SeanTGuitar

What? Not a single review here for this show? Well, let's see.... What do I remember about this show? This was the 2nd Yes tour I had seen up to that point, the 90125 being the first one.... I had been a fan since '81 though, so I was always more fond of the 70s Yes music. In the 80s it was doubtful to hear any 70s Yes songs live, except the few that the 80s lineup played. Which were all well and good, better than nothing, but I was hoping to see the band go deep- setlist-wise. When I heard that the two lineups would merge for this 8 man tour, I was very excited. I had missed ABWH, so this would be my first taste of something that echoed 70s Yes. I was not disappointed.

It was an amazing night, one where I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming. It was held at the big outdoor shed Desert Sky Pavillion, just a few years after they opened. It was a nice venue. I recall that the first few years there they would put a marble plaque on the lawn outside, one for each band that played there. Not sure they kept that up or not, by now the lawn would probably look more like a solid slab. LOL Anyway, I remember seeing the marble Yes plaque a few years later, commemorating this night's show.

The show that night was tight and energetic. The vibe was great and the guys played very well. The 15 minute Yours is No Disgrace was a great opener. Awaken was the hilight most likely, in hindsight. Oddly, I didn't know it that night. It was from the only 70s Yes album that my collection lacked. I went thinking... "What are the chances they are going to do anything from that one I don't have?". Pretty damned good it turned out. I loved it from the get go, that "master of images" section stuck in my head for days and I went right out and bought Going for the One the next week.

In hindsight this wasn't the greatest Yes tour- but an important one. I have a laserdisc of this tour and looking and hearing it now I realize the keyboard sounds Rick used that year were atrocious, fluffy digital crap for the most part. And the whole thing seems a tad bloated. Yes sounds best as a five piece, pure and simple. No more, no less. Still, this will always be a fond Yes concert memory and I am glad they all got together to do it. I'm just glad they didn't continue to. It obviously was best as a once in a lifetime sort of thing.