SYMPHONIC LIVE (DVD)

True Masterpiece Prog Rock Concert of all time .!!

Wow! What a dream comes true .. !!! I had long imagined that one day YES would do a recording session with a symphonic orchestra. That was my dream when I first listened to Rick Wakeman's "Journey to The Center of The Earth" - the album that amazed me especially on how Rick did a wild idea to release an a recorded live album without releasing the studio version first! Of course, it's not the case with YES here because this show cast is basically the live performance with a symphonic orchestra: European Festival Orchestra. Actually, I was already happy with an album titled "Symphonic Music of YES" but . this live DVD set is much much grandiose and colossal, I would say. What really impress me also is the fact that the band members do not seem nervous or whatsoever blending their classic hits with a full blown symphonic orchestra. They just perform as they perform without any orchestra. That proves how senior these guys from YES are.

Let me tell you my first impression when I spin the DVD at the very first time where there was a Roger Dean's bridge at my large screen: I was totally stunned! Then the orchestra starts under the title "Overture" that is destined to be an atmosphere setter for the whole show, I guess. Don's expect that this is a sort of "Firebird Suite" usually appear during the opening of Yes concert where typically was continued with "Siberian Khatru" or "Parallels". This time, it's completely new orchestration work. When it is done it flows seamlessly with the legendary epic of the band "Close To The Edge". Oh my God! I never imagined that I would be as stunned as this time (whenever I watch this DVD). Chris Squire does his live acts wonderfully on stage - I really like his style. Musically, I feel that the whole track has been totally powered with full strings of symphonic orchestra. If you are Yes fan, I'm sure that you will definitely agree with me that this opening epic is damn wonderful! I like the use of timpani in critical transitions or break to enrich the textures of Yes music.

Having done with the great "Close To The Edge", the symphonic orchestra does another nice symphony to set the atmosphere for the next track "Long Distance Runaround". Well, I have to be honest that I feel like "disjointed" enjoying the end of orchestra with Steve's guitar fills to begin this tune. But it's immaterial compared to the excellent performance of the band. Next is the band's performance with their latest album "Magnification" through two excellent tracks " Don't Go" and "In the Presence Of". Alan White plays some keyboard at the intro part of "In The Presence Of". Musically, I love the compositions of "In The Presence Of" as it melody flows dynamically throughout the track and I like the ending part - so catchy.

For me personally, "Gates of Delirium" is the best of best tracks from YES. And I'm lucky that the band brings this track alive with symphonic orchestra! Yeaaahhh ...!!!! Before it starts, Jon does some conversation that stresses the no need of war. The opening part is fantastic - especially when I observe how Alan White plays his drum set; it's very dynamic and he plays it energetically. The keyboard that sounds like "boiling water" with Patrick Moraz studio version is disappearing (unfortunately) but luckily it is filled by excellent orchestration. Chris? Don's ask me man . he does his job wonderfully with his attractive stage acts! Unfortunately Steve (who used to be very energetic with Yessongs or Keys) this time looks so gloomy - face wise - it seems he has a lot of things in his mind; well, I don't know exactly what happen with him. But he plays his guitar excellently. Jon singing is different with the studio version - it's kind like voice line 2 but it's much more lively, I think. The DVD offers us with multiple angles so when I select angle 2 I can see a lot of documentary world war I film (black and white). The symphonic orchestra does their best in this epic. One thing that I really like about this song is its musical flow where it starts slow and gradually increase into more rocking tempo. When it reaches the bass guitar solo - that is the best part that I really enjoy about this track! Oh man . how can a human being can create this wonderful composition???? Tell me my friend! Tell me! Oh ... The music then turns into quieter passage and welcomes the ending part "Soon" until it ends .. Marvelous! (As for my individual preferense, I feel that the stage act of keyboard player Tom Brislin is way too much overacting. Sorry to say, it's disgusting for my taste especially when he plays his keyboard in a rude style . Indeed he cannot replace either Rick or Patrick - IMHO).

Steve Howe does his solo excellently even though without any smile from his face (unfortunately). "And You And I" is another classic performed beautifully. Jon then talks about the idea that the band made as inspired by a book and wanted to create into four-piece of music. "It's called .. RITUAL!". Yeah . my other favorite track from "Tales From Topographic Ocean". (In my review of "Tales" I did mention about the story behind the making of Tales where Jon was lent a book by Jamie Muir of King Crimson).

What really surprise me is that Steve plays "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - wow! It's hard to believe but it happens. It's quite funny actually especially during the guitar opening where he plays differently - but it's a treat. (It's totally different with the version of 90125 live DVD that also have - Trevor Rabin plays as the studio version). The guitar solo in the interlude part is now filled with a keyboard solo.

"Roundabout" is as usual serving as an encore to the whole live set. It's modified from the original version. It's bit annoying (for my personal taste) seeing the (beautiful) girls from the symphonic orchestra musicians all of them dance on stage during this track. Enough..enough ...

My version contains 2 discs with first disc is the DVD of full symphonic concert and disc 2 is basically the audio CD of the concert. Too bad, there is no "Gates of Delirium" in the CD version, but I have it in bonus disc of my "Magnification" album. It's OK then. Highly recommended!

Progressively yours,

GW - Indonesia.

Keep on progging!

What a marvelous treat. I bought this DVD right after it's release and couldn't stop playing it ever since. This DVD contains (almost) all their classics from their Haydays, and some more. both visually and musicaly this concert sees Yes on top of their form.

Assisted by the Europian Festival Orchestra they played a tour supporting their then newly released Magnification album. That album already was a convergence between Yes's music with Orchestral arrangement. This concertseries and DVD reveals what already was known, Yes's music lends itself perfectly for orchestral interpretation. And the orchestra contributes an extra element to the sound of the songs, making it even deeper and more colourfull.

A new guy on the keyboards makes it's appearance, Tom Brislin, who obviously is up for the task, adding some good soloing and maintaining a high standart of playing throughout the set.

Mind you, it is not an orchestral recording as "Symphonic Music Of Yes"was, rearanging the songs in any matter, the orchestration is in full support of the songs, which are played as they should sound.

The DVD starts great from the beginning, the overture (orchestral theme from the magnification album) evolving into a strong version of CTTE followed by Long Distance runaround. Then two songs from Magnification, not my fav. songs but very well executed, feat. Allan White on the keyboard for the intro of "In the presence of.." After that the show begins to take shape with my all time favourite track "Gates Of Delerium" Guitar and Orchestra in perfect sync. with some stunning bass-playing by Chris squire and some great musical interplay between Chris and tom Brislin (though as Gatot Widayanto says, a bit overacting from Tom). Steve gets his chance to shine with two classical guitar solo's, the first is a new one (I believe) an adaption of a classical movement and mood for a day. Starship Trooper brings the show back into pace, again there is the advantage of the orchestra taking the song to new levels.

Magnification played for the first time live, with Jon on accoustic guitar, a great song and definetly my favourite from the magnification album. Followed by And You And I, which needs no introduction. And then...Ritual from TFTO, works absolutely brilliant, all elements fall perfectly into place, the orchestra strengthening the power of the composition, with a great solo from Chris (both visually as musically). Then it's time to close up with All Good people, Owner of a lonely heart and the obligatory encore Roundabout. WHAT A GREAT SET THIS IS.

Extra's: bonus DVD containing a documentary of the tour and the making of Magnification (the album).

Downfalls: In the middle of Starship Trooper the DVD shiftes layer, which causes a short break in the music, it's not at a crucial point but I would have prefered such a shift in between songs :-). Aside from that. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE MASTERPIECE; GREAT MUSIC AND A GREAT SHOW

I was there. It was magnific. But the DVD is better ! The balance with the orchestra is better. Replay is possible. (1 minus point, therefor not 5 stars: they should remix the .1 bass sound.)

read what Gatot and Gerald wrote: masterpiece !

It was a bit of EO-elderly-day. Jon always communicating with his lady. Steve a bit stiff in the fingers, but still great. Chris making his show, flirting with the girls, real energy. Alan the director and the engine.

Tom fighting his musical battles making it great as 20 years before.

And the orchestra: the played classical music, because they weren't born when most of it was composed. The played classical instruments, as in earlierer "trials". But on this DVD they are a true reason to buy this DVD: energy, enjoy, love, yes.

Overwhelming

I had some misgivings when Yes announced that they were to tour with a full orchestra. Previous such indulgences by bands such as ELP, Deep Purple, Nice etc. had not always been entirely successful, often resulting in almost separate performances by band and orchestra.

I did however have the pleasure, no make that honour, of seeing Yes perform on this tour with an East European orchestra, in the Armadillo in Glasgow., This superb venue, vaguely similar to the Sydney Opera House, was perfect for what ranks for me as the best performance by Yes (or for that matter anyone else) I have ever seen. I was therefore slightly apprehensive when the DVD was releases as to whether it would manage to capture the magic of the experience, or whether it would tarnish my recollections. It was therefore extremely pleasing to find that my fears on all counts, were unwarranted.

While the "Magnification" album included new material recorded with an orchestra, the music performed live on the following "YesSymphonic" tour has never been (officially) released separately on CD. It has however been made available through this DVD, recorded on the Amsterdam leg of the tour. With the many live Yes albums which are available, it is understandable that not every tour is released in CD format. Given the added spectacle of this particular tour, DVD is clearly the most sensible option.

Unlike the aforementioned experiences of other bands, the orchestra here is seldom heard in isolation but is used throughout to enhance the overall sound. While a keyboard player -Tom Brislin - (not Wakeman, Moraz or Kaye!) was part of the line up, his role was much less to the fore than is usual for a Yes performance, the main function of the orchestra being to replace many of the keyboard parts.

The strategy gives pieces such as "Close to the edge" and "And you and I" an awesome and sometimes overwhelming majesty. The ending section of the latter is slowed right down, with ever increasing crescendos which almost literally push the listener back in their seat, such is the power.

There is a good diversity of old and new songs, including "Ritual", "In the presence of", "Roundabout" (band only encore) etc. During the latter, the youthful orchestra re- appear on stage minus their instruments, to "groove" to the music. How many orchestras would do that?!

The band is very tight throughout, perhaps reflecting the need to keep in perfect time with the orchestra, otherwise things could have become pretty chaotic. How they keep it all together on "The Gates of Delirium" during the "battle" section, is quite bewildering.

My sole disappointment with both the live performance and the DVD comes right at the start. The "Excerpt for the Firebird suite" has since the very early days of Yes signalled to the audience that the band were arriving on stage. It was of course played on tape. YesSymphonic offered the perfect opportunity for a live orchestra to perform the piece. Instead, a specially commissioned orchestral introduction was used. While this is pleasant enough, they should have used "Firebird".

The DVD is superbly filmed, recorded and presented, with a bonus disk of interviews and videos. At various points during the concert, there is the choice of either continuing to watch the performance, or to view animated films which compliment the music.

The YesSymphionic DVD is an essential addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys the music of Yes. It is arguably the definitive collaboration between group and orchestra.

This DVD is a nice document of the band's 21st century tour with a symphonic orchestra replacing RICK WAKEMAN. The visual material is enhanced with the graphics of Roger Dean, and the band did some nice versions of their classic epics "Close To The Edge", "Gates of Delirium" and "Ritual". Also Steve's solo performance of Vivaldi's lute concerto is pretty. I managed to see the Finland performance of this tour, which was YES's first visit to our distant artic land.

Yes has done it again, they've seemed to top themselves live. Their music has always had a symphonic edge, but now they've taken it one step further and actually played with a symphony. This is the classic line-up of White, Squire, Howe, and Anderson. The keyboardist is an unknown but did a good job playing all-around.

The show opens with Close to the Edge, my personal favorite song of the DVD. The entire group does a good job on this album, especially Howe, with his needless noodling that has become quintessential with his being. After an extended section in the middle, the keyboardist Tom Brislin goes into the Wakeman keyboard solo, and it sounds exactly like the record version.

Other songs that are worth mentioning that are superb are the Gates of Delirium, which was an impressive spectacle of sight and sound. Then there's Ritual, in which Chris Squire gives one of the best live bass performances I've ever seen. Then And You and I, which is always amazing live.

The material from Magnification that they played surprisingly good (I was never terribly fond of modern Yes, I like it, just not all that much. The best of the new material live is In the Presence Of...

Overall, I give this a 4.5 out of 5. I highly recommend it to everybody who likes Yes. This is easily the best Yes concert DVD available at the moment (It's a lot better than the Yessongs DVD).

My copy of this DVD is an import from Hong Kong, bought over eBay. Lovely packaging and very nice and cheap, but anyone looking at buying this international edition should be aware that there are three things missing from it: 1. Any sort of bonus CD or DVD 2. The option to turn the animated bits off 3. "The Gates of Delerium"

This last point is probably the most galling for me, as I quite like the animation and I wasn't expecting a second disc at the price I paid. But even without "Gates", the DVD clocks in at a tremendous 2 hours 20 minutes, and it's 2 hours 20 minutes of the finest solid prog rock. First half is an even mix of classics and material from 'Magnification', second half tends more towards the classics, and here we have a heart-rending orchestral "And You And I", a version of "Ritual" that stretches to an indulgent half- hour, and crowd-pleasers "I've Seen All Good People" and "Roundabout". You can actually tell where "Gates" has been cut out - not visibly, it's very cleanly done and if you didn't know the track was missing you might not even notice, but it goes straight from Jon talking about peace and light overcoming war to "Mr Steve Howe!". Still, the rest of the DVD compensates.

My initial reaction as the concert footage started was mild surprise - I knew they'd look old, but wow! Jon Anderson looks and sounds completely bombed-out on drugs when he does his linking bits! Steve Howe looks like a stick figure! Chris Squire looks lived-in! Add to this the fact that, to my English eyes, Alan White looks rather like Christopher Biggins, and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. But musically, Yes deliver the goods. Keyboardist Tom Brislin only really has to fill in for Wakeman and Kaye, and he does this and more. I felt the absence of Bruford in some of the old songs, but Alan White is a good solid concert drummer, a ticking engine to drive the band. Squire prances about on stage like he's still thirty, bless him, and although Howe looks almost constantly surprised by his own performance, he doesn't falter. And no matter what he sounds like when he's addressing the audience, Anderson still sings as though a day hasn't passed since the Seventies. When "Starship Trooper" gets underway, you can almost believe it yourself. During the bit in "Ritual" where everybody drums, a split- screen effect lets us see the band members drumming in precise unison - that's when it really comes across just how well this line-up has gelled, and that they're entirely in control.

Not too sure what to make of the orchestra larking about (waving their horns, boogieing on the stage), but their playing is wonderful. I find it hard to imagine how Yes ever performed without an orchestra! Shame they couldn't squeeze in a number or two from 'Time And A Word' really, since they've got the horns there and all, but there it is. It's hard for me to decide whether to give this DVD 4 or 5 stars, but I think whoever did the sound editing didn't give us nearly enough keyboard on the first couple of tracks, so 4 stars it is. A fine way to spend an evening.

WOW !!!

This is the definitily YES SHOW! Sorry, Mr. Wakeman, but you lost th train of the story (as we said in my country). You HAD to be there. It was the celebration of the celebrations of the Yes music.A sensational show, great orchestral arrangements (with very beautiful and great female musicians), the band played very, very well. The only pity is "Heart of the Sunrise" not been there...Sensationals performances of "Gates" and" Ritual". A Must for fans and no fans of Yes music. 6 stars for it!!!

This is an absolutely astonishing live document of Yes. After 30+ years of making music, Yes play every note to perfection, and can still put on an entertaining live show. This dvd is a treat to all fans who are interested in seeing their music replicated live. The picture quality is fantastic, and the sound is superb.

The setlist of the dvd is fantastic. Close to the Edge is performed to perfection, and I personally prefer the version on this dvd, to the studio version. And You and I is beautifully done, as are all the other songs. Only problem with the setlist is that the epic Awaken is not played.

The band members all put on an energetic performance, which is quite funny given that they've all reached 50+ years of age. They all seem to be having lots of fun, and the performance is inspired and fun to watch. Jon Anderson's corny hand movements especially make this dvd enjoyable, as they show how passionate he is about this music. Chris Squire's power stances are hilarious, and Steve Howe also brings out an unintentional laugh as he looks like a zombie. Alan White's performance here is superior to his drumming on the live album Yessongs, and he too plays passionately.

This is a magical performance, and it is absolutely essential if you are a Yes fan. If you're however not yet into Yes, go pick up either Fragile or The Yes Album instead.

Only a indescrible pur and perfect music with a outstanding qualiy of sound. Like Gatot said, a dream come true... and some tears fall from my eyes... How some people in our world can not be touch by this kind of magic that Yes do...

By the way.. Are you certain that Yes's members are not some kind of aliens which come from a other galaxy??

One should think that with the killer epics Close To The Edge, Gates of Delirium and Ritual, three of my all time favourites, this couldn't go wrong.

Unfortunately it seems like they don't think that the orchestra is able to play anything faster than eighth notes. All the songs moves too slowly. There are great moments, Ritual probably the best, and And You And I works fine. However the orchestra is not given enough confidence, the musicians, both Yes and the orchestra, seems restrained. Great sound though!

Also I can't believe that they included so much filler songs (Long Distance Runaround, I've Seen All Good People, Owner of a Lonely Heart and Roundabout) and omitted all the cool songs (Perpetual Change, Siberian Kathru, Heart of the Sunrise etc.). And the new songs are unnecessary in this context.

The animations are cool under Gates of Delirium, but overall they are amateurish.

Not a great performance, but no damage done since you still got the studio versions, Yessongs and Yesshows.

This is quite possibly the best Yes live video available. First of all, the sound quality is amazing. I actually recorded all the songs from this DVD onto a couple audio discs so that I could listen to the music on its own. Second of all, the set list is pretty close to perfect. The setlist is near perfect, as they play almost all of their best epics. One particular moment of magic is Ritual, which has been improved significantly with the orchestra. You also get And You And I played acoustically as it should be played and some great solos from the old boys. And you don't get any truncated versions of these epics here, you get them in their full glory with nice additions from the orchestra. My only complaint is that Steve's guitar was a little too quiet, and the band seemed to play it a bit too safe. Unfortunately, Yes doesn't take as many risks ornamentation-wise as they used to back in their heydey, and in some ways it may be because they didn't want to drown out the orchestra. Still, the orchestra definitely adds more than it takes away, and the songs from Magnification, although not as good as Yes classics, are a definite improvement from some of the other later period Yes songs. And last but not least, the adorable young women playing in the orchestra are pleasant eye candy for when you tire of watching our beloved old farts do what they do best. If you like Yes for their epics, get this DVD.

5 proud stars coming from Zitro : this is my favourite concert DVD yet. Except for Wakeman (a young and extremely talented keyboardist does well), the classic lineup is here and playing like they never played before.

The song selection is good (but I wish they haven't played Magnification, Roundabout and Don't go) ...However, just the inclusion of Gates of Delirium, Close to The Edge, and Starship Trooper made me jump in excitement. All of the songs with the orchestra are played really well, and some of the songs (ritual, In The Presence of, Starship Trooper) sound better than the originals.

Get this DVD ... It is an essential Purchase for a Prog Rock Collection!

Ok, I'm biased. To say the least five stars. Six would do/be better... Yes has always been an orchestrated progressive group. The concepts and the philosophies are hard put to be confined to the limits of "Rock-n-Roll". The philosophies, the words, the instruments, the vocals. The complex interweavings of/on all these levels. The songs, a mixture of old and new, ring true to the concepts that "Yes" helped to bring forth to the conciosness of so many people. Kudos to Kitehl and his orchestra! The blend of Music between "Yes" and "The Europian Festival Orchestra, I do belive all understand. Alpha order, Anderson, Howe, Squire and White. While I do miss Wakeman, his stand in is superlatve! Nigh on time for this colllaboration, nigh on time that "Yes" and "The Europian Festival Orchesra met and cellibrated Music and Life! Ok, I'm blessed. Five stars. Peace JB

I fully agree with all the praise that has been heaped on this DVD. A superb program featuring no less than three of Yes' most ambitious 'epics', all expertly performed, with some help from a youthful orchestra. And to top it all, both "And You and I" and "Starship Trooper" sound more gorgeous, more triumphant than on any other live CD (even if Jon's voice is a little tired on the latter). I don't even mind the 'encore' of "Roundabout" (a tune I'm usually not too crazy about): the band are in great spirits, even Steve Howe (finally) smiles.

For me, Howe is the 'mystery man' of this recording. Having seen Yes play live only once, in 1977, I'm amazed he seems totally detached from the rest of the band. He makes no eye contact with anyone, is fully absorbed in playing his solo part, and whenever Chris Squire comes over to him, hoping to strike a few brotherly rock 'n' roll poses, Steve ignores him completely. On many of the tunes (CTTE and "Delirum" for example), Steve's lead guitar now sounds twangier, jazzier than before. To tell you the truth, I miss some of the old sustain.

If you want to see the band in their glory days, you're better off with a copy of LIVE AT GPR. There, the sound of Steve's lead guitar suddenly disappears at times (not during crucial solos, fortunately), and you're stuck with Jon's pedestian rhythm guitar, but you still know which notes you're supposed to hear, and it's simply amazing to see something I'd always wanted to see: Yes anno 1975, in their glory days, when they were young, ambitious - and even beautiful.

Symphonic Live is truly nothing short of incredible. From their Magnification tour, they have an orchestra backing them. Wakeman wasn't present here, but that can't be a bad thing because it means the inclusion of one of Yes' finest works The Gates of Delirium. Towards the end of this song it becomes absolutely insane with every voice in the orchestra and band playing on a different theme. The talent of Yes never ceases to amaze me, from Steve Howe's version of a Vivaldi Lute Concerto and Mood for a Day to Squire's amazing solos on Ritual. Starship Trooper also provides an excellent show of talent from Howe, Squire, and keyboardist Tom Brislin.

The versions of Close to the Edge and And You and I are incomparable. The new material from the Magnification album is astounding too, especially the classic In the Presence Of which is undeniably Yes' best since their classic years.

If you are looking for a Yes DVD, this is the one to get!

Another 5 star rating for this monster here. I'd actually never seen Yes perform live, either in person or on video until watching this DVD. I must say that I am highly impressed at exactly how precise their execution was despite the complexity of the songs played in addition to the symphonic orchestra.

The tracklist caught my eye immediately with the inclusion of three great epics in CTTE, Ritual, and The Gates of Delirium on top of other all around Yes favorites (I've Seen All Good People, And You and I, Roundabout) as well as strong material from Magnification. The only song that doesn't really fit is Don't Go (which I find cheesy). I'd have preferred something else off Magnification such as Spirit of Survival. Then, of course, there were the obligatory songs played at nearly every show (Roundabout, Owner.., etc).

The orchestra included everything from horns to woodwinds to percussion to a harp. Jon Anderson played a lot of percussion and acoustic guitar. Chris Squire played some harmonica and the tympani during Ritual. Alan White played some piano as well. Steve Howe shows here that he is an absolute master at his craft. The overall performance was energetic, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Even in the absence of Rick Wakeman with a guest keyboardist, Yes gives one of their best here. If you do not own a Yes DVD, this is certainly a high recommendation.

Great concert!

During the years some BIG bands had attempt (in fact had done) a mix between the band and an orchestra, to give it a some "extra" symphonic sound, not always has been the best thing, but in this case, Yes with an orchestra makes this DVD awesome, the sound here is great, of course with it´s ups and downs, but in general i think this was a great idea, and very well placed and performanced.

Now im in the shoes of a Yes´fan, so what more could we ask?, i mean, here we can see Close to the Edge, Gates of Delirium and Ritual, 3 big songs, 3 of the most representative songs ever made by this monster of progressive rock, and that´s not the best, the best is that those 3 big songs were very well performanced, honestly i have enough with only that 3 songs that i love, of course i also love Heart of the Sunrise, Roundabout etc, but i cant imagine a concert with that 3 songs. OMG!

All the video is awesome, and one extra point, no Wakeman here eh?, but i dont miss him, in this concert Wakeman, Moraz, Kaye etc were replaced by a young keyboardist called Tom Brislin, i dont know anything about him, but believe me, he did a great job here.

The tracklist is incredible, they performanced various of their classic songs, and some of ther newest songs, in that era Magnification was their new release, which i like so much, they played from Close to the Edge, through Long distance , Mood for aDay, Gates of Delirium, Ritual, Roundabout, to Owner of a Lonely Heart and Magnfication, actually there were 15 songs, but you can imagine, with CTTE, GOD and Ritual , you´ll spend one hour watching those excellent songs, i think the concert was over 3 hours, fantastic!

Obviously i wont review song by song, but i can comment some of their best moments, for example i love when Jon speak tothe crowd introducing In the Prescence of , and of course when Howe makes his marvelous guitar solo, Gates of Delirium is my fav Yes song, so you can imagine i use to repeat that song when the DVD finishes, because it was a great performance, And You And I was of course another igh moment, beautiful, also Owner of a Lonely Heart is nice here making good concetion between band and audience, and during the concert we can appreciate some orchestrás members singins making some happy movements etc, showing us the current mood in the concert which is another extra point here.

I love this DVD, as i said above it´s lenght is over 3 hours, so you have to watch it in good mood, dont watch it if you are tired of something because it could be big enough for you. Of course this DVD is highly recommendale, i wont be so strict, because there are a couple of details for example Dont Go, i dont like it so much, but anyway this album is a masterpiece, if not at least an excellent addition to any prog lover, actually i would give it 4.7 stars, so 5 !

When I first saw this, I thought cool, YEs with an orchestra, so I picked it up. I was not expecting it to be this great! THere is so much energy still alive in this band throughout time. They play a great selection of music, including a bit from Magnification (which I personally liked) The DVD is great, and it sounds incredible! There are some nice words from Jon, and alot of REALLY great music. I highly recommend picking this up!

This DVD covers Yes in performance in 2001-- with 33 years of experience in the bag of the band. Among the 15 tracks, there were three new songs-- Don't Go, In the presence of and Magnifications. Except for these three, all the other songs are great-- bearing the marks of the test of time. The three new songs do not have anything special to offer and I have nothing to recommend about them. Yes had always been good on stage. All its past live albums show that Yes is not just a studio band; it can play live what it had recorded in the studio. Its really breath-taking to see complicated master-pieces like Gates of Delirium, Ritual or Close to the Edge being performed. The additional spice here is the orchestra. Overall, the live performance is stunning-- specially for a band full of old rockers. Anderson was still in tune and Howe, Squire and White have proved that their energy defies aging. I was very impressed with the Keyboardist and the enthusiasm of the orchestra. My criticism is the sound recording. The voice of Anderson is little bit higher than what it should be while the sound level of the orchestra is lower than what it should have been. Otherwise this is a neatly performed concert, a must for all Yes collector to have and highly recommended for anyone interested in a live overview of Yes music. The addition of orchestra makes it a masterpiece!

I have no words, this concert is perfect. The band is perfect, the orchestra is perfect, and the keyboardist Tom Brislin is also perfect and he replaced Rick Wakeman very well.

The songs are fantastic and they are wonderfully ´performed by both band and orchestra. It all starts with an kicking-ass version of Close to the Edge, and for this is the best version of this song. After CTTE the orchestra performs a little and then Steve Howe gives the first chords of Long Distance Runaround. I never liked it very much, but this version is lovable. Don't Go is the next one, and it's an wonderful song, I just love it. In The Presence Of is the masterpiece of the Magnification album, and it's basically the same here as it is on the album. the next one is the astonishing, mind-blowing epic masterpiece Gates Of Delirium. This song is one of the highlights on this DVD and it's just terrific to see Yes playing it.

Steve Howe does an demonstration of his virtuosity on his guitar solo, especially when he plays Mood For a Day. Starship Trooper is on it's best version by far, and the orchestra kicks ass on this song. Magnification is a nice song, but it isn't so good. I think they could have played Dreamtime instead of this one. And You And I is fantastic, as it always is. Ritual is next, an it's 30 minutes of Delirium. Chris Squire goes bonkers on this one. I've Seen all Good People is on it's best version by far as well. The last two songs are performed without the orchestra, but these songs doesn't necessarely needs an orchestra. Owner Of A Lonely Heart is the only song from the Eighties Yes, and it's the best one from that era. It all ends with the wonderful Roundabout, which is, well, wonderful!

I can safely say that this concert is the best Yes concert ever and one of the best in music history, and I will never get tired of it. this is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for every prog fan there is, and also for fans of great music.

Can perfection be achived by man? In one word: YES! Masterpiece tag.

This is truly a mind-blowing experience. I suggest this DVD for every Yes-fan. This is simply put, the best live concert I have ever seen. The band is perfect, and Brislin does a great job replacing Wakeman. The orchestra consists of talented young people obviously enjoying the concert very much. And they do a damn fine job!

This concert features alot of the Yes-favorites and many of them are better than the studio-versions. These include: Close to the Edge, In The Presence Of, Gates of Delirium, And You And I and Ritual. How is this possible you ask? I have no idea!

The DVD also features all the standards of a Yes concert: Chris and Alan's electric stage performance, Jon's bad jokes, a percussion freak-out in Ritual etc.

I payed almost 50 dollars importing this concert to where I live, but it was worth it. I would gladly have payed more, since this is a product, that I will never dispose of.

It must be in the genetic make-up of every prog rock star that when they reach middle age (and beyond) and are maybe no longer 100% comfortable prancing around with guitars in hand, they feel compelled to hire an orchestra - as if the noble symphony orchestra, rich in history, by its very presence, automatically imbues all music and musicians alike with a new found "maturity" and credibility. Sort of like saying, look, we've grown up; we're using an ORCHESTRA!!! Are we classy or what? Unfortunately, in most cases, all an orchestra serves to do is add a superfluous wash of mush and bombast to the proceedings. Yes' 2001 pseudo symphonic endeavor is no different. There's no mention anywhere on the sleeve notes as to who did the orchestration or wrote the orchestral passages, therefore I'm assuming it's done by the same guy who orchestrated 'Magnification'.

The show starts-off with an orchestral Overture. The first thing one notices is just how horribly synthetic the orchestra sounds. As for the overture; the music is very soundtracky and full of meaningless, empty "symphonic" gestures. (the odd bit here and there has actually been stolen from Keith Emerson's piano concerto. Of course, Emerson stole most of his ideas from Aaron Copeland. However, Emerson's plagiarism did ultimately bring forth pleasant fruit. ).

Close to the Edge is the first Yes classic to be given the cosmetic treatment, which comprises of a silly orchestral accompaniment, mainly consisting of additional but completely out-of-character harmonies. Basically what we have here is Yes playing 'Close to the Edge' the same way they've played it for the last 30 years, only this time there's a decidedly cheap-sounding orchestra noodling around in the background. The church organ bit, usually heard during 'I get up, I get down', is replaced here by a mega-cheesy orchestral bit. However, the keyboard solo that follows is played note-perfect by Tom Brislin, who is excellent throughout.

After a perfunctory and somewhat meaningless orchestral prelude, the band plays Long Distance Runaround. The orchestra adds nothing of worth to this run-of-the -mill performance of a Yes classic .

The next song Don't Gofrom 'Magnification' is rather worrying in that there is undoubtedly additional pre-recorded vocal harmonies coming from somewhere. ( If you haven't noticed, listen again) What is even more disturbing is how the band actually tries to disguise the fact it's succumbed to the Brittney Spears/Michael Jackson school of performance practices (that's miming in case you're wondering) by giving Alan White a microphone and letting him "sing" as well. So that's where the vocal harmonies are coming from... I DON'T THINK SO!!!! Shame on you, Yes! Shame on you!

After the absurd spectacle of Yes semi-miming, the absurdity factor is increased for the next song, another from 'Magnification' In The Presence Of What's absurd about it? Well, consider this: after going to all the effort of hiring a complete symphony orchestra and conductor, after hiring a replacement keyboardist, and after all the rehearsals and money spent preparing for the tour, what do Yes decide to do? They decide to let the drummer play keyboards!?!?!?! Eh? (maybe this is his reward for pretending to sing during the previous song)

Drummer: "Okay, I'll pretend to be a one-man multi tracked vocal section if I get to play piano..."
Rest of band: "IT'S A DEAL!!!"
On a serious note; this is probably the most successful song on the DVD as far as the blending of band and orchestra goes. Not the greatest song ever written but it comes across well.

Then comes 'Gates of Delirium. Like their rendition of 'Close To The Edge' it's basically a very average version dragged down farther by a decidedly pedestrian, middle-of-the-road orchestration. The orchestra performs the role of nothing more than an expensive accompanist and adds nothing of worth to the composition. Keyboardist Tom Brislin does another fine job, though.

A Steve Howe solo spot comes next. Always enjoyable. Starship Trooper follows on, and a fine version it is, too. Interestingly enough, they decide not to bring the orchestra in until "wurm". Yet again Tom Brislin is excellent. In fact, the whole band plays well on this one. The orchestra is completely superfluous.

Magnification, from the album of the same name, is another one where the orchestra and band gel rather well. But is it all really worth the bother? Probably not.

And You And I A complete symphony orchestra and yet it still doesn't sound as good as Rick Wakeman's mellotron. You go figure.

Out of all the Yes "classics" on this DVD Ritual is the one that comes across best, as visually as well as musically it's quite dramatic.

Your Move/All Good People is nothing great as far as performance goes. It does, however, get the audience up on its feet, which is maybe not a good thing, as there's some pretty grotesque dancing going on down there. Oh, and the orchestration is truly awful on this one - almost as grotesque as some of those dancers.

The one concession to 80s Yes is a pretty lame version of Owner Of A Lonely Heart without orchestra.

The DVD ends with an orchestra-free version of Roundabout The reason there's no orchestra one this one is because they're all out front dancing their pants off (I wish). Well, they're dancing, but they keep their pants on. A quick word about that orchestra: taking the masculine brass section out of the equation, this is the first time in my life I can safely say that I wouldn't mind getting intimate with an entire orchestra.

So what can I say? Chris Squire plays brilliantly as always. Ditto Alan White. Jon Anderson's voice is as good as ever. Tom Brislin plays a blinder. Only Steve Howe's playing lacks the fire of old. And the orchestra plays what's been written for them - trite, clichéd nonsense basically. All in all the whole thing doesn't really gel. The band doesn't sound particularly inspired - Steve Howes fingers seem to get, er, stuck a lot - and the orchestration is entirely naff. The notion that the orchestra is there to replace the keyboard parts is a fallacy. I can't think of one keyboard part that's been replaced. The orchestra is completely superfluous and, sonically, sounds bad. When all is said and done, I give everyone concerned 10 out of 10 for effort. But I'm afraid I'll have to give the DVD a * * rating.

You have been in the presence of ThE mEnTaLiSt upon his high-horse.

Excellent DVD! This is the best you're going to get out of the recent Yes DVD's. Having just released the decent "Magnification", the band toured, and had the help of local orchestras in concert.

This particular show was filmed in Amsterdam (Perfect, the boys must have filled up on weed there) and they seem to be one of the best judging from the several bootlegs I have from the tour. The orchestra does add a decent bit of substance to the band's sound, but sometimes I think it would be better with just the plain band. The members of the actual band are all in top form, but also being slightly boring in that they don't do too much improvisation. Tom Brislin is the temporary keyboard player (from Spiraling) and he does a good job, but can't quite keep up to Wakeman in some instances, like the Close to the Edge solo.

The material is mostly from the 70's albums, but there are a few clunkers like Owner of a Lonely Heart and Don't Go.Interesting to see some of the material played with an orchestra.

The audio and video quality of the disc is excellent, it's a real experience if you happen to own a hifi entertainment center.

Get it!

Fantastic performance of Yes together with a symphony orchestra. The band is in really good form here and they seem to be enjoying themselves playing. The set list is amazing, covering such often overlooked albums as Relayer with a fantastic performance of Gates Of Delirium and from Tales From Topographic Oceans, the complete Ritual. Also such classics as Close To The Edge, And You And I, Long Distance Runaround, Roundabout and Starship Trooper. The set list also features songs from their then new album Magnification. These new songs fit in very well with the older classic songs and they are really, really good!

Steve Howe get his own little solo spot with an acoustic guitar performing a beautiful classical piece (Vivaldi?) as well as Mood For A Day. Amazing and very, very beautiful! Alan White also gets to show his ability on a drum solo in Ritual (and he is also later joined by all the other band members banging on various percussion instruments!)

Keyboard player Tom Brislin does a good job imitating both Rick Wakeman and Patric Moraz, though he doesn't add much himself. The orchestra is really good and they really add to the music without overshadowing the band itself. Jon Anderson performes his vocals without any mistakes whatsoever, as usual. Chris Squire, once again, proves that he is the best and most innovative bassist in history with several bass solos, most notably in Ritual but also in other songs.

My only criticism is that the members of the orchestra does ridiculous things; holding their instruments up in the air, waving them around, and also in Roundabout the female members of the orchestra are allowed to dance around on stage! Please! Why!?

Still this show is amazing!

This is the ultimate concert DVD by any band!

The earlier postings provide a great deal of excellent detailed reviews of the set list, orchestral performance, band performance, etc. so I won't expand on that. One aspect of this DVD that I haven't read much about is the sound quality and the camera work/editing.

If you have a home theater set up, this DVD is simply amazing! I have modest Sony equipment, and this is a close to being in attendence at a live performance that I've ever experienced. Crank up the subwoofer and you almost get the lung vibrations that Chris Squire's bass playing gives you at a concert. The audio is a clear and well balanced throughout the show.

The only thing missing in the camera work is a good close full stage shot. The camera angle for the full stage is from the rear of the venue, looking slightly to the left. There is one absolutely classic shot; during Ritual, at the end of the percussion section, there is a shot of Steve Howe with Squire behind him finishing the typani drum roll. The shot, the angle, the lighting - everything is perfect.

Any Yes fan or prog fan who doesn't have this is missing out on a great thing.

Symphonic Live is one of the best DVDs of all time.

The tracklist is very well done. In consists songs from the fantastic Magnification, and also monumental epics and Yes hits. Band members play with impressive intensity, however they were not young at the time of the concert. Tom Brislin is a great replacement of Rick Wakeman, who I don't really miss from the DVD, and the orchestra brings something fresh and new into the old songs. The film is a masterpiece, too: the intro animation is an especial start for Symphonic Live and the multi-camera parts are excellent.

This DVD is obligatory stuff for everyone who don't just enjoy listen to music.

There's little doubt that Yes music is made for an orchestra. Not wasting time, the show went straight to Close to the Edge, which quite frankly, was painful to listen to at first. I understand the desire to play the songs we all love to hear live but it was really bad at first. Almost as if they needed to warm up first. CTTE is not the song to do that. Once they started Total Mass Retain, things got much better. I was still not feeling particularly good about the beginning of the DVD right until I Get Up, I Get Down, at which point Jon Anderson promptly saved the song for me. 30 years later and he still has magnificent vocal talents. Now, onto the rest of the show.

I really enjoyed the new material. Don't Go sounded lively, and In the Presence Of is a remarkable piece of songwriting, sounding new and energetic and an absolute beauty. The next track is why you should get the DVD. Gates of Delirium was absolutely fantastic! The orchestra was a natural fit in in the instrumental section, giving several more layers of sound to the song. Halfway through I realized Soon is going to sound amazing with this, and sure enough, it did. Gates stole the show, as far as I'm concerned.

This seems like the logical place to start a part 2. Steve Howe redeems himself completely from an ugly opening to Close to the Edge with his solo, which I believe is initially a take on Vivaldi. Very soft, very beautiful. His choice of acoustic guitar here sounds lovely and even gives a softer feel to Mood For a Day, also very well done. The band rejoined Steve for Starship Trooper, which felt rather odd not being at the end of the set. Tom Brislin, (who plays very well, if not particularly inspired) shows off some originality for the keyboard solo, which is just similar in sound to remind you of Wakeman, but different enough to let you know its his own. And You and I, the song that seems to have become a staple of Yes live shows, once again puts center stage the power of an orchestra. Chris Squire got his opportunity to flex his musical muscle with Ritual. The last three songs are largely forgettable (almost sounding obligatory rather than enjoyed).

Now some general comments. Something you may not pick up on until later is just how dead the audience seemed to be. I actually felt really bad for the band, as literally nothing seemed to get the crowd going until the very end, which is a real shame. That didn't seem to stop the orchestra though, as they seemed into it. (two clarinet girls specifically, you'll know which ones I'm talking about). The entire orchestra dancing on stage to Roundabout made me laugh. It seemed so bizarre and spontaneous, coupled with the incredulous looks on the faces of the band members (I get the sense they weren't told about this part).

Overall, this is a very good live DVD. You may miss the keyboards a little, but its certainly worth picking up. 4.3/5

What to say ? The best Yes' songs with an orchestra behind ! Great versions of these classics... the best tracks are Close to the Edge, The Gates of Delirium, Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil), Starship Trooper and And You And I. The new songs Don't Go and Magnification are also extraordinary. It is really a pity that neither Wakeman nor Moraz (or Kaye) were there, but the young Tom Brislin does a good job with the keyboards and the orchestration fills the 'empty places' (if there are 'empty places' in Yes' songs !). For me, the best Yes' show ever recorded ! Although it was made in 2001, you feel like that is the 70's Yes, with the spirit of the 70's ! So... if you are a Yes fan, run ! Get it now !

As happens so often with albums (or in this case DVD's) the recent average of this release is exactly what it's worth to me. I just witnessed the full thing again and contemplated my rating thoroughly and it will have to be some 4,5 and that's what is got so far (4,46). Leaves the problem for the final rating but first of course let's go through this great live DVD.

Yes must have thought: let's start with the highlight. The first real song they play here is the super classic Close to the Edge. Even though the men get a little bit rusty after all those years and I have to get used to this nowadays status of the band members, I can only say: terrific performance. It's always a thrill to hear this great song but to see it played live by the band after 30 years still in an almost perfect way, it's really incredible, shivers down the spine, I can say no less. Jon Anderson makes a funny impression sometimes with his gestures, I mean I'm not a Yes fanboy so I'm not really into the band compared to the die heart fans so I'm not even sure what kind of person Jon is, but as the concert goes on, I find him more and more sympathetic. From time to time he applauds the fans in the Amsterdam concert hall as they applaud him. It's as if he is saying: isn't it a miracle that we're all still here together after these many many years of playing and touring. And so it is, the people in the audience are almost the same age as the band members I estimate and here they are gathered in this great venue, life has been kind to them and both musicians (including the orchestra !) and audience are having the time of their lives. A great experience. After the famous epic, two more average songs to calm things down before In the Presence of of their latest album Magnification takes its turn. Second great performance so far, a wonderful song. But after this it's peak time: Gates of Delirium ! The execution of this second super epic is even more perfect than Close to the Edge. Both songs compete within me for a long time about which is the ultimate best, it's very tough but on this live DVD Gates is the winner. The steel play of Howe is absolutely amazing. And after this Howe gets the opportunity to show more of his great class on an acoustic guitar. Breathtaking stuff, rightly so rewarded by the crowd and also admiring words from Anderson by the way.

After these highlights we have had the best of the concert but that's only logical. Yet there is enough to enjoy like Starship Trooper, And you and I and an impressive performance of Ritual. Last three songs are on itself dispensable for me but it has to be said: they gave the opportunity to the crowd to enjoy in another way, more like in a dance and enjoy way. In this way they pleased about everybody that was a witness of the great concert. But to most the real pleasure was being a witness ...

4 stars in the end because the set list wasn't the very best you can think of. If they would have played Awaken and Heart of the Sunrise as well, it would probably have been perfect. Still, the effort on Gates of Delirium made me have serious doubts about giving the full 5. A must have for every Yes fan and probably every prog fan.

Perhaps the best ever prog concert.

Review by ProgKidJoel

Yes' SYMPHONIC LIVE is, put simply, THE ultimate prog rock concert. Orchestra in full, entire reconstructions of what I consider to be the best ever prog tracks, and some awesome playing by guys in their late 50's. So what's not to like? Very little! The lack of Wakeman may disappoint some die-hard fans, although I myself, a self admitted Yes fanboy, couldn't have been more impressed by Brislin's playing. He truly does the tracks justice, as do the new arrangements, and I can't think of any complaints as far as the playing goes.

The setlist is fantastic, featuring some of the proggiest, some of the poppiest, and some of the best latest. Particular standouts are CttE, which is always awesome to hear, especially live, Gates Of Delirium, which is played a lot less live by the band than I would have hoped, and Starship Trooper, which features a nearly all-orchestral instrumentation.

The band plays perfectly, but the real stars of this show are the orchestra - It takes guts to do what they did, and they did it with absolutely no flaws. Even during the truly intense prog sections of Gates Of Delirium, the orchestra never slip up, and continue to thrill and re-invent at true masterpiece with every trumpet note and violin squeal. I rarely find myself so thrilled by performances of songs, but this is a real exception - Seeing the tracks reinvented like this shines a whole new light on the older tracks, and reinvigorates the new'uns.

The playing is brilliant - No slip ups whatsoever, and every note has just as much, if not more, heart and soul within it than it did on the originals. When a band can do what they did in 1972 better in 2002, you know they're something truly extraordinary, and this stands as a testament.

Easy 5 star! -Joel

After 2 years of getting into the prog power trio that is Genesis,King Crimson,and Yes (through my dad's old vinyl's) I came across this DVD on Amazon.My heart immediately started racing through my stomach. But it wasn't until 5 months later that they restocked on this item and I was able to buy it.Oh...my...God,I had no clue what I was in for.

The first time I watched it I was alone. I did not remember what the set list was so I was in for a treat when they opened with CTTE.Although I would have to say that this song starts off rather slow compared to the original studio song, it does however speed up though as the song progresses.Other than that,holy Henry Cow!This song is truly OVERWHELMING!

What is so amazing about this tour is that the orchestra that Yes hires to perform with does their job so well that they never overwhelm the band.But they never remain in the shadows either,they simply implement their force of symphony gracefully in with the playing of the band,therefore there is no musical wall of mess going in this DVD ever.This was an obstacle that so many bands before had tried and failed at with an orchestra like say ELP. But YES tramples this obstacle with prefect ease.You could tell that Jon and the rest actually spent a great amount of time practicing with the orchestra and collaborating on where and when the orchestra should play and what instruments should be used at that precise timing.This is how the band and the orchestra together have become so effective in this DVD.Trust me,buy this and see what I mean.And in case you are wondering,the orchestra doesn't perform only on the songs Owner of a Lonely Heart,Roundabout,and a partial half of I've Seen All Good People.

On next after CTTE comes a few old classics such as Long Distance Runaround and also newer songs such as Don't Go and In the Presence Of.Then comes one of the two biggest giants of the DVD,Gates of Delirium.Yes,the Gates of Delirium song is played in full by both the band and orchestra.Just watching this part myself makes me wish that I was actually there at the concert because sometimes I still can't believe what I'm hearing.It is the way that the orchestra is so effectively emerged with the music of Yes that it's as if Yes was meant to play with an orchestra the whole time,that it was pure destiny.The song is kept in all of its beauty and so much more.But the last giant on this DVD was the one that truly made the biggest possible expression on me that a song could ever make.It is Ritual.Please keep in mind that I am a big fan of the "Tales" album even though most would consider it a little too much or a little dragging a times.I wholeheartedly agree,but it wasn't until after I gave that album about a billion more chances that I finally "got it".So when Ritaul came around on this DVD I almost couldn't believe it.The song is played in its entirety with the orchestra but also has an extended bass solo by Squire in the middle.Not that the solo is awesome,but coming from a highly influential bass player such as this person,one can realize how his playing could have such a profound effect on so many people after him,including Les Claypool.

Back to the point,Ritual is by FAR the pinnacle of this concert.I simply cannot imagine how this part would not leave at least some impression on the viewer.This song is downright beautiful.After watching the dvd in its entirety I showed this to my dad and he still can't get enough of this DVD.I showed this to my roommate in college who had never heard of YES and the rest folks is history.If you are a fan of YES,this DVD just isn't for collectors,it is a MUST-HAVE!You will lap this up in a heartbeat.I strongly urge you to buy this album,your money will be well spent.

And for people wondering if this DVD is also available in CD form,it is...well,sort of.The DVD I bought was a special 2-disc edition that included a CD of the music on it,but it only included Close to the Edge,Long Distance Runaround,Don't Go,and In the Presence Of.I really don't know why they didn't record the rest of the songs on CD as well.But that's the only way I know that you can find this concert on DVD.Of course you could rip the audio from the DVD but that's a whole different story.

For this DVD,I give this 4.5 stars.

Yes playing live with a real orchestra, that could be a real gem. But it could also be the ultimate disappointment as the band has already reached the status of legendary. So why bother about playing with an orchtestra with all the risks attached? This dvd gives a very clear answer to this question: they just liked it immensely! The concert was filmed in Amsterdam in front of an enormous enthusiastic audience who witnessed one of the most inspired and beautiful concerts Yes has ever given. A real legendary gig, with absolutely splendid orchestral arrangements in a breathtaking set of songs. Just imagine a gig opening with the 20+ 'Close to the edge' in which the harp cna be heard crystal clear during the very quiet end parts. Just imagine 'And you and I' played with the full forces of violins and cellos, giving this classic a treatment that brings it even over the level the song had already been given at the legendary live performance 'Yessongs'. And see the members of the orchestra (many beautiful girls, by the way!) swinging during the up-tempo parts of 'Starship trooper' or 'Gates of delirium'. But apart from the excellent song choice the band was just at its very best. Jon Anderson sings exceptionally well and is fortunately quite short in his announcing of the songs. He remains a strange guy but succeeds definitely in reaching out to the audience. Steve Howe is a bit weird too as the guy seems to prefer to play just on his own in a quite backyard. He still seems a little bit ambarrassed by the appreciation of the audience, although he deserves every bit of it. Chris Squire is the eyecatching member of the band as he wanders over the stage, jumping and dancing (!), grinning and amusing himself immensely. And playing his Rickenbacker as a beast, of course. Adam White seems to be in trance during the songs, playing like hell and thus laying a firm basis for the many breaks. They really show what a great band they are here. The concert is filmed flawlessly. The members of the band are of course prominently in the spotlights but their guest musician (Tom Siblin on keyboards) gets a fair amount of attention (and right so, he plays great) while the orchestra get their deal too, especially the females (...). The animation is quite irritating but it can be put off.

All in all, this is a real masterpice. In The Netherlands it can be bought for around $ 13 so there is no reason whatsoever to leave it in the stores. For anybody who loves symphonic rock this ia a real treat, simply a must-have!

All of the superlatives already given to this DVD are well deserved. Yes digs back into their glorious past and pulls out some of their biggest epics. Ritual was especially amazing. They played three new tracks off of the last album and they range from very good to excellent. They finished up with three shorter, more popular tracks to get the crowd up and give them even more to remember from a glorious evening. Basically, they had plenty of everything without sacrificing anything.

The Yes men (Anderson, Howe, Squire, White) were excellent and after 30 plus years, they were much better then I expected. The orchestra added shading and color to the sound. Keyboardist Tom Brislin was way more then solid. The sound was top notch and the video gave many looks of all of the parties in wonderful quality without being overly busy. If you wanted to nitpik, Steve Howe seemed like he just wanted to be left alone and did not interact with anyone, but that man can play. I've had the disk for a couple of months now and I have to say it is in the top handful of music DVD that I have ever seen and heard. It may be the top.

A strong 5 stars.

One of Yes's best live releases and better than any other "attempts" by other bands to tour with a symphony orchestra.

I think I speak for us all when I say that the real gems here are the epics. 'CTTE', 'Gates...' and specifically 'Ritual', work EXTREMELY well with the orchestra, sounding fuller and brighter than ever, yet you can still hear the band. The set list overall, seems to be perfect. Exactly perfect. For me anyway. Loads of great songs are there, all the classics, plus some rarely played material as well.

Temporary keyboard player Tom Brislin is faultless, blending the respectful note-for-note solos of Wakeman and Moraz with his own energetic styles. Alan, Chris and Steve have played better but are also very energetic, no complaints there. Jon is wonderful as usual, leading the songs with his angelic voice, and occassionally dabbling in incidental percussion, acoustic guitar and keyboards. The orchestra deliver everything a Yes song could ask for plus more, and even keep up in the frantic battle section of 'Gates...'. Amsterdam is well filmed and lit. It's colourful and clear with only a few annoying shots (during 'Don't Go' for example). And the sound seems to be well mixed.

Watch this in surround sound for the ultimate symphonic prog experience.

High class concert by Yes. One of the first I've ever seen.

Performance is perfect, there are no errors (only I sense that keyboards were changed, playing short tone lengths instead of long on Close to the Edge), instead of obvious necessity choice - replacement of Rick Wakeman (what could they do anyway). Combination of Yes Symphonic sounds and Symphonic Orchestra sounds is perfect and also, done without mistakes, even some people who were used to certain (studio) version of these songs will be surprised, maybe little bit disturbed by changes that had to been made because of added orchestral element. Especially Gates of Delirium sounds stunning, this song brings feelings and moods that hits very soul of mine.

Maybe also because of orchestra, songs sounds good, even the new ones (which are basically worse then classic era ones). Jon could still sing well at the moment, even his spoken parts (before/after songs) is unusual experience (I'm not used to listen speaking someone with voice like his), even as I said, singing is perfect. I note that Steve Howe looks particulary good here, something that is not so easy to achieve (his pictures used to scare me when I was younger). He also uses guitar with chopped neck at one time. I thought it's just hidden from point when camera is taking the picture, but nope, it's not here at all.

Chris Squire wears nice cloak. And except he reminds me Pendragon vocalist (with Richie Blackmore mustache), he does a perfect job. Tom Brislin isn't bad, but jumping and behaving as wild as Jordan Rudess (or Neal Morse) doesn't fit here at all (with all these calm, aged, yet skilled and still perfect gentlemen). All women orchestra (it seems like that, they're hiding men in darkness and out of camera eye most of the time) gets proper limelight, even women are more visible.

I'm stunned and even I would like to see my two other favourite songs (new and old respectively) "Homeworld" and "Yours Is No Disgrace"

5(-), SYMPHONIC Prog Rock masterpiece, I want Rick anyway.

This show is one of my favorites of all time and next to "90125"and his live version was my gateway to the Yes-when I saw it was on VHS!

Wonder's "Close to the Edge" (but is actually orchestrated the opening track "Give Love Each Day"from the album "Magnification") until the final happy with "Roundabout", there is a moment where I let me down. Everything about "Symphonic Live" is perfect.The band combine songs from her latest album "Magnification" with the old repertoire.The best moments are definitely in the three central epic "CTTE", "The Gates of Delirium" and "Ritual"(the furious percussion section is fantastic!). The orchestra is nothing short of amazing, it really gives the songs a special character, even in "Owner of a Lonely Heart, " which could not be left out, though Howe still hate it the guitar solo is played on keyboard by guest keyboardist Tony Brislin.

This is perhaps the best live recording of Yes.5 stars!

Yes have about 19 different concerts available on the market, from all different eras, with countless different line-ups and of differing quality. Yes Symphonic Live has the unique selling point of being performed live in conjunction with a Symphony Orchestra.

The sound and visuals are top notch (apart from some cheesy, but thankfully short animations) and there are no major complaints to be made about the camera work or editing. The sound is equally impressive, balancing your need to hear the band's performance with your desire to hear the Orchestra's addition well.

The actual performance is strong too, this concert stands on its own merits and is not worthwhile only because of the Orchestra's involvement. Howe, White, Squire and Anderson are on rare form and deliver classic material like "And You And I" and "Long Distance Runaround" with passion and precision.

The tracklisting too, is perfect for this type of event. The material concentrates on Yes's grander and more symphonic works, the band manage to play three of their longest compositions "Close to the Edge," "The Gates of Delirium," and "Ritual" all in the same concert three hour concert. The track listing comprises primarily of material from the band's classic Wakeman/Howe/Anderson period (from `The Yes Album,' until `Going For The One') although there are one or two songs from their post millennial, orchestral album `Magnification,' in addition to the 1980s smash hit "Owner Of A Lonely Heart," which is the sole Trevor Rabin composition in the set.

Despite the heavy leanings on Wakeman era material, Rick himself is absent from the band during this recording and the keyboards are handled by the talented Tom Brislin, who makes a more than capable replacement.

Many other bands release Orchestral concerts (Kansas, ELP, Ian Anderson, Deep Purple, Kiss, Metallica and Serj Tankian, to name a few) and they usually deliver something interesting, providing a new spin to the music and inspiring the original musician's to give it their all. This is no exception and could even be described as one of the best examples of this sort of collaboration. After all, their albums `Time And A Word' and `Magnification' have given Yes Orchestra experience before and their music is so frequently described ad grand or symphonic on its own merits.

Overall, I highly recommend this Blu Ray to a first time buyer, however if you already have the DVD it isn't really all that essential for Upgrading, sure the sound is marginally better and the picture is a higher resolution obviously, if that is enough then by all means get the Blu Ray version, otherwise don't pick it up if you are happy enough with your existing copy; Yes put in a brilliant performance, it looks and sounds good, they play The Gates Of Delirium and the Orchestra adds considerably to the experience, but all that applies to the DVD edition as well.

This Yes live DVD is an incredible visual experience. Every member is at the top of their game; White, Squire, Anderson, Howe are of course as masterful as usual, but the real bonus here is the symphony orchestra that enhances every track with a grandiose classical touch - the European Festival Orchestra. The orchestra amalgamate with Yes to produce some of the greatest live Yes material. Of particular note are the stellar versions of 'Close To The Edge' all 20 minutes of it, 'In The Presence Of', 'The Gates Of Delirium' clocking 23:30, and one of the best renditions of 'Starship Trooper' I have heard.

The concert DVD also boasts some soloing from Steve Howe which is always a treat. The wonderful setlist includes 'Magnification', 'And You And I', and a 28 minute version of Topographic's 'Ritual'. Of course stalwart classics are here such as classy 'I've Seen All Good People', a different version of 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart' and the magnificent 'Roundabout'.

The sound quality is excellent and it all wraps up beautifully with some stellar special features. The Dreamtime documentary is fantastic fun viewing and the bonus video of 'Don't Go' is a nice touch. The menus work well and are cool eye candy, but of course the actual show is the piece de resistance. This is one of the best live performances and I always look forward to watching it. A masterpiece concert and one of a kind for the Yes fanatic.

My definition of how I feel about this DVD is that I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't like this. There seems to be all the life and wisdom that a human being can attain summed up in these magnificent performances! It begins with a humble little overture that precedes the grand and timeless Close To The Edge. It begins with all the life force and inner energy that a recital can squeeze out. There are many versions here that I think are more beautiful than the originals, such as And You And I or Starship Trooper. It is impressive that after 30 years of the band's heyday they can still create these celestial interpretations. They all perform excellently, Jon Anderson's voice seems to get better with age!!