YES - (1994) An Evening of Yes Music Plus

DVD/Video, released in 1994

It seems that there are several versions of this album in C.D., but the day I went to buy it, I found two: one European version released in late 1993, which doesn`t include "Starship Trooper", which has in the front cover the "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe" names with the title of the album (as shown in the scan of the cover included in this page) and it seems that it doesn`t include the credits for the musicians, as I read in previous reviews; and another version, released by Herald Records in the U.S., in 1994, which includes "Starship Trooper", having the same front cover, except that this cover doesn`t have the "Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe" names and the name of the album. It has a purple sticker which says "an evening of YES MUSIC PLUS FEATURING Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, 2 Gold CDs," etc. It only says in the the back cover "an evening of YES MUSIC PLUS", with the titles of the songs included in each C.D. I bought the Herald version, which also includes a booklet with credits and some notes (which have some mistakes, because the writer of these notes wrote that "the last time these four played together was in 1979 while touring in support the Tormato album", which is not true, because Bruford didn`t play in the "Tormato"album, because he left Yes in 1972, so he wasn`t on tour with in Yes in 1979; and also the notes say that this album was recorded "in the final date of the U.S. tour", and this is not true, because they played another concert the next day in Sacramento, California, and they did another tour in the U.S. in March 1990). This live album was recorded at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, in Mountain View, California, in September 9, 1989. It seems that it was recorded for a Radio Broadcast ("courtesy of DIR Broadcasting inc.", as credited in the booklet), and also filmed and broadcasted in T.V. in "pay-per-view", and also released in VHS video (which I have never seen) in 1994 or later with two additional songs: "The Meeting" and "I`ve Seen All Good People". Jeff Berlin appears in this album because days before this concert Tony Levin became ill with Hepatitis. After playing one concert feeling ill,Tony was taken to the hospital after the concert was finished (to read reviews of this concert and other concerts of the same tour and other Yes tours, visit the "Forgotten Yesterdays" website, www.forgottenyesterdays.com). After this happened, some dates were canceled, and Bruford suggested to the rest of the band to call Berlin, who had 3-4 days to learn the songs, writing the bass parts in scores after hearing the original versions in the albums, and later rehearsing with the whole band. So, after this short time of rehearsals, Berlin, in my opinion, did a very good job. Berlin played 6 or 7 concert dates with ABWH, finishing that part of the tour, and Levin re-joined the band for the next leg of the tour several weeks later.The first time I listened to these live recordings was in late 1990, when I recorded in a cassette a one hour broadcast of this concert in a FM Radio Station (in Stereo). So, years after this album appeared and I bought it, and it became one of my favourite live albums. The only thing that I don`t like from this album is the start of the concert with 3 solo medleys, each one by Anderson, Howe and Wakeman, respectively. Anderson included in his solo medley an acousitc version of "Owner of a lonely heart" which was played with Milton McDonald and Julian Colbeck (who also played on tour with GTR). Howe played his usual "Clap/Mood for a Day" medley, plus a musical piece not listed in the cover or in the booklet and played between "Clap" and "Mood...". My favourite solomedley from these 3 played in the start of the concert is Wakeman`s, one of the best solo medleys I`ve have listened from him, which also includes an instrumental version of "Madrigal" from the "Tormato" album, but also not listed in the booklet or in the cover. Bruford`s solo after "Long distance runaround" (not listed in the cover or in the label) is a very good combination of acoustic and electronic drums and percussion.The songs of the ABWH album are played with more energy, and are better in my opinion than the studio versions (with the exception of "Teakbois", which a part of it was played in Anderson`s acoustic solo medley).This live album also has the best live versions of "And You and I" and "Close to the Edge", despite not being played with Chris Squire in the bass guitar. It is also good to hear live versions of "Heart of the sunrise" and "Roundabout" with Bruford on drums, hearing his very good technique despite being played in a drum kit which was a combination of acoustic and electronic drums. "Starship Trooper" was played a bit differently to previous versions, including a keyboards introduction, and a part played with keyboards between the "Disillusion" and "Würm" parts of this song, which includes the first verse of "Nous Sommes du soleil" (from the "Topographic Oceans"`s album song "Ritual") and a "thank you" speech by Anderson to the audience."Starship Trooper", despite being played at the end of the concert, was added as a bonus track in C.D. no. 1. The rest of the musicians played very good, really assisting the ABWH members in playing the live versions more similar to the studio versions. For me, this album was a very good buy, despite the bass was mixed lower than the rest of the instruments, and despite being originally a recording made for Radio broadcasts. I hope someday to watch the VHS video or the DVD of this concert.

Track Listings
1. Benjamin Britten`s Young Person`s Guide to the Orchestra
2. Time and a Word / Owner of a Lonely Heart / Teakbois
3. The Clap / Mood for a Day
4. Gone but not Forgotten / Catherine Parr/ Merlin the Magician
5. Long Distance Runaround
6. Birthright
7. And You and I
8. I`ve Seen All Good People
9. Close to the Edge
10. Themes
11. Brother of Mine
12. The Meeting
13. Heart of the Sunrise
14. Order of the Universe
15. Roundabout
16. Starship Trooper

Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes

Line-up/Musicians
- Jon Anderson / lead vocals
- Bill Bruford / acoustic and electronic drums
- Rick Wakeman / keyboards
- Steve Howe / guitars

Additional musicians:
- Jeff Berlin / bass
- Julian Colbeck / keyboards
- Milton McDonald/ guitar