 "The Majestic Splendor of Yes" | 2008-09-16 |
| - Reviewed By richardcoreno |
It seemed like a natural for Yes to expand its live performance through the use of an orchestra, but it did not reach real professional fruition until later in the band's career.
It was well worth the wait.
In 2001, Yes teamed up with the European Festival Orchestra for two performances at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam. With Tom Brislin on keyboards, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Alan White and Steve Howe delivered an awesome retrospective on the band's discography and solo projects.
The 194 minutes is a stunning display of sound, with a majestic artistry that compliments the critically-acclaimed release the band was promoting for this tour, Magnification. The tour was a high point in the band's illustrious career. The performance in Amsterdam was something very special and is captured in all of its splendor. |
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| "YES - SYMPHONIC LIVE.....A YESSENTIAL VISUAL EXPERIENCE !" | 2008-07-15 |
| - Reviewed By howlinblindmojo |
Yes - Symphonic Live is a videotaped presentation of a wonderful 2001 Yes concert in it's entirety at the intimate Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam. The European Festival Orchestra provides the symphonics, and their stimulating sound complements Yes' music in no less than perfect form. What a night this was for the Yes fans who were there!
And what a concert DVD this is!
The picture and sound quality on Symphonic Live is as good as I've ever seen, and everything else about this concert DVD is just as good. No, wait...Perfect! This is perfect! The members of the band all look healthy and inspired, and they're playing their music as well as they ever have. The lineup for the this show includes:
Jon Anderson
Chris Squire
Steve Howe
Alan White
Tom Brislin
The lightly bearded Anderson's vocal performance is excellant, and his between-song stage banter is interesting and gracious. Guitarists will enjoy watching Steve Howe expertly play a wide range of stringed instruments including a flat steel and classical guitars. Chris Squire energetically moves all over the stage while playing his mighty bass, and a fit looking Alan White works his drum kit with a friendly smile on his face for most of the night. And Tom Brislin? He's the young and very capable keyboardist who's jumps and animated arm motions add even more enthusiasm and showmanship to the production.
The professional multi-colored lightshow includes fog and animation, and the effect is captivating at times. There are many different camera angles used, and sometimes it even feels as if you're right on the stage.
The European Festival Orchestra musicians are young, mostly female, and very attractive. They get plenty of camera time, and it's fun to watch them lip-synch the lyrics and bob their heads in time with the music. They even worked out some choreography to go along with a few of the songs. Their sound adds plenty to the concert and everybody seems to be having a great time, especially the appreciative audience.
The music is mostly from the classic Yes years, but they also perform songs from their symphonic studio album, Magnification, which was new at the time. They open the show with Close To The Edge, and it sounds just as great as it always has. It's hard to single out just one highlight from this show of many highlights. For me, it's And You And I, but Starship Trooper, The Gates Of Delirium, and Ritual are all fantastic, too. Steve Howe does a classical guitar solo that includes Mood For A Day, and that's also enjoyable. The show closes with Roundabout, and the girls in the orchestra set down their instruments and dance in a chorus line on the stage behind the band. It's a lot of fun, and the apparently surprised Yesmen love it.
Yes - Symphonic Live is a remarkable Yes visual experience. The song selection includes the classics and fan favorites that you would expect, the picture quality is perfect, and the performance is masterful and very professional. The feeling you get from watching this is the same feeling you get when listening to Yes' music or seeing one of their concerts. Perfectly Yes.
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| "Passing the Torch to the Future Generations." | 2008-06-27 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3F1434900T240 |
Buy this and pass it on to your childen.
Yes has provided the soundtrack for the past 35 years of my life. These men, who were at the top of their game in 1977, have lost nothing!
The beauty of their voices, musical chops and energy levels is at as high a level as ever. The new material (MAGNIFICATION) is the best new YES in two decades.
I didn't expect to get emotional, but I did. Young, world-class musicians (the EUROPEAN FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA) taking the charts of the masters to a new level, for future safekeeping.
The sound and visual quality are impeccable. All the voices in the orchestra can be heard clearly, expertly interwoven with the group.
During the encore, the orcestra empties onto the stage behind the band and joins them in a RITUAL of sorts. The bemused expressions of Steve, Tom Brislin, Jon, Alan, and Chris are worth the price of admission. And make no mistake, the girls in the orchestra are cute!
MVP goes to Alan for holding together the two groups of musicians. The Jewel of the collection is "In the Presence Of." I can go on with superlatves, but that's enough....
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| "Yes for Yes!" | 2008-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By User: A3JKLMH7Y4NPDP |
With the unsettling news that the Yes tour for Summer 2008 has been cancelled due to Jon's declining health, recorded Yes concerts will be all that we have for now, and fearfully, forever.
Fortunately, this and other Yes concerts have been preserved in an extraordinary fashion. This concert captures Yes, late in their touring career and shows what geniuses they are. The music is superb, the set list is a cross section of their music from the early 70s until now and it is all enhanced by having the orchestra back them up. Chris and Steve play incredibly and provide the backdrop for Jon to display his unbelievable creativity and vocal talent.
Take care of yourself and get well soon Jon and bestow upon your fans the biggest gift you can...your good health.
Todd Edlin
Atlanta, GA
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| "Revised Versions of Classic Yes" | 2008-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By lrbloom2 |
This is not one of those orchestrated monstrosities where an orchestra gets paid to riff along with a band (i.e Symphonic Metallica). The music of Yes works well with an orchestra and the band itself is always in charge but never overshadowing the orchestra. A big plus is that the members of Yes seem to understand something about songwriting and arranging moreso than most and the result is surprising entertaining and enjoyable, especially the version of Close To The Edge here.
The camera angles are nicely highlighting the different sections of the orchestra at key times during the performance as well as the band and the conductor. Yes share the stage surprisingly well with an orchestra. It at first sounds like the band have turned their instruments down a little more than usual in an effort not to overplay. There is a definite chemistry between band and orchestra here.
This is probably more for diehards than casual fans but well worth it. My only complaint is minor one. I thought some of the fans on the second "making of" disc were a little unecessary and I would've preferred to see more of the band and less about their fan clubs and t-shirt sales, but I can alway skip that disc. |
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| "Buy It" | 2007-12-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1C5Z63PGEGKF7 |
| Many lengthy and descriptive reviews have already been written here. I'll quickly add another yes vote for this great Yes DVD. I'm a long-time Yes fan, have seen them in concert twice ('77 and '05) and really enjoy this DVD. How great to see them perform classics such as Close to the Edge, Gates of Delerium, Starship Troopers, Ritual and Roundabout. And the symphony adds a great touch to both the sound and visuals (and there's one cute brunette clarinet player who, when not playing, is often caught bopping to the music...fun to see). |
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| "Yes - Symphonic Live" | 2007-10-26 |
| - Reviewed By amarshall5 |
| An incredible experience. Yes have brought classical and Rock together in an exciting and brilliant way. Old and 'new' songs included. Would love to have a CD of the show for my car. |
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| "An emotional experience!" | 2007-08-25 |
| - Reviewed By dge1942 |
There have been a lot of reviews on this-mostly positive, apart from one twit who obviously was on another planet. Yes fans will need no further prompting to get this- it's the PERFECT gig, showing Yes music in all it's glory and how the symphonic palette lends itself so admirably to the genre.
So Rick isn't on stage with the band, which is a shame (Rick was on one of his regular 'I want to do something else for a while' trips, and that's fine) but session player Tom Brislin acquits himself admirably, the rest of the band are the musical titans that we all know and love and the material is timeless and classic. Yes, even the new stuff, which I love! I know that 'Don't go' (with it's Beatle-ish vibe) is supposed to have gone down like a lead brick, but I think it's an unackowledged classic, likewise 'In the presence of'. (if you're still complaining, how many other bands have a library of classic tracks of the calibre of Yes? Even at their 'worst', they're better than most bands at their best).
The orchestra are having a ball, and quite right too. As a player myself I know how disheartening it can be to have musos who are 'just doing their job' and going through the motions. The guys and gals here are right into the music, having a ball , and participating in a piece of musical history.
Every time I view this, it reduces me to tears to joy. This is everything a music DVD should be, and then some.
Classic music from THE classic band of all time! |
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| "Awesome" | 2007-07-30 |
| - Reviewed By peskypesky |
| I usually shy away from any "symphonic" renditions of rock music, but this DVD is just brilliant. The musical performance is powerful, soaring and fun, while the camerawork and editing is just about perfect. I wholeheartedly recommend this dvd to any Yes fan. |
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| "Wow!" | 2007-02-28 |
| - Reviewed By maryjanepace |
| This and the 35th Anniversary Tsongas dvds are must haves for the Yes fans out there. I can't say which I like better. It is fun watching the orchestra really getting into it. The music is as close to perfection as it could be. Get this and the 35th anniversary dvd. You won't regret it if you are a Yes fan. Of course on this one, I missed Rick Wakeman, but the other keyboardist did a superb job of filling in. |
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