Yes - 2014 live recordings

[Iris]

Without wishing to put the cat among the pigeons, I'd like to say that I rather like the Jon Davison-iteration of Yes. I like his singing - and of course Steve Howe is there to remind me of why I bought those albums 40+ years ago. Having greatly enjoyed Topographic Drama, I decided to invest in two cd/dvd packages recorded at shows in 2014. Just for good measure I also bought Symphonic Live, with Jon Anderson in the early 1990s. The whole lot arrived today. So that's my week set up, but I wondered what people thought about these releases .......................

[gojikranz]

Without wishing to put the cat among the pigeons, I'd like to say that I rather like the Jon Davison-iteration of Yes. I like his singing - and of course Steve Howe is there to remind me of why I bought those albums 40+ years ago. Having greatly enjoyed Topographic Drama, I decided to invest in two cd/dvd packages recorded at shows in 2014. Just for good measure I also bought Symphonic Live, with Jon Anderson in the early 1990s. The whole lot arrived today. So that's my week set up, but I wondered what people thought about these releases .......................

these are the full album shows right? while I enjoyed them a lot in person I found them a bit less exciting to own on disc as you kinda know whats coming and for the most part they are fairly commonly played tracks (that's what sets topographic drama apart for me).

also kinda weird that they tinkered with how the shows actually were played (at the Bristol show they also played close to the edge album and roundabout, and at mesa they played close to the edge backwards as well as some tracks from heaven and earth and a encore). topographic drama pleasantly included the rest of the show which also sets it above those two.

[jamesmanzi]

Without wishing to put the cat among the pigeons, I'd like to say that I rather like the Jon Davison-iteration of Yes. I like his singing - and of course Steve Howe is there to remind me of why I bought those albums 40+ years ago. Having greatly enjoyed Topographic Drama, I decided to invest in two cd/dvd packages recorded at shows in 2014. Just for good measure I also bought Symphonic Live, with Jon Anderson in the early 1990s. The whole lot arrived today. So that's my week set up, but I wondered what people thought about these releases .......................

I'm actually interested in what you think of them, as it's hard at this point to go back and hear them with fresh ears. When Topographic Drama came out I was struck by how much better it sounded (audio production/mix-wise, not performance) than the two previous releases. Let me know how they sound to you in comparison.

[Iris]

I'm actually interested in what you think of them, as it's hard at this point to go back and hear them with fresh ears. When Topographic Drama came out I was struck by how much better it sounded (audio production/mix-wise, not performance) than the two previous releases. Let me know how they sound to you in comparison.

I will. I'll make that evaluation over the next few days.

[Iris]

I'm actually interested in what you think of them, as it's hard at this point to go back and hear them with fresh ears. When Topographic Drama came out I was struck by how much better it sounded (audio production/mix-wise, not performance) than the two previous releases. Let me know how they sound to you in comparison.

The answer is ....... I'm not sure. I've listened to Heart of the Sunrise, for example, from the 2014 recordings and from Topographic Drama one after the other and the latter is probably better sound-wise but not 'much better'. At least to these ears. I am thoroughly enjoying my new purchases - though the others should have vetoed Downes wearing that stars and stripes outfit - and don't regret buying them, even if what you get if pretty much note-for-note reproductions of the studio versions (with the odd excursion here and there). Now for Symphonic Live ................

[Steve983]

I have all the recent live albums on cd/dvd as well as vinyl. Its a pity from what I've heard that the Blu Rays don't have the kind of superior sound that you would hope for though. I found that the sound quality of the dvd's was pretty poor and inferior to the cd's which is great. At one point I tried to sync the dvd and cd playback which was pretty well impossible. Performance wise I would rate them all as very good although Topo Drama is another step up for sure.

[JJ88]

The answer is ....... I'm not sure. I've listened to Heart of the Sunrise, for example, from the 2014 recordings and from Topographic Drama one after the other and the latter is probably better sound-wise but not 'much better'. At least to these ears. I am thoroughly enjoying my new purchases - though the others should have vetoed Downes wearing that stars and stripes outfit - and don't regret buying them, even if what you get if pretty much note-for-note reproductions of the studio versions (with the odd excursion here and there). Now for Symphonic Live ................

That's what I don't get with these many live releases. Not that Yes were akin to The Grateful Dead or even Led Zeppelin live, but they certainly took more chances in the past. There's still not that much live stuff from the 70s available, but various live releases of latter-day line-ups, sticking to the script.

As for Symphonic Live, that one is worthwhile. Probably that and the Montreux 2003* one are my favourite of the later Yes live releases. The set is good; they do things like 'The Gates Of Delirium' which seem beyond them now. Tom Brislin was/is a fine keyboard player and a pity that he didn't ever contribute to a studio album.

*Songs From The Tsongas has grown on me too; it's not a performance for the ages (a pity they didn't choose the Madison Square Garden show, the one before this). But the set is different and expansive, and I really like the acoustic section.

[helix]

a reminder that one can access a multitude of YES live audience recordings here:

2013. 2014 Album Shows

http://www.yessongs.nl/27-3Album.html

[Iris]

I have been listening to 'Symphonic Live'. I know we all like Yes to go on a bit, but go on that much? I thought 'Ritual' was going to take up the whole of my day! Lovely ending though.

Curious about this album, I paid one of my rare visits to a forum for Yes fans. No one has said anything about it for years - and there seems to be some confusion about where it stands in the Yes canon anyway. Also noticed that the two 2014 live albums aren't listed at all. I can't remember seeing any reviews at the time ... perhaps they were released in secret!

[JJ88]

I don't know when/if a CD of the full Symphonic was released, I have the DVD which is how it was first released. That may be why there's little discussion about a CD.

The 2000 Masterworks tour has also not been given a release of its own (a few songs from this tour sneaked out as extra tracks on various releases). Again, as nostalgia tours go, I'd find that far more appealing than any of this post-Anderson 'album in full' stuff.

Montreux 2003 is another good one. You get Wakeman doing a couple of Magnification tracks without the orchestra, there's a very strong version of 'Awaken' on it and it's heavy on Fragile material. It did feel like they had a nice run of live form in that early-mid 00s period...a shame that they didn't record a new studio album.

[aith01]

There was a 2-disc version of Symphonic Live released on CD back in 2009. I thought it was pretty much the complete concert, but I don't have the DVD so my frame of reference could be way off.

Nice set though!

[fiberman]

I have been listening to 'Symphonic Live'. I know we all like Yes to go on a bit, but go on that much? I thought 'Ritual' was going to take up the whole of my day! Lovely ending though.

Curious about this album, I paid one of my rare visits to a forum for Yes fans. No one has said anything about it for years - and there seems to be some confusion about where it stands in the Yes canon anyway. Also noticed that the two 2014 live albums aren't listed at all. I can't remember seeing any reviews at the time ... perhaps they were released in secret!

If you want to remember Chris in the later days, i don't think it gets much better than this version (Symphonic Live), for me, as a very long time Chris Squire fan this really makes me smile. I saw this concert at the Mann music center with my then 15 year old son, on a beautiful night in Philadelphia,(August 21, 2001), with a full(or almost full) moon over the stage, the airplanes flying over the venue, never dreaming that the world was about to change. All was as it should be that night for me and the DVD is somewhat of a very emotional memento.
As a fan of Tom Brislin also, I thought Yes missed a great opportunity to record some new music with him. Watching the interaction between Chris and Tom ponders the question why that never happened.

[calyx]

As a fan of Tom Brislin also, I thought Yes missed a great opportunity to record some new music with him. Watching the interaction between Chris and Tom ponders the question why that never happened.

It had already been agreed before Brislin was even recruited that Rick Wakeman would rejoin in 2002. He almost joined for "Magnification" but had solo commitments he couldn't get out of, so the band opted to see 2001 out without him, and recruited Brislin, but it was clear from the word go that he would leave (not that he ever really "joined" as a band member) upon completion of the tour.