PROGENY - SEVEN SHOWS FROM SEVENTY-TWO

Major Yes fans who simply can't get enough of their live show as documented in Yessongs will love Progeny, a boxed set that contains seven full shows from the Close to the Edge tour of North America with Alan White having found his bearings on drums. An excellent job has been done of optimising the sound quality whilst accurately presenting the twists and turns of each show - including a Spinal Tap-esque incident where a local radio station starts interfering with Rick Wakeman's keyboard setup in one show.

Less hardcore fans, however, will probably find the entire set a bit excessive. Whilst there is some improv here and there, Yes shows of this period simply didn't vary as much as, say, your average mid-70s King Crimson concert. In fact, each show has essentially the same setlist played in basically the same order each evening, though there are some moments of improvisation.

For the sheer value of money it offers to the true fans, I'll give this five stars, but it really and truly isn't for anyone who isn't a major fan; Yessongs does a decent enough job of capturing this live era, even though it doesn't present a single continuous concert. For those who want to take a real deep dive into live Yes when they were at the peak of their powers, on the other hand, this boxed set will give you as much as you could possibly want.