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Rating: 
Summary: yes not YES!
Review: It is good to see the band at their peek (1979 line-up) and to see them "In the Round" since I have the Yesshows album and have always like the pictures included. Other than these elements, there is alot of problems with this DVD; it is TOO short (only 6 songs), the sound quality is horable (has that bootleg sound so the audiance is louder than the music), and the camera work is very bad! It is a good renter DVD, but don't buy it unless you are a die-hard fan.
Rating: 
Summary: ARCHAEOLOGICAL PIECE
Review: Don't waste your money on this item unless you wish to SEE how the band looked at 1979 because the sound really SUCKS!!!!!
Punk and Disco were at the peek at this time so if you really want to watch YES at their highest level get YES LIVE 1975 AT Q.P.R. Vol.2. This volume has great sound and footage.
Rating: 
Summary: A great addition to any YES DVD library.
Review: I must admit I get really cheesed off when I see great DVDs of Queen, Elton John, etc cropping up year after year, and Yes fans get these crummy lousy quality drink coasters for themselves. I thought Keys to Ascension was bad, but it's streets ahead of this lumbering piece of junk. The only redeeming quality is the lineup but you quickly forget that after about 5 mins as the appalling sound and video quality begins to sink in and you wonder why you spent 30c on this rubbish. There's this awful metallic squeal from one of Rick's keyboards, Chris Squire is almost inaudible and Jon sounds like the cat's being strangled (this is not his fault - it's just that the EQ is horrendous and really, why didn't they just put this out in 2.0 instead of 5.1 which is totally wasted?) There is some nice stuff from the players such as Rick and Steve but as you can't really hear them above the hiss and distortion it's a bit of a waste of time. Even seeing The Ancient performed live is not really a saving grace - the mysticism and wonder of this piece is completely ruined, like watching Lord of the Rings on those tiny aircraft TV screens. . . The producers have tried to cover up the abysmal sound quality by having lots of hysterical fans screaming at the start and end of each song - maybe an attempt to add atmosphere as well, but as I was completely disgusted by this time the effect was lost. I skipped over to see what Chris Welch had to say, but he's bored and boring and it's nothing new anyway - it's almost as if he'd seen the video and figured it wasn't worth putting any effort into the commentary. And that stage just keeps going round and round - The Roundabout Revolving Restaurant, I bet the band wished they could have got off before this stinker came out. Only worth buying if you find it in a car boot sale, (which you probably will!) Buy another Yes DVD instead. ANY other Yes DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Great performance; audio and sound just OK
Review: If you want a good laugh buy it. The production values are toilet, so bad that you cannot ascertain if it was a good performance or not, sounding like it was strained through the gates of hell. However, John Anderson's outfit including his girlie sandals and prancing around the center-round like pretty pretty princess is amusing but when Rick Wakeman whips out his Jumbo Key-tar, wow my son and I started howling until we cried.
Rating:
Summary: Narcissistic Circus
Review: If you want a good laugh buy it. The production values are toilet, so bad that you cannot ascertain if it was a good performance or not, sounding like it was strained through the gates of hell. However, John Anderson's outfit including his girlie sandals and prancing around the center-round like pretty pretty princess is amusing but when Rick Wakeman whips out his Jumbo Key-tar, wow my son and I started howling until we cried.
Rating:
Summary: Great performance; audio and sound just OK
Review: Just like Black Sabbath's "Never Say Die" 1978 concert DVD (also released recently by Sanctuary Records), this event was shot on videotape long before the digital age. At times, the image looks decent - I do have to question the letterboxed format, being that videotape cameras didn't have widescreen/Panavision lenses back in 1979 - while other times the band members appear a little out of focus. The camerman, also, don't seem to be as familiar with Yes' material as they should be while the cameras are running, and occasionally have a hard time showing band members' faces. Unfortunately, not all of this show is seen or heard - I'm sure the boys played much longer than the disc's 50-minute running time, as they no doubt were inspired by the lively crowd here. Yes fans also will think that the audio - while not quite as atrocious as some might have you think - sounds like a solid bootleg. Yes, there is Chris Squire's bass in the mix, and Jon Anderson's voice is up front, but the mix is muddy and echoey, as if the videocamera's microphones were used to record the sound. This will appall people only familiar with digital technology, while those of us who remember vinyl will take a somewhat more forgiving attitude.
On the plus side, there are some shots that look decent, such as Alan White's drum solo, and some close shots of Steve Howe ripping into his strings on his mammoth Gibson. I found this DVD at the super center for less than six buckaroos, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy it at that price, fully knowing that the quality (not the band's performance - they sound really good - would have loved to been at this show) wouldn't be the greatest. If you can find it at this cheap price, pick it up, but I wouldn't recommend people buy it at full retail price. Be sure and get the Sanctuary version that has a red and blue cover. (P.S. What's up with the June 2004 release date listing at the top of this page? Are they going to reissue this DVD again this summer? Please enlighten me someone.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrific performance but poor DVD presentation
Review: This is a very tough one to review. I cannot argue with the blurb on the box about this being Yes at their peak and with their greatest line-up of all time, but the sound and picture quality of this DVD are extremely disappointing. It really does look like a cheap bootleg done on cine film and with a mono cassette recorder. This is a great shame, as the group are clearly giving their all to delight the ecstatic crowd. The highlights for me were the spirited rendition of Roundabout and the marvellous duel between Rick and Steve in the extended outro of Starship Trooper, which just about make this DVD worthwhile. The brutal truncation of The Ancient was very disappointing though. The commentary option is uninspired and will never get a second airing. Get it, if you're a die-hard Yes fan, but get it on sale!
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