HOUSE OF YES: LIVE FROM HOUSE OF BLUES

The maturity of this immortal band is reaching the top once again,despite of a new different line-up, as long as you stand listening continually to their classics at least,but with the same emotion and also in the next years I hope!! Of course I think of Rick Wakeman, replaced by Igor Khoroshev, and of Alan White in the place of Bill Bruford as well (like in their recent following "Magnification Tour" with an orchestra, except on the keyboardist,an important role which is not represented by Khoroshev anymore) and that's such a pity, but it never minds...they perform a pretty good job here,especially in their recent repertoire regarding the period of "The Ladder"; while Bill Sherwood (already founder of World Trade) is becoming a dignified rhythmical guitarist at the end, well conscious of his role during a few guitar solos, like that one of "Cinema" and supporting Steve Howe in a remarkable manner!! Instead Chris Squire is still able to create the magical atmosphere of the early albums and clever also in the chorus section concerning "Your Move/I've seen All Good People" from "The Yes Album"...his role as a bass player is always important, even though this time he doesn't exaggerate his ability at his harmonic passages. Besides Jon Anderson is in a "good shape" and almost at his top form, despite of choosing to point his recent production out in a diverse light, in comparison to their last "Magnification Tour" (within this latter excellent albums like "Relayer" and "Close to the edge" were the main part of their live repertoire). Moreover Steve Howe is becoming an old guitarist nowadays,but he has always got the same talent and enthusiasm of the early days with Yes, and I think that's enough...this album is recommended, although the line-up and the choice of the songs is not perfect yet: it never minds anyway!!

This is a very good live album, which includes songs from the "classic" albums ("The YES album", "Fragile", "Close to the Edge"), one of the "Pop Rock" albums ("Cinema" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart"), two very little versions of two old songs, played by Anderson/Khoroshev ("Time and a word" and "Ritual-Nous Sommes du soleil"), one song from "Going for the one" ("Awaken"), plus 5 songs from the 1999 album "The Ladder", all recorded live in October 31, 1999, in "The House of Blues",in Las Vegas. The recording is good, but the keyboards are mixed lower than the rest of the instruments. All the songs from "The Ladder" sound better played live, particularly "It Will be a good day", which has an extended guitar solo by Howe at the end of the song. As I went to see YES playing in concert in my city in late September 1999, and as I had read in the Internet that they played "Awaken" in their previous South American concerts in that tour, I expected to hear "Awaken" played here in concert, but they played "Close to the Edge" instead (which is also announced by a sticker in the cover as being included in this album, but it is not true). So, the main reason to buy this album was to hear "Awaken" played by this line-up (apart from "It will be a good day", a song I like a lot). Igor Khoroshev does a very good job in "Awaken", but also in all the other songs, showing that he could play songs from any period of YES sounding very good. Billy Sherwood was mainly a rhythm guitarist, sometimes playing the same notes as Squire, but he also plays lead guitar , playing Rabin`s solo in "Cinema" and "Owner of a lonely heart" (with also a guitar solo by Howe at the end of "Owner..."), and also shares guitar solos with Howe in "The Messenger". The credits say that all 6 musicians of the band sang, so the vocals are "strong". This concert was also released in D.V.D. and V.H.S. videos (none of which I have seen yet). This album brings me very good memories of seeing YES live in 1999, as they played almost the same songs included in this album.

Yesshowssongs

Yes fans cannot complain about a lack of live albums from the band. Virtually every tour, certainly in recent years, has been captured either on CD or DVD (or both!). While this will generate additional income for the band, and perhaps keep the bootleggers at bay, it's doubtful whether all of this live output constitutes "essential" purchases.

For me, the main attraction of live Yes albums is to savour the renewed interpretations they come up with of their older material. "Yessongs" had the extended "Yours is no disgrace", "Yesshows" had a mammoth "Ritual" and so on. "Live from the house of blues" does not really have much to offer in this respect. "Yours is no disgrace" is certainly once again elongated, and some of the other tracks are slightly modified, but while the music is of course outstanding, there's little to point to as making this album unique.

With "The ladder" being the current album at the time, a number of tracks from that album are included. "The ladder" was a credible album but I suspect none of the tracks will ever become live "classics" by the band. This will therefore probably be the only opportunity to hear them as they were performed live. That in itself is hardly enough to set this album apart.

It is good to see tracks such as "Perpetual change" getting a dusting down, and Igor Khoroshev's keyboard work on this track is particularly notable. I don't believe Igor, who was one of those rare "fans who got to play with the band", ever actually joined Yes as a full member. He is however a highly competent keyboard player, who appears to have adopted Rick Wakeman's style of playing, and thus fits in perfectly.

Don't get me wrong, if you enjoy hearing the music of Yes performed live, this is a highly enjoyable album. The quality of the performance and the music is as would be expected of Yes, and the recording is powerful and clear. Just don't expect to hear anything you haven't heard already.

Having had the privilege of seeing the band play this set live during the European leg of this tour, "Live from the House of Blues" does serve as a good reminder of that performance. A DVD of the same title is also available, and I would recommend that as a better alternative, providing as it does the complete experience.

This is a good live album from a band that usually releases great live material. This doesn't quite live up to the Yessongs/Yesshows/Keys to Ascension standard in quality, but it is still a worthwhile purchase for the following reasons.

1. They played a fair amount of new material (at the time) from The Ladder on this album. Most of it comes off fairly well too, especially It Will Be a Good Day, Face to Face, and above all, The Messenger. The Messenger sounds brilliant. After hearing it on this album, it wouldn't surprise me if they brought it back in later tours (something almost unheard of for any song released on an album after 90125.)

2. Igor Khoroshev. I realy like what Igor does on this album. If I can't have Rick, give me Igor as his replacement. Not only does he do well on songs off the Ladder that showcase the keys, he also does a fine job on the back material, especially Perpetual Change. And the two very short Anderson/Khoroshev pieces (snippets of Time and a Word and Ritual) make me sad that the planned Anderson/Khoroshev project has been cancelled.

3. A generally good selection of songs from the back catalog. Perpetual Change is the gem here simply because they have not done this one very often, but Awaken and And You and I and Your Move/All Good People come off pretty well too.

Here are the main reasons this album isn't quite up to the Yessongs/Yesshows/Keys to Ascension standard.

1. On several of the songs, the band just doesn't seem to rise above it's material. That's what made Yessongs and Keys To Ascension so special. Yes actually played live versions of songs on those albums that had more energy and interest than the studio recordings. This album is lacking in songs like that.

2. Owner of a Lonely Heart. OMG. Steve should never play this song again. For that matter, Billy Sherwood probably should hang this one up too. Things don't get good until they reach the extended ending where Steve can play his own way. The other 90125 track, Cinema comes off OK, although White's backbeat cymbals are far more distracting here than on the original.

3. The back catalog songs. These are OK, but if you are a Yes fan, you have better live versions of these songs on other releases (excepting the two unique short Anderson/Khoroshev snippets.)

If you really want to venture with another line-up of Yes performing some of their classic stuffs, this live CD is worth your spending. Recorded 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. My reason to purchase the CD was clear: I want to hear classic stuffs and some new ones performed by new line up with new digital recording technology. Igor Khoroshev is a great keyboardist and he can replace Rick in this performance.

The set list for this performance includes five tracks from The Ladder, plus a smattering of classics. The show starts off with their classic track "Yours Is No Disgrace", performed smoothly and energetically. The performance is very attractive. When my favorite track "Homeworld (The Ladder)" is performed, I'm really happy as the song has been delivered flawlessly. "Perpetual Change" is one of my favorites and the band played it well. If I have to select the best of best cut for the live CD 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 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.

It's an excellent addition to any prog music collection especially if you love Yes. Keep on proggin' ..!

I saw this tour in February 2000 in Brussels. This was my first YesConcert since 1977 (in Antwerp during their "Going For The One" tour). I had completely disconnected from Yes for about twenty years when I reconstructed my YesCatalogue. Since then, I saw them three times and discovered their in-between albums (and I could figure out that I did not miss too much - to say the least). This was the supporting tour from "The Ladder" which was a good surprise. This double CD was recorded on the Halloween night in Las Vegas, 1999.

By the time of release (September 2000), Sherwood had left the band. Five tracks from the tour come out of this record, which indicates that the band understood that they had produced some good studio work and that they were willing to stand for it during their live representations. Most of them sound really good and are well chosen (although "Lightning Strikes" is not really the type of track you expect from Yes since like Jon says while he introduced the song " It is samba oriented") !

As usual the concert started with "Firebird" which is not represented here. Instead we get immediately "Yours" : this version is a solid and rocking rendition (more than the original). Steve is absolutely fantastic in his rageous and devastating guitar solo : a great moment and a bloody good opener for a concert. There are also two excerpts for "Time and A Word" and "Ritual" : less than one minute. During the concert, I did not quite understand this and I still don't while I listen to this CD. What's the use of this ?

"Homeworld" sounds great and is on par with most of the "old" songs represented here (except "Awaken" of course). I was quite happy to listen to "Perpetual Change" : this track has not been played live that much and has always been one of my fave. This version is closer to the original than on YesSongs (no drum solo, slower tempo). Steve is really great in this track. I am less positive for the version of "&Y&I" which sounds a bit heavier and slower than usual (during some parts, but faster for others which is quite annoying - at least for me). Less emotions as well.

"It Will Be A Good Day" is another pleasant song from "The Ladder". More rythm and harder attack from the band (drums & guitar) than in studio. Good live version, really. "Face To Face" was another good song from "The Ladder" (IMO, they shouldn't have skipped "New Language" which is my second fave from the album).

The highlight of disc two is of course "Awaken" from GFTO. Khoroshev's ability to render a true YesClassic is impressive. He was a YesFan before he joined the band and the period he preferred was Rick's one); so the influence is obvious. He is really gifted but less pompous and demonstrative than Rick (specially during live shows). In one word : sobriety and simplicity. This version is almost perfect and I remember that there was a lot of emotion during the concert (since it will be the only epic during this tour). Great time.

The "I've Seen" part of the dual song with "Your Move" has never been my cup of tea but it was a nice and strong closing number. The encores start with two songs from "90125" : the strong (but short) "Cinema", their mega hit "Owner" and as for most of their shows since a very long time, it ends with "Roudabout". What else can an old fan request ? Not much, I guess. The end of the song for this particular concert will end with a bluesy section dedicated to "The House Of Blues".

A quite rocking end for this concert, to leave the fans rather satisfied I remember. "Hearts" will be played almost throughout the tour but is not available here. There will also be "Mood For A Day", and / or "Clap" played during the European tour. The sound of this live album is not as good as on "Keys" (their greatest live album all time IMO) but still quite decent. Four stars.

Bluesy

Yes have released many live albums during their times, some of them regarded as the highest live achievements by progressive bands such as the incredibly acclaimed Yesshows. This is not Yesshows, but it still makes for a satisfying package. This particular live album was released in 2000 after the release of their 1999 album The Ladder which met with both praise and criticism. This show, as the name would suggest, took place in The House Of Blues, a good venue and somewhat of a ''go to'' place as is, say, Montreux, and Yes even pays tribute to it at the tail end of the concert by throwing out a house of Blues jam.

The track listing here is pretty good. We have a mix of tunes throughout Yes's career including classics like (a 13 minute version of) Yours Is No Disgrace, Perpetual Change, And You And I, I've Seen All Good People, the obligatory Roundabout and the excellently performed (full version of) Awaken. There's also a couple of tunes for the people more in touch with the Rabin era of the band including and extended version of the hit single Owner Of A Lonely Heart and the superb instrumental (even if you don't like 90125 this can't be denied) Cinema. There's also very short snippets of some of the band's more controversial (although in the prog community, cherished works like Time And A Word and Ritual. Other than that a large portion of the double disc is taken care of by material from The Ladder which is actually a nice addition considering the time of release of the album. What is a shame is that a lot of Yes's better material from their later career has been overlooked. There's no sign of material from the studio tracks of either Keys To Ascension album, nor any of the better material from the Talk album.

Still, what's presented is done in a great way. The band still clearly knows what they're doing as they shred through the songs and extend them sometimes by several minutes. Jon sometimes stops for a moment to talk to the audience to explain the inspiration of a piece or simply thanks everyone for being there. It's actually quite nice to hear the front man talking to the audience since it's something a lot of bands don't always do.

All in all a very good live album that's simply one of the man to pick from when it comes to Yes. Fans will want to make sure they have this album and anyone who doesn't love the band already could probably miss out on this one since it won't turn them into believers. 3.5 stars! A very good live offering from a very good live band - but if you're looking for the essential Yes albums, this isn't one of them. Other live albums from the band closer to their classic period capture the band better than this one, but this one is quite worth the time and won't let down.

When a band has been around as long as Yes, we should excuse them for releasing an album after every tour. Especially since the line seems to change for every tour. On this one, Rick Wakeman has once again opted out, and keyboardist/Yes fan Igor Khoroshev is in. While his keyboard patch selection is not as dynamic as Wakeman's, his performance on the classics is certainly up to par.

The live versions of songs from "The Ladder" are an improvement over the recordings on the good but not great studio album. I particularly like the prog-reggae of The Messenger. While the studio version is somewhat flat to me, this recording is quite vibrant.

The classic songs are mostly workmanlike, but Khoroshev's keyboards are mixed a bit too far down most of the time. Squire's bass seems to have more punch than usual. This may be because Billy Sherwood is often doubling the bass lines on guitar. Highlights are an extended version of Yours Is No Disgrace, a nice version of Awaken, and Owner Of A Lonely Heart, where the band stretches out the jam at the end.

These days, you can probably buy a copy of Yes Live On Order In Anytown Theatre, there are that many live Yes album releases, audio and visual. I am guilty of owning a fair few of them, but I have to say that this is one of my particular favourites.

Recorded at the legendary House Of Blues, this is from The Ladder tour, and is virtually note for note from the gig I saw in Cardiff, Wales, and this was easily one of the finest shows I saw the band on.

The major reason? Well, I thought The Ladder was a fine, excellent release, the sound of a band still forcefully relevant over 30 years since their formation, and well before they could be accused of needing incarceration in the nearest retirement home. In fact, I rather regret that this particular version of the band were so short lived, because at the heart of this is the incredible performance by one Igor Khuroshev, the Russian born keyboardist brought into the band by Anderson (they allegedly recorded an album together which never saw the light of day) following one of Wakeman's by now regular strops and exits, and what an addition he was, too. Sorry, but listening to Awaken, and Homeworld, in particular, this only goes to show that this man was vastly superior to anything Geoff Downes could possibly bring to Yes.

The way in which Perpetual Change is hammered out, and jammed, takes one back to those halcyon days of the 1970's, when this great band had so much to say to the world musically.

The production is crystal clear. The band sound like they are genuinely enjoying every single second of performing (just witness Squire harmonising and thumping out that bass and White crashing away as if his very life depended upon it, the sound of prog's greatest ever rhythm section), and all of the new material comes over very well indeed.

A gem of a live album, and very highly recommended. This is not merely a "greatest hits live" recording, but the chronicle of a genuine tour promoting very strong new material, and all sit together extremely nicely.