Steve Howe was simply the gold standard for guitarists of his era. He had so many different styles that he drew from, from rockabilly to classical to jazz to heavy rock and much more. A completely unique musician, and one of my favorites.
IMO, his "era" is eternal. Sure, some are faster but no one is more creative or has such a unique style. That said, few top his technical skills, and on one in all of them. On top of all that, his compositional skills are the best I've experienced.
What is unbelievable and the ignorance of people in the music business these days is that you won't find Steve Howe in any polls of the top 50 guitar players in history. It's the same politics of why YES didn't make it into the RRHF until what was it 2016??? Insane, like Avant Prog said in a post above 5 years in the row the best overall guitar players. The magazine had to retire Steve or something like that. Incredible, much better than Jimmy Page in my opinion.
I seen them in concert 1978 at the Cal Palace in San Francisco California. I was 18 years old at the time and to this day It’s still the best concerts I’ve been to.
Beyond belief!! One problem This version is edited. This is the first show with Starship Trooper. Started editing Yours Is no disgrace. Full version of Your is no disgrace is when they didn't play Starship Trooper. That's why the Yours is no disgrace from Yessongs album is not this version. This version is missing after the jam, Death defying, mutilated armies scatter the earth, Crawling out of dirty holes, their morals, Their morals disappear, Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human, silly human, silly human race, On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place,............
Oh God Yes. I'm sorry to say the director must have hated Steve. I'm glad this jewel has been captured but the possibilities were wasted. For example Steve's opening lead was apparently not important enough to keep Squire's fluttering cape out of the camera eye. 😮
Yes I was at the New Orleans stop of this tour. The greatest live performance I ever witnessed. Close to the Edge was as close to heaven as music gets.
So did the audience at your show audibly gasp when the disk with the mirror bits on it dropped down at the start of "Close to the Edge"? I've read that this was quite an innovation in stage lighting effects for 1972.
I was lucky enough to see this tour at Newcastle city hall all those many years ago, and bear in mind what you are watching was the encore at the end of a 2 1/2 hour magical show, Howe was stratospheric, they all were, was lucky to see them another 20 times or so over the years, but I can assure you, nothing ever surpassed that performance..
Steve Howe was one of the biggest driving factors that led me to attend about 100 Yes concerts beginning in 1975. It was when you saw him perform live that that you could truly appreciate his talent. He was voted Best Overall Guitarist for 5 consecutive years.
I will be 69 this year. And still listening to yes. I was at that gig and was memorized. Years down the line I have seen Yes 32 times over the years, and never been disappointed. Even getting Steve to sign my Acoustic guitar after the Magnification tour.
There as many versions of Steve Howe's solo in Yours is no Disgrace as you've had hit dinners. Never seen him play the same version twice. That Rainbow Theatre version is different to that released on Yessongs. The pre Wakeman versions from 1971 are closer to the studio album version. He is just one hell of a guitarist - one of the best
The Rainbow was a classic old-fashioned cinema with a balcony in north London. It held about 2000 fans and was used for concerts. I once saw The Police and Dire Straits on successive evenings!
I think Yes is as musical as it gets. All masters of their crafts. My first Yes show was in 78. Several handfuls of shows in the last 45 yrs. Nov 2022 was the most recent. Steve Howe is still getting it done.
I saw them in 1974. They were that good! All their albums from 1970 through 1977 are excellent. Close to the Edge (song and album) is masterful, probably the best progressive rock you can hear. Listen loud in a dark room with headphones to Side One, the song, Close to the Edge. It is an 18+ minute roller coaster ride!
Steve Howe is a legendary guitarist and a genuinely nice person, I have seen him twice live as a solo artist and once he appeared as a guest with a Yes tribute band called Fragile, I stayed afterwards and had a drink with Steve and the band, they were saying he spent a week rehearsing with them even helping the guitarist learn some of the more complex technical guitar parts he could not get right, because of Steve the wwre able to add another 6 songs to their repertoire.
Saw Yes live about 10 times. First time sept 1978, been in love with their music ever since. Steve Howe is an incredible guitarist, never left during his solos. Getting old sucks, losing Chris was tough. He seemed to be the glue that kept the band together on and off over the years. Would love another chance to see Jon, Steve, Rick and now that Alan passed, maybe Bill Bruford could join in on drums.
Steve Howe on guitar is amazing. Find a live version of the song named “CLAP”. It’s all acoustic Howe will blow your mind. I saw them live in the late 70s or 1980 in London at the Hammersmith Odeon on a revolving stage. I can’t remember the exact date must be my age. There are so many great videos of songs from this specific concert you’re watching now that are totally amazing.
Yes in concert is an experience. I saw them in 1974 or 1975 for the first time (4 times since). I was 2 rows back from Rick Wakeman. You just kinda float out of the arena after one of their concerts!
Yes during that period in the early to mid 70s was scary good. Yessongs is a triple album live set from that tour. Back then they played with an aggressiveness that couldn't be matched. They just rampage through every song on Yessongs. After you're blown away by Steve Howe on guitar then go back and play any song again and Chris squire is going off just as much on the bass. Over the years they mellowed a lot and the tempo slowed but back then they were something to behold.
I've seen them a couple dozen times . . . amazing that ALL of them have their own distinct (and recognizable) solos that they would perform in their shows. My first Yes show was the Relayer tour with Patrick Moraz on keyboards - spectacular - I was 17. Then their tours "In the Round" started and saw them numerous times; once even inside the barricade between the audience and the round stage - HOLY SH*T that was amazing. Almost face to face with Rick Wakeman while Howe was playing his acoustic solo 'Hey, Rick. Nice show", with his response of "thank you." Saw the Union tour, and the Magnification tours as well. Just love the band. I'm 63 now and still listen to Yes every day, especially now that people are doing reactions. Can't help myself. I do really appreciate your reviews! You certainly appreciate talent when you hear/see it.
YES maybe weren't the most successful band ever but they certainly were always different from everybody else and in my opinion the best group of wonderful musicians that ever existed..
So true. The best music... the most talented musicians... are rarely the most successful or most popular. It's just not the way it works. But those who know.... know...
They were very successful. I think they sold the most albums in 1974? That year they had relayer, yessongs and yesterdays all come out in the same year. they did huge tours of America that raked in sometimes $400000 a show when that was a lot of money. They also topped most of the readers polls in music and guitar magazines with Howe winning best guitarist 5 years in a row for guitar player magazine. They had to ban him from being nominated again and made a special award for him called gallery of the greats which still exists
I saw Yes during the Close to the Edge tour late in my freshman or early sophmore year at Marshall University (yeah, that Marshall, started there the year after the plane crash)...still my favorite band over 50 years later!
Just a side comment to mention some of the great guitarists named "Steve": Howe, Hackett, Vai, Morse. Have seen them all live several times starting in the 70's. And they are still performing! Hope you can see them while they are still with us. They are all fantastic live!! Peace and love to all!
The Rainbow Theater was in London and popular for lots of popular bands in the ‘70s. (The building still exists, but I don’t think it’s a music venue anymore.).
About the sound, that we nowadays have subwoofers is because of Yes. They wanted a deeper sound not possible until then. The first ones were made for Yes. About the lights, we have vari-lites/moving heads because of Genesis, but that's another story.
Saw Yes several times in the 70s, starting with a support gig (to Blodwyn Pig!) at Leeds Uni in 1970, not long before the second album came out. I was at one of Rainbow Theatre concerts in ‘72: possibly this very one.
Howe was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977-1981) and in 1981 was the first rock guitar player inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame.
And I saw this tour in 1972 at Notre Dame University when I was 18. Me and two friends hitch hiked to and from for 150 miles. Greatest show ever. Talent everywhere doing complex music perfectly. An honor.
Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, you really should listen to the studio version of Yours Is No Disgrace. (On your own, at least, if you don't want to do it again for our sakes.) Reason #1, this live version does not feature Bill Bruford on drums. No disrespect to Alan White, who was a great drummer, but the way Bill played with Chris Squire was _truly special._ Those two formed the best "Rhythm Section"--if you can call it that--in progressive rock _ever._ Bill was a jazz drummer by habit & so was always 'experimenting' in part inspired by the way Chris played bass. #2, the studio versions always put Chris Squire's Industrial-Melodic inspirations front & center in the mix. It was wonderful. At least in this live vid, the bass is not muffled by the other instruments, but it doesn't come close to replicating what the studio version accomplishes. #3, one of YES' special musical achievements was the unmatched perfectionism of The Mix that you hear in their studio albums. They made full use of both stereo channels to fine tune your panoramic listening pleasure. Sound engineer Eddy Offord always obliged the requests of the band members who would spend hours at the sound board making sure it sounded just right. While their creations were incredibly complex, the flow of their individual contributions are fantastically presented over the course of a song. Check it out! You'll see...😌
The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Finsbury Park Astoria, is a Grade II-listed building in Finsbury Park, London. The theatre was built in 1930 as a cinema. It later became a music venue.
I saw them in 72 blew me away, 3 weeks before I saw Sabbath, then a couple months later I saw Grand Funk Railroad, WOW, I'm 67, I have been a muscian since 74, These 3 are my favs, and of course The Beatles,
Afternoon, I have seen them live 13 times from the early 70's to the mid to late 80's. One of the most amazing bands I've ever seen. Thank you for your work in continuing to showcase there talent, which by the way, is quite extraordinary.
The audio for the Yessongs film is pretty bad but the remasterd Yessongs triple Live album from the same tour is far better. Still, it suffers a bit from early 70s technology. Luckily, they continued to play with the same passion for years to come and there are some stunning live performances caught on tape and film. The songs on The Yes Album, which was the first to feature Steve Howe on guitars has several songs that are quite guitar heavy to highlight his craftsmanship. The next album "Fragile" has a bit more of a group aesthetic. He got very experimental with the next several albums but always has been rooted in good solid playing. The craziest he ever got with YES was side three of "Tales from Topographic Oceans" - which is for some difficult to listen to, but his mastery is on full display, and then the entire "Relayer" album from 1974. He's so good it's ridiculous.
Bought the YesSongs album when I was 13 in 73. Listened to it for years and years and introduced many friends to Yes. And You and I is my favorite off the record. ✌️
I saw them @ the Ritz theater in Staten Island NY I believe it was 72’ or 73’ friend worked there so I was backstage, my Jaw Dropped when I heard these guys.😂😂😂
I saw this tour live along with three other times. This tour was the first time I saw them and of course it was jaw dropping and magical. Steve Howe with that thick jazz guitar was just so unique for those times.
Seen them in '77 in the round. Then again in a smaller venue in '98. They were absolutly the greatest to see live. They seemed to out do their studio versions.
I was 12 years old and saw Yes in concert for the first time with my uncle in Chicago. They played in the round stage. Honestly I didn't know what I was seeing at the time but I remember I've never heard anything like it before and have been a fan ever since. I have been a musician all my life after that experience. I have never been able to play at their level but I have enjoyed some of the success of what it is to be a musician.
I've seen Yes at least a dozen times since the 70's in many different configurations. Even though the audio wasn't the best, it was great to see them from that era. I'm sure you get many requests to view live versions of songs but IMO, I think it's best to always listen to the studio version first. Great watching you discover Yes. They never cease to astound.
The greatest lineup of the greatest prog band of all time. Each player a virtuoso. Together? A sound like no band ever. (PS When Keith Emerson says Steve Howe was a brilliant musician, you KNOW you are something extraordinary). Oh to have a time machine and see one of those shows again...how I miss those days!
Steve IS The Maestro, this song from YESSONGS is the Ultimate Version of Steve playing this unbelievable solo part, must listen. The studio version is crisp and clean as you would imagine. These 5 guys are the Top of My List from 50 years and beyond. Great Reaction.
I"ve been to at least a dozen YES, original lineup or close to it, and every show was this damn good! Including seeing them "In the Round" around 76 or 77 in St. Louis! Not just great musicians but they put on a great show. Seeing Jon Anderdon in St. Louis in May, next year, with a new band reproducing the classic 70's stuff as original as they can. Looking forward! Thank you for your excellent content and genuine enjoyment of music
To answer your question, yeah I saw this tour on multiple stops back in 72. As good as this is, the whole show was just incredible. Wish you could experience it in something other than this footage we have from the Yessongs film. Absolutely vote for you to hit the studio version ASAP and as a couple others here have said, in general I'd suggest always checking the studio versions on Yes first. It will give you a better foundation to hearing them live as well as bumping up your appreciation of how well they could recreate so much of their complex studio sound live. Looking forward to more Yes explorations for you!
Do you have the "Progeny" box set, with 7 complete shows from the CTTE North American tour? It's for hard core fans only since it's the same setlist and basically the same performances on each disk, with the only difference being the between song banter, really. But if you want a document of what a complete show on that tour sounded like it's for you.
The camera man from this era was frustratingly somewhere else when Steve Howe was doing the most amazing guitar. When he plays "the clap", on Yessongs, we get to see his knee out of focus! What a treat.
The personnel listed in the wiki entry you were checking show the studio album keyboardist, Tony Kaye. This live performance has Rick Wakeman on keyboards. As good as Kaye was (and he was quite good) Rick Wakeman is a legedary keyboardist and performer.
The Rainbow Theatre was in London; Eric Clapton's famous comeback-from-heroin-addiction performance was held there. Originally a cinema, it seated about 2000.
shredding clean on a bacon slicer of a gibson ... the action high enough to make coleslaw and an E like an anchor line still no distortion to hide the moves ... open to be heard ...on purpose ... so easy to overdrive to hide the3 moves but he saves the overdrive to make its intended effect masterful
When I went to their shows, they took you on a journey from start to finish. Constant movement, no filler or mindless chatter, just amazing music. I count myself very lucky to have seen them many times.
This is actual music, played on actual instruments, by skilled virtuoso musicians, with singers with actual talent, recorded on actual media, with skilled producers. This is not the over-produced, over-Autotuned pretentious noise that passes as music today.
Steve Howe is 1 of only two guitarists voted by Guitar Player Magazine as ,"Best all around guitar Player" 5 times in a row( the max). I believe 1977 to 1981. ( I believe Steve Morse also did it) He is the very first induction into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. In the 1970's Howe was unique. You really have to imagine it then. They were all great musicians. Rick Wakeman was an equally acclaimed keyboard virtuoso and Christ Squire was a legend on base. John Anderson was a great vocalist for decades and intrgal in their composition. Bill Bruford the drummer was one of a kind. Alternately Alan White on drums and his energy carried the band for decades. He was recruited from a band led by someone named John Lennon. There are truly great musicians today, no doubt. It was the composition in the genre "Art Rock," that was like nothing else back in the 1970s. ( or since)( Art Rock " not Progressive). It is the reason they played to full theaters and stadiums for over a half century. Let me ask. What contemporary band do you think will maintain an audience in every world venue and fill the house for over 50 years? In the 70's, 3 ( with nights added some years)night gigs at the garden, you had to spend the night sleeping on the sidewalk to get tickets. I can still recall my friend taking his pillow to get tickets.
I think Steve's pinky finger is longer than my middle finger, haha. I think his hand span actually freed up his mind and opened up the fretboard for exploration. Only was able to see him with ASIA and saw YES with Trevor Rabin. Both phenomenal.
Yes was simply the most interesting assortment of virtuoso rock musicians of their time. Steve Howe is an absolute genius on any fretboard. This live version lets you see him freelance a broad variety of soundings and techniques, but the clarity of the studio version is something you must experience. Chris Squire's amazing bass line is nearly overlooked in this track; Roundabout is one where he shines brightly. Wakeman's keyboards and Bruford's timekeeping and polyrhythmic jazz influence are essential to creating the Yes mystique. Finally, there is no other voice like Jon Anderson. '72 is a bit before my concert-going time, but I saw Yes several times in the late 70s and early 80s. You should certainly look up any of many Steve Howe solo performances to see him shred on anything from a classical mandolin to a Fender electric 12-string. He often kept a guitar on a rigid stand on stage so that he could switch instruments on the fly, leaving his main axe hanging around his neck.
Steve attacked the guitar in a way that was just off the charts in some scary unpredictable land. He just sounded really dangerous...I don't know how else to describe it.
Ladies and gentlemen Mr Steve Howe as your brilliant guitarist!! Yes! Also listen to the studio version. Do you know Steve Howe still is as crisp as ever at 76!! Insane right! New subscriber 👋🏼
I saw YES at the Richmond (Va). Coliseum in 1972. Blew me away. These guys are on a different level when it comes to talent. You mentioned Steve Howe being a technician on the guitar. It might surprise you to know that he is completely self-taught and, IMHO, in a class all by himself. You should make the effort to listen to the studio versions of all these songs. Simply amazing.
Steve Howe is a real talent. he put out some solo projects and i think they are all called homebrew 1,2,3 etc. i think he did 6 homebrews. if you listen to them and then go back to the yes library you might notice that his solo stuff was all a laboratory for trying musical ideas and then a lot of stuff found its way onto a yes album. he always sounds real good with chris squire on bass and with rick wakeman on keys. he is well known for his song the Clap. and i like a piece he did for the union album called masquerade. and he gave a beautiful performance on the albums ABWH (hes the H) and Ladder. fun fact he used to buy a ticket for his guitar to travel next to him in the plane and he registerd the ticket under the name Mr Gibson.
Steve Howe was simply the gold standard for guitarists of his era. He had so many different styles that he drew from, from rockabilly to classical to jazz to heavy rock and much more. A completely unique musician, and one of my favorites.
Absolutely 100% agree, my favorite Guitarist👍👍
Yep, he is the reason I picked up the guitar. Voted best overall 5 years running in Guitarplayer.
IMO, his "era" is eternal. Sure, some are faster but no one is more creative or has such a unique style. That said, few top his technical skills, and on one in all of them. On top of all that, his compositional skills are the best I've experienced.
What is unbelievable and the ignorance of people in the music business these days is that you won't find Steve Howe in any polls of the top 50 guitar players in history. It's the same politics of why YES didn't make it into the RRHF until what was it 2016??? Insane, like Avant Prog said in a post above 5 years in the row the best overall guitar players. The magazine had to retire Steve or something like that. Incredible, much better than Jimmy Page in my opinion.
@@cam35mm Real players know him👍
YES many many times since 1972 around 73 times seeing them
I seen them in concert 1978 at the Cal Palace in San Francisco California. I was 18 years old at the time and to this day It’s still the best concerts I’ve been to.
The Yessongs version of Yours is no Disgrace, in my opinion, ranks as one of the greatest live solos of all time.
Agree 100%
Beyond belief!! One problem This version is edited. This is the first show with Starship Trooper. Started editing Yours Is no disgrace. Full version of Your is no disgrace is when they didn't play Starship Trooper. That's why the Yours is no disgrace from Yessongs album is not this version. This version is missing after the jam, Death defying, mutilated armies scatter the earth, Crawling out of dirty holes, their morals, Their morals disappear, Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human, silly human, silly human race, On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place,............
@@yesshows100 I am aware of that. I also have the unedited version. Those edits do make a lot of difference.
Oh God Yes. I'm sorry to say the director must have hated Steve. I'm glad this jewel has been captured but the possibilities were wasted. For example Steve's opening lead was apparently not important enough to keep Squire's fluttering cape out of the camera eye. 😮
@@charlessangston3863 And unfortunately Steve has not only one but two capes to contend with on stage.
Yes I was at the New Orleans stop of this tour. The greatest live performance I ever witnessed. Close to the Edge was as close to heaven as music gets.
Wow! I’m jealous
I saw Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz on the Riverboat Presidents docked in New Orleans. Woodenhead opened for them.
So did the audience at your show audibly gasp when the disk with the mirror bits on it dropped down at the start of "Close to the Edge"? I've read that this was quite an innovation in stage lighting effects for 1972.
I was in that audience in 72. was my first YES show. I was never the same
A truly awesome band. I saw them live many times. No words can describe what it was like. You had to have been there.
I was lucky enough to see this tour at Newcastle city hall all those many years ago, and bear in mind what you are watching was the encore at the end of a 2 1/2 hour magical show, Howe was stratospheric, they all were, was lucky to see them another 20 times or so over the years, but I can assure you, nothing ever surpassed that performance..
Steve Howe was one of the biggest driving factors that led me to attend about 100 Yes concerts beginning in 1975. It was when you saw him perform live that that you could truly appreciate his talent. He was voted Best Overall Guitarist for 5 consecutive years.
I will be 69 this year. And still listening to yes. I was at that gig and was memorized. Years down the line I have seen Yes 32 times over the years, and never been disappointed. Even getting Steve to sign my Acoustic guitar after the Magnification tour.
There as many versions of Steve Howe's solo in Yours is no Disgrace as you've had hit dinners. Never seen him play the same version twice. That Rainbow Theatre version is different to that released on Yessongs. The pre Wakeman versions from 1971 are closer to the studio album version. He is just one hell of a guitarist - one of the best
absolutely !
The Rainbow was a classic old-fashioned cinema with a balcony in north London. It held about 2000 fans and was used for concerts. I once saw The Police and Dire Straits on successive evenings!
Your reaction is exactly why I’ve been listening to Yes since 1971 (or so).
I think Yes is as musical as it gets. All masters of their crafts. My first Yes show was in 78. Several handfuls of shows in the last 45 yrs. Nov 2022 was the most recent. Steve Howe is still getting it done.
Steve Howe: Master of Scales. The solo around 12:00 is amazing.
I saw them in 1974. They were that good! All their albums from 1970 through 1977 are excellent. Close to the Edge (song and album) is masterful, probably the best progressive rock you can hear. Listen loud in a dark room with headphones to Side One, the song, Close to the Edge. It is an 18+ minute roller coaster ride!
I saw Yes first American tour in Hartford CT outdoors......they surprised the entire city with their music and VOLUME.....it was amazing.
Steve Howe is a legendary guitarist and a genuinely nice person, I have seen him twice live as a solo artist and once he appeared as a guest with a Yes tribute band called Fragile, I stayed afterwards and had a drink with Steve and the band, they were saying he spent a week rehearsing with them even helping the guitarist learn some of the more complex technical guitar parts he could not get right, because of Steve the wwre able to add another 6 songs to their repertoire.
Your reaction and grunts and groans resembled mine in 1971 when I first heard Yes. The guitar runs are unlike any other player.
SH is beyond phenomenal!!! Incredible live band with massively complex musical arrangements!
Saw Yes live about 10 times. First time sept 1978, been in love with their music ever since. Steve Howe is an incredible guitarist, never left during his solos. Getting old sucks, losing Chris was tough. He seemed to be the glue that kept the band together on and off over the years. Would love another chance to see Jon, Steve, Rick and now that Alan passed, maybe Bill Bruford could join in on drums.
Howe it's simply an amazing guitarist...out of this planet!!!
I was born ten years too late and first saw this Yessongs Movie on USA Night Flight in like 1985. Still blown away.
I grew up with them. I've been to see them live 4 times. Nothing but great memories. Always a stellar performance. 1972 thru 1979.
Steve Howe on guitar is amazing. Find a live version of the song named “CLAP”. It’s all acoustic Howe will blow your mind. I saw them live in the late 70s or 1980 in London at the Hammersmith Odeon on a revolving stage. I can’t remember the exact date must be my age. There are so many great videos of songs from this specific concert you’re watching now that are totally amazing.
Yes in concert is an experience. I saw them in 1974 or 1975 for the first time (4 times since). I was 2 rows back from Rick Wakeman. You just kinda float out of the arena after one of their concerts!
My first LP purchase was 'The Yes Album' still one of my absolute favourites 51 years later. senior from Canada
I saw them on this tour and the encore was Yours is no disgrace and Starship trooper. it was an awesome show.
They are ALL such great artists that it melds and moves sooo very well.
Yes during that period in the early to mid 70s was scary good. Yessongs is a triple album live set from that tour. Back then they played with an aggressiveness that couldn't be matched. They just rampage through every song on Yessongs. After you're blown away by Steve Howe on guitar then go back and play any song again and Chris squire is going off just as much on the bass. Over the years they mellowed a lot and the tempo slowed but back then they were something to behold.
One of the most under appreciated guitar gods! End of conversation and 🎤 drop
I've seen them a couple dozen times . . . amazing that ALL of them have their own distinct (and recognizable) solos that they would perform in their shows. My first Yes show was the Relayer tour with Patrick Moraz on keyboards - spectacular - I was 17. Then their tours "In the Round" started and saw them numerous times; once even inside the barricade between the audience and the round stage - HOLY SH*T that was amazing. Almost face to face with Rick Wakeman while Howe was playing his acoustic solo 'Hey, Rick. Nice show", with his response of "thank you." Saw the Union tour, and the Magnification tours as well. Just love the band. I'm 63 now and still listen to Yes every day, especially now that people are doing reactions. Can't help myself.
I do really appreciate your reviews! You certainly appreciate talent when you hear/see it.
I saw this same show in Norfolk, VA.......Rick Wakeman came out in the same outfit like a wizard. What a fabulous experience.
YES maybe weren't the most successful band ever but they certainly were always different from everybody else and in my opinion the best group of wonderful musicians that ever existed..
So true. The best music... the most talented musicians... are rarely the most successful or most popular. It's just not the way it works. But those who know.... know...
They were very successful. I think they sold the most albums in 1974? That year they had relayer, yessongs and yesterdays all come out in the same year. they did huge tours of America that raked in sometimes $400000 a show when that was a lot of money. They also topped most of the readers polls in music and guitar magazines with Howe winning best guitarist 5 years in a row for guitar player magazine. They had to ban him from being nominated again and made a special award for him called gallery of the greats which still exists
I saw Yes during the Close to the Edge tour late in my freshman or early sophmore year at Marshall University (yeah, that Marshall, started there the year after the plane crash)...still my favorite band over 50 years later!
Just a side comment to mention some of the great guitarists named "Steve": Howe, Hackett, Vai, Morse. Have seen them all live several times starting in the 70's. And they are still performing! Hope you can see them while they are still with us. They are all fantastic live!! Peace and love to all!
Maybe "Starship Trooper" next, and I agree with the others about doing the studio version first.
The Rainbow Theater was in London and popular for lots of popular bands in the ‘70s. (The building still exists, but I don’t think it’s a music venue anymore.).
About the sound, that we nowadays have subwoofers is because of Yes. They wanted a deeper sound not possible until then. The first ones were made for Yes. About the lights, we have vari-lites/moving heads because of Genesis, but that's another story.
We’ve been knowing about YES’s greatest for 50 plus years, it’s official YES IS BEST!!!
Saw Yes several times in the 70s, starting with a support gig (to Blodwyn Pig!) at Leeds Uni in 1970, not long before the second album came out.
I was at one of Rainbow Theatre concerts in ‘72: possibly this very one.
Howe was voted "Best Overall Guitarist" in Guitar Player magazine five years in a row (1977-1981) and in 1981 was the first rock guitar player inducted into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame.
And I saw this tour in 1972 at Notre Dame University when I was 18. Me and two friends hitch hiked to and from for 150 miles. Greatest show ever. Talent everywhere doing complex music perfectly. An honor.
Now that your curiosity has been satisfied, you really should listen to the studio version of Yours Is No Disgrace. (On your own, at least, if you don't want to do it again for our sakes.)
Reason #1, this live version does not feature Bill Bruford on drums. No disrespect to Alan White, who was a great drummer, but the way Bill played with Chris Squire was _truly special._ Those two formed the best "Rhythm Section"--if you can call it that--in progressive rock _ever._ Bill was a jazz drummer by habit & so was always 'experimenting' in part inspired by the way Chris played bass.
#2, the studio versions always put Chris Squire's Industrial-Melodic inspirations front & center in the mix. It was wonderful. At least in this live vid, the bass is not muffled by the other instruments, but it doesn't come close to replicating what the studio version accomplishes.
#3, one of YES' special musical achievements was the unmatched perfectionism of The Mix that you hear in their studio albums. They made full use of both stereo channels to fine tune your panoramic listening pleasure. Sound engineer Eddy Offord always obliged the requests of the band members who would spend hours at the sound board making sure it sounded just right. While their creations were incredibly complex, the flow of their individual contributions are fantastically presented over the course of a song.
Check it out! You'll see...😌
Thank you for this. I thought something was different but don't know enough about the band to figure it out. I thought it was just the sound quality.
I saw them at the Rainbow in 1980 and YIND was awesome.
I saw these shows live in Tennessee. I was just blown away
I saw that tour in New Orleans,first time I saw them. Would see them 3 more times. Best live band I have ever seen. Unbelievable sounds.
I saw them live in Houston in the 80's along with so many others like Eddy Money, Van Morrison, only to name a few.
A masterclass in musicianship!
they sound exactly the same on the studio version. they are so talented
I saw this tour. I'm 66. The difference between Yes and the other prog bands of the era was that Yes could really ROCK.
The Rainbow Theatre, originally known as the Finsbury Park Astoria, is a Grade II-listed building in Finsbury Park, London. The theatre was built in 1930 as a cinema. It later became a music venue.
I did...saw them a dozen times from '73 through 35th anniversary tour.
I saw them in 72 blew me away, 3 weeks before I saw Sabbath, then a couple months later I saw Grand Funk Railroad, WOW, I'm 67, I have been a muscian since 74, These 3 are my favs, and of course The Beatles,
Yes. Studio version! We used to listen to whole Albums. Never just a song. ❤
Best concert I ever saw was Yes in the round in 1977 at the Omni in Atlanta. And I have seen everybody.
Sat with Alan White's mum on the 2003 Apollo gig Manchester - amazing time
Afternoon, I have seen them live 13 times from the early 70's to the mid to late 80's. One of the most amazing bands I've ever seen. Thank you for your work in continuing to showcase there talent, which by the way, is quite extraordinary.
I saw them 2 years later in '74. I was 11 but already a fan with my brother and father. It was amazing!!!
The audio for the Yessongs film is pretty bad but the remasterd Yessongs triple Live album from the same tour is far better. Still, it suffers a bit from early 70s technology. Luckily, they continued to play with the same passion for years to come and there are some stunning live performances caught on tape and film. The songs on The Yes Album, which was the first to feature Steve Howe on guitars has several songs that are quite guitar heavy to highlight his craftsmanship. The next album "Fragile" has a bit more of a group aesthetic. He got very experimental with the next several albums but always has been rooted in good solid playing. The craziest he ever got with YES was side three of "Tales from Topographic Oceans" - which is for some difficult to listen to, but his mastery is on full display, and then the entire "Relayer" album from 1974. He's so good it's ridiculous.
Bought the YesSongs album when I was 13 in 73. Listened to it for years and years and introduced many friends to Yes. And You and I is my favorite off the record. ✌️
I saw them @ the Ritz theater in Staten Island NY I believe it was 72’ or 73’ friend worked there so I was backstage, my Jaw Dropped when I heard these guys.😂😂😂
I saw this tour live along with three other times. This tour was the first time I saw them and of course it was jaw dropping and magical. Steve Howe with that thick jazz guitar was just so unique for those times.
Seen them in '77 in the round. Then again in a smaller venue in '98. They were absolutly the greatest to see live. They seemed to out do their studio versions.
I seen yes live from 1976-2011 i was 20 ft from the stage in 79 Steve is amazing guitarist Chris Squire was my musical idol .
I was 12 years old and saw Yes in concert for the first time with my uncle in Chicago. They played in the round stage. Honestly I didn't know what I was seeing at the time but I remember I've never heard anything like it before and have been a fan ever since. I have been a musician all my life after that experience. I have never been able to play at their level but I have enjoyed some of the success of what it is to be a musician.
What a great video of an historic performance. Best live version I think I've heard. Yeah, do studio.
Ladies and gentlemen YES the greatest show on earth
I've seen Yes at least a dozen times since the 70's in many different configurations. Even though the audio wasn't the best, it was great to see them from that era. I'm sure you get many requests to view live versions of songs but IMO, I think it's best to always listen to the studio version first. Great watching you discover Yes. They never cease to astound.
I saw them twice in the late 70s. One of my favourite bands along with ELP!!!!
The greatest lineup of the greatest prog band of all time. Each player a virtuoso. Together? A sound like no band ever. (PS When Keith Emerson says Steve Howe was a brilliant musician, you KNOW you are something extraordinary). Oh to have a time machine and see one of those shows again...how I miss those days!
I've been listning to this since I was 10 years old, my older brother had about 300 records.
Steve IS The Maestro, this song from YESSONGS is the Ultimate Version of Steve playing this unbelievable solo part, must listen. The studio version is crisp and clean as you would imagine.
These 5 guys are the Top of My List from 50 years and beyond. Great Reaction.
All 5 members collaborated on YIND, The YESSONGS VERSION IS MIRACULOUS A MUST LISTEN AS WELL, ITS ALL LIVE KIDS. ETHEREAL🎉🎉
I"ve been to at least a dozen YES, original lineup or close to it, and every show was this damn good! Including seeing them "In the Round" around 76 or 77 in St. Louis! Not just great musicians but they put on a great show. Seeing Jon Anderdon in St. Louis in May, next year, with a new band reproducing the classic 70's stuff as original as they can. Looking forward! Thank you for your excellent content and genuine enjoyment of music
To answer your question, yeah I saw this tour on multiple stops back in 72. As good as this is, the whole show was just incredible. Wish you could experience it in something other than this footage we have from the Yessongs film. Absolutely vote for you to hit the studio version ASAP and as a couple others here have said, in general I'd suggest always checking the studio versions on Yes first. It will give you a better foundation to hearing them live as well as bumping up your appreciation of how well they could recreate so much of their complex studio sound live. Looking forward to more Yes explorations for you!
Do you have the "Progeny" box set, with 7 complete shows from the CTTE North American tour? It's for hard core fans only since it's the same setlist and basically the same performances on each disk, with the only difference being the between song banter, really. But if you want a document of what a complete show on that tour sounded like it's for you.
As good as Steven Howe is, every one of them were that good. YES was amazing!
The camera man from this era was frustratingly somewhere else when Steve Howe was doing the most amazing guitar. When he plays "the clap", on Yessongs, we get to see his knee out of focus! What a treat.
The version on Yessongs album has an even more mind-blowing improv section.
The personnel listed in the wiki entry you were checking show the studio album keyboardist, Tony Kaye. This live performance has Rick Wakeman on keyboards. As good as Kaye was (and he was quite good) Rick Wakeman is a legedary keyboardist and performer.
For many years Steve was voted in Guitar Player magazine as the #1 Rock n Roll guitar player. This pre date EVH eruption by 7 years.
That beautiful, joyous, smiling face of Chris Squire is God's Bassist now, and what a kickass bass player for Heaven's band. ❤
The Rainbow Theatre was in London; Eric Clapton's famous comeback-from-heroin-addiction performance was held there. Originally a cinema, it seated about 2000.
shredding clean on a bacon slicer of a gibson ... the action high enough to make coleslaw and an E like an anchor line
still no distortion to hide the moves ... open to be heard ...on purpose ... so easy to overdrive to hide the3 moves but he saves the overdrive to make its intended effect
masterful
When I went to their shows, they took you on a journey from start to finish. Constant movement, no filler or mindless chatter, just amazing music. I count myself very lucky to have seen them many times.
This is actual music, played on actual instruments, by skilled virtuoso musicians, with singers with actual talent, recorded on actual media, with skilled producers. This is not the over-produced, over-Autotuned pretentious noise that passes as music today.
Steve Howe was and is still a genius at guitar playing. YES is just a sensational band.
Seen these guys six times through out the years and they always impress me 🤯
Yes progney albums are fantastic live albums (14 discs). Seven shows from 1972
As a person who has seen Yes more than 35 times they are my favorite live band and Steve Howe is by far the best guitar player I have ever seen!
Went to see them in july 2022 he's 76 years old still has the guitar singing
5 master musicians!
Steve Howe is 1 of only two guitarists voted by Guitar Player Magazine as ,"Best all around guitar Player" 5 times in a row( the max). I believe 1977 to 1981. ( I believe Steve Morse also did it) He is the very first induction into the Guitar Player Hall of Fame. In the 1970's Howe was unique. You really have to imagine it then. They were all great musicians.
Rick Wakeman was an equally acclaimed keyboard virtuoso and Christ Squire was a legend on base. John Anderson was a great vocalist for decades and intrgal in their composition.
Bill Bruford the drummer was one of a kind. Alternately Alan White on drums and his energy carried the band for decades. He was recruited from a band led by someone named John Lennon.
There are truly great musicians today, no doubt. It was the composition in the genre "Art Rock," that was like nothing else back in the 1970s. ( or since)( Art Rock " not Progressive). It is the reason they played to full theaters and stadiums for over a half century. Let me ask. What contemporary band do you think will maintain an audience in every world venue and fill the house for over 50 years?
In the 70's, 3 ( with nights added some years)night gigs at the garden, you had to spend the night sleeping on the sidewalk to get tickets. I can still recall my friend taking his pillow to get tickets.
I think Steve's pinky finger is longer than my middle finger, haha. I think his hand span actually freed up his mind and opened up the fretboard for exploration. Only was able to see him with ASIA and saw YES with Trevor Rabin. Both phenomenal.
You're right.. you need to hear the studio version. Steve is amazing.
Yes was simply the most interesting assortment of virtuoso rock musicians of their time. Steve Howe is an absolute genius on any fretboard. This live version lets you see him freelance a broad variety of soundings and techniques, but the clarity of the studio version is something you must experience. Chris Squire's amazing bass line is nearly overlooked in this track; Roundabout is one where he shines brightly. Wakeman's keyboards and Bruford's timekeeping and polyrhythmic jazz influence are essential to creating the Yes mystique. Finally, there is no other voice like Jon Anderson. '72 is a bit before my concert-going time, but I saw Yes several times in the late 70s and early 80s. You should certainly look up any of many Steve Howe solo performances to see him shred on anything from a classical mandolin to a Fender electric 12-string. He often kept a guitar on a rigid stand on stage so that he could switch instruments on the fly, leaving his main axe hanging around his neck.
Steve attacked the guitar in a way that was just off the charts in some scary unpredictable land. He just sounded really dangerous...I don't know how else to describe it.
Ladies and gentlemen Mr Steve Howe as your brilliant guitarist!! Yes! Also listen to the studio version. Do you know Steve Howe still is as crisp as ever at 76!! Insane right! New subscriber 👋🏼
I saw YES at the Richmond (Va). Coliseum in 1972. Blew me away. These guys are on a different level when it comes to talent. You mentioned Steve Howe being a technician on the guitar. It might surprise you to know that he is completely self-taught and, IMHO, in a class all by himself. You should make the effort to listen to the studio versions of all these songs. Simply amazing.
Steve Howe is a real talent. he put out some solo projects and i think they are all called homebrew 1,2,3 etc. i think he did 6 homebrews. if you listen to them and then go back to the yes library you might notice that his solo stuff was all a laboratory for trying musical ideas and then a lot of stuff found its way onto a yes album.
he always sounds real good with chris squire on bass and with rick wakeman on keys.
he is well known for his song the Clap. and i like a piece he did for the union album called masquerade. and he gave a beautiful performance on the albums ABWH (hes the H) and Ladder.
fun fact he used to buy a ticket for his guitar to travel next to him in the plane and he registerd the ticket under the name Mr Gibson.
Saw them in Nashville '73. 😎