THE LOST BROADCASTS

A compilation of TV appearances by YES done between 1969 and 1971 and released on the DVD format in 2009. Mostly of historical interest, but they show how good as a band was YES in their early years and they also show them having a good time in front of the TV cameras without the presence of an audience.

The original line-up of the band (Jon Anderson, Peter Banks, Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye and Chris Squire) appears on the next songs:

"No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" (from "Beat Club" in Germany, 1969): a very good version of this song, a bit of which previously appeared briefly in the "Yesyears" documentary. Despite having some mixing problems (particularly with Peter Banks`guitar) this song is played live and without the orchestral arrangements which were used in their "Time and a Word" album. I like this song more without the orchestral arrangements .

"Looking Around" (from "Beat Club", 1969): also from the same show, they play a fast version of this very good song from their first album titled "Yes". One of my favourite songs from their early years.

"Survival": (from "Beat Club", 1969): the only live version of this song (also one of my favourites from their early years) that I have listened to until now, but it is a bit marred by the fast playing and by Bruford`s changed drums playing pattern.

All the previous videos were filmed in Black and White. The rest were filmed in Colour.

"Time And A Word " (Belgian TV,1970): the band doing a playback to the studio version of this song.

The "The Yes Album" line-up (Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye and Chris Squire) appears in the next songs (all from "Beat Club" in Germany, in 1971):

"Yours Is No Disgrace": a good live version of this song with Jon Anderson playing the Moog parts (well, it looks and sounds like a Moog keyboard anyway ) and with the use of some "psychedelic" visual effects. A bit of this live version also previously appeared briefly in the "Yesyears" documentary, the same as one of the "All Good People" takes.

"All Good People" (Takes 1, 2 and 3): three different takes of the "All Good People" part of the "I`ve Seen All Good People" song (without the "Your Move" part) played almost in the same way but with different camera angles and "psychedelic" visual effects.

All these live performances (with the exception of the playback of "Time and a Word") show the band playing very well in general, with a lot of energy. A very good compilation DVD from their early years.

The Lost Broadcasts offers a historical look at early Yes. All but one of the performances are for the German program The Beat Club, the exception being "Time and a Word." It's a treat to be able to hear Yes' Ritchie Havens cover in its unadulterated form, with no orchestra swirling about the rock. Alas, Peter Banks' guitar is buried in the mix. Jon Anderson shows that, even in 1969, his between-song banter was rather cheesy and sometimes embarrassing.

"Survival" is my favorite song from the Peter Banks-era Yes, one I wish would have been performed live with Yes' more modern sound. It sounds like Chris Squire flubs the introduction a bit, after which Tony Kaye offers an unexpected organ solo. It was interesting to see how the band would "fade" into the quiet guitar that introduces the first verse; I was impressed to hear them throttle back into a quiet mist to allow Banks to emerge with his halcyon strumming. Kaye treats us to more soulful psychedelic playing. However, the vocals all around are pitchy, and Anderson actually misses a beat during the second refrain. I found myself paying more attention to Squire's groovy jamming than I did to the vocals anyway. Watching Bill Bruford is amusing, as his expressions alternate abruptly between opiate and tonic.

When "Time and a Word" arrives, so does the color, but the "live" element departs momentarily. The viewer may note immediately that no one- not even Anderson- is playing the acoustic guitar clearly heard, and later, a spectral orchestra materializes. That's because this is merely the band pantomiming to the studio version of the song.

"Yours is No Disgrace" is visually upsetting, with pink and yellow seizure-inducing flashes cut with a rotating head evoking the cover art of The Yes Album, worse even than the "psychedelic" interjections that make Keys to Ascension almost unwatchable. Speaking of strange visuals, what is that furry thing that crawled on Kaye's face? The sound is raw, and the synthesizer in front of Anderson doesn't help matters. The final "lost broadcasts" consist of three takes of "I've Seen All Good People," with "Your Move" out of the picture. The third is the finest, as the band is visible the entire time.