The Word Is Live

Performer: Yes
Producer: Yes (Compilation); Steve Woolard (Compilation); David McLees (Compilation)
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Includes previously unreleased tracks. Yes: Jon Anderson (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion); Steve Howe, Trevor Rabin (vocals, guitar); Chris Squire (vocals, bass instrument); Trevor Horn (vocals); Peter Banks (guitar); Geoffrey Downes, Patrick Moraz, Rick Wakeman, Tony Kaye (keyboards); Alan White , Bill Bruford (drums). A new Yes box is like a new Star Trek film. The same core group will buy it/see it whether it's crap or not, resulting in an endless cycle of repackaging that exploits the fans who made the franchises so popular in the first place. Yes have always seemed more of an industry than a band, so it comes as no surprise that their deeply rooted PR machine has dug up another collection of "previously unreleased gems," wrapped it in one of Roger Dean's hippie/sci-fi landscapes, and slapped on an exhaustive booklet of play-by-play anecdotes from fans and fellow musicians. Anyone who has followed the group's prolific history knows that its members have splintered and regrouped so many times that their side projects alone demand the box treatment. The Word Is Live collects performances caught between 1970-1988 -- the years 1972-1975, despite boasting the group's most lauded roster, seem to have never existed here. The band's 2003 reunion tour is also skipped over, focusing instead on the fragmented Big Generator lineup of the late '80s. Rabid fans will no doubt empty their wallets for this admittedly attractive box, but the jury's out on whether or not they'll play it more than once. ~ James Christopher Monger A three-disc collection of Yes concert performances dating from the early 1970s to the late '80s, THE WORD IS LIVE presents the pioneering British prog-rock group in its various incarnations. The first disc features live tracks from '70 and '71, when organist Tony Kaye's distinctive Hammond lines figured strongly into the band's performances, which here include a jam-heavy take on "America" that precedes its studio version. The second and third discs are filled with concert appearances that have Kaye's replacements, either keyboardist Rick Wakeman or Patrick Moraz, surging through classics such as "Sweet Dreams" and "Roundabout." The set goes on to include Kaye's return to the fold, most notably on the high-energy medley of "Make It Easy" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart." While hardcore, bootleg-seeking Yes fans have undoubtedly heard some of these recordings before, THE WORD IS LIVE performs a great service by compiling these era-spanning tracks, making the set essential for any enthusiast.

Mojo (Publisher) (p.120) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A] record of a trend-defying band's progress from prog-rock pioneers to US arena rockers..."

The longest-running prog-rock group in the business, Yes flew on the strength of Jon Anderson's high, angelic voice and the group's instrumental virtuosity. The band began in England, rising from the ashes of pop-psych outfits like Tomorrow, Bodast, and Mabel Greer's Toyshop. Extending the technical facility of psychedelia and downplaying the trippiness, it helped forge the template for progressive rock and reigned as its most popular practitioners in the '70s. Over the years, Yes has weathered personnel changes, lawsuits, and changing public tastes while holding on to its original vision.

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