YES ACOUSTIC: GUARANTEED NO HISS

At once was I surprised and thrilled to just see this sitting on the rack during a routine shopping experience at the local Wal-Mart. I scooped it up immediately and checked out the track list after realizing I was holing in my hands something I had often dreamt of- acoustic versions of Yes classics. I had some complaints, and I hadn't even bought the damn thing: There are no epic tracks, not even a single one of those ten minute pieces I would have loved to have heard given the unplugged treatment (like "Siberian Khatru" or "Starship Trooper"). Pretty much what's here is Fragile (less "Heart of the Sunrise"), two songs from Magnification, and the obligatory song from The Yes Album. Also, the Songs from Tsongas DVD contains many of these acoustic renditions, making this somewhat unnecessary, to be honest, although my opinion is that the performances here are far superior. The upside to having this DVD, however, comes in the form of the dry and wry Rick Wakeman, who narrates an absolutely hilarious and lengthy behind-the-scenes look at this performance. The atmosphere of this performance is solemn, and yet at the same time, quite informal (the concert could look like a funeral one minute, and the next minute someone is making a joke). The introduction, "Tiger Rag," is just good fun to watch and always gets me in the mood for the rest of the show. Here, one can hear an even sprightlier version of "Long Distance Runaround," a Chicago blues version of "Roundabout," and believe it or not, a countrified (almost bluegrass) rendition of "South Side of the Sky" (followed by a stirring piano solo from Wakeman). Is this essential? By no means- but it's entertaining as all get out. The behind the scenes footage more than makes up for the lack of musical content.