Monday, April 29, 2013

"Y" IS FOR...

Yes

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as Jon Anderson, paving the way for Jon Davison from Glass Hammer to assume lead vocal duties, making this album a historical document rather than a glimpse of things to come.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.

 ALBUM TRAILER
 
STARSHIP TROOPER
 


TEMPUS FUGIT




HEART OF THE SUNRISE



OWNER OF A LONELY HEART



ROUNDABOUT


4 comments:

  1. These are great videos, thanks for sharing!

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I saw a very recent concert with yes and Anderson was back with them.
    Interesting they used the lead from Glass Hammer for a while. His voice does match Anderson's style though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex-

      The 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).

      Delete
    2. Correction-They are not playing "Fragile," it's "Going For The One."

      Delete

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