18/10/2019

Every Little Thing - 1970 - Reuploaded



April 3, 1970. Cologne, Germany

This is one of the last shows with Peter Banks. The sound quality is better than the 1969 show in Belgium I posted here before. But not great, the voice doesn't sound very clear, but guitars and keys are quite good.
The show's repertoire is all from the first two albums. Just 5 songs, as it was a big festival with Deep Purple, Soft Machine and others.
An exciting performance, you can hear they're having lots of fun. Bill's playing is awesome. Due to time restrictions, they couldn't jam too much, and that brought down-to-earth performances of No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed and Everydays.

Set list:
No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
Then
Every Little Thing
Astral Traveller
Everydays

DOWNLOAD HERE

22/03/2017

Reuploaded: 1976 - Roosevelt Stadium (Definitive Edition)

June 17, 1976
Roosevelt Stadium
Jersey City, New Jersey

This is one of Yes most famous bootlegs, and several different versions float around, with different names: Open the Gates, The Story of Relayer Live, etc. It's a radio broadcast, so you can expect the best sound quality amongst all 75/76 shows. This version here is by far the best one. Remastered by Tooleman, a great fan of Yes, it really has a stunning sound.
Yes had their biggest venues in this tour from 1976, and Roosevelt Stadium was one of their best moments. Luckily, this concert was broadcast by a radio station.
Some songs that didn't work well with Moraz were droped from this tour's set list: And You And I and Close to the Edge most notably.
The whole show is a great listening experience, but my favourite parts are the most epic version of The Gates of Delirium; Long Distance Runaround, in its new and beautiful acoustic arrangement, that floated to the solos of Patrick, Steve and Jon.
Roundabout is another killer. The song begins with a great intro with Alan White shining. Later, Steve Howe uses a Relayer-like guitar, and Moraz organ solo is awesome, maintaining the original lines by Rick, but with Patrick's unique jazzy style.
Oh, and check out their cover for I'm Down, by The Beatles! They really rock on this one! Jon reminds me of both Robert Plant and Ian Gillan in this upbeat tune.

Tracks:
Part 1:
WNEW/WMMR DJ's
Apocalypse Intro
Siberian Khatru
Sound Chaser
I've Seen All Good People
The Gates of Delirium

Part 2:
Long Distance Runaround
Patrick Moraz Solo
Steve Howe - Clap
Jon Anderson - Olias Solo
Heart of the Sunrise
Ritual
DJ Chatter #1
Roundabout
DJ Chatter #2
I'm Down
DJ Outro

DOWNLOAD HERE - Part 1
DOWNLOAD HERE - Part 2

24/02/2013

1979 - Quebec (Circus of Heaven)


First "new" show I post in a long time...

This one here is a soundboard recording of a show, later remastered by The Tooleman. From the 10 year anniversary tour, it features that long medley you probably already know... Oh and the songs from Tormato actually sound good! ;)


Setlist: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
  Siberian Khatru
  Heart Of The Sunrise
  Future Times/Rejoice
  Circus Of Heaven
  Time And A Word
  Long Distance Runaround
  Survival
  Fish (Schindleria Praematurus), The
  Perpetual Change
  Soon
  Don't Kill The Whale
  Clap
  Starship Trooper
  On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
  Wakeman Solo
  Awaken
  Tour Song
  I've Seen All Good People
  Roundabout

PS: You can find info on this and all other Yesshows at the recently renewed version of Forgotten Yesterdays!

Links on comments!

10/12/2012

1971 - Newcastle (Reuploaded)


October 16, 1971
Newcastle City Hall, UK

The Fragile tour began before the actual album was released, and this show is from the very beginning of the tour.
This concert was unique, because there were problems with Rick's organ that made them change the songs and make a nice instrumental jam. Read the transcription:
Jon Anderson : We'd like to do another song, a new song from Fragile, which should be out in a couple weeks time we hope. And uh, The song is about ??? and the fact of living in the city. Uh, generally people work in the cities, get out of the city, which is a strange way of doing things, uh..that's the way it happens. The song is called Heart Of The Sunrise. Are we alright?hold on. I say, hold on, just a minute. Whatcha doing? Can't play this. Organ is not working
Steve Howe : We got a new member since we last came here.
Jon Anderson : it'll be ready in about 20 minutes, so we'll just..
Steve Howe : 20 minutes? ??? [band plays a jam] Its really great to ???
Rick Wakeman : ???
Steve Howe : Now we lost our drummer.
Jon Anderson : Plug it in. We're going to do something else then. We'll do a good tap dance. We're going to do another song from the album. ??? can't start without the organ happening. This is Lou. Lou? There he is. We're going to do a few things. Actually, the first part is a song, the second part is an instrumental featuring Chris, on bass guitar, and uh... its called "The Fish" and uh we've nicknamed him the fish ever since, well ever since I've known him I always called him The Fish cause he spends, uh.. at least ten hours a day in the bath soaking himself and rejuvenating himself. Yeah alright, here we go with Long Distance Runaround and The Fish.

Funny how Jon's explanations for Heart of the Sunrise changed... In 1978 he would say it was a song about the sun, and in 2000 he said it was about the sharp and distance feeling of recording music.
Then, after The Fish (which was a great rendition):
Jon Anderson : Chris!
Steve Howe : Chris Squire, ladies and gentlemen.
Jon Anderson : Thank you. The organ. This is a good joke. One of the best jokes in the business. ??? We're going to do without organ. You can't hear it anyway
Rick Wakeman : Glad you mention that.
Jon Anderson : We're going to do a song called Heart Of The Sunrise, with or... with or without him. He can mime. Imagine there is an organ playing, you know?

Rick had to improvise new parts to Heart of the Sunrise on the keyboards that were working.
Another difference is in Rick's solo spot. He was still composing Six Wives, so the solo almost doesn't feature this album.

Set list:
Roundabout
I've seen all good people
Mood for a day
Clap
Jam
Long distance runaround
The Fish
Heart of the sunrise
Wakeman solo
Perpetual change
Yours is no disgrace

Links on comments!

29/10/2012

(1978) Wembley Stadium, Reuploaded

10/28/1978 Wembley, UK
Wembley Arena (evening show)

This is probably the most bootlegged show in Yes history. There were multiple radio broadcasts, and portions of this show were released on various compilations. So check out before downloading, you're very likely to already have this bootleg.

It was really one of the best shows the band ever did. All of the band members has his moments in this great concert, and they sound incredibly tight, a group completely united together. This can be heard in Heart of the Sunrise and especially in the big medley they created for this tour, perhaps to commemorate their 10th anniversary, which begun on their second album, Time and a Word (with a great arrangement of the title song, featuring Steve and Rick making us glad that they replaced Tony and Peter), went for Fragile, came back to Yes, passed quickly by Tales, came to The Yes Album and finished with Relayer. I really love this arrangement, The Fish sounds terrific with the whole band playing, and they change it to Perpetual Change and then to Soon in exciting ways. This was the band's fifth concert in three days, but they're not even slightly tired!

After two songs from Tormato that I prefer live than on the original, and a powerful rendition of Starship Trooper, comes my favourite part of the concert.

These versions of Awaken and I've Seen All Good People are the best live ones I've ever listened. Awaken features a stunning work by Mr. Squire, his bass is very loud and much more present than on the original version. His backing vocals are also very good, his voice sounds more natural than on Going For The One. But I really lose myself listening to his slide bass lines accompanying Anderson. The rest of the band sounds very good too, Howe with burning guitar solos, and Wakeman with his grandious middle section

I've Seen All Good People is another killer. Alan White plays with a great energy, the whole band sound so together... and what makes me love this version better than any other is the last part, where Jon presents the band and each member plays a short 4-bars solo, all of them sounding amazing and very representative of the musicians' styles.
There's still Roundabout to give a perfect end to a perfect concert.

Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
Siberian Khatru
Heart Of The Sunrise
Future Times/Rejoice (Yes played it but no tape with this survived)
Circus Of Heaven
Time And A Word/Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)/Survival/The Ancient/Perpetual Change/Soon
Don't Kill The Whale
Clap
Starship Trooper
Madrigal - On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
Rick Wakeman solo (Six Wives & Journey)
Awaken
I've Seen All Good People
Roundabout

If you'll download just one Yes bootleg, this is the one to pick!

Links on comments!

27/05/2011

Yes - Fly From Here (2011)

Yes is soon releasing new album!! Let's hope it's as nice as Roger Dean's cover :)

When:
22 Jun (Japan), 1 Jul (Europe), 12 Jul (US)

Who:
Chris Squire: bass
Steve Howe: guitars
Alan White: drums
Benoît David: lead vocals
Geoff Downes: keyboards
Trevor Horn: producer

What:
side A:
1. Fly From Here - Overture (1:54)
2. Fly From Here Pt I - We Can Fly (6:01)
3. Fly From Here Pt II - Sad Night at the Airfield (6:42)
4. Fly From Here Pt III - Madman at the Screens (5:17)
5. Fly From Here Pt IV - Bumpy Ride (2:15)
6. Fly From Here Pt V - We Can Fly Reprise (1:49)

side B:
7. The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be (5:18)
8. Life on a Film Set (5:12)
9. Hour of Need (3:08)
10. Solitaire (3:30)
11. Into the Storm (6:54)


"Fly from Here" is based on the 1980 Buggles/Yes song "We Can Fly from Here". At 23:58 in total length, this is the longest studio recording Yes have ever released. "Solitaire" is an acoustic solo piece by Howe. Material mostly written by Squire/Howe/Horn, with contributions from the others. Squire described the writing as "very collaborative".

source: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wnyesm.htm

12/11/2010

Yes in South America - Updated tour dates

At Yes World we read:
November 10, 2010 - Yes will be touring South America over the coming weeks. All final dates are now on the Tour page.

NOVEMBER
17 WED Caracas, Venezuela - Sambil
19 FRI Buenos Aires, Argentina - Luna Park
21 SUN Rosario, Argentina - Teatro Broadway
23 TUES Cordoba, Argentina - Superdomo Orfeo
25 THURS Santiago, Chile - Teatro Caopolican
27 SAT Florianópolis, Brazil - Floripa Music Hall
28 SUN São Paulo, Brazil - HSBC Hall
DECEMBER
1 WED Asuncion, Paraguay - Teatro BCP
3 FRI Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatro Gran Rex
4 SAT Mendoza, Argentina - Auditorio Angel Bustelo

Current line-up (in case someone still doesn't know) of Yes is: Chris Squire (bass), Steve Howe (guitars), Alan White (drums), Oliver Wakeman (keyboards), Benoit David (vocal)

05/11/2010

Yes in South America - November 2010

Yes is going to quickly tour South America this month. There are shows already booked in:
Venezuela (17/11)
Argentina (Benos Aires 19/11, Rosário 21/11, Córdoba 23/11)
Chile (25/11)

Brasil (São Paulo 28/11)

Yes fans from South America haven't seen the band since 1999 so I'm sure they're going to have a great time!
PS: Before/After the tour the band is supposed to be working on a new album. So only good news today :)
PS2: My sources were the sites of the respective venues.
Only yesterday, 06/11/2010, (11 days before the first show!) the tour was mentioned on Yes World (the official site) and they even say new dates may be added!
I've never seen a tour in my life that was so carelessly organized as this.

November 10 update: two more shows, in Brazil (Florianópolis, 27/11) and another in Buenos Aires (3/12)

28/09/2010

Rare video on Youtube!

You probably know Youtube can surprise us now and then... So today a friend sent me this link to a video of Yes at about 1970, with Bruford on drums and Kaye on keys, playing live in what seems an instrumental part of I See You, Then, or Yours is no disgrace... or none of them!
But I'm amazed at this short video, as almost all video footage of Yes pre-Yessongs is on playback and here they're playing live and wild.

At Youtube they say Howe is on the guitar, but I have my doubts. Do you think it's Howe or Banks? Please write a comment with your reasons.



PS: Another rarity I've recently seen on Youtube is another video of young Bill Bruford, this time with King Crimson playing Starless. Red (the last album of KC in the 70s) had no tour, but Starless was played in the band's tours from 1974, with different lyrics, with fiddle and without sax. Stunning video:

14/07/2010

Other Bootleg Blogs

This blog will be on a summer break for a month, while I'll be in UK to (among other things) watch ELP :)

So I leave you with some of the new blogs of bootlegs I found recently, and also some older ones that keep posting tons of boots of prog-rock, classic rock, jazz, heavy metal, there's music to all tastes! They're all on the right, named under "Other blogs you should check"

Anti Leech is a new blog with Flac archives of rock and jazz, including pretty rare stuff.

Progboot is specialized in Camel and Marillion, if you want something from these bands don't go anywhere else.

Soundaboard has old (Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix) and new (Faith no More, White Stripes) rock

The Ultimate Bootleg Experience (TUBE) is always being closed and reopening with a different number, now number 3 closed and they're back to 2 and keep posting several bootlegs a day.

These are some tips, but all the blogs on the list are recommended!

Martini

08/07/2010

2001 - Here Comes The Sun

Peter, who watched the concert, can say better than me:

[Here Comes The Sun] was a short tribute to the late, great George Harrison. A nice touch, I thought. Jon sang it (well) to light accompaniment from Steve. They didn't play any silly games with it (as, for example, with America), just a straight version.


2001-12-1, Brighton, two days after Harrison's death

Links in comments!

02/06/2010

Steve Howe Trio


(From Steve Howe's site)

"Travelling" is the Steve Howe Trio's next release, which will be available from HoweSound on or near March 1. The album consists of live performances recorded in the UK and Canada.


1. Blue Bash
2. Dream River
3. Travelin'
4. The Haunted Melody
5. Tune Up
6. Siberian Khatru
7. Mood for a Day
8. He Ain't Heavy, He's my Brother
9. Momenta
10. Kenny's Sound
11. Laughing with Larry
12. Close to the Edge

Highly Recommended!


Ps: I'll watch Asia and ELP in London on July 24-25 (High Voltage Festival) :) I hope Steve's Trio also plays a London gig by this week, as his schedule doesn't seem busy then. Anyone willing to have a beer after the festival (lol), just add a comment

30/05/2010

2010 - Jon Anderson and Cleveland Contemporary Youth Orchestra

Watching these videos I wouldn't think Jon's health is that bad as some may say.
It seems this show from May 24 2010 will eventually be realeased on DVD.
I wonder who wrote the orchestral arrangement, as it's surprisingly good.


17/02/2010

2008 - Atlanta

2008-12-07 - The Tabernacle, Atlanta GA USA

Excepts from the show

1. Astral Traveller
2. J's Theme
3. Intersection Blues

Links on comments!

01/02/2010

Guitar Songbook - The Best of

Now something different. A book with sheet music for the following songs:

I've seen all good people
Roundabout
Long Distance Runaround
And You and I
Wonderous Stories
Don't Kill the Whale
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Leave It

Arranged by Doug Freuler

Links on comments!

28/12/2009

Rick and Adam Wakeman - Silent Night (Christmas Concert, 2009)

It may be a bit late for Christmas, but I won't wait until the end of 2010 to post this!


Happy new year for you all!

09/12/2009

1987 - Philadelphia (DVD)


From T.U.B.E

-Source VHS > DVD
-Menu: No, chapters every 5 minutes
-Audio: AC3
-Video Format: MPEG 2
-Resolution: 704 x 480 / NTSC
-Frames Per Second : 29.970
-Aspect Ratio: 4:3
-Approx Running Time: 1 Hour 53 Minutes
-Total Size: 4.03GB


01 - Almost Like Love
02 - Hold On
03 - Heart Of The Sunrise
04 - Changes
05 - Shoot High Aim Low
06 - Holy Lamb
07 - Tony Kaye Solo
08 - Solly's Beard
09 - Make It Easy
10 - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
11 - Yours Is No Disgrace
12 - And You And I
13 - Würm
14 - Love Will Find A Way
15 - I've Seen All Good People
16 - Roundabout

Links on comments (yes, it's split in 42 parts! Only for patient fans...)

13/11/2009

1977 - Making for the one


The sessions that originated Going For The One were recorded in details, as we can see in videos from Youtube:



The audio has appeared in many bootlegs, that come from various tape of varying sound quality. This bootleg here, Making for the one (actually one of the few with this name...) seems to me the most complete.
Of course only die-hard fans will want to hear 14 tracks (mostly with less than a minute) showing how Parallels was developed. But some surprises are also here, such as Steve and Chris singing two songs by Bob Dylan, as well as Steve playing free-form music on the electric guitar.

01- History Intro
02- Parallels #01
03- Parallels #02
04- Parallels #03
05- Parallels #04
06- Parallels #06
07- Parallels #07
08- Parallels #08
09- Parallels #09
10- Parallels #10
11- Parallels #11
12- Parallels #12
13- Parallels #13 Almost Ready
14- Parallels #14 With Vocals
15- Turn Of The Century #2
16- Going For The One #2
17- Going For The One #3
18- Going For The One #5
19- Steve's Acoustic Solo #2 (Positively 4th Street, by Bob Dylan)
20- Steve's Electric Solo #2
21- Steve's Acoustic Solo #2 (Positively 4th Street (end) and Knockin' on Heaven's Door, by Bob Dylan)
22- Steve's Electric Solo #2
23- Rick's Solo #1
24- Rick's Solo #2
25- Awaken #4
26- Turn Of The Century #2
27- Turn Of The Century #3
28- Parallels #12
29- Turn Of The Century #1
30- Steve's Acoustic  Solo #2  
31- Going For The One #2
32- Jam #3
33- Steve's electric solo #2
34- Jam #4
35- Awaken #2
36- Going For The One #3
37- Awaken #4
38- Awaken #5
39- Awaken #6
40- Wonderous Stories
41- Comments On The End
42- On The Alternate Wings Of Freedom

Songs in colours are identical, but must come from different tapes, because the red ones have much worse sound quality than the purple ones. I'm sorry, but I'm not the one who created this bootleg, so don't ask me why the two jams are numbered 3 and 4, or what is "On the alternate wings of freedom" doing here!

Link on comments!

09/10/2009

1994 - New York (first show of the tour)

June 18, 1994
Binghamton, NY
Soundboard (taken from T.U.B.E , once more)

Another show from the Talk tour, this one was the first. So you notice lack of rehearsal, for example in And You And I, when Jon had two false starts.
On the other hand, you listen to some more songs from Rabin era (City of Love and Cinema).

Frank, from Forgotten Yesterdays, recollects some chat he had with Yes members after the show:
Alan comes out and doesn't give us a second (or first) glance. So...then we began to beg. "Tony! Please!" He came over. Whew. As he signed a few things, I asked a few questions, gave a few compliments. "Tony, how come Trevor played all those keyboard parts. Surely, you could've handled them." The reply: "Well... we've decided to show Trevor off this time around. Well...he decided."

"It looked like you were working hard out there, Tony. You were sweating more than all of them!" The reply: "Actually, I was closer to the lights." (:

Next victim. Trevor walks over as Tony leaves. "Hey Trevor, I didn't know you played keyboards so well." Reply: "Well it's the first time I've played them ever...on stage."


01 - Intro/Perpetual Change
02 - The Calling
03 - I Am Waiting
04 - Rhythm Of Love
05 - Hearts
06 - Real Love
07 - Changes
08 - Heart Of The Sunrise
09 - Cinema
10 - City Of Love/Make It Easy
11 - Owner Of A Lonely Heart
12 - Where Will You Be?
13 - Rabin Piano Solo/ And You And I
14 - I've Seen All Good People
15 - Walls
16 - Endless Dream
17 - Roundabout

Links on comments!

05/10/2009

Rick Wakeman - Hampton Court, 2009

Rick Wakeman's show at Hampton Court (first time Six Wives was entirely played, including also new songs, orchestrations, etc) is being release as CD, DVD and Blu-Ray.

Support him!
(or at least see these amazing concerts at Youtube)


16/09/2009

1994 - Philadelphia

Spectrum Arena, Philadelphia, PA, USA
August 26, 1994
Finally we have a show from the Talk tour here. I admit I have never cared much about their last album with Rabin, but when I listened to this show I really understood why so many people say The Endless Dream is an overlooked masterpiece.
And they don't play just this song from Talk, actually 6 of the album's 7 songs are played in this concert, showing the band really thought this material was indeed valuable (compare, for example, with the two new songs they played o
n Open Your Eyes tour).
So Endless Dream was a big surprise to me, I hope it is for you all as well. And Rabin's piano solo also exceeds expectations.

Setlist :

Intro-Perpetual Change
The Calling
I Am Waiting
Rhythm Of Love
Real Love
Changes
Heart Of The Sunrise
Make It Easy
Owner Of A Lonely Heart
Rabin Piano Solo
And You And I
Where Will You Be?
I've Seen All Good People
Walls
Endless Dream
Roundabout
Purple Haze

Links on comments!
From left to right: Billy Sherwood, Alan, Trevor, Jon, Chris. Poor Tony Kaye was left behind, as usual.


14/09/2009

1998 - Poland

March 27, 1998
Katowice, Poland

Taken from the blog T.U.B.E. (The ultimate bootleg experience, which by the way was recently deleted by google but they quickly created a T.U.B.E. 2) where you read the text:
This is a complete show radio broadcast from the Open Your Eyes tour.
Like the Warsaw show, this one also featured the Jon & Igor performance
of Polonaise. There are a few blips throughout, and the beginning
of Open Your Eyes” is missing

In the show from the night before, Jon commented the song he recorded with Vangelis in the album Private Collection) this way:
I had a dream 16 years ago, I did. And I, I wrote this song with a friend of mine. Because, uh.. Gdansk, Solidarity, they changed the world, really, changed the world. So I'll sing this song.

01 - Firebird suite-Siberian khatru (10:17)
02 - Rhythm of love (6:40)
03 - America (10:22)
04 - Open your eyes (5:02)
05 - And you and I (12:14)
06 - Heart of the sunrise (11:27)
07 - Mood for a day-Diary of a man who vanished-Clap (10:24)
08 - From the balcony (4:39)
09 - Wonderous stories (4:24)
10 - Polonaise (4:39)
11 - Long distance runaround (4:09)
12 - Whitefish (10:37)
13 - Owner of a lonely heart (6:13)
14 - The revealing science of God (20:58)
15 - I've seen all good people (8:49)
16 - Roundabout (9:03)
17 - Starship trooper (13:45)

Links on comments!


12/09/2009

1977 - Paris (Last show from tour)


Paris, France, December 6, 1977


The last concert promoting Going for the one, this is also one of the better audience tapes of that great tour that had no soundboard record. Synthesizer patches and guitar effects are awesomely clear, while the bass makes your head tremble. Listen to And You And I, for example, Rick's moog has rarely sounded so full in  a live record.

Disc One:
01. Opening
02. Parallels
03. I've Seen Good People
04. Close to the Edge
05. Wonderous Stories
06. Colors of the Rainbow
07 Turn of the Century
08. The Tour Song
09. And You And I
10. Cosmic Mind (Jam)

Disc Two:
01. Prelude Awaken
02. Awaken
03. Roundabout
04. Nous Sommes du Soliel
05. Starship Trooper

December 5, 1977:
06. Nous Sommes du Soliel
07. Yours is no Disgrace
08. Roundabout

Links on comments!

10/09/2009

1997 - Revealing Science of San Diego


December 9th, 1997 - Open Your Eyes Tour
San Diego, CA, USA

This is a stereo soundboard recording taken from a radio braodcast. About half of the show was broadcast, I don't have an idea about why they chose these songs, but it's a reasonably representative set (though I'd like to hear America, Fish, Starship Trooper etc).

It's almost a commonplace among Yes fans that Steve Howe plays Rabin-era songs like he doesn't care, but I disagree. Rhythm of love and Owner of a Lonely Heart aren't the best songs ever, but Steve is doing his best and both songs are pretty listenable. More than Open Your Eyes (the song), I should say.

Revealing Science of God and Heart of the Sunrise are the only long ones here, both faultless.

From the Balcony is another highlight, a nice simple tune. Though the crowd used this song to find the bathrooms, as one reviewer from Forgotten Yesterdays said.


1.Rhythm Of Love
2.Open Your Eyes
3.Heart Of The Sunrise
4.From The Balcony
5.Children Of Light
6.Long Distance Runaround
7.Owner Of A Lonely Heart
8.Revealing Science Of God
9.I've Seen All Good People

Link on comments!

09/09/2009

Rare old video - Time and a word!



It seems a new DVD will be released with rare footage from very early Yes, some of it never seen before.

The first video on Youtube is surprising for the good quality of image. They're doing playback but you see they're enjoying!
Two other surprises:
-I didn't think Chris Squire had ever been so skinny!
-Has Bill ever done backing vocals or was he just having fun knowing it was playback?

01/08/2009

1971 - It's Love


Gaelic Park, New York, USA
July 23, 1971

It's Love is a song by The Young Rascals, much redone by Yes (in the style of America, No Opportunity Necessary, etc). 
Yes didn't release it officially until recently, in their box The Word is Live. This version here is as good as that one, and we also have the regular short set from Yes Album tour, with a long drum solo on Perpetual Change, and Steve also taking some liberties in that one.

Now let's read Brennan Zerbe, who was there:
This show by Yes, at Gaelic Park, was a seminal moment for rock music in New York, because it brought a new style of music into the City.

Gaelic Park, which is a sand lot baseball field in the South Bronx, had been a venue for rock bands for several summers. We all sat on blankets or the grass and watched the various shows, which featured big name as well as rising talent. There was always the headline act and a warm up band, and sometimes local bands played as an early warm up. Tickets that summer were $4.
On this date, Scott Mooney of WNEW-FM came on stage and introduced Yes as the "new band from England". They had not been scheduled to play here and were stopping by at the end of their tour. In fact, they had to borrow instruments to play their songs. Scott announced that Yes had just signed a new Tour contract and that they were on their way somewhere else and could only play a few songs.

As the band began to play, we looked around at each other and commented to each other that these guys were good. Before the end of their short set, everyone was on their feet cheering. We shouted out "Yes" to show our satisfaction.

The odd thing about this show was that as we enjoyed subsequent bands, Humble Pie and Mountain, everyone shouted "YES" after their great songs. The show ended before Mountain, and the audience, was satisfied (despite other reviews), which led to some bottle throwing at the stage set.
But we all knew that we had seen something very special. I went home that night, told my brother Bob, and have been a Yes fan ever since. Seen a lot of bands since then, and I've seen Yes several times since then...but never something as electric as that late afternoon outdoor performance by Yes. Absolutely wonderful.


Probably the second best bootleg from Yes Album tour (the show from the day after this, at
New Haven, is unsurpassable)

Now I was listening again to this boot, and noticed Jon seems to be confused, or maybe totally stoned... Listen to him speaking, for example describing the vachalia Steve plays as like a Portuguese monstrosity for thrashing with your bare hands. But they still sing and play as well as we're used to.

Set List:
Introduction / Yours Is No Disgrace
I've Seen All Good People
Clap / Classical Gas
Perpetual Change
It's Love

Link on comments!

10/07/2009

Reuploaded: 2001 – Sacred Ground

Vancouver, Canada, August 2, 2001

The Magnification tour was the first one in which Yes performed with an orchestra. This brought some new colour to old songs and made them play some old songs they hadn't played for a long time.
This bootleg is from the beginning of the tour. It's from three months before the show in Amsterdam which was recorded and became the DVD Symphonic Live. So the set list was slightly different. They didn't play Magnification or Owner of a Lonely Heart, but played Perpetual Change and Wonderous Stories. The orchestra left the stage during these two songs, but they were great anyway, with a tight band, improvising a little.
The tour was beginning, and at some moments it's clear they're not so familiar with some songs. Howe has a clear error in Ritual, which he transforms in a great short improvisation. 

I was very pleased to hear Steve playing Solar Winds, from his good instrumental album Natural Timbre.

Audio quality is very good at most times, with all instruments loud and clear. But at a few moments the tape probably had some problem, so there are short cuts on And You And I and Perpetual Change.

Set list:

Disc 1
Close to the Edge
Long Distance Runaround
Don't Go
In The Presence Of
The Gates of Delirium

Disc 2
Solar Winds
Mood for a Day
Wonderous Stories
Perpetual Change
And You And I
Ritual
I've Seen All Good People

Disc 3
Starship Trooper
Roundabout

Links on comments!

27/06/2009

2008 - Steve Howe Trio

Steve Howe Trio
2008-10-04
Mod Clud, Toronto

After releasing the album The Haunted Melody, the Steve Howe Trio toured Canada, in the brief moments Steve had between his tours with Asia and Yes.
Similar to the 2007 show, but featuring new songs: He ain't heavy, he's my brother, Tune up (by Miles Davis), Laughing with Larry (Steve's acoustic solo), A Venture.
The funny moment of the show is when Ross Stanley plays the theme from The Flintstones during his solo on Kenny's Sound.

Set 1:
01 - Sweet Thunder
02 - Dream River
03 - Chatter and Band Introduction
04 - Travelin'
05 - The Haunted Melody
06 - Tune Up
07 - Siberian Khatru

Set 2:
08 - Mood For A Day
09 - Blue Bash
10 - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother
11 - Momenta
12 - Kenny's Sound
13 - Crowd
14 - Laughing With Larry
15 - A Venture/Close To The Edge

Steve Howe: electric and acoustic guitar
Ross Stanley: hammond organ
Dylan Howe: Drums

Link on comments!

14/06/2009

Bruford - Beelzebub (1979)


Line-up:
Bill Bruford - drums
Dave Stewart - keyboards
Jeff Berlin - bass
Alan Holdsworth - guitar

The tune is a real mover, and it’s definitely Yes-like in its structure since it’s made up of a few different time signatures and a wonderfully busy progressive tempo. "Beelzebub" starts and halts suddenly, then shifts from frantic to smooth and soft to hard in an instant, illustrating Bruford’s rhythmic control and musical imagination. There’s plenty of energy spawned by Bruford’s use of the cymbals as well, and the transition from a busy state to a relaxed one works its way effortlessly through the other instruments, which do their bit at handing the track its jazzy surface.

Coming soon: a bootleg from a complete show of Bruford's self-titled band in 1980.

27/05/2009

1979 - Vancouver


May 05, 1979, Vancouver, Canada

An anonymous reader brought us a present. Link and comments by him/her:

This is a soundboard recording from Yes’ Tormato tour. I don’t know why this was recorded so well (perhaps for a radio broadcast?) but the sound quality and mixing goes well beyond what any reasonable person would expect from a bootleg.
This recording was originally available on a three LP bootleg named Seventh Age Imagination. That artwork is included in the ID3 tags, just for shits and giggles.
This is the entire concert minus the “Firebird Suite” intro and the “I’ve Seen All Good People” > “Roundabout” encore. If you’re at all familiar with Yes you’ve heard those two songs about a bazillion time already, so no great loss.

What appeals most to me are the liberties Yes took with their own music. For example, long songs are short—short songs are long.
Also, most of the songs segue into the next, and not just the usual “Long Distance Runaround “> “The Fish” transition, which shouldn’t really count anyhow. Speaking of “The Fish,” Squires Bass solo morph’s in a Tales from Topographic Oceans suite at its end.

How suite is that? Very, or I wouldn’t have posted it.

This is the Classic Yes lineup at their peak, rocking their ass off right before the birth of punk rock and at the peak of disco, thumbing their noses at all of it with heaping helpings of pure, unadulterated talent.

01 Siberian Khatru
02 Heart of the Sunrise
03 Future Times Rejoice
04 Circus of Heaven
05 Time and a Word
06 Long Distance Runaround
07 The Fish (with Tale’s Medley)
08 Perpetual Change
09 Soon
10 The Clap
11 And You and I
12 Rick Wakeman Solo
13 Starship Trooper
14 Awaken


Enjoy Yes-heads!
 

Links on comments!

26/05/2009

Reuploaded: 2004 Live at Jazz Lugano

July 08, 2004
Lugano Jazz Festival, Switzerland
This show, one of the best bootlegs from 2004, was already available here, but now you can also download the video!
It was broadcast on Swiss/Italian TV and starts with an interview with Rick Wakeman.
Enjoy!

Disc one
1-Firebird Suite
2-Going for the one
3-Sweet Dreams
4-I've seen all good people
5-Mind Drive part 1
6-South Side of the Sky
7-Footprints
8-Mind Drive part 2
9-Yours is no disgrace
10-Steve Howe solo
11-Rick Wakeman solo

Disc two
1-Long distance runaround
2-The fish
3-Whitefish
4-Owner of a lonely heart
5-Rhythm of love
6-And you and I
7-Starship Trooper
8-Roundabout

Links on comments!

25/05/2009

Reuploaded: 1974 - King Biscuit Flower Hour


December 11th, 1974
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

This show was recorded for the famous radio show King Biscuit Flower Hour, and it presents Yes at the very beginning of Relayer tour. The whole album is played, and all the arrangements are quite similar to the studio ones.
Sound Chaser opens the concert like a thunderstorm, and we can't help but get amazed when they really can play all the complex sections with no difficulty!
Close to the Edge shows us that Moraz, being an awesome keyboardist in hiw own style, is one of the worse copycats they could find for Rick Wakeman. His solo near the end is almost ridiculous, and all through the song he's very low on the mix - luckily!
But on To be Over he shows us his best, rivalling Rick when it comes to the number of keyboards used. He once said his synth solo in the end of the song was improvised in the studio, but it was so complex that he had to write it down to play live. That's my favourite live performance of the song (ok, there weren't many others...)

The Gates of Delirium has an awesome stereo sound here, perhaps even better than the one in Yesshows, the mix is perfect, alll instruments are loud and Squire's powerful bass is very clear (especially his counterpoints inSoon).


Setlist:
Firebird Suite
Sound Chaser
Close To The Edge
To Be Over
The Gates Of Delirium
And You And I
Roundabout

This show has been released in many different bootlegs: 
Close To The Edge, The Affirmery, The Gates Of Boston Garden and others.

(according to ForgottenYesterdays Ritual was played, but there's no known version of this)

Links on comments!

01/05/2009

On the Silent Wings of Freedom

This is a much cleaner copy, too bad they didn't include this video when they released the Greatest Video Hits back in the 90's...
(notice that this version is different from the one on Tormato, and arguably better)