Yes – Symphonic Live finds the band (vocalist Jon Anderson, lead guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White) touring in support of their 2001 album Magnification. It is a notable album for a number of reasons: its their first as a quartet as they recorded with no keyboardist, although White plays some piano parts; they used orchestral arrangements for the first time since their second studio album, Time and a Word (1970); and it remains the last Yes album with founder Anderson. On tour, they performed with keyboardist Tom Brislin and the European Festival Orchestra, conducted by Wilhelm Keitel.
Buy Yes: Symphonic LiveRecorded at Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall on November 22, 2001, Yes know what their fans have come for an open the show strong with a progressive-rock journey that is the album-side, title-track “Close to the Edge.” The orchestra blends seamlessly in the arrangement. During a bridge, CGI of various land formations appear. Offering a brief respite, they the play FM classic, “Long Distance Runaround” with Steve Howe’s guitar singing out. The song sounds richer with the strings, horns, and woodwinds smoothing the song’s rock edges.
The band then plays some new tracks which are warmly received as audience members can be seen singing “Don’t Go.” Its lyrics, like many of Anderson’s, are about love. This time not taking it for granted. Rather than divide the image into four even squares, the video uses four jagged shapes to frame the visuals. “In the Presence Of” is about being surrounded by the divine. White plays keys at the opening before moving back to the drums; Jon also contributes acoustic guitar.
The ensemble then plays the epic “Gates of Delirium,” from Relayer, running over 20 minutes. Old archival war footage is cut into the video. Later, black and white animation is superimposed. Anderson plays cymbals, keys, and chimes. After a cacophonous segment, Howe moves to a steel pedal guitar and Anderson plays acoustic guitar during the song’s coda. All the players but Howe exit. He shows off his acoustic guitar skills with Vivaldi’s “Lute Concerto in D Major, 2nd Movement” and segues into his own “Mood for a Day.”
On “Starship Trooper,” Squire’s bass really rings out, like it is a co-lead instrument in the arrangement. Howe’s guitar soars, transporting the listener even more than Anderson’s vocals do, while White and Brislin provide the rhythmic anchor. During “And You and I,” copper-colored CGI figures, one winged, one not, interacting, The orchestra enhances this song as well.
The hardcore Yes fan is rewarded with “Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil),” the final track from Tales From Topographic Oceans, which here runs nearly 30 minutes. They close out the concert with a run of more popular, shorter songs that brought the audience to their feet: “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart,” and “Roundabout,” the latter saw orchestra members leaving the back of the stage and dancing in front.
The video has been given a 1080i/AVC MPEG-4 encoded transfer displayed at an aspect ratio of 1.78:1. Lit for the concert and not the video, the image is sometimes diffused by the spotlights and light smoke used to create atmosphere. Colors are solid. Blacks don’t often reach full inkiness. There is good depth, and foreground items are in focus.
Audio is available in LPCM 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, and DTS HD Master Audio. The music is mixed at a loud volume (hope your neighbors like prog rock). Anderson’s vocal are clear and the band instruments are distinct while the orchestra blends into the surrounds. The subwoofer delivers good support, but during the beginning of “And You and I,” White’s bass drum rattles the cabinet when playing alone with Howe’s acoustic guitar and Anderson’s voice.
The Bonus Features are:
- Dreamtime Documentary (32 min) – About the making of Magnification.
- “Don’t Go” Video: (4 min)
Although decades had passed since they first created most of this music, Symphonic Live finds Yes still performing at a high level. The inclusion of the orchestra adds a nice element to the arrangements, differentiating this from other live releases. The Blu-ray delivers a good looking, loud, high-definition presentation.
Yes – Symphonic Live has been previously released. This new special edition is packaged in a CD-sized clamshell box including the Blu-ray and 2CDs, each housed in their own slipcase, along with a booklet, fold-out poster, and five art cards.
