YESTERDAYS

I recently had the pleasure of acquiring Yesterdays' remastered first album, available both on vinyl and CD. Having followed this band for quite some time, I already own all three previous editions of their acclaimed debut, and I am delighted that they have released this new version.

From the very beginning, Yesterdays has been renowned for their transparent and dynamic sound, and this remaster elevates the album to meet today's audio standards. The CD version is particularly special, featuring five bonus tracks from the Holdfénykert era. Among these is a track with Jonas Reingold (of The Flower Kings) on bass, a Jimi Hendrix- inspired song originally composed for an international Hendrix tribute competition, and several demo versions. It's a truly diverse and vibrant collection.

If you missed out on this album in the past - given that it has sold out multiple times - now is your chance to own it. In my humble opinion, this is already a Hungarian progressive classic, nearly 20 years old, and a must-have for any symphonic prog enthusiast.

The crown jewel of this album is undoubtedly their prog epic, Seven. Imagine the grandeur of Yes, but with enchanting female vocals and flute melodies. The track is a masterclass in progressive music, featuring virtuosic Minimoog solos, ebow-driven electric guitars, roaring Hammond organ passages, and the delicate interplay of acoustic guitars and flutes. The rich backing vocals and ethereal lead vocals add a shimmering, otherworldly quality to the piece.

As for the vinyl version, it naturally omits some content due to the 45-minute time constraint, but I couldn't resist adding it to my collection. The sound quality is nothing short of stellar.

This is symphonic prog at its finest, hailing from Hungary, and it comes with my highest recommendation.

A true bucket-list event for me was seeing Yesterdays perform at the Winter's End Festival 2024 in Chepstow. I had been looking forward to this moment for years, and it turned out to be an incredible experience.

This live album includes the same songs from their setlist at the festival, plus one track from the Colours Caffé album. However, it was recorded in August 2024 with a different lead singer. András Karola stepped in to replace Stéphanie, who was reportedly unavailable due to medical reasons. Despite having only 12 days to learn the entire repertoire, Karola delivered an exceptional performance. Guitarist Ákos also lent his vocal talents, taking lead on the first two songs. It was a pleasant surprise to hear him sing lead, as I had only heard him on backing vocals before.

Another significant addition to this recording was the presence of their percussionist, Kósa Dávid, whose contributions brought extra richness to the rhythm section. And the biggest treat? Both their studio flute player, Kecskeméti Gábor, and tour flute player, Kozma Kis Emese, performed together, creating stunning two-part harmonies on the flute. This collaboration was a true delight for the audience.

The August performance was recorded in its entirety, prompting the band to release it on CD, digital platforms, and vinyl.

The Little Prince and Other Stories primarily features songs from their epic concept album Saint-Exupéry álma, while the second half plays out like a "best of" Yesterdays. If you're familiar with the studio versions, you'll be in for a treat. The live versions include extended improvisations, intricate flute harmonies, outstanding vocal deliveries, and extraordinary keyboard work.

This album also marks the debut of Yesterdays' new keyboard player, Tóth Gábor, who impressively handles eight keyboards, filling the role of the late Enyedi Zsolt, who sadly passed away in 2020. Joining the lineup was bassist Csajkos Nándor, who infused the band's sound with Chris Squire-inspired bass lines perfect for their progressive style.

The album's closing track, Seven, stands out as one of the finest contemporary symphonic prog compositions I've heard. While the studio version is impeccable, the live rendition takes it to another level, especially with its incredible solos in the final section. Singing along with the band to this masterpiece in Chepstow back in April 2024 was an unforgettable moment for me?an absolute bucket-list achievement.

Favorite tracks/moments: Bábu, Rajzolj át, Ma minden érdekel and Seven!

For fans of symphonic prog, this release is a must-have. And if you get the chance to see this band live, don't miss it. After this experience, Yesterdays holds an even closer place in my heart. Highly recommended!

I am missing those days when prog bands came up with wonderful short songs. It must be harder to tell a story in only 3-4 minutes, but those Wonderous Stories, Dun Ringill days were beautiful.

These Yesterdays tunes were written for a Hungarian songwriting competition, on the 200th anniversary of Petőfi Sándor, who was a famous poet.

The good news is that 3 of the 4 Petőfi songs won a big prize for the band, and there's a bonus track, a previously unreleased song which was composed in the memory of the band's keyboard player Enyedi Zsolt.

Szeretném itthagyni is like a Tears for Fears tune with Chris Squire on bass. So much going on in 3 minutes... 12/8 time signature, half tempo maddness, a fantastic guitar solo and amazing production... And it is worth mentioning: all the instruments were played by Ákos Bogáti-Bokor. Very impressive. The lead vocals of Vanessza Koch is also very beautiful.

Az éj could have been written by Lennon or by Pink Floyd. Such a beautiful ballad with dreamy vocals and a Gilmour- esque slide guitar solo.

Félálomban is a more serious song with great production... A big crescendo. The last chorus is a real ear-worm. Probably my favorite composition on this EP.

Szeptember végén is an early King Crimson inspired tune and there's a vocal intermezzo in it which the vocals are very Yes-like.

The bonus track is A Hold túloldalán. A gentle, calm ending.

I would recommend this EP to any adventurous prog fan who are not afraid of not too stereotipical, shorter songs with amazing vocals and a great production. Hats off mr. Ákos Bogáti-Bokor. Four strong stars.

Review Nº 737

As happened with many Eastern European countries, the countries in the last century that were beyond the so- called Iron Curtain, Romenia wasn't properly known to be a hot bed for the progressive rock scene. Probably the most know and best progressive rock bands that were born in Romania in the golden era of prog, the 70's, were Phoenix and Sfinx. Phoenix, that was founded in Timisoara in 1962, had an interesting career and was responsible for have written some of the best prog pages on three of the best Romanian albums ever. Sfinx, that was founded in Bucharest in 1963, had a shorter live, but the two albums of the 70's are two very good works, especially the second one. But, since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Soviet Union, some new Romanian prog rock bands were born, among them Yesterdays.

Yesterdays is a symphonic progressive rock band that was founded in Cluj Napoca in 2000. The band plays a complex blend of several styles, basically being a classic symphonic prog band with some jazzy and folk atmospheres. As the band explains, the classical music, jazz, fusion and the traditional music are the main ingredients of their sound. The members of the band grew up listening The Beatles, Yes, Gentle Giant and Pink Floyd. They also say that the classical side of the renaissance music is essential for the usage of polyphonic vocals, besides classic composers like Debussy, Ravel, Bartók and Stravinsky. Despite Yesterdys is a Romanian band, they belong to the Hungarian minority of Western Romania. So, the lyrics are in both English and Hungarian. So, Hungarian folk music is also a very important source.

"Colours Caffé" is the second studio album of Yesterdays and that was released in 2010. The line up on "Colours Caffé" is Horváth Linda (lead vocals), Bogáti-Bokor Ákos (vocals, guitars and keyboards), Enyedi Zsolt (keyboards), Kecskeméti Gábor (flute), Kolumbán Zoltán (bass guitar) and Csergő Domokos (drums). "Colours Caffé" had also the participation of Antal Karola, Ercsey Andrea Emese, Stutz Timea and Horváth Hanna (vocals), Mohai Tamás (guitar), Mihai Sorohan (trumpet), Borlai Gergő (drums) and Kósa Dávid (percussion). All these artists are guest musicians.

"Colours Caffé" is an album that contains only strong pieces of music. The album has been rooted very strong in the progressive rock music of the 70's, in the vein of Jethro Tull, Genesis, King Crimson, Renaissance and Yes. These bands had their heydays in that decade and their music revives on "Colours Caffé". This blends of the 70's prog and fusion works very well here and is worthwhile listening to. The band really achieved something special here. Especially the magnificent keyboard and guitar parts lift this album to a high quality level. The electric guitar and synthesizer solos are performed well and are enjoyable to listen to. That also applies to the voice of Horváth Linda that sings very gently.

The opener "Játék" is a cheerful song with a nice vocal refrain and late 70's synth sounds, a hopping rhythm, a good mood and still with a dash of a true progressive atmosphere. "Forog A Tánc" is a dynamic song with catchy chorus in the style of Yes. It has nice flute melodies and the second part of the song has prog instrumental parts with a guitar solo in Holdsworth's style. "Námafilm Szvit" is a suite divided in three parts "Éjszaka", "Némafilm" and "Mélyrepülés". It's a nice twenty minutes epic that can be heard by effortlessly and where the different sections are seamlessly segued by melody rich interludes, delightful and remarkable flute passages, lots of Mellotron string sounds and the versatile beautiful vocals by Horváth Linda. "Tükör" is a good choice after the big suite, a short folk piece with acoustic guitars and nice flute parts. "Bábu" is the most fun track on the album, a jazzy piece with a retro sound. This is a Jethro Tull's inspired track, a tune with a great Moog sound and a flute extravaganza. "Flautoccata" is a mysterious wonderful short track with a synth and a flute duet plus some subtle guitar playing. "Megpihensz" is a melancholic ballad beautifully sung by Horváth Linda with colorful vocals, nice acoustic guitars and with the presence of the Mellotron. "Prelúdium Egy Esőhöz" is a short intro piece for "Zápor". It includes the trumpet of Mihai Sorohan and a crystal clear guitar work. "Zápor" closes the album in a nice way. It's one of the most accessible tracks on the album with catchy melodic lines, pretty harmonies, fine instrumentation and a beautiful vocal line. There's also a short hidden track with a delicate work.

Conclusion: "Colours Caffé" is a feel-good album par excellence. This is a little gem to be discovered with many catchy tunes. The pure joy of playing of the band that comes towards you is contagious. "Colours Caffé" is a great album with a light progressive atmosphere. The music is a good mix of pop, classical, jazz and progressive influences. It's a fine album and one that become more enjoyable with every listen. I like the use of the flute on the album because it gives the album some folksy and classical atmosphere. I also want to mention the tasteful keyboards that we can hear on the album and with Horváth Linda the band has found a good singer. I've no problem the band sings in Hungarian. The atmosphere of the music isn't affected. This is highly recommended for those who like the melodic prog rock style.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

It appears that Yesterdays is making a comeback. Beginning with their concept album "Saint-Exupéry álma" and the unfortunate loss of their keyboard player, the band has now assembled a new live line-up and is set to hit the road in 2024. In homage to their history, they have released a live CD from 2007, a performance where they shared the stage with YES founding guitarist Peter Banks.

Yesterdays' debut, "Holdfénykert," was an intimate and predominantly acoustic album released in 2006. During the tour for that album, the songs truly came to life, and this live CD is a fantastic way to showcase the band's ability to elevate their music, pushing boundaries and improvising new solos. At that time, the band was quite youthful, with most members being new to the prog scene. Only the guitarist and keyboard player were prog enthusiasts, proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves. Ákos demonstrated clear Steve Howe influences, while Zsolt's virtuoso Moog melodies paid direct tribute to Rick Wakeman. They even kicked off the concert with a few chords from YES' "Parallels."

"A Moonlit Night in Budapest" can be considered Yesterdays' Yes(terdays)songs. All the tracks gained power and energy in their live versions. As a fan of their debut album, I found these changes to be truly captivating and intriguing. One of the most fascinating parts, for me, is the crazy "MouthMoog" solo at the end of "Ne félj." Essentially, it involves a microphone plugged directly into a fuzz box with a significant amount of gain and delay, resulting in an unbelievably good sound. Such creativity is refreshing, and I look forward to similar experiments in the future.

"A Moonlit Night in Budapest" stands out as a well-produced live album, serving as a beautiful tribute to Peter Banks and Zsolt Enyedi, capturing a memorable show from 2007. Highly recommended for fans of Yesterdays, and if you appreciate symphonic prog from Hungary, this live CD is a must-listen for you!

Step by step I started discovering the music of Yesterdays, indeed, going back in time. Following their Saint-Exupéry álma CD the first album, "Holdfénykert" followed, as well as the concert version, "A Moonlit Night in Budapest", which although released this year, takes the listener back to 2007.

The MiniProg Festival was hosted by three bands: Yesterdays, Flamborough Head and Peter Banks' Harmony in Diversity. This was one of Peter Banks' last concerts... in Budapest on February 25, 2007.

The charm of Yesterdays' first album was that it was presented to the prog audience with very acoustic, intimate music, while it was delivered live with an electric version. Anyone who is familiar with the studio version is expected to have a lot of exciting surprises, not only are the songs stronger in sound, but there are also structural changes, extra speakers, strange sounds (like the guitarist's "MouthMoog" solo at the end of Ne félj, is something unheard in progressive rock).

In the concert recording we hear a young band, which is also interesting because today Yesterdays has grown into a very mature, strong band. However, it is exciting to see, to hear, where they came from, what their initial musical influences were. The influences by Yes, Genesis, Camel were felt in 2006, 2007, but there were also a lot of folk and jazz elements in their music. Now they are moving on the sophisticated music line of symphonic progressive rock, a bit like hearing Yes using a female singer :).

The highlight of the concert CD - for me - was the epic song Seven. It contained everything that is now so Yesterdays branded: virtuoso analog synthesizer solos, mellotrons, great drumming, Steve Howe-inspired guitar playing and a lot of flute melodies. And in this song's structure there are the many exciting rhythm-changes, polyrhythm, and despite the long song structure, it does not contain empty, boring parts, but immediately grabbing the attention of the listener with melodic vocals, catchy choruses, recurring themes and an ending comparable to Starship Trooper, just like the Würm part, only - of course - in 7/8, which is also indicated by the title of the song.

Fantastic concert album by a talented young band that is at the beginning of their career. I also recommend it to those who only got in touch with the music of Yesterdays' concept album from 2022.

It may have reached me a bit late, but it brought a pleasant surprise. After Solaris, East, You and I, and After Crying, Yesterdays has become my new favorite Hungarian band.

The world of concept albums has always been close to my heart. It feels great to follow a story, especially if it's as beloved as Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince.'

We are dealing with music truly inspired by YES, from somewhere between the 'Fragile' and 'Close To The Edge' albums, yet Yesterdays' music feels very fresh, full of symphonic prog goodness.

'Rajzolj át' feels just like Chris Squire playing bass. Strong chorus, virtuoso solos, a captivating rhythm. The middle part seems like a lost section from 'The Gates of Delirium' all of it with distinctive female vocals. The coda at the end of the song is a real treat for early YES fans.

Once we've warmed up and tuned into the album, the second song truly takes us by surprise, 'Úgy várj majd rám' It's undoubtedly one of the album's strongest points. It has everything we love in this style and it showcases the band's fantastic songwriting skills. They don't get lost in long, dull sections; it's concise, with a dreamy middle section (reminiscent of Harmonium), and a brutally virtuoso solo series. All of this is superbly arranged and produced.

'Estekék' tells the story of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's days after an emergency landing in the desert. The dark moods are emphasized by a strict unison melody: bass guitar, electric guitar, and Moog Taurus.

The longest song on the album follows, 'Esőtánc (Rain Dance)', bringing back the golden age of progressive rock. It has it all: a symphonic intro played on the mellotron with plenty of Moog, piano runs reminiscent of Locanda Delle Fate, Renaissance music-inspired musical sections, a Gentle Giant-inspired vocal fugue, lyrical moments reminiscent of 'Heart of the Sunrise,' a Steve Howe-style acoustic intermezzo, rich background vocals (rare in today's prog music), melodic refrains, and recurring themes. From the recent prog releases, this is my favorite composition. The album's peak.

A Supertramp-inspired song with beautiful harmonies and a guitar-flute duel reminiscent of The Flower Kings follows, evoking the theme of 'Close To The Edge' in a symphonic arrangement.

'Panoptikum' is a delicate piano transition into a meaningful song, 'A Méreg' In this song, we hear the band's former keyboardist, Zsolt Enyedi, for the last time. He passed away at a young age in 2020 due to a tragic stroke. The band dedicated this album to his memory.

The song 'Engedj el' summarizes 'The Little Prince' story, focusing on letting go. Strong influences from YES and Genesis are evident here. This will undoubtedly be a wonderful concert song. If the band can perform at the level I've seen on YouTube, I'm even more excited to experience this music live.

All in all, I can welcome a new favorite into my collection. I wholeheartedly recommend this album to everyone, especially those who, like me, haven't come across Yesterdays' fourth album before. A masterpiece!

A live concert album truly shows how much a band is worth. In the studio, anything can be achieved, but the real measure is the stage performance. I was eagerly anticipating how Yesterdays' first album, 'Holdfénykert,' would sound on this CD, performed live. The studio album's intimate acoustic sound fortunately translates very excitingly in an electric version as well. Apart from the acoustic solo guitar piece, they do not use an acoustic guitar, but the Stratocaster and the 12-string guitar solve the sound with beautiful tones. I really like it!

The first song, 'Napfénykert,' (also the opening tune on the studio album) is a great little instrumental prog rock song with interesting rhythmic patterns, soaring flute, and a virtuoso guitar solo, during which the mellotron sounds wonderfully.

'Várj még' is a long-building lyrical composition with delicate female vocals, soft flute, and, at the end of the song, an energetic MiniMoog solo. In my opinion, this version sounds better than the studio original.

'So Divine' again surpasses the studio version, longer and more exciting, more dynamic. The Moog solo in the middle is crazy and fantastic at the same time!

'Végtelen' showcases Yesterdays' jazzier side, with a playful rhythm that turned out very well.

'Ne félj' is also much stronger here than the studio version was. The interesting thing about this song is that instead of a guitar solo, we hear singing through a microphone plugged into a guitar effect with a lot of distortion, resembling an analog synthesizer sound but even more interesting. I really like this solution, and I would love to see more of it live. Completely crazy!

The next two songs follow the tradition of progressive rock concerts: a guitar solo piece and a piano piece with genuine Yesterdays vibes.

'Hol vagy' is one of my favorites from the 'Holdfénykert' album; the flute sounds even more beautiful here than in the original, and the rhythm that closes the song also sounds more dynamic live.

'Valahol a térben' was the band's first success and hit in Romania and Hungary, occasionally appearing on the radio, and they even made a music video for it.

The concert album ends with 'Seven,' which is still a true Yesterdays classic. They reshaped the beginning, just like Yes did with the 'And You And I' in the 'Yessongs' version... it doesn't start acoustically but borrows chords from the song's chorus and features a lot of Moog. The effect is stunning. In the middle of the song, they brought in 'Yes's 'Time and a Word' (because Peter Banks was present...) which, of course, had to be cut from the official album release for copyright reasons, but the edit was done well, and you can hardly notice. In my opinion, this song is still one of the best Yesterdays creations to this day, a true symphonic prog gem. I always recommend this one to those who are not familiar with Yesterdays.

All in all, this is a very successful live concert album; it well documents the great musical potential that Yesterdays had from the beginning of their career. I enjoy listening to it very much, and I warmly recommend this concert album to everyone. I could also say that this is Yesterdays' 'Yesterdayssongs' album. I rate it a strong four stars.

I am a sucker for Eastern European prog. Here, I said it. I've been following Yesterdays for a few years now so I jumped on their new live CD release.

It's easy to research the background info since the band is very active on social media. The presence of Peter Banks of YES makes this live album even more special, you can even hear Peter's voice at the end. So cool.

A Moonlit Night in Budapest is a well documented live version of the band's debut album Moonlit Garden or Holdfénykert in Hungarian. Always liked this album, it has a unique acoustic atmosphere, lots of acoustic guitars, piano, mellotron, flutes and even some analog synths.

What we are witnessing here is a young band searching for their musical style and I must say, they were on the right path. This live version of their first album got them even closer to their biggest influence: YES!

I suggest starting with their very well written epic called Seven. This tune has everything a prog fan needs. A powerful symphonic prog intro with ultra virtuoso moog solos, calming flute passages, great multiple vocals, polyrhythms, great dynamics. I think this song might be one of the best Yesterdays songs ever!

Várj még is another high point of this live CD with its beautiful minimoog solo at its ending. Beautiful flute and vocal work in this one.

Hol vagy is one of the deeper cuts from the Moonlit Garden album and it really shines in this live version. Intimate, vulnerable and the ending part is beautiful... the piano's crazy rhythm, the jazzy chords, the dreamy, creamy moog melody over it before the ending vocal are stepping in. I love this song.

The to solo numbers are fantastic. Akos Bogati-Bokor is a big fan of Mr. Steve Howe. No surprise here. Zsolt Enyedi played a beautiful piano piece too. So much beauty and sadness in this one.

All in all A Moonlit Night in Budapest is a nice addition to any symphonic prog fan's collection. It plays on repeat in my car for a few days, and now I know all the words of Seven. Highly recommended!

Festival in the Netherlands by the hosting musicians from Flamborough Head. It was therefore no surprise that this time, the Dutch band was invited to Hungary. The third act on the bill was Harmony in Diversity, the trio led by original Yes guitarist Peter Banks.

In 2022, Yesterdays' mastermind Ákos Bogáti-Bokor rediscovered the recordings and prepared them for a live CD, which was released in the fall of 2023. The band lineup is almost identical to that of the debut album, with the only change being a new drummer. An interesting side note: all three female musicians apparently got married in the meantime, as their last names have changed, as reflected in the booklets and liner notes.

The Music Just like the musicians, the music played is almost identical to that of the debut, only in a different order. Ákos's acoustic guitar solo piece Ha majd egyszer is now titled Willow. It is followed by Memories of Light, a keyboard solo by the late Zsolt Enyedi, which was not included on Holdfénykert. The only track missing is the title piece Holdfénykert, an acoustic guitar composition accompanied by nightingale song. Perhaps for this reason, the CD is not called Holdfénykert Live but rather A Moonlit Night in Budapest?which, interestingly, means the same in translation.

However, I said earlier that the music is identical to the debut, which is only partly true. While the arrangements have largely remained the same, the performance feels quite different. It's like a pair of twins with contrasting temperaments. Whereas Holdfénykert was a beautifully flowing, lyrically dreamy album?one that evoked the image of wandering through a moonlit garden?this live recording transports the listener to sun-drenched gardens brimming with life. There are still plenty of quiet, shaded spots inviting moments of contemplation before the music picks up again.

The brief opening track, Napfénykert (Sun Garden), starts with a powerful drum intro and an orchestral keyboard fanfare from Zsolt Enyedi's extensive arsenal, soon joined by Ákos Bogáti-Bokor's electric guitar and then the flute. Despite the prominence of keyboards and electric guitar, Yesterdays never lose the unique atmosphere of their compositions. When Emese Fazakas's flute enters, it's as if the waters part to make space for its brilliance. Kinga Molnár's vocals, perfectly suited to the songs, also shine through effortlessly?likely thanks to skillful studio mixing. The only downside is that Dávid Kósa's delicate percussion work is often overshadowed by the drums.

The eight-minute Ne félj! (Do Not Be Afraid) culminates in a spectacular guitar storm by Ákos Bogáti-Bokor.

If one were to compare Yesterdays to another band, Quidam with Emilia Derkowska might come to mind. Like their Polish counterparts, Yesterdays sing primarily in their native language (Hungarian), except for two tracks. This adds to the music's charm and shouldn't be a deterrent?after all, there are two English songs as well. Ultimately, comparisons feel unnecessary, as Yesterdays have a distinctive enough sound of their own.

That said, if I had to find something to criticize, it would be the programmed rhythm that runs through Valahol a térben (Somewhere in Space). However, this is balanced out by the beautiful vocal harmonies later in the track, which also highlight the presence of another strong singer, Tímea Fülöp-Gergely, in the background.

The closing English-language epic, Seven, showcases the full range of guitar and keyboard sounds Ákos and Zsolt bring to the table. The keyboard selection alone includes Hammond, Moog, Mellotron, piano, and organ. After this ten-minute track, which concludes the concert, Peter Banks took to the stage?full of praise for the band and his characteristic humor. Here are a few lines from his speech:

"I just want to say: This band is absolutely fantastic, they really are... I am just another boy and guitar player, but these guys are just so good... such beautiful women... the guys, well, they're okay... I've never heard a band like this before. I think they have a really nice, colorful spirit of the sixties, amazingly good, and they treated us so well, with such courtesy, and... I just... it's good!"

Coming from the founding Yes guitarist, these words alone are praise enough?I might as well have skipped writing this review altogether!

For anyone curious about how Moonlit Garden sounds under the bright sunlight, this live recording is a must-listen. The album is available on the band's Bandcamp page. The CD comes in an elegantly designed digipak with a richly illustrated 20-page booklet, featuring liner notes from the event organizer, the singer, and Ákos himself.

Peter Banks passed away in 2013; Zsolt Enyedi in 2020. This album is dedicated to both of them.