| The
Review |
Finally the 90125/Trevor Rabin
era YES gets the DVD treatment, and it's about time. The show
was recorded in Canada in 1984, and given the wealth of Yes
product now available on DVD, I'm suprised this wasn't re-released
sooner. Other than an out-of-print live EP(9012LIVE- the Solos,
1985) and a few live cuts on box sets, the 80's YES has been
sorely ignored and not given thier proper due- as a vibrant
and progressive AOR powerhouse with textural and melodic embellishments.
If the Classic 70's Yes were a tribe of ancients staring at
the sun looking for a spaceship, the 80's Yes WAS that spaceship-
sleek, modern and very "NOW"(for then). View one of the current
DVD's with Wakeman, and then this. 9012LIVE is energetic and
put the 'rock' back into progressive rock. If you don't mind
Alan White's headband, Trevor Rabin's Van Halen posturings,
the cheezy 1950's-style videos or the revolving 90125 logo,
this is for you. This DVD captures YES during a successful
midway point in their career, after the breakup of the Classic
70's Yes and before the nostalgia tours and independent labels.
Here, Yes seems to have a new lease on life, as the 'new'
remade/remodeled version of the band takes the stage for an
energetic rock show that is centered around the then-current
record, 90125. Only two early tracks appear- ALL GOOD PEOPLE
and STARSHIP TROOPER, both from 1971's THE YES ALBUM, ironically
the last one to feature Tony Kaye before he left. But the
emphasis here is on 90125 material, some of it better than
on record. IT CAN HAPPEN, for instance, is an overlooked gem,
and the atmospheric CHANGES is ever the anthem. OWNER OF A
LONELY HEART is here of course, and this version of YES has
been the only version to have ever done it justice(witness
current DVDs where Steve Howe is practically falling asleep
while performing it). For the old material, both YES ALBUM
cuts are lively and lose nothing when performed without key
member Howe. Starship Trooper locks into a powerful groove
which flattens all, perhaps my favorite version of this track.***
YES then(1985) were core pillars
CHRIS SQUIRE and ALAN WHITE, JON ANDERSON returning as lead
vocalist, original keyboardist TONY KAYE returning also, and
a smokin' TREVOR RABIN, a South African born instrumentalist/songwriter
with strong AOR leanings and lightning-fast rock guitar licks.
And if you are a FRAGILE-and-nothing-else type Yes fanatic,
then this disc is not for you. That said, perhaps more early
material should have been included on the DVD reissue- indeed
this band incarnation was responsible for possibly the definitive
live rendition of AND YOU AND I. Squire's solo would have
been nice too. But the emphasis is on the new album, 90125.
9012LIVE was originally released on VHS and BETA back in 1985,
and was aired on MTV a number of times. I remember it well.
It was directed by Steven Soderbergh before he made it big,
and is strewn with special effects which have not aged too
well. The video footage is either taken from or done up in
the style of 1950's American educational films. The good news
is that you can watch the DVD WITHOUT the cheezy 1950's images
superimposed on stage. Or you can watch it as it was aired
back in '85. At the end, one of the characters utters 'the
rhythm of Big Generators!', so you know where that came from.***
Bonus features are decent: you
get a live version of ROUNDABOUT which was cut from the original
film, and the 80's Yes did it justice(Kaye's take on the solos
were not note perfect Wakeman either, he added his own gloss
too it instead). The interview was actually rather lengthy
and revealing. I was expecting new biased interviews from
the band members now, just re-telling the same story again.
Instead, you get interviews filmed back in 1984/5, so the
band is captured during that period of their lives. You get
the opinions and insights of a band enjoying contemporary
success as a current act in 1984/5, as it was happening, rather
than another boring 'I remember when...'-styled current interview
with YES as a nostalgia act in 2002-2006. They talk not only
about the current album and tour, but about the past with
Wakeman, the Buggles, Brian Lane, previous ablbums and more.
This gives the viewer more insight into the inner workings
and feelings of YES than you get from most of the current
DVDs. The backstage 'documentary' footage is less essential,
and is primarily 1984 Yes goofing around backstage and footage
of roadies and the like, if you're into that kinda stuff.
But, again, it is a striking insight into a slightly younger
and more alive band who had discovered the joy of making music
again after coming out of a dark period.***
If you have no prejudice about
this incarnation of YES or the 1980's in general, this is
essential YES viewing. Witness the triumph of a band which
came back by pure accident and had a successful album, single
and tour. I still hold out for the return of the 90125 Yes,
and this will do perfectly until then. ***
|
