't quite what they expected. We didn't want to sound like The Beatles. The whole point was 'let's do it our way'
The third concert features another version of Eleanor Rigby, this time with the beginning cut.
The last song is probably the biggest surprise: a 21 minutes version of I See You.
Peter's long solo starts at 3 minutes, with a violin-like guitar sound that was very new at the time. At 4 mins, he quotes Bach's "Jesu, joy of men's desire". At 6 mins he's with a more jazzy guitar sound, accompanied by Bill's soft jazz drumming (Bill plays with him for the whole 21 mins, while the rest of the band has a break during most of the time) . At 7 mins he shows us he knows what is wah-wah. At 8:50 Peter quotes Bizet's Arlésienne Suites, a famous classical melody that would be played later by Wakeman in Catherine Howard. By 10 mins Peter seems to go on for further improvisation, and at 16 mins the dialogues between loud drums and distorted guitar ressemble some things that Bill would do years later in King Crimson. At 20 mins the rest of the band (which must be mad at Peter) comes in to finish the song.

Peter himself has a lot to say about I See You:
It was certainly spontaneous and I tried to make it different every night. We had good nights and bad nights and sometimes if it wasn't happening on a gig, I'd go on longer and longer out of frustration and take all my aggression out on the guitar. (...) I did some kind of fugue line but none of it was really worked out for the recorded version. On stage I'd end the piece by throwing my guitar in the air and catching it. (...) This was my post-Townshend angst period and to be honest, it did go on too long. The band used to complain about it and that just used to make me go on even longer." I was an experimental player and not all that would fit in with the concept of Yes. Bill was the same. (...) I can remember him saying, "I'm going to play everything different tonight" just before we went on stage. It was the sign of a very inventive drummer but of course I'd think, "Well, so will I!" Poor old Jon would be going, "What the hell is going on?" We were like misbehaving kids, really.

Peter Banks' quotes were taken from the book Close to the Edge, the story of Yes, by Chris Welch. Very recommended book, buy it if you can:
http://www.amazon.com/Close-Edge-Story-Chris-Welch/dp/0711995095

October 09, 1969 - Essen, Grugahalle, Germany:
1. Introduction
2. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
3. Dear Father
4. Every Little Thing
5. Something's Coming
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August 20, 1969 - Hamburg, Star Club, Germany:
6. Eleanor Rigby
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December 21, 1969 - Sheffield, Kingston Hotel, England, UK:
7. Dear Father
8. Eleanor Rigby
9. I See You

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11/01/2009

1984 - I'm Down (featuring Jimmy Page)


June 24, 1984
Dortmund, Germany

This show from 90125 tour had
Si, Solly's Beard and Soon recorded for 9012Live: the solos.
But what I bring you today is the unexpected encore: I'm Down (that Beatles' song they played in 1976 as well) with Jimmy Page (from Led Zeppelin) joining them to play guitar.
Jon is slightly out of tune in the beginning, but later, when the guitars of Trevor Rabin and Jimmy Page start duelling, we have one of the band's best moments from the 80s.

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01/01/2009

Reuploaded: 2002 - Acoustic at XM Radio

2002-08-10

This is not a typical Yes show.
In 2002, soon after Rick's return to the band, Yes did this small concert broadcast by XM Radio. The result is a very different band, not the typical "Yes Acoustic" show you may expect hearing, as it was done before the officially released acoustic concert, so it's really worth the listen. Here Yes is not at all the ambitious and complex-sounding band we're used to, but just five talented musicians having fun.
They talk about many interest subject, such as why South Side of the Sky wasn't played for so long, and how was Alan's experience substituting Bill.
Walk Don't Run is hilarious, with Rick passing an uncomfortable moment as he doesn't know the chords... And the Awaken workshop is essential to anybody who likes this song, giving a unique perspective of how it was created.

Set list:
XM Radio Intro
Band's Introduction
South Side of the Sky/ And You And I
Interview I
The Ancient Excerpts
Walk Don't Run
Intervies II
I'Ve Seen All Good People
Interview III
Show Me
Interview IV
Awaken Composition I
Awaken Composition II

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