THE WORD IS LIVE

Those of us who have followed Yes for a number of years have sampled a wide variety of their live recordings. In recent years, I have come to dread the sight of a new roger dean cover in the "Y" rack at the record store, wincing at the memory of the disappointments, the new albums that I always hope will rekindle the band's glory days, the live sets that endlessly rehash the old classics with modern instruments and production techniques that always seem to find a way of stomping the magic out of Yes.

I find myself returning again and again to "Yessongs," that rich and mysterious document of other-worldly music-making, and realize that I should be grateful and not fault them for releasing the best live album ever at the beginning of their career.

Given that the best is already available, what the discriminating fan wants is a taste of the Yes they don't know yet. This set succeeds marvellously, with a sampling of all kinds of things that other live releases have never covered, from the Yes Album era, to songs played live but never recorded, to SOUND CHASER!!! Even the inclusion of pieces from the Trevor Horn stint feel very much at home in this box of curiosities.

This would not be for the newcomer, but "The Word is Live" is just the medicine for a jaded and bitter Yes fan wanting to be surprised again.