HOUSE OF YES: LIVE FROM THE HOUSE OF BLUES (DVD)

I have rarely seen real live of prog bands that's why whenever they release the live video (except video clips that I don't quite favor) I try my best to purchase it, including this performance by legendary prog band Yes. Filmed during their performance at the House Of Blues, Las Vegas, in 1999, the band features Steve Howe on guitar, Igor Khoroshev on keys, Jon Anderson on vocals (percussion and harp, too), Alan White on drums and percussion, Chris Squire on bass, and Billy Sherwood on guitar. I did not really expect a lot before seeing the DVD as Rick Wakeman was not featured. This proved to be a wrong perception as Igor Khoroshev is a great keyboardist and he can replace Rick in this performance. And, he does not over act during the show like what Tom Brislin did with Yessymphonic.

The Performance

I'm ready to be blamed as being too naïve saying that this is an excellent show with flawless delivery by the band. They did the gig very well. They seemed to delight in expanding the tracks here and there. The video camera seemed to shoot Steve Howe and Jon Anderson with a big proportion while actually I was expecting Igor to be shot larger as he contributed well with his keyboard skills. It does not mean that Howe and Anderson did not deserve the shot, but it's bit too much and we have known it that they appeared quite a big share of screens with other video shows as well. I would say, the new members Khoroshev and Sherwood were focused on the least.

The set list for this performance includes five tracks from The Ladder, plus a smattering of classics. As we know, Howe was uncomfortable playing Rabin's parts on their 80s albums, I was not surprised that Howe was absent for the encore of "Cinema" (from 90125). Goot to see him play on "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" and played great solo at the end. Sherwood, who then left the band, to play Rabin's parts. It's not due to I'm more inclined towards Howe but as a matter of fact the guitar works of Sherwood were not really obvious. I even thought crazy of crazy question: "Did he really play his guitar?".

Anderson seemed to enjoy the show, demonstrating his contacts with the audience. Squire and White looked happy to be there, White perhaps more so as he almost always had a smile on his face while his hands were busy with the sticks. Howe seemed focus on his performance. Sherwood did seem so attractive on stage as he might think that the band had good enough with one Howe guitar. Almost all solos were performed by Howe. Khoroshev seemed even more focused on his tasks than Howe, but as he was shot very got little by the cameramen. But his keyboard sounds can be heard clearly unlike Sherwood with his guitar.

The show starts off with their classic track "Yours Is No Disgrace", performed smoothly and energetically. A series of snap shots of Yes through the years appears, leading into the live performance. Those who've seen Yes live more than once might be in a better position to put this concert in context with their past performances (and other live Yes videos). The performance is very attractive. When my favorite track "Homeworld (The Ladder)" was performed, my screen was filled- up with digital spaceships into the background. It's a bit distracting for my viewing pleasure, actually. I'd rather, in any live video show, see the stage without any insertion of other films or acts because it disrupts my appreciation to the performance of the band. "Perpetual Change" is one of my favorites and the band played it well. But "Lightning Strike" is not the kind of song that I expect Yes would have ever created and played. But it's there in "The Ladder" album already - what can I say?

If I have to select the best of best cuts for the show is the performance for "Awaken" from Going For The One album. Two factors why I think this is best of best: first, it's a great track with powerful composition and not straight forward structure, it offers a lot of variations. Second, I wondered how Igor would play the keyboard solo during quiet passage where only keyboard and Jon's triangle fill the music. Wow! Igor did his job really well! I salute him for his coolness and speedy fingers punched at his keyboard. This part has always been my ultimate enjoyment of this song. After this track was performed brilliantly, I don't actually really care about how other tracks would be performed. It's a masterpiece song. It's a legend.

The Package

The sonic quality is excellent, all details can be heard clearly. Listeners may be able to take advantage of the video being recorded using 5.1 Digital Audio. The sound production is truly a balanced one where the mid-range is clear, the treble is transparent enough and the bass is at the right level. The only thing that I sometimes wonder was the guitar sound of Sherwood that I could only hear during "Cinema" but disappeared on the other tracks. Was it intentionally mixed thinly as the band used to perform with single player? I don't really know. On Igor, even though it's quite clear but I don't think it's the same sound level if Rick did play it.

Another feature of the DVD that I do enjoy is the bonus materals on Homeworld with remixed version. When I played at my player I did really enjoy the sonic quality especially when I played it loud.

Summary

Highly recommended DVD. Overall rating is 4 ½ out of 5 stars. The half-point to go for five star is basically attributable to song selection as some of tracks were not that the band should play. But, you might have different taste with me. Keep on proggin' .!

Progressively yours,

GW - Review #313

2.5 stars more acurately. 3/5 stars for hardcore YES fans. Not good, not great, merely decent.

Whilst starting the concert off with a competent version of 'Yours Is No Disgrace' I had high hopes for this show. Staged during the 2000 Tour at various House of Blues venues across the US for their recent 1999 album "The Ladder" this show had a lot of potential. I soon however came to my senses.

If I could describe this YES performance in a single word, it would be "rusty". YES appear bored, sound sometimes painful, and always seem 'past their prime'. Just check out Chris SQUIRE's antics, attire and triple-necked bass guitar in this concert, and try NOT to ridicule him. He is the epitome of 'uncool'.

Steve HOWE for all his guitar virtuosity, and consumate professionalism seems extremely detached from the crowd during his performances. Unsurprisingly, the small (1500+ person) crowd are made up primarily of middle-aged men, so maybe Steve just felt nervous. He appears to be singing on many tracks, yet can not actually be heard. For those wondering, yes Steve is just as homely as ever, but man can he play that guitar! :-)

Jon ANDERSON vocally is his normally proficient, and angelic self, but spends the whole time blessing the crowd with niceties all the while having his hands in a prayer stance; "this is beautiful", "life is wonderful", "we are all blessed"...blech...

Both Billy Sherwood and Igor Khoreshev look, and play, like the studio musicians that they are. Sherwood goofily, and Khoreshev cold and clinical on the keys. Where's WAKEMAN when you need him? For all his pomposity and capes at least he brought some life to the show! (And I'm not talking about a 250+ pound Chris SQUIRE lumbering around the stage).

As for the music itself, it's not entirely unmoving. There are a few (if only mildly inspiring versions of) classic gems here, namely 'Yours Is No Disgrace', 'And You and I', 'Your Move/I've Seen All Good People', 'Roundabout' and 'Awaken'. Add 'Cinema' and 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' if you consider "90125" to be "classic" YES.

For the most part YES 'plays it safe', performing mostly newer material (of which 'Homeworld' is actually the most intriguing, being the soundtrack for the video game of the same name), and only their most notable "hits" from the past (and very few at that). Both 'Time and a Word' and 'Ritual-Nous Sommes Du Soleil' get abbreviated to a short 15 second a capella version. YES do not challenge the crowd or the viewer though. We won't be seeing any 'Close To The Edge', "TFTO", 'Gates of Delirium' or 'Soundchaser' tonight my dearies...

For what it's worth Alan WHITE's performance is upbeat, for a 60 year old man that is. Sadly, there's no 'magic' here, only an old band going through the motions, trying to shake off the rust and seemingly stuck in a slow gear that they just can't shift out of.

A good, but not essential live DVD from prog giants YES. This album has its flaws (poor song selection, keyboards sounding too loud, and guitar sounding too low), but it still is an enjoyable DVD which contains the great epics 'yours is no disgrace' 'awaken' 'homeworld' 'and you and I' and 'Perpetual Change' played confidently and masterfully. My main complaint (besides poor sound mix) is that I have to hear again 'ive seen all good people' 'owner of a lonely heart' and the shortened roundabout...

PS : Wakeman unfortunately is not here. There is instead a young talented keyboardist that shouldn't disappoint most of you.

Decent DVD.. Yes' DVD and CD's from their performance at the HOB on the Ladder tour is a must for those who have even selectively enjoyed their more recent releases. It shows the band from the Ladder, playing many songs from that album live.

Igor is a treat to watch, here is the only official release with him playing live on video, it's interesting to watch his take on some of the classics, and I'll say other than a few odd moments he does a good job giving his perspective on the Wakeman solos without straying too far from the originals. He really is a great live performer. Jon is doing great with his ponytail, and the rest of the band is about average, but Howe definitely slowed down over the years. (He can still play everything perfectly, but that added grit he had in the 70's is gone)

The material is split about half new material and half classics, which is nice since Yes didn't really play much new stuff on their more recent tours. In total there are five tracks from The Ladder, and they really shine live, the sterile sound of the studio album is one thing that turns me off from it. The classics like Awaken are decent, but they are playing it safe and the sense of energy you get when watching Yessongs or the QPR DVD's isn't there.

Nice DVD, you can get it for about $10, worth it for the Ladder live.

When Rick Wakeman left YES (again!) in mid 1997 due to some health problems and some Management conflicts about a planned tour in the following months, the band, having worked with Billy Sherwood (as recording and mxing engineer) in some of the studio tracks and some of the mixing of the live tracks for the "Keys to Ascension" albums, and with a new management company and a new recording contract which demanded from them a new studio album "as soon as possible", they finally "forced" Billy Sherwood`s inclusion in the line-up, because he and Chris Squire have composed a lot of songs together for a planned duet album (which was released later under the "Conspiracy" title). Some of those songs were recorded and included in YES` 1997 studio album titled "Open Your Eyes", for which Sherwood played guitars and keyboards. Since Sherwood wasn`t a full time keyboard player, the band recruited (as a hired hand) Russian keyboard player Igor Khoroshev, being him recommended to Jon Anderson by one friend. Khoroshev appears on 3 tracks in the "Open Your Eyes" album, and he later played with them on tours. For the next album, "The Ladder" (1999) he was lsited as part of the line-up and also was included in the songwriting credits for the songs from that album. Of course, as a hired hand again, as YES were like expecting then Wakeman`s return (which happened until 2002, with him again leaving the band again for the planned 2008 tour).

Why I started this review with this? Well, because in this video is very clear that, at least for the Editor and the Director of this video, and maybe for the oldest members of the band too, the "stars of the show" are Anderson, Howe, Squire and White. Sherwood and Khoroshev seem to be treated just as hired hands (a bit strange since Sherwood was a real member of the band). The cameras most of the time are focused on Anderson, Howe, Squire and White, with few times focused on Sherwood, and less times on Khoroshev.This is one of the things that I don`t like from this video. One example of this is in the song "Awaken", in the keyboards solo section which includes a harp played by Anderson. The cameras are focused on Anderson most of the time, while Khoroshev is ignored most of the time despite that part of the song is clearly the part were the keyboards are the most important part of the song! Another thing is the sound mixing: Khoroshev`s keyboards and Sherwood`s guitar are mixed lower.

Sherwood`s role in the band was also not very clear, because his guitar parts are not very important, except in some songs from "The Ladder" album, which is clear that his guitar parts were important. His backing vocals are very good, sounding very well with Anderson`s and Squire`s vocals (Howe is silent in vocals most of the time). Khoroshev`s role was underrated, I think, because, in my opinion, he was one of the best keyboard players who played with the band, because he could play very well the songs which were originally played by different keyboard players in the old studio albums.

Before this video (and the 2 CD set form the same concert) were released, Sherwood left the band, and the band, later in th same year (2000), toured with Khoroshev in the "Masterworks" tour, after which he was fired due to "backstage bad behaviour".

In conclusion, I think that this video, while being recorded at a very good concert, is marred a bit by the Editing and the Direction, because Sherwood`s and Khoroshev`s roles are clearly underrated while the cameras are focused in the other members of the band while they should have been focused on Sherwood and Khoroshev while they played solo parts in their instruments. This video is very good in sound, and it is like a "Memory" of this now forgotten and underrated line-up of the band. I think that with Sherwood and Khoroshev the band could have played songs from the "Relayer" album which needed additional musicians.

One last comment: Anderson looks like being enjoying very much singing on stage with the band, and he also plays percussion and a bit on a keyboard while he is not singing. Squire and White look happy too. Howe looks "distant", concentrated in his own instruments without interacting very much with the other members of the band.

I have collected quite a few concert DVDs during the last few years and I think I have all the Yes ones that are officially available. This one is my favorite of all my concert DVDs! The fact that is was recorded in a smaller club venue, rather than in a large arena, made it possible to capture Yes magic on film! The sound quality is great; the picture quality is great; the band is great; the audience is great; the set list is great - everything simply works to the best! The fact that Chris Squire makes a small mistake on the opener Your's Is No Disgrace does not alter the fact that this is the best live version of that song I have ever heard! (and I've heard a few).

Your's Is No Disgrace kicks off the show with such an incredible power. The performance of Homeworld (The Ladder) is equally moving - so much emotion and so much power. Perpetual Change follows and it is simply riveting. Everyone seems to be in very high form while this show was recorded and even the other songs from the then new album The Ladder are interesting in the context of the other songs. Even Owner Of A Lonely Heart works fine here despite that the fact that I usually dislike that song.

And You And I is performed with such power and emotion that I never think they achived again (at least not on film). I think the audience are in complete extacy at the end of this song, I know I am anyway! They also perform Awaken and again I think this version of that song is the best I ever heard. The show ends on a high note with Roundabout and I usually am jumping up and down with happiness by that time.

Compared to recently released Yes DVDs such as Song From Tsongas, this one is far better in my opinion.

Essential viewing!

No surprises from the House of Blues

Until I watched this live DVD, I thought that Yes's normal / common live shows were, regarding quality and setlist, pretty much like in Yessongs and Symphonic Live, which are amazing live album and DVD, respectively. So, when I bought this live DVD I was expecting a show that was just as good as the ones I mentioned before, which turned out to be a mistake. Here in House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues you only get a regular setlist: the band play some of their classics that they play in every live release ever, like Starship Trooper (which surprisingly is not in this set list), Yours is no Disgrace, I've Seen all good People, Ritual, Awaken, Owner of the Lonely Heart and, last but not least, Roundabout, so there is nothing new in seeing them play the same old songs for the hundredth time live.

Besides the classics, there are some songs from the far-from-impressive The Ladder album, such as Homeworld (The Ladder), It Will Be A Good Day (The River), Lightning Strikes and The Messenger. Those songs, besides adding something new to the live performance, lack the quality of the classics, so, again, nothing really important here.

There is, finally, one last negative feature of this live performance by the progressive rock giant Yes: Jon Anderson's vocals are, somehow, harsh. I mean, it sounds like he has something in his throat that is making him hoarse. That is terrible for him, since his vocals are widely known for being sweet and smooth, and that completely destroys the mood of some songs.

Grade and Final Thoughts

This live DVD's rating reflect exactly what it's supposed to be: it is a good DVD, but it's far from being essential. I'm just glad I didn't spent much money buying this live performance by Yes.

This was the very first time I ever saw Yes. I was at a friend's home, spending the night, and this production was on television. I remember the flashy colors, the "white coats" (it turned out that was just Chris Squire), the strange musicianship, and none of the songs I knew from the radio. That's largely because this DVD is something of a promotion for their new album at the time, The Ladder. Squire is by far the most interesting person to watch- a blind man could see he was having a blast, full of energy, grins, and spins. I recommend this product to anybody who likes the song "Yours is No Disgrace," because I feel it is their best version of that song yet, by a long shot. The first track from the new album, "Homeworld: The Ladder" is a faithful rendition in almost every respect. "Lightning Strikes" is an even peppier version, and the other tracks are just as fun, if not at least as good as the studio versions. Surprisingly, The Yes Album could have been the featured album of the show also, since three of the six tracks are played here (noticeably absent is "Starship Trooper"). Steve Howe's guitar work throughout the program is exceptionally good, but nowhere better than on pieces like "Yours is No Disgrace" and "Perpetual Change." I was rather disappointed seeing "Time and a Word" and more disappointingly, "Ritual," as titles on the DVD, seeing as how neither of those great songs exist in full- both are paltry excepts, which admittedly work perfectly well in the context of the show, but this lover of both was utterly crestfallen. "Awaken" is as majestic as ever, and I felt the direction and filming during that song was at its peak, from the revelation of Squire's three-necked bass guitar, Howe's headless electric, and the confetti falling from some ethereal place. Alan White, as usual, shows what a consistent and powerful asset he is to Yes. "Cinema" makes an appearance on this DVD, serving as the introduction to the encore, which features two classic tracks from two different periods, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and the obligatory "Roundabout." This is a show featuring my second favorite Yes keyboardist, Igor Khoroshev, so that is certainly a huge consolation. I do wonder why Billy Sherwood was playing so high up on the neck of an electric twelve string for much of the show, though.

The band has been EXTREMELY (too much) prolific with their live albums/DVD lately (I mean the last ten years or so). This was the supporting tour of their last good album as far as I'm concerned: "The Ladder".

I saw this tour, and it is of course always another experience while you SEE these men on stage than only looking at them on a DVD. My favourite moment is probably the great "Perpetual Change". It has always been a fave of mine, and it was the first time I could experienced it live, in front of my eyes. A rather moving moment of my life. A glorious rendition of this fabulous track.

So, now: what's less positive about this DVD? Well, maybe too many songs from "The Ladder" after all. As well as emasculated versions of "Time And A Word" and "Ritual" which I also felt while attending. To reduce these songs to a mere sixty seconds is just a crime.

Of course, to see these men playing such fabulous songs as "Yours is no Disgrace", "Perpetual Change", "And You, And I", "Awaken" and "Roundabout" is always fabulous and a great musical experience. But at the end of the day it is only half of the show.

The most annoying part of the show is with no doubt the "actions" form Jon. I praise him as a singer, but I can't stand him with his "love" stuff and all his preaching gestures. Dear old Carlos (Santana) has the same disease.

In all, I would say that the audio only version of this concert is maybe a better buy than this video unless you have never seen the band on stage (which is fortunately not my case, five times so far).

Three stars. "Awaken" is great.

Surely not Yes' best DVD but hey, these are still Yes, with the good production they have got us used to in their 21st century DVDs and with tracks like Awaken, And You And I, Perpetual Change etc I can not give this less than 4 stars.

Actually what for some may be the weak point of this DVD is the interesting point for me: the line-up and track list. We have already many Yes videos with the classic line-up and classic tracks again and again, and here we have the chance to see them during their short period with Igor Khoroshev at the keys and Billy Sherwood as backing guitar in the tour promoting The Ladder, so we get to see a different line-up and some different songs. While neither the new members nor the new tracks are terrific, they mean some novelty compared to other videos where we just see the same we have already seen before. Incidentally I saw this tour in Barcelona, Spain so the DVD is always a nice way of refreshing those memories.

Yours Is No Disgrace is always a great track to kick the show off, Jon supports with some percussions and simple keyboards. Chris looked funny with his huge presence, wearing white bermuda pants, boots and a white coat, but he seems to have genuine fun. Igor wears a cheap-looking white jacket and plays in a cold clinical way, for sure he did not have the charisma required for this band, but technically he met all the requirements, if you close your eyes you will not miss Rick.

Jon's voice is a bit rough in this show and he presents us with his typical love and peace talking and gestures but he seems to be in good mood too. Alan as usual having a good time at the drums. Steve is the one who looks a bit more detached from the show, concentrating on his guitar playing which is great as usual. Billy Sherwood is always like in the background, his guitar (for a big part a 12-string electric) is low in the mix but he gives a helping hand mostly in tracks where Howe plays acoustic or nylon such as Lightning Stikes or the reggae-influenced The Messenger. The camera edit clearly says that Igor and Billy were considered as 'hired musicians', they get much less exposure than the long time members.

Time And A Word and Nous Sommes Du Solei are not the actual songs, just a few bars of vocals, too bad.

Among the tracks from The Ladder, Homeworld was really good, with a calm ending section reminding of ABWH, and It Will Be A Good Day is a good crossover song too, but Lightning Strikes, The Messenger (with some reggae parts inspired by Bob Marley) and Face To Face were rather weak.

The highlight is undoubtedly Awaken where Igor shows that he could play (but not act) as good as Wakeman, and other great classics such as Perpetual Change, And You And I and I've Seen All Good People make up for a good show.

For the encore they play Cinema without Howe, Sherwood takes the lead but in my opinion he lacks the style of Rabin in his best days, the version in 9012 Live is better, and then already with Howe back they play Owner Of A Lonely Heart although as usual you can feel that Steve does not like playing this song even if he plays a second solo after the main one is played by Sherwood. The show ends with Roundabout where as curiosity we see Igor contributing some percussion with his left hand in the chorus section while playing the keys with his right hand, I don't remember Rick doing that.

A bit of a mixed bag but for once it allows you to see a different face of Yes.