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Gianthogweed View Drop Down
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Points: 224 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Yessongs - Best Live album ever
    Posted: March 06 2007 at 22:12
I first heard Yessongs when I was 14.  I have yet to hear a more flawless live album.  Sure there are a lot of great ones out there.  King Crimson - USA, ELP - Welcome Back, Genesis - Live and Seconds Out, Phish - Live at MSG, Allman Bros. at Filmore East to name a few.  But there's just something incredible about yessongs.  These guys were clearly at the top of their game at this point.
 
Here's a taste of its gloriousness http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNJJPEN-bp0
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Points: 202 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 01:01
yessongs is an AMAZING album...but the recording quality is not the greatest, and i feel that this weakness retracts tremendously from the record as a whole.  Saying an album is the best ever is also very subjective...i agree that maybe this could be considered on of the best of its era...but i couldn't as quickly call it one of the best ever...albums like Different Stages by rush, Two For the Show by Kansas, Pictures at an exhibition by ELP and Playing the Fool are tremendous live prog accomplishments, and when looking at live albums as a whole Peter Frampton's Alive record instantly comes to mind - at this time it was one of the most groundbreaking live recordings of all time, and it continues to be an album of epic proportions.  
If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.
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Points: 782 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:08
Sorry, but I think it is appalling. I simply can't go past the dreadful recording quality and the mix is substandard even for the time. But then I'm not really a fan of live albums. And I respect your impassioned opinion!
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Points: 4252 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:15
many times i have seen Deep Purple's "Made in Japan" listed as the greatest live album of all time, and having listened to it recently i would vote it so as well - the sound quality is stunning, performances top notch with the band at the top of their game - a showcase -it still sounds very exciting today - sorry to disagree with you about  "Frampton Comes Alive", Bill, Wink but it would only top my list of the most boring live album of all time - i thought that especially when it was released .......Confused
 
 btw "Yessongs" is a good live album, but not great.
 


Edited by mystic fred - March 07 2007 at 02:16
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Chris S View Drop Down
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Points: 7028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:25
Yessongs - absolutely flawless!!! Warts and all.
 
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
 
Genesis - Second's Out
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Points: 29452 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:31
Within progressive rock I would probably go with ELP 'Pictures At An Exhibition' or Rush 'Different Stages'  in respect of performance and sound quality. 
Tangerine Dream have also done some superb live albums Pergamon,Poland,Ricochet and Logos, although they couldn't be compared in style to Yes,ELP or Rush (obviously).
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Points: 376 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:55
One of the Yes biographies said the production makes it sound like the band was calling in from a phone booth in Grand Central Station!

Despite that it's still the best prog live album IMHO and shows just how hard-edged they could sound live. Steve Howe gives an exhibition of sustained guitar brilliance. His solos on Yours is No Disgrace and Starship Trooper are astounding and completely smoke the studio versions.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 02:56
No - Yessongs is a shocker - you cannot attribute the "best" accolade to such a poor recording.
 
My vote goes to Renaissance at Carnegie Hall. Winner on performance, recording quality and material. Pretty much the PERFECT album, live or otherwise.
 
 
Special mentions to......
DP - "Made In Japan"
Jethro Tull - "Bursting Out"
Maschera Di Cera - "In Concerto"
Wishbone Ash - "In Chicago"
 
And for those of you who with hi-end hi-fi and want to hear, arguably, the best recorded live (some studio tracks on it) album ,certainly in my collection............
Fairport Convention "Old, New, Borrowed, Blue - Acousic Vonvention" - people often use The Eagles' Hell Freezes Over" as a hi-fi test CD. The Fairport outclasses that my a didtance. Come on Progarchives - let's add this to the Fairport db.
 
And the most exciting live album?.......
 
Grand Funk Railroad - "Grand Funk Live"
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pero View Drop Down
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Points: 1242 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 03:03

Yessongs are not my pick as best live album. My fav woud be

In prog:

King Crimson - Earthbond
Zappa - Roxy and elsewhere, Best band you never heard in your life
ELP - Ladies and gentleman
Jethro tull - Live at hyppodrome london, 1977
Pink floyd - Pompeii
Mahavishnu orchestra - From nothingness to eternity
Focus live at rainbow theatre
Gentle giant - Live at BBC
Traffic - On the road
Colosseum - Live
 
and non prog:
Hendrix - Band of gypsies, Woodstock, Atlanta, San Diego, Berkley
Wishbone ash - Live dates
Uriah heep live
Deep purple - Made in Japan
Mountain - Twin peaks
Johnny winter - Live and
Humble pie - Live at Fillmore
Allman brothers band - Live at Fillmore
Taste - Live at Isle of Wight
Grand funk railroad - Live
 


Edited by pero - March 07 2007 at 03:32
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 03:14
Originally posted by pero pero wrote:

Jethro tull - Live at hyppodrome london, 1977
 
 
 
Hey Pero - what's this then - is it a bootleg?
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pero View Drop Down
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Points: 1242 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 03:26
No it's regular DVD (120 min). They performed half of Thick as a brick, and half of Passion play my two fav albums. Smile
Martin "Lancelot " Barre was in form of his life
 
Jethro Tull Golders Green Hippodrome February 10, 1977


Edited by pero - March 07 2007 at 03:49
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Points: 2476 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 03:47
As far as I can tell, YESSONGS is a pretty accurate reflection of what the band must have sounded like in the early seventies. If they sound muddled, it's not so much the production, it's the way they played. You can tell from the Yessongs movie: same era, different performances, similar way of playing.

When I first bought YESSONGS (the album), back in the seventies, only a few weeks after I'd discovered CLOSE TO THE EDGE, I had to swallow hard. 'Close to the Edge' itself, for example, sounded so much rougher and more chaotic than the studio recording! But I soon came to enjoy the live performances for their own sake, and for their spontaneity.

These days, I only ever play the YESSONGS versions of 'Yours is no disgrace' and 'Starship Trooper'. I love Steve's extended guitar break on 'Yours is no disgrace'. The film version sounds completely different. I wish Yes would/could follow Robert Fripp's example and give us a boxed set with two or three unreleased performances of this track from the same tour. (I've never bought Yes bootlegs.) 'Starship Trooper' also sounds majestic, and its grand finale has never been bettered.

But to call YESSONGS flawless? The band mess up the mellotron climaxes in 'And You and I' - which they also did when I first saw them live, during the GOING FOR THE ONE tour, in Antwerp. Must have taken them a number of years to get those right! (On the YES SYMPHONIC DVD, with orchestra, everything finally fits perfectly.)

I'm afraid I can think of quite a few live albums which are more convincing and more exciting than YESSONGS. But don't let this spoil your fun! It's absolutely true that you can tell how audacious these guys were...

Edited by fuxi - March 07 2007 at 03:49
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Points: 2546 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 03:51
I have found "Yessongs" a major disappointment, in quality of sound rather than content.  I admire your enthusiasm for the album, Giant HogWeed, but like many others it unfortunately does not rate highly amongst my  favourite "live" albums - most of which have been mentioned in previous posts. Special mention goes to Deep Purple - Made in Japan and Kansas Two For the Show. I would also add Camel's "A Live Record" to the list of great live recorded albums. Cheers 

"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence"
- Robert Fripp


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Chris S View Drop Down
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Points: 7028 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 04:10
[
But to call YESSONGS flawless? The band mess up the mellotron climaxes in 'And You and I' - which they also did when I first saw them live, during the GOING FOR THE ONE tour, in Antwerp. Must have taken them a number of years to get those right! (On the YES SYMPHONIC DVD, with orchestra, everything finally fits perfectly.)

I'm afraid I can think of quite a few live albums which are more convincing and more exciting than YESSONGS. But don't let this spoil your fun! It's absolutely true that you can tell how audacious these guys were...[/QUOTE]
 
 
Whoever said you cannot find perfection within imperfection?????
 
or enjoy the sweet repetitive sound of an artist????
 
Just a theory I believe in, in that you do not need a prefect sounding record to make it a masterpiece. I think Louie Armstrong sounds close to perfect, craters, crackles and hisses included, different genre I know.
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valravennz View Drop Down
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Points: 2546 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 04:25
Originally posted by Chris Stacey Chris Stacey wrote:

[
But to call YESSONGS flawless? The band mess up the mellotron climaxes in 'And You and I' - which they also did when I first saw them live, during the GOING FOR THE ONE tour, in Antwerp. Must have taken them a number of years to get those right! (On the YES SYMPHONIC DVD, with orchestra, everything finally fits perfectly.)

I'm afraid I can think of quite a few live albums which are more convincing and more exciting than YESSONGS. But don't let this spoil your fun! It's absolutely true that you can tell how audacious these guys were...
 
 
Whoever said you cannot find perfection within imperfection?????
 
or enjoy the sweet repetitive sound of an artist????
 
Just a theory I believe in, in that you do not need a prefect sounding record to make it a masterpiece. I think Louie Armstrong sounds close to perfect, craters, crackles and hisses included, different genre I know.
[/QUOTE]
 
Hi Chris -
I think I would (and do) enjoy  the imperfections in a Louie Armstrong album rather than some of the poorer quality "live"albums out there. However, I do have to concede  that "perfection can be found within imperfection".  Take KC's "Earthbound" - a gem of a live recording (KC's first live release) despite that it sounds that it was recorded on the fly. True Fan's of the group will forgive them anything including the imperfect album here and there Smile

"Music is the Wine that fills the cup of Silence"
- Robert Fripp


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Norbert View Drop Down
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Points: 2506 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 06:54
Excellent live album, I would not declare it the best ever, but really great.
Shortcomings in recording and mixing don't disturb me really, the music and the performance is incredible.
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Points: 2476 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 09:51
Originally posted by Chris Stacey Chris Stacey wrote:

Whoever said you cannot find perfection within imperfection?????
 

or enjoy the sweet repetitive sound of an artist????

 

Just a theory I believe in, in that you do not need a prefect sounding record to make it a masterpiece. I think Louie Armstrong sounds close to perfect, craters, crackles and hisses included, different genre I know.


Of course you can enjoy imperfections; that's why I praised Yes's spontaneity. Many of Howe's guitar embellishments during the live 'Close to the Edge' are improvised. Some sound more convincing than others, but at least he's TRYING, following the flow of the music, letting himself go...

And like you, I enjoy live jazz CDs, which are full of experiment...

But sloppy playing, when the playing actually needs to be precise and 'orchestral' (as on 'And You and I'), I merely find disappointing!
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Points: 20414 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 10:03
Originally posted by pero pero wrote:

No it's regular DVD (120 min). They performed half of Thick as a brick, and half of Passion play my two fav albums. Smile
Martin "Lancelot " Barre was in form of his life
 
Jethro Tull Golders Green Hippodrome February 10, 1977
 
Still a bootleg as the whole list on that site seems to be...
 
Best way is to click on the link and check out the text in the box of your bottom toolbar.
 
But I have seen some of these performances sold openly.


Edited by Sean Trane - March 08 2007 at 06:53
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Points: 4079 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 10:08
Yessongs is great. One of my favorite live albums. To add:
Rush - Exit...Stage Left (I love the rawness)
DT - 5 Years in a Livetime (the cover song snipettes are cool)
PT - RockPalast and Arriving Somewhere (these guys CAN jam)
 
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Points: 5109 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 07 2007 at 10:25
I do enjoy "Yessongs" quite a bit, but best live album ever? That title goes to Peter Gabriel, "PLays LIve." Another contender is "Stop Making Sense."
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