Product Description

Captured in Las Vegas while touring in support of "The Ladder", "House Of Yes" captures a mix of Yes classics, along with more recent compositions. The Yes lineup for this show consists of: Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitars and vocals), Chris Squire (bass and vocals), Alan White (drums and vocals), Billy Sherwood (guitars and vocals), and Igor Khoroshev (keyboards and vocals).

Track Listing: Yours Is No Disgrace, Time And A Word, Homeworld (The Ladder), Perpetual Change, Lightning Strikes, The Messenger, Ritual-Nous Sommes du Soleil, And You And I, It Will Be A Good Day (The River), Face To Face, Awaken, Your Move/I've Seen All Good People, Cinema, Owner Of A Lonely Heart, Roundabout. (Plus additional bonus features.)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #68695 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-11-30
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Live, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 112 minutes

Amazon.com
Too often dismissed as dinosaurs of the progressive-rock movement of the 1970s, Yes aimed to revive their former glory with their 1999 album, The Ladder. Veteran producer Bruce Fairbairn specifically urged the band to return to the sound that made it famous--poetic lyrics, thickly layered fusion of guitar, bass, keyboards, and sophisticated melodic structures. Whether Yes achieved its goal is subject to debate, but die-hard Yes-philes will surely agree this is the finest video presentation of this enduring band and its music. The Dolby Digital 5.1-channel audio is exquisitely distinct, showcasing the seasoned musicianship of guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, and next generation Yes members Igor Khoroshev (replacing Rick Wakeman on keyboards) and Billy Sherwood (who later left the band) on guitar.

After 30 years as Yes frontman and vocalist, Jon Anderson leads in fine form. His mellow enthusiasm is genuine, and this 15-song set (recorded at the Las Vegas House of Blues club) catches the band on a very good night. Squire is a playful match to Howe's reliable precision, and the best of the new songs (particularly "Homeworld" [The Ladder]) are almost as good as the classics. And while the Bob Marley tribute song "The Messenger" is best forgotten, few could deny that Yes has indeed retained its vitality after all these years. In addition to interviews with all the band members (except White), impressive extra features on the DVD include a Dolby 5.1 version of the "Homeworld" album track, accompanied by computer-animated excerpts from the "Homeworld" CD-ROM game, and an HTML version of the Yesworld Web site. A conspicuous effort to attract a new generation of cyber-savvy fans? Perhaps, but if this terrific DVD is any indication, Yes needn't worry about passing into obscurity. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Great performances, song selection, audio, and video
As a longtime fan of Yes, I am pleased that after 30+ years we finally have a superb concert video of the band. Taped originally in HDTV format, this DVD is a special treat for those viewers who have a progressive-scan (480p) DVD player and an HD-ready television. The video is brilliant and sharp, and the Dolby Digital 5.1-channel sound mix is exquisite. Each instrument can be heard in detail, which, considering the prodigious musical skills of each band member, is a real listening pleasure.

Yes fans will especially appreciate the excellent performances of Yours Is No Disgrace (the opening number), Homeworld (from the most recent CD), and Awaken. Standards like Roundabout, And You And I, and Your Move/I've Seen All Good People are done competently if cursorily, and the technical quality of the sound and picture is hands above any other Yes footage to date.

Guitarist Steve Howe is in great form, as good as he has ever been. He and bassist Chris Squire play a variety of beautiful and unusual instruments, which fellow musicians will enjoy seeing (Squire even has a 3-necked bass on Awaken; the top neck is basically the bottom 3 strings of a standard electric guitar. Perhaps this instrument was built just for this song!). Squire and vocalist Jon Anderson seem to really enjoy the performance, and their positive attitude adds to the viewer's enjoyment. In addition to his vocal duties, Anderson plays a variety of interesting incidental instruments, including a miniature harp he hangs on his chest with a shoulder strap. Unfortunately, the younger generation of Yes-men, guitarist-vocalist Billy Sherwood and keyboardist Ivan Khoroshev, don't get enough air time. Both are incredible musicians, and it would have been nice to see more of them (sadly, Sherwood has since left the group). Yes is not a big drum band, but longtime drummer Alan White gets his share of shots, and he also seems to be having a good time.

Several DVD extras are worth mentioning. The best is a DD 5.1 channel mix of Homeworld, which is a totally different experience from hearing it on audio CD. The video that plays during Homeworld consists of shots of the video game of the same name; this is also fairly interesting. There are also interviews with all band members (except White) and a few shots of them playing in the studio.

Considering progressive-scan video source, DD 5.1 sound mix, and overall performance quality, this DVD is a must-have for the home theater enthusiast, and of course for any Yes fan.

An excellent document of live Yes!
I have been a fan of Yes since I first heard the "Tormato" album in 1978, but there has never been a full-length concert video of the band,...until now! "The House of Yes" is beautifully recorded, both in terms of the clear, well-mixed audio, and the bright, colorful visual presentation (although I'm not sure why the concert is presented in the widescreen "letterbox" format). This also the only "official" live Yes recording to feature Yes' late 90's six man line-up with guitarist/vocalist Billy Sherwood, and ol' Billy gets in some good moments here, especially on the newer tracks "Face To Face", "The Messenger", and "Lightening Strikes". The bands newest keyboardist Igor Khoroshev also makes a great showing for himself, and manages to steal the spotlight in many places! The set list really represents the overall history of Yes quite well, with a mix of classic 70's showpeices ("Yours Is No Disgrace", "And You and I", "Perpertual Change"), early 80's rockers ("Cinema", "Owner of a Lonely Heart") and a healthy dose of energetic material from 1999's "The Ladder" (including the great prog epic "Homeworld"). The only major disappointment is an extremely edited-down version of the Yes classic "Roundabout", which excludes the the acoustic intro, middle verses ("out on the drifting clouds/the eagle searching down on the land"), and even parts of the instrumental break...one must wonder why they even bothered to play the song at all! But some of the many highpoints, like an emotionally dramatic performance of the majestic epic "Awaken", go a long way towards making up for this disappointment. If you are a Yes fan, old or new, then this is certainly one for your collection!

YES is Back again, great show.
What can you expect from YES in a tiny club like the House of Blues?...."Everything" They sound incredible, the music is given 100% effort. Homeworld, the new tune is great!, Igor the New Keyboardist is exceptional. Great Performance of Awaken, Perpetual Change. Lightening Strikes, Good Day, etc.....great stuff. Now all we need is For Yes to Film the Masterworks tour for another DVD soon David_Carlin@vtel.com