YESSHOWS

After another great live album which is called Yessongs, in 1980 they released this album called Yesshows, performing some songs from Topographic Oceans to Tormato, this is a completely different track list than in Yessongs, and not for that reason this is less good.

One particular characteristic is that was performed in some songs by Patrick Moraz in keyboards, and in the other ones by Rick Wakeman,, both with their particular style, both excellent keyboard players. This concert starts with the opening song from 1977 release "Going for the One ", "Parallels", with that keyboard intro, and then the bass and the unique style of Howe`s guitar, good song to opene the album, I like it, and it sounds as good as the album version. The second song is the only early Yes song, "Time and a Word", it is maybe not the song which people is expecting in a concert, maybe this is the weakest part, anyway I like the song, and the extraordinary voice of Jon Anderson, this song I think is strictly for singing, ( theres a time, and the time is now and its right for me.) Then after that soft song, comes a powerful beginning of "Going for the One" , a great performance of that song, is very complex and guitar sound is really great ( last Yes`visit to Mexico City, they opened with Going for the One, it was really great), this concert is a 1977 sound oriented. But then, the best moment , my favourite epic, a extraordinary song, and a really really great performance, "Gates of Delirium", this song is just amazing, im a huge Wakeman`s fan, but that's ironic, this is my favourite Yes`song, and without Wakeman, but the work of Moraz is awesome and it makes me forget abou The Keyboard Wizard, I don't know if this version of Gates of Delirium is my favourite, because here I find more power at the moment of play it, vocals are so emotional, Jon Anderson has a great voice , I think he made in this live version a great effort to please the audience, musically I don't have nothing more to add, because the music is simply superb, the bass of Squire is always perfect, and I think this is the heart of this album, listen to it, Gates of Delirium, impressive.

I have this album in LP, and that was the first side of it, the second side begins with a "protest" song "Don't Kill the Whale", as the title says, we can imagine the topic of lyrics, in this song we can listen again beautiful and great guitar solos. "Ritual ( Nous Sommes du Solei)", the main track of the controversial 1974 album "Tales from Topographic Oceans", which after that release Wakeman left the band, here this song was played by Moraz instead Wakeman, and was divided in 2 parts, another great epic, with excellent changes and superb musicianship, maybe not for everybody`s ears, but for me this was an amazing performance, ( I remember this song when I saw them, and wow, I was amazed). To finish this album "Wonderous Stories", another track from "Going for the One" album, this is a classic song of Yes, is quite nice, but not my favourite, maybe this is one of the bad things of this album, maybe another song instead this could be better to finish this live album.

After all, I really enjoy it, I think it is great, and we know what Yes is, a monster of progressive rock, and here we can make sure of it. For that reasons I highly recommend it, and this album deserves at least 4 stars.