SONGS FROM TSONGAS: 35TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT (DVD)

I wished for a certain book about Avant-Garde music as a Christmas gift. My mother ordered it but it never got delivered so I got some money instead to buy something I wanted. So I headed down to the local department store to look if they had any interesting DVDs. They had this.

Recorded as I understand in Boston during their 35th year anniversary tour 2004, it's a double DVD with nearly three hours of music.

I'm not that into Yes so around half of the songs they're doing are new to me. The show can be divided into three parts. The first disc covers the whole first part before a pause, the second disk covers the rest of the show after the pause. The first half is acoustic while the second is electric.

The second disc is generally the better one but a highlight from the first is "South Side of the Sky". Highlights from the acoustic part are "Roundabout" and "Owner of A Lonely Heart" maybe is better than the original.

The last part, second half of the second disc, is the best. "And You And I2 is an amazing song and it's amazing how the crowds can't stop cheering during it and especially afterwards. Directly after comes "Ritual" of Tales of Topographic Oceans infame. The song is new to be but I must say that I, like all the journalists who loathe it, find it quite boring. That is, until the bass solo and then drum solo kicks in and the song becomes quite mighty. "Starship Trooper", the song which ends it all is another high point.

An ambitious and cool stage design by Roger Dean and a small documentary/interview with the man about it is also featured. Chris Squire stands for the showmanship with different poses now and then (especially during mentioned bass solo in "Ritual") while Steve Howe looks like a confused statue. All in all well worth the money, a great show by a great band which I have to discover more of.