Tag: Yes Live Albums

Live Albums By Yes

I have my doubts on whether progressive rock bands can create great live albums. Yes are the exception that proves the rule.

Yessongs was one of the very first live albums that captured the complete concert and not just highlights. On the original LP, it was very impressive – a triple album with plenty of glorious Roger Dean artwork.

It’s useful to see the timing of the studio albums before looking at the live albums in detail.

Studio Albums By Yes

1969 – Yes
1970 – Time and a Word
1971 – The Yes Album
1971 – Fragile
1972 – Close to the Edge
1973 – Tales from Topographic Oceans
1974 – Relayer
1977 – Going for the One
1978 – Tormato
1980 – Drama
1983 – 90125
1987 – Big Generator
1991 – Union
1994 – Talk
1996 – Keys to Ascension (two new studio songs, mostly live)
1997 – Keys to Ascension 2 (one live CD, one studio CD)
1997 – Open Your Eyes
1999 – The Ladder
2001 – Magnification
2011 – Fly from Here

In my opinion, the four essential studio albums by Yes are The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge and Relayer, all from the early 1970s.

Live Albums by Yes

1969 & 1970 Something’s Coming The BBC Recordings
1970 to 1988 The Word Is Live
1972 Yessongs
1978 Yesshows
1984 9012Live: The Solos
1989 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe An Evening of Yes Music Plus
1991 Union Live
1995 & 1996 Keys to Ascension
1996 Keys to Ascension 2
1999 House of Yes: Live from House of Blues
2003 Live at Montreux 2003
2001 Symphonic Live
2009 In the Present – Live from Lyon
Greatest Hits Live

The Best Live Yes Album

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Buying Albums By Yes

You can get these albums from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

The Best Live Albums Of All Time

The Best Live Prog Rock Album

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You can get these albums from Amazon.com – Amazon.co.uk.

Yes Union Live 1991

Union Live is a live album from the tour promoting the studio album Union plus the seventies classics.

It was recorded at the California Shoreline Amphitheatre on the November 22nd, 1991.

5 members of Yes weren’t enough this time. Yes had splintered into a Chris Squire led group called Yes and the old members of Yes had formed a competing group called Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. This was a genuine union based on re-uniting the two strands of Yes.

Jon Anderson: lead vocals / rhythm guitar / tambourine
Steve Howe: guitar / vocals
Trevor Rabin: guitar / vocals
Tony Kaye: keyboards / sound effects
Rick Wakeman: keyboards / synthesisers
Chris Squire: bass / vocals
Alan White: acoustic drums / percussion
Bill Bruford: electric drums / percussion

Continue reading Yes Union Live 1991

Yes 9012 Live The Solos 1984

Yes 9012 Live The Solos is a live album by progressive rock group Yes.

It was recorded in Dortmund, Germany in June 1984 and in Edmonton, Canada in September 1984.

It focuses on songs from the studio album 90125 and solos from the individual band members who at this stage were:

Jon Anderson – Lead vocals, Keyboards
Chris Squire – Bass guitar, vocals
Trevor Rabin – guitars, vocals
Tony Kaye – Keyboards, vocals
Alan White – Drums, vocals

Continue reading Yes 9012 Live The Solos 1984

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe An Evening of Yes Music Plus 1989

An Evening of Yes Music Plus is a live album by Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

At this stage another group with Chris Squires, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye and Alan White were performing under the Yes brand name.

It was recorded at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California on the 9th September 1989. It was released in 1993 and re-released in 2006.

Continue reading Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe An Evening of Yes Music Plus 1989

Yes Something’s Coming The BBC Recordings 1969 to 1970

Yes Something’s Coming The BBC Recordings is a live compilation album by Yes. It is made up of songs recorded by the BBC.

(also called Beyond and Before: BBC Recordings 1969–1970)

This is the early stuff before they developed the sound they are known for from The Yes Album onwards and is played by the original members of Yes.

Jon Anderson – vocals
Peter Banks – guitars
Tony Kaye – keyboards
Chris Squire – bass, vocals
Bill Bruford – drums

Peter Banks went on to form Flash but didn’t do a great deal musically after leaving Yes.

Tony Kaye formed Badger and Detective and played on one album with Badfinger. He returned to Yes in the 1980s and 1990s and played on the albums 90125, 9012Live The Solos, Big Generator, Union and Talk.

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Best Live Albums By Yes & Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Please cast your votes to help people to find the best live albums by Yes and Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (what’s in a brand name?)

I’ll be amazed if Yessongs doesn’t win (and it stands a chance to be recognised as the greatest progressive rock live albums too).

What about the others? Are any of those other live albums by Yes and former members of Yes “must hear” albums as well? Continue reading Best Live Albums By Yes & Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Live Albums

I understand that Chris Squire owns the right to the Yes band name. This gives the other famous members a problem when they want to record or tour.

The solution is the creation of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

They’ve done a couple of live albums so far. Continue reading Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe Live Albums

Yes Yesshows 1976-78

Yesshows is the second live album from Yes and captures the group live between 1976 and 1978. This is when Yes and the other dinosaur bands were being challenged by punk.

During the period Yes changed keyboard players with Patrick Moraz leaving and Rick Wakeman returning. Moraz plays on the two very long tracks, The Gates of Delirium and Ritual – Nous Sommes du Soleil with Wakeman on the others.

Yes Yesshows

Continue reading Yes Yesshows 1976-78

Yes Yessongs 1972

Yessongs was the first live album by progressive rock group Yes in 1972 and it was a triple promoting the Fragile and Close To The Edge studio albums. It is now a double CD.

This album challenges the idea that progressive rock live albums aren’t exciting. I’ve even wondered myself whether some groups are better in the studio than live but Yes show they are terrific.

Yes Yessongs

My Rating – 28 out of 30 (10 + 9 + 9)

Average Amazon Customer Rating – %%AVERAGERATING%% Stars

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