Shaun Toole

Firebird Suite: the band takes the stage through a lengthy tube-like tunnel. Jon enters the stage last, then turns back and looks in the tunnel to see if anyone else is coming. Perhaps he is looking for Rick Wakeman...

Sound Chaser: Patrick Moraz adjusts the pitch of his Mellotron at the beginning of the bridge between Firebird and Sound Chaser. The strong echo effect on the first chorus of "cha cha's" seems unintentional and appears to throw Jon off a little. But Yes gives a powerful performance of this song.

Close to the Edge: Moraz does not shine here; he seems to be behind the beat in his solo passages, and does not measure up to Wakeman's performances of the past. A synthesizer failure mars the beginning of his solo opening "Seasons of Man." Steve Howe also seems behind the beat in one or two places. Alan White plays with a lot of power, however.

To Be Over: as with the other Relayer tracks, this one stands out in performance. There are a few sour notes, but the concluding passage is especially glorious, with bells enhancing the joyous, sing-song ending. Steve Howe shines on pedal steel.

The Gates of Delirium: the highlight of the concert. Yes gives the song more unity and punch than in the studio version. They also give appropriate emphasis to the closing, "Soon;" the studio version's conclusion seems rushed by comparison. Jon adds whip-cracking. glass-smashing, and other percussion during the "war" sequence of the song, producing a startling effect which bounces off the ceiling of the Omni and leaves me covering my ears. These effects are not found on the Yesshows version of this song, and I consider this performance to be superior.

And You And I: with the Yessongs intro, Steve Howe's pedal steel bird effects at the end, and the addition, for perhaps the first time, of Chris Squire's harmonica during "The Preacher The Teacher," this is a near-classic performance. But Patrick Moraz alienates me by replacing Rick Wakeman's synthesizer melodies with his own. His improvisations are not welcomed here, and taint an otherwise timeless performance.

Ritual: also benefits from live performance. The studio version of this song lacks motivation and seems tacked together, like a demo. This version feels more unified. Moraz turns in a good performance. Chris Squire is impressive during his solo, wearing a black costume with butterfly wings on the back. Highlighting the performance are excerpts from the other three sides of Tales from Topographic Oceans and the drums performed by Anderson (on timpani) and White. Visual effects include large monsters with moving arms and mouths and blinking eyes on either side of the stage. The drum synth effects are much truer to the studio recording here than on the Yesshows version.

Roundabout: it's hard to think of anything that hasn't already been said about another performance of this war-horse. Moraz sounds good, as does Steve Howe. Jon Anderson's voice sounds tired by this point. Steve Howe shrieks a falsetto "thank you" after Jon says goodnight. The audience clamors for more, but the house lights come up, and reality and the search for lost car keys overtakes the crowd.