| Author | Message | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 934 Registered: 9-2003 |
I just got the "other" $6 DVD from DeepDiscount DVD.com (i.e., "ELP Live At The Royal Albert Hall"...see my "review" here in the "misc" threadsection): it's the "Yes: Keys To Ascension" disc. It was recorded in '96 at the Freemont Theatre in S.L.O. CA, and features the "classic" Yes line-up of Howe, Squire, Anderson, White, and yes, Wakeman! The performance is sublime, the sound is excellent, and the vid quality is decent. There's a bunch of artsy-fartsy cheapo video effects, editing, and stylistic nonsense, but for $6 beans, I couldn't go wrong. As a bonus, the band looks much less banged-up as this was nearly ten years past, LOL! It was originally released in 2000, but I don't know if that was VHS, LD, or DVD. It appears this is a "new" release on DVD, as I pre-ordered it, but I don't know if that means this is an initial or re-issued DVD release. It's got the entire "Close to the Edge" album, Starship Troopers, Roundabout, Going For the One/Turn of the Century/Awaken (from the "Going For the One" LP), Time And A Word, America and others. It's a good couple of hours worth of great tunes, so there it is. Enjoy! Kevin | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2186 Registered: 5-2002 |
The reviews for this DVD on Amazon are all over the board. | ||
| darkstar01
Junior Username: darkstar01 Post Number: 14 Registered: 6-2005 |
No Bruford? Wasn't he the original drummer? | ||
| chuckc
Junior Username: chuckc Post Number: 13 Registered: 7-2004 |
Bruford left after the "Close to the Edge" album. | ||
| the_mule
Senior Member Username: the_mule Post Number: 543 Registered: 1-2004 |
Apparently this DVD has been around in Europe for a longer time, because I own it at least a year, but it is indeed splendid. I can also recommend 'Live at the House of Yes' with that hugely talented young Russian keyboard player (I unfortunately forgot his name) replacing Rick Wakeman... Wilfred | ||
| valvil
Moderator Username: valvil Post Number: 739 Registered: 7-2002 |
I've had that DVD for about a year too, got it here in the US. Good one. Those guys still rock. Valentino | ||
| jacko
Advanced Member Username: jacko Post Number: 275 Registered: 10-2002 |
I've had the Keys DVD for at least 5 years so I'm really surprised it's taken so long to come out in the US. See if you can get the Symphonic Live DVD. Apart from being one of the best performances I've been in the last ten years, the european youth orchestra (i think) look to be having a fantastic time and are really digging the music, especially the oboe and clarinet players. Wilfred, it was Igor Koroshev (sp?) replaced by Tom Brislin for the symphonic tour. Graeme | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 935 Registered: 9-2003 |
Graeme: I think you're close enough on the spelling of Igor's last name, LOL! I saw him during the "Symphonic Yes" tour in NJ, in Sept. '01, right after the WTC terrorist attack. It was an excellent show, despite the somber mood of the crowd. I own the Symphonic DVD and it is excellent...too bad it wasn't with Wakeman (no disrespect to Tom intended). As far as the Amazon.com reviews of this disc go, I stand by my assessment. The vid production leaves much to be desired, but the performance and sound are right on. Add the ridiculously low price I paid for this DVD and we have a winner, LOL! Hell, even bad Yes is better than 99% of the sheissedreck being produced today. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 936 Registered: 9-2003 |
Question: Does anybody know if that documentary(?) of Yes that came out around the time of the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Yes "Union" albums is available on DVD. That's the one where they had a tour and combined old/new Yes into one group for a performance. It was Bruford and White on drums, Howe and Trevor Rabin on guitar(s), Wakeman and Tony Kaye on Keys, yadda, yadda. Anybody know what the H*ll I'm talking about here, or did I dream it up? I saw it on "Pay Per View" ca. the early-90's. I'd love to get that for myself. | ||
| jacko
Advanced Member Username: jacko Post Number: 277 Registered: 10-2002 |
It was 'YesYears' and is available on dvd. Play.com have it in region 2 http://www.play.com/play247.asp?page=title&r=R2M&title=111594&p=25&g=25&pa=sr but i don't know if it's available in the US on region1. Graeme | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 938 Registered: 9-2003 |
Is that on "Yes Years"? Are you sure? I have the CD box set (I bought it when it came out). My ex-wife bought me the VHS companion vid not long thereafter, but I haven't seen it in many years. I had almost forgotten about that vid. | ||
| jacko
Advanced Member Username: jacko Post Number: 278 Registered: 10-2002 |
Yes,I'm sure. I have it on VHS aswell. Over 2 hours of interviews and archive footage from inception to 1991. Wakeman's reasons for leaving the band are particularly insightful and Brufords snide comments (possibly tongue in cheek, who knows?) show a whole different side to Jon 'peace and love' anderson. graeme | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 941 Registered: 9-2003 |
Yes, I do recall that Bill was particularly "frank" about his assessments of the band and his bandmates. He did come across as being "too good" for their type of music. He left for King Crimson after "Close To The Edge" stating that he didn't wanna do a "CTTE II". Unfortunately, as good as they were, anything he did with King Crimson wasn't as good as what he did with YES IMHO. | ||
| 88persuader
Intermediate Member Username: 88persuader Post Number: 141 Registered: 5-2004 |
King Crimson and Yes?? You can't compair them. Generally Yes is spacy and positive and Crimson is intense and DARK. From what I read in a Modern Drummer years ago in a Bruford interview the main reason he left Yes was he didn't want to work with Chris Squire anymore. He more or less said Chris was acting like a STAR sometimes showing up 5 hours late for scheduled recording days and sometimes not at all during the Close to the Edge sessions. As far as what isn't "as good as" that's really a personal preference. I LOVE Yes but honestly I feel that King Crimson is much more to my liking. More intense, more polyrythms, more original. And lets not forget UK and the Bill Bruford band with Jeff Berlin on bass. Talk about an amazing band and amazing bass player!!!! BUT again it's all a matter of taste. To each their own. Oh and I think ALL musicians put their foot in there mouths at times. I remember an interview with Jon Andreson where he made reference to Yes talking about the one album they putout without him. (I forget the title but it was an AWESOME album.) And he said it was a good album but more or less said it didn't sell because without him Yes is nothing. (Not a quote but what "I" got from his statement) In a way he's right, he's Yes's VOICE and heart ... but it still made him sound a little like a jerk. Oh one other thing ... I have Yes's Keys to Ascension and although i enjoy it one thing bothers me. The music is OFTEN out of sinc with the video ... that really bugs me. Yes at "The house of YES" is much better ... in "MY" opinion. It's honest to god live with no special effects and the sound and video are hard wired together. NOW they need to get Chris Squire to play an Alembic! :-) | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 943 Registered: 9-2003 |
I like King Crimson, and the majority of Prog. Rock, myself. I just don't feel that any of their stuff (excepting "In The Court Of the Crimson King", which Bruford didn't play on) lends itself to repeat listening like Yes's stuff does, IMHO. That is to say, I don't find myself humming Crimson tunes like I do Yes's stuff. Like you said: it's just a matter of personal taste and no reflection on anyone else's taste or preferrences. I personally find that most of the British "Art Rockers", including Yes and Crimson members, do tend to be pompous a**es at least some of the time. Hell, I guess if I could compose and play like those guys, I'd probably be arrogant as well, LOL! I think the best quote from Jon Anderson came during an interview that I remember as being on the "Yes Years" video...he stated that in response to a music critic that had derided the band in a written review saying something on the order of "What's next? Yes sets the Bible to music?" to which he replied "I'll show you, Sucker!" and proceeded to write the ponderous "Tales From Topographic Earth", LOL! (Message edited by kmh364 on August 12, 2005) | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 945 Registered: 9-2003 |
As far as getting Squire to play an Alembic...I can't understand why he doesn't. He'll play a Lakland "parts bass" along with his ubiquitous Ric. Maybe someone should let him take a whirl on their Alembic? I'm betting he'd like the like the midrange punch of a set-neck Alembic, like the "EMW" Special. Anyone who knows Chris can send him to me and I'll let him try my Custom Orion, LOL! | ||
| gare
Advanced Member Username: gare Post Number: 236 Registered: 11-2003 |
Chris can stop by my house too and try my Excel ;-) Of course he will have to tolerate my 'hey, how'd you do that' questions. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 947 Registered: 9-2003 |
Hell, I'd be so much in awe of the guy and his playing that I probably couldn't speak, nevermind ask him how he did that, LOL! | ||
| jacko
Advanced Member Username: jacko Post Number: 279 Registered: 10-2002 |
I could never get into King Crimsons' early stuff. The only album I have that I can listen to more than once is Three of a Perfect pair, bought more for Tony Levins playing than anything else. As far as Chris playing Alembic goes, I just wish they'd turn him up in the mix. The last few gigs in scotland I've been to, you could hardly hear the bass so it wouldn't have mattered what he played. And as for Jon setting the Bible to music, i heard that 'gates of delirium' is his interpretation of War and Peace and was originaly meant to be another 4 side piece until the rest of the band sorted him out. graeme | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 949 Registered: 9-2003 |
Well, when Wakeman got fed-up and left after "Tales", they hired Swiss Patrick Moraz and did "Relayer". Even Jon admits that the album cover reflected the somber mood of the band (i.e., gray, gray, and more gray) during that recording. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2201 Registered: 5-2002 |
I still think the middle section, in 6/8, of Twenty First Century Schizoid Man is wonderful and amazing, (though I'm not particularly crazy about the song's vocal <g>); and I think that first album as a whole is quite wonderful as well. Graeme, if you haven't listened to the middle section of Shizoid Man in a while, you might want to go back and give it another shot. Greg Lake's bass lines, Michael Giles' drumming, all of it is superb. The contrapuntal lines, the use of full stops, how all the parts are woven together; not only is it great playing by the individual players, but it's great ensemble writing and playing. If it's the vocal that you don't care for, you can skip over that part <g>. | ||
| beelee
Member Username: beelee Post Number: 70 Registered: 11-2004 |
A Rick was the first bass I learned to play on. Drama was the Yes record that Jon Anderson didn't sing on, "Tempus Fugit " recieved much radio airplay when that record came out, I never realized Jon wasn't on that record till many years later, it was Trevor Horn singing....he does sound like Anderson. Squire was using that MPC Electra bass with the interchangable plug -in FX modules on Fugit and on the Big Generator record he used a custom made Tobias 5 string, tuning the low B string down to an A for some things. I use to cover 21st Century Schizoid Man in a band about a year ago, it was a version from Greg Lake on the King Biscut Flower Hour CD, it had Gary Moore on gtr. it was recorded 11/5/81 at the Hammersmith Odeon yeah that middle section is something there is a really cool live version of it done by Talas ( as a trio) with Billy Sheehan on bass from their If We Only Knew Then What bWe Know Now CD B. (Message edited by beelee on August 13, 2005) | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2207 Registered: 5-2002 |
Bee; I would imagine that was great fun playing that song. I've never heard the King Biscuit version or the Talas version. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 956 Registered: 9-2003 |
I'm with you, Dave. "Crimson King" turned me on to Crimson. I was actually disappointed by later releases...compositionally, not playing-wise that is. The timing tricks used to perfection in "Schizoid Man" really are sublime. I don't even mind the distorted vocals either, LOL! It is Greg Lake's voice through a fuzz box after all, LOL! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2208 Registered: 5-2002 |
Kevin; I just sat down and listened to it again. I have the remastered release, which supposedly is a big improvement over the original. The mix is really nice and that wonderful drum part is placed in the mix such that you can really tell how it compliments everything. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 963 Registered: 9-2003 |
I gotta ck it out...I have it on vinyl that's at least 25yrs old, so I haven't listened in a while. My original listen was an original pressing LP that was so worn out, I had to clean it for about an hour just to make a tape dub, and it was still full of rice crispies, LOL! Is your version the current re-mastered CD commercial release or is that one of the Mobile Fidelity Original Master Recordings (regular or Ultradisc 24K Au)? | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2209 Registered: 5-2002 |
Mine is the 30th Anniversary Edition that was a 24 bit remaster by Fripp in 1999 and released on Virgin in 1999. Inspired by this thread, I've been spending the morning reading up on the original Crimson and it's members and ran across something interesting. There is a DVD by a band called the 21st Century Schizoid Band, filmed in 2002. The players are Michael Giles, Peter Giles, Ian McDonald, Mel Collins and Jakko Jakszyk. The first four are all former Crimson members. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 965 Registered: 9-2003 |
Cool, I'l be sure to ck it out! | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2210 Registered: 5-2002 |
Let me know if you decide to get it. | ||
| rogertvr
Advanced Member Username: rogertvr Post Number: 353 Registered: 1-2003 |
I used to work with Alan White's cousin, from the early 80's to the mid-90's. Consequently, I got a few free tickets to various Yes gigs, along with backstage passes. I have the 90125 cover from Alan's dressing room door from the NEC in Birmingham. It's got "A.W." written on the bottom in felt tip pen and I got him to autograph it. A really nice bloke Alan was, I met him a few times. Being a bass player, I wanted to meet Chris Squire but there was no way he was talking to anyone any of the times I got backstage. I also remember being ushered away from the keyboards by a large security man saying "You don't need to know what is hidden under the stage" - this was the early days of MIDI and it was all top secret obviously! Jon Anderson was under a big marquee in his dressing room with two Oriental ladies. He was happy to meet people but what a bizarre setting!!!!!! Happy memories :-) | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 968 Registered: 9-2003 |
Roger: Really nice anectdotes about your YESSIGHTINGS (LOL!). Sorry, I couldn't resist yet another YESISM. Dave: I may very well order the "21st Century" DVD. Despite dvdpricesearch.com's incorrect ascertion that it is available from bestbuys.com for a paltry $12.99(+S&H), $19.99 delivered from deepdiscountdvd.com is, apparently, as good as it gets. | ||
| davehouck
Moderator Username: davehouck Post Number: 2212 Registered: 5-2002 |
That's the best price I've seen. | ||
| kmh364
Senior Member Username: kmh364 Post Number: 974 Registered: 9-2003 |
I watched the Yes: KTA DVD once again and, while I like the vid effects and crappy editing even less now, the playing just bowls me over more and more with each viewing. I saw them live once again last year (at the MSG in NYC) and no matter how old and banged-up they get, they still play awesome! |
