THE LOST BROADCASTS

The Lost Broadcasts offers a historical look at early Yes. All but one of the performances are for the German program The Beat Club, the exception being "Time and a Word." It's a treat to be able to hear Yes' Ritchie Havens cover in its unadulterated form, with no orchestra swirling about the rock. Alas, Peter Banks' guitar is buried in the mix. Jon Anderson shows that, even in 1969, his between-song banter was rather cheesy and sometimes embarrassing.

"Survival" is my favorite song from the Peter Banks-era Yes, one I wish would have been performed live with Yes' more modern sound. It sounds like Chris Squire flubs the introduction a bit, after which Tony Kaye offers an unexpected organ solo. It was interesting to see how the band would "fade" into the quiet guitar that introduces the first verse; I was impressed to hear them throttle back into a quiet mist to allow Banks to emerge with his halcyon strumming. Kaye treats us to more soulful psychedelic playing. However, the vocals all around are pitchy, and Anderson actually misses a beat during the second refrain. I found myself paying more attention to Squire's groovy jamming than I did to the vocals anyway. Watching Bill Bruford is amusing, as his expressions alternate abruptly between opiate and tonic.

When "Time and a Word" arrives, so does the color, but the "live" element departs momentarily. The viewer may note immediately that no one- not even Anderson- is playing the acoustic guitar clearly heard, and later, a spectral orchestra materializes. That's because this is merely the band pantomiming to the studio version of the song.

"Yours is No Disgrace" is visually upsetting, with pink and yellow seizure-inducing flashes cut with a rotating head evoking the cover art of The Yes Album, worse even than the "psychedelic" interjections that make Keys to Ascension almost unwatchable. Speaking of strange visuals, what is that furry thing that crawled on Kaye's face? The sound is raw, and the synthesizer in front of Anderson doesn't help matters. The final "lost broadcasts" consist of three takes of "I've Seen All Good People," with "Your Move" out of the picture. The third is the finest, as the band is visible the entire time.