Rating: 
Summary: The Music is STELLAR, but....
Review: If you're a fan of the music or the album, the DVD is worthwhile.
Unfortunately, the photography and the editing look like they were done by a drunken high school student.
When Steve Howe is flying through Yours is No Disgrace, we get to see Chris Squire's boots. Also featured are several close-ups of Rick Wakeman's sequins. Not to mention the overdone, smeared out effects which produce spiffy colours and little else.
Hard to tell that Alan White was part of the band from the movie.
One can only hope (pray, actually) that the original film is in a locker somewhere, waiting to be re-edited by someone who understands the usefulness of split-screen when presenting a band of virtuosos.
Mr. Howe??? Please protect your legacy. Arrange for a proper edit of this wonderful concert. I'd buy it again, if I could actually watch you play.
Rating: 
Summary: Yes is just touring on this show
Review: It is obvious that this video was not planned. If you read any yes books they say they came in and just recorded one of our Yesshows. This is it. Yes at their best in 73. They are not trying to impress anyone like on MTV, they are playing a concert. This movie captures Yes the way they were before they got real big and started touring Stadiums. A real Treasure to have. The sound and picture is ok, but it was 1973. Enjoy the moment for what it was, a Yesshow in 1973. Rob S.
Rating: 
Summary: Its not all that, but...
Review: Its not all that because the sound track is off by a quarter of a second giving the video a "classic-kung-fu-type-of-lipsynching" look...which is truly annoying, and if that wasnt bad enough the sound is poor...but overall, I guess this is as good as it gets. I'd like to see Keys to Acension I, that would be awesome!!
Rating:
Summary: "Yes at their Best" Live.
Review: Recorded live at the Rainbow Theatre December 1972. This brilliant performance became a really great video for any true fan of the earlier forms of Yes (and not for the people who like their 80's stuff like "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"). First the video starts out with some moving artwork from the great Roger Dean to the music of the middle instrumental section of the studio version of "Close To The Edge". Then after the title shows up, the band goes right into "I've Seen All Good People". The way it's played is great but Rick Wakeman's organ crescendo at the end of the first half doesn't compare to that of organ great Tony Kaye on the studio recording. After that is a nice version of "The Clap" with just Steve Howe and his Martin 0014 Acosutic Guitar. Then some tunes from their latest studio album (at the time), first comes "And You And I" where they skip Steve Howe's 12-String acoustic guitar intro (but uses a white Gibson EDS-1275 SG Double-Neck Guitar for the other parts that do require 12-String Guitar) but do an alternate beginning (and a more revelatory one at that). Then comes "Close To The Edge" Yes's 6th Longest song though clocking in at 18:40... Anyway enough with Yes's longest tunes, back to Close To The Edge, through out the song at different times there are clips of underwater microscopic life which in my opinion should have been left out, and just showed the band play. The song is very close to the original studio version, except the end where they drop it a step from F to E flat (I guess because Jon Anderson's voice couldn't take the pressure he put on it like on the album). Anyway a little stage chatter and Anderson kissing his microphone he introduces Rick Wakeman to do his "Excerpts From The Six Wives Of Henry The VIII". Though he plays the song by himself, he has Alan White smash cymbals and a couple drums to accompany the classical crescendos of Handel's "The Messiah" and (if you can believe it) "Jingle Bells" (but understand it was December of 1972 when this video was recorded so it was appropiate). Then comes "Roundabout", I'd prefer the studio version over this, because the band just wasn't able to capture the same kind of magic onstage that was in the studio recording, like Chris Squire's ascending bass riff was dull, Steve Howe had to play his solo introduction on his Gibson ES-5 Switchmaster Electric Guitar instead of his Martin 0014 Acoustic Guitar, and Rick Wakeman's organ had a bit less shine then on the original recording. It was OK but they could have improved on it a bit. Then comes "Yours Is No Disgrace", a better recording than the original. A nice pop-ish intro, and Steve has a nice unaccompanied solo in the middle (except for Alan White with a little bit of Phased High Hat and Chris Squire shoving in Fuzzy Bass Notes in at times). The only drawback is that after Steves Solo was over they skipped the middle section (ya know; "Death Defying, Mutilated, Army's Gather Near"), but instead right into the end just because they were running short on time. But altogether an electrifying performance. Then the end credits with the last 2 minutes of Starship Trooper, Steve with his Double Neck Guitar, Chris with Fuzzed Bass, Jon at the mellotron next to Alan, while Rick does an amazing Moog Solo. A very fine performance for Yes at probably the peak of their fame in 1972-73. Get the video if you want, but be warned once you watch, you will be hooked.
Rating: 
Summary: worse than a bootleg
Review: The picture was a dim, fuzzy haze. The sound was dreadful, as if picked up from a boom microphone out over the crowd. As bad as it was, I was *stunned* when I saw a warble of a STICKING TAPE HEAD late in the film! I could not believe this. It was as if somebody grabbed a worn-out VHS of the performance and dubbed it to DVD. Stay far, far away from this disc. You would be happier with the old 3-disc LP.
Rating:
Summary: Bad Cameraman, bad special effects, but good music.
Review: The problem was (and it is now sometimes) that who has the camera does not know the music, when Steve is playing, the camera take Chris, the special effects showing stupid things instead the show, are so bad, I think the director never thought about the documental value of the film in the future.
The editorial says that the dvd was taken from a bad copy of a 16 mm film, where is the original? I can not believe that they don't couldn't it.
I think the show is not complete ~70 min. But anyway it is a good dvd if you like to see Yes in December 1972.
Yessong it is not Steve Howe, ... is from Yes.
you can not found it easy serching for yes dvds.
Also the Editorial says that it is one of the two discs available, it is not correct, there is a complete show (2 dvd) Yes / Live 1975 at QPR (Japan I think)
NTSC DVD Region 0, you can play it anywhere.
... The sonund is not too good, but it is Yes.
Rating:
Summary: Sound Quality Unacceptable
Review: The sound quality is the same as VHS before the days of Hi-Fi which is totally unacceptable. Otherwise it would have been a great documentary of Yes in the "Golden Era" of rock. I had to return it.
Rating:
Summary: Not one for showing off your DVD player, but good for fans!
Review: The value of this DVD of the group, shot in December 1972 at London's Rainbow Theatre, depends entirely on your perspective -- Yes music fan or technophile. While it is true that the audio (uncompressed 48k 16-bit PCM) is barely above bootleg quality and the video is grainy and contains some ticks and scratches, this movie captures the group in their prime and is valuable to those interested in the early 70's period -- especially those of us that were too young to see them live. The camera work is good and captures, in colorful, moody closeups, each band member doing their thing. At several points in some of the songs ('Close To The Edge' in particular) images of microbial life are introduced, enhancing the organic qualities of the music. The musical performance is excellent with especially good guitar work from Steve Howe. While certainly not a candidate for showing off your new DVD player to your friends, Yessongs is a valuable document of the group in the early 70's.
Rating:
Summary: Want to see yes in their prime!
Review: This concert video is your best chance to see how Yes has become one of the elite bands of all time. their music takes a more classical approach to rock music. The bands musical complexities are lost in their most popular radio songs. The reason for this is the 10+ min average lenghth of their best songs. the talent of this band is incredible and this movie is a show case of their abilities. I also highly recommend the 2 CD album where you will find most of the songs from the movie and some you will wish were in the movie. Gary Peterson MN
Rating:
Summary: YES at their best
Review: This dvd is amazing. Buy it because it is awesome. Watch one of the greatest prog rock bands play live. It's very oh so cool and awesome. Musically, they are one of the most advanced bands out their and to hear how they sound live....there is no difference. It's flawless.
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