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Yes: Open Your Eyes

by Glenn Astarita
Not well-received among diehard Yes fans, Open Your Eyes was originally released in 1997, and reissued here, in LP format, in 2012. Nowhere as prominent or striking as the band's classic '70s outings, here keyboardist Rick Wakeman is absent and replaced by keyboardist/guitarist Billy Sherwood, who lines up with eminent guitarist and longtime member Steve Howe. The bulk of this material lies between progressive rock and pop-rock, with most of it largely forgettable romps, sans memorable hooks or intriguing song ...
Continue ReadingStyx / Yes: Wantagh, NY, July 11, 2011
by Mike Perciaccante
Styx and Yes, with special guest Shane Alexander 2011 Nikon at Jones Beach Concert Series Wantagh, New York July 11, 2011The 2011 co-headlining Styx and Yes Progressive Tour rolled into Long Island, NY's Jones Beach Amphitheater on a windy July evening. Coming at the end of an exceedingly hot and humid day, the cool breezes that blew through the outdoor venue were just as welcome as the concert itself. Shane Alexander, a singer/songwriter/guitarist ...
Continue ReadingYes: Symphonic Live

by John Kelman
Of all the progressive rock groups that emerged in the late '60s to achieve widespread success, surely Yes is the one for which collaborating with a symphony orchestra was meant to be. Working with an orchestra too early on its second album, Time and a Word (Atlantic, 1970), Yes had yet to evolve towards the rock equivalent of symphonic music on the iconic Fragile and Close to the Edge (both Atlantic, 1972). Thirty years would pass before Yes would work ...
Continue ReadingYes: Live at Montreux 2003

by John Kelman
While the Montreux Jazz Festival has long been more than just a jazz festival, with both veteran groups Yes and Jethro Tull performing at the 2003 edition, that year could have been re-titled the Montreux Progressive Rock Festival. Yes' set is especially notable as being amongst the best and most inspired live recordings the four decade-old group has made. Committed fans will point to Yessongs (Atlantic, 1973) as the group's live zenith, coming as it did during the band's most ...
Continue ReadingYes: Live at Montreux 2003

by John Kelman
Yes Live at Montreux 2003 Eagle Eye Media 2007
With nearly a dozen video releases available spanning almost its entire history, one has to wonder if another Yes concert DVD is really necessary. Those who picked up the Essentially Yes (Eagle Records, 2006) box set, which features a teaser bonus CD of an hour's worth of material from the group's performance at the 2003 Montreux Jazz Festival, know that this ...
Continue ReadingEssentially Yes

by John Kelman
Yes Essentially Yes Eagle Records 2006 Essentially Yes collects all four studio albums released by progressive rockers Yes between 1994 and 2001 (with the exception of the studio material recorded for the two Keys To Ascension sets from 1996/1997). As a special bonus it includes a disc with an excerpt from the group's performance at the 2003 Montreux Festival (soon to be released in its entirety on DVD). Collecting together Talk (1994), ...
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