YES
"IN THE PRESENT: LIVE FROM LYON"
When it comes to classic progressive rock, you'll have a
tough time discussing the genre before Yes comes up conversationally. Their
legacy is one that few bands can rival, and a long string of classic albums
have made them a staple in nearly every rock fan's collection.
Lineup changes are nothing new for Yes, but the incarnation
of Yes featured on In The Present,
which contains vocalist Benoit David in place of Jon Anderson, has been met
with some controversy.
Benoit David was quite good standing in for Anderson-his
performances on their latest studio effort were excellent, and I was quite
impressed with his pipes the two times I saw him live.
To showcase this new lineup, the band offers up a new
double disc release of their performance in Lyon, France on December 1, 2009. In the
Present - Live From Lyon shows the band performing classic tracks from the
seventies as well as dipping into some Drama-era
material.
While the set list is varied enough to satisfy most Yes
fans, it would have been nice to hear a few tunes from their more recent
catalog. The fact that most of these songs are readily available on other live
albums makes the album more of a completist’s item than an essential part of Yes' canon.
By the time this collection was released, Benoit David
had been dismissed as abruptly as Jon Anderson, paving the way for Jon Davison
from Glass Hammer to assume lead vocal duties, making this album a historical
document rather than a glimpse of things to come.
This is an immensely entertaining live experience that
shows the quintet is at the top of their game, and the wealth of classic tunes
should satisfy any fan of the band. While the album may not hold as much appeal
to Yes newcomers, long time fnas should enjoy this.
TEMPUS FUGIT
HEART OF THE SUNRISE
OWNER OF A LONELY HEART
ROUNDABOUT
These are great videos, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
I saw a very recent concert with yes and Anderson was back with them.
ReplyDeleteInteresting they used the lead from Glass Hammer for a while. His voice does match Anderson's style though.
Alex-
DeleteThe concert you saw must have been from a few years ago-Davison is still the lead singer as of today (unless their site has not been undated, but that would been reported on the sites I frequent).
I'm going to see them in a couple months when they play three albums (Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge).
Correction-They are not playing "Fragile," it's "Going For The One."
Delete