John Sposato

I only have some of this show. They recieved a award for a certain number of shows at Madison Square (beaten by Elton John). The bootleg, "The Age of the Buggles", was taped from the radio, so the sound quality is improved. Three tracks from this show were mixed and appeared on the official live box set "The Word is Live".
Many fans bought tickets months ahead of time before the unimaginable was announced. Of course, the show must go on!

David Bernstein

I was at this show. Someone in my class at high school offered me the tickets. I had no idea Jon and Wake had left the band until a day or two before the show. Anyway, I remember being underwhelmed but had a good time nonetheless. All these years later I remember the comment before Roundabout-"This song means alot to me". My wife always kids me about it saying how can you remember such minutia. Now I can show her this review page to prove that I was right.

Dabronks

Tickets for this show actually went on sale six months before in March.While studying for final exams in May of my senior year at a Bronx prep school,heard that Jon and Rick had left.Ripped my heart out.I could actually live with no Rick-but no Jon-that could be a fiasco.
Anyway,went to the show and they actually had the best stage arrival I've ever seen.Curtain went down in the middle of the round stage,and when it came up slowly-they appeared.Not like previous from the side entrance at MSG.My best friend had moved to Florida but heard the radio broadcast and said the crowd sounded loud.
We were,but with no Jon something was missing.Did love the two songs that never made the album and Horn actually did very well on And You and I.Thought Downes was good considering the circumstances.Chris,Steve,and Alan were a pleasure and on the way home had actually wished they performed as a 3 piece.That would've been something to watch !

Dave Westbay

Working from memory only here, I think I read somewhere that Brian Lane originally agreed to the radio broadcast, then cancelled it due to bootlegging concerns, then reinstated it. The high-quality feed lines that had been leased for the original broadcast were no longer available, so they had to take what they could get at the last minute, and the quality of the live broadcast suffered as a result.

I remember trying to listen to this show, which was broadcast live as I recall, and the DJ at the radio station would have to play filler material while the network was trying to get the signal cleaned up. I taped the show off the radio but it came out terrible, and that cassette deteriorated to the point where I couldn't play it any more anyway, so I no longer have a copy of what was a lousy-sounding show to begin with.

Jeff Smith

[In reguards to the live broadcast] My copy, recorded live off the radio from a Baltimore station, is only one channel for much of it. What I remember from back then is that the radio concert had been promoted as being the full concert, but only 40 minutes or so were broadcast at Lane's direction, which he explained afterward as not wanting the "new" material (Fly From Here & Go Through This) available to bootleggers--of course both of those songs *were* included in the portion that was aired, so that made no sense, unless he was also referring to the poor audio.

IIRC, some of the radio stations felt ill-used, complained noisily, and Yes suffered cinsiderable ill will because of this.

Eddie

I was there as well but only 45min of the show was broadcast here in the U.S. , while the U.K. was treated to a broadcast which featured 90m of the show.

Gregory Silvus

I recorded a Yes radio show. One of the tunes they did from the Horn/Downes era was "We Can Fly From Here", which Trevor Horn said was "a song that didn't make the album, but it's still one of my favorites..." It's a pretty neat song, and I was disappointed that it didn't make the boxed set.

Yesman Lee

Billboard, September 20, 1980:
YES
Madison Square Garden
Tickets: $13, $11

Yes, the newly reorganized art-rock group, was a bit more straight-ahead rock 'n' roll and a little less art as it played three nights at the Garden, Sept. 4-6 to capacity crowds.

Rumors about possible musical problems with the new members, Trevor Horn and Geoff Downet (sic), proved unfounded as they meshed smoothly with the other three members.

Horn's singing may not have been the outstanding feature of the performance, but it was more than adequate. And Downes was a sensation as a crowd pleaser and musician as he deftly played his mulyiple keyboards.

Yet there was a certain grace missing from the unit. No longer present was Jon Anderson playing a solo on his lyre. But the group more than made up for this with thumping rock 'n' roll pushed hard by the only founding member still with the group; bassist Chris Squires (sic).

Barry Garner

That next year I went to see the Drama tour (Oh how I love that album) at Madison Square Garden. The concert was excellent despite Trevor struggling to hit the high notes:-). Does it Really Happen stands out as the highlight of the concert. Memories of the event were rekindled when I recently picked up a boot on CD of the concert at MSG (The Age of Buggles MSG 6/9/80) the night I was there!! (I think I heard myself screaming) The boot does contain the two songs not commercially released, We Can Fly from Here (a really great piece) and Go Through This.

Pete Whipple

During the radio broadcast, a thunderstorm in the area caused the transmision to be very distorted at the start of the show.