Rating: 
Summary: Yes!!! Yes!!!
Review: I saw Yes live twice. Once at a small college theater with a packed house of about 2000 early Yes fans. This was the Yes Album tour and acoustics were perfect. Steve Howe burning up the fretboard with the zeal of a musician playing hot new music for the first time in concert. This was the original line up before Wakeman and all his classical influence. Some of which was truly great. Some of which needed more work. This concert had Squire and Bruford keeping time in a more free form Jazz Rock Fusion Billy Cobham/Stanley Clarke type of style. Anderson layered his folk rock melodies over the top of this fusion stew keeping it warm and inviting to the average rock listener. They played long extended versions of all the songs on the Yes Album. This show is definately in my top ten concert list.The second time I saw them was at a 1970's Mega Show touring for Fragile. This time with Wakeman. This show had a totally different feeling. A totally great feeling. They went from a jazz folk rock band into a classical folk rock band. A big fat layered keyboard sound building up to dizzying crescendos. I had to share this one with about 20 thousand in a stadium. The sound wasn't that great until I was about 50 feat from the stage. Of course it got better once I made by way to the front. Yes crowds were very polite. Compared to getting to the front of a Deep Purple or LZ concertSaw this new Yes DVD at a friends and thought it was really good. Agree there is to much editing and Howe should have be brought up. All in All it still gives chills to hear the old classics once more.
Rating:
Summary: My how Yes has aged
Review: That was my first impression when viewing this DVD. But the band with the symphony is marvelous. And much to my surprise Jon Anderson get most all of the high notes. Of the three DVD's I've seen of the band I think this one is the best.
Rating:
Summary: absolutely amazing
Review: yes has completely outdone themselves on this dvd. i own all of their previous vhs and dvd releases including abwh and this is by far the best. the group is in top playing form and tackle some of their more ambitious compositions with an orchestra that is primed and game for the show. tom brislin's keyboard playing appears effortless and flawless as well as integrated ( he also sings well and plays percussion in the show ). and what can be said of the band that has blessed our ears for over three decades? thank you!! the european festival orchestra under the direction of wilhelm keitel deserves the repeated standing ovations along with yes. the ritual has never sounded this good.
Rating:
Summary: The best Yes concert film yet
Review: The sound quality is fantastic, the music is the greatest on this or any other planet and the orchestra is filled with great-looking women. What more needs to be said?
If you're the type who liked the video effects of Yessongs and 9012Live, you can turn them on with this DVD; if you're not, you can leave them off. It's the best of both worlds.
The new song "In the Presence Of" is an instant Yes classic. The older songs sound great with the addition of an orchestra.
In all, the skill and enthusiasm of Yes is matched only by that of the orchestra players, and this is a must-have for lovers of great progressive rock.
Rating:
Summary: Its About Time
Review: Yes with an Orchestra?? Of course.... If you are a Yes fan, this has been a long time coming. The mix (I prefer the DTS, has the best bass range) is wonderful and the animation is a nice addition with the ability to turn it off if you like. The playing is superb (yes, I know its not Bruford, but let's face it , he was only there for a few albums compared to White who went through a lot more with the band) and the absence of Wakeman is noticeable, but the keyboard player plus the orchestra really makes up for this. For the purist this may not do, but for a real prog/Yes fan, it sounds wonderful. Anderson and Howe are totally up to the task (Jon sounds incredible although he is a little flaky on the song intros)The funniest thing is Squires Spandex pants (he still thinks he's 18.)Track selection is marvelous (Even a 'Ritual' performance Mmmmm.)New and old combine nicely here and we get the classics (as always) including 'Long Distance Runaround' and 'And You and I'
Rating:
Summary: YES , Great Sound, Cute European Orchestra Women
Review: This DVD actually choked me up. I couldn't be happier that YES has been captured in a concert that is so representative of both their past and present. The highlights include Gates of Delerium and Ritual. But all of the cuts are good. I missed Awaken and Wonderous Stories, but the song selection is so strong that I can't complain. The orchestra is filled with youthful females who move to the music and charm the viewers with their sincerity and musical competence. They wave their instruments in the air at times catching anticipations and subtle nuances with the precision of a choreographed dance team. Finally, for an encore, the orchestra actually joins YES on stage dancing joyfully to Roundabout which even manages to get a smile from the ever-stoic Steve Howe! A little over-edited, but I loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: Subtract One Star for Too Many Cuts
Review: This DVD sounds great, it's very clean and it has a great playlist. One problem; it's over edited. This reminds me of the Peter Gabriel concert video "Secret World Live". Another example of an excellent concert that could easily stand on it's own feet without a lot of fancy editing. I find it very destracting when the camera doesn't stay on one thing for more than just a few seconds. In that respect, I found Keys to be far more enjoyable. A good example of a director who understands that a good concert doesn't need a lot of editing would be Anton Corbijn who directed the Depeche Mode concert video "Devotional". A good concert video should try to recreate the feeling of being at the concert. Symphonic Live failed to do that. Still, the sound and music is so good that it compensates for the aweful editing.
Rating:
Summary: This DVD brings me chills!
Review: First off, only 5 stars!?!?! Let me put down 100 out of 5 stars! I have been elevated to a new level of musical appreciation and joy that I never thought possible before! I have seen YES 11 times in the last four years, and their Symphonic Tour is no exception when I say there never has been such an amazing band! When I learned that YES was coming out with a DVD release of one of their symphonic performances, I was it absolute ecstasy knowing I would have the opportunity to watch over and over and over again a concert during a tour which brought me tears when I saw them perform live. First off, major kudos to Tom Brislin. I have been one of the hugest fans of Wakeman since the 70's, but as much as I missed Rick on this (and other) tours, I thought that Brislin did a phenomenal job! Jon, always the voice of an angel! Steve, a master of guitar . . . although he does look a little bit stiff and too serious at times. Chris, he is a monster on the bass! I'm sure that when he walks into music stores, the bass guitars quiver with fear. Rarely will you ever see someone rock a guitar like that Mr. Squire! Alan, one of the most consistently perfect drummers ever! He's not the fanciest of drummers (e.g. like Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater), but he is consistently, consistently perfect in what he does! A buddy of mine is a professional drummer and he says the same thing! I am reticent to mention a highlight about this dvd because *ALL* of it is beyond outstanding. I have chills every time I watch it, it's that moving. However, if I *had* to cite a highlight, I would have to say the drum section in "Ritual." One of my favorite all-time songs anyway, but they took this song to a whole new level! If you're going to be stranded on a desert island and you have only one dvd, make it this one! May YES continue to live healthily and happily and continue to bring pure joy to so many millions of fans! Thank you, YES.
Rating: 
Summary: Steve Howe: TURN THE MAN UP FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!
Review: The picture, sound and performances in this concert are phenomenal, with Jon Anderson in particular being captured here in excellent voice. I would have given this very good concert disk 6 stars if only the... the... PERSON who mixed this sound had turned Steve Howe up in the mix!! In many places he is virtually inaudible when playing electric guitar. An excellent rendition of "The Gates Of Delerium" is terribly emasculated. The torrid guitar lines of the original song from the 1974 album "Relayer" or even the version from the 1980 live album "YesShows" are replaced here by note-accurate but wimpy-sounding renditions. I know Steve Howe isn't 25 years old anymore and he's now a technically better player, but he now plays too "politely" in my opinion. ROCK OUT, Steve!! Lighten up, man. we love you, but REALLY!! Don't let the contentment of middle-age weaken your sound and mojo. In short, turning Howe up, up, UP more in the mix would have turned this enjoyable show into something truly magic. Re-mix and re-release it again, PLEASE...
Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: After 25 years, I have rediscovered Yes again. The sound quality and playing, both by Yes and the youthful orchestra is absolutely breathtaking and brings a crispness and vitality to the music missing from even the original recordings. High points on "Close To The Edge" and "And You And I" clearly show Yes' classical influence and their ability to arrange rock music on truly grand scale. But it is the epic "Gates of Delirium" that brings together every aspect of what Yes is capable of, and this 25 minute opus is both as subtle and as grand as anything Beethoven or Bach ever composed. From the triumphant march , to the frenzied battle and finally to the subdued final lament of "...soon...", the musical journey this piece takes you on is amazing. The sound and picture quality of this disc make it a true classic.
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