Hard to believe it's been 20 years since the Yes Union tour which saw the classic line-up and then current configuration merge into somewhat of a Yes 'big band' for a trek around the world playing old and newer favorites. Much of what you'll find here on Union Live has been available before, especially on the bootleg market, but it's nice that Voiceprint & Gonzo Multimedia have officially released these three shows in a great looking package that Yes fans will cherish for years to come.
The 3 shows in question are the Shoreline Ampitheatre in California (8/8/91), the Pensacola Civic Center in Florida (4/9/91), and the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver (5/9/91). The last 2 are listed as bootleg videos here, and while the Pensacola show was obviously shot by someone in the audience on a single hand held camera, the Denver show is a multi-camera shot concert of pretty high quality. The main DVD features the California concert, but sadly the full show is not included, only 13 songs, which is a major disappointment. The quality though is pretty good for a 20 year old show, and the performance of the band is great. Though the set lists for these three shows doesn't vary much, there are a few variances. Pensacola features a wonderful version of "Soon" that will bring tears to your eyes, and "Shock to the System" is heavy & rocking, with Steve Howe and Trevor Rabin trading some serious guitar licks.
As someone who caught 3 shows on this tour, despite what went on behind the scenes Yes certainly gave it their all for the fans. You can perfectly see this on Union Live. Sure, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye at times seem like there's not a lot for them to do, and it's obvious that Howe was perhaps not comfortable working with another guitar player, but there's plenty of magic to be heard & seen here. Rabin proves to be a fantastic guitar player, whether it be on the old or new material, and Rick Wakeman really seems to have enjoyed playing alongside the South African guitarist.
Kudos to the manufacturers for the packaging here, which includes 2 CDs featuring audio from the Shoreline set, a colorful booklet documenting the tour (though the print is way too small) and filled with photographs, and official tour pass, and glorious artwork from Roger Dean. Despite the short Shoreline set, this is a stellar DVD release that Yes fans will want to have in their collections.
Track Listing
Disc 1
California
1."Firebird Suite"*
2."Yours Is No Disgrace"*
3."Rhythm of Love"*
4."Heart of the Sunrise"*
5."Clap"*
6."Owner of a Lonely Heart"*
7."I've Seen All Good People"*
8."Solly's Beard"*
9."Saving My Heart"*
10."The Fish/Amazing Grace"*
11."Awaken"*
12."Roundabout"*
Disc 2
Denver
1."Firebird Suite"**
2."Yours Is No Disgrace"**
3."Shock to the System"**
4."Heart of the Sunrise"**
5."Clap/Mood For A Day"**
6."Owner of a Lonely Heart"**
7."And You And I"**
8."Drum Solo"**
9."Hold On"**
10."I've Seen All Good People"**
11."Changes"**
12."Solly's Beard"**
13."Long Distance Runaround"**
14."The Fish/Amazing Grace"**
15."Lift Me Up"**
16."Rick Wakeman Solo"**
17."Awaken"**
18."Roundabout"**
Pensacola
1."Firebird Suite"***
2."Yours Is No Disgrace"***
3."Rhythm of Love"***
4."City of Love"***
5."Heart of the Sunrise"***
6."Leaves of Green"***
7."Clap"***
8."Owner of a Lonely Heart"***
9."And You And I"***
10."Hold On"***
11."Shock to the System"***
12."Solly's Beard"***
13."Changes"***
14."Take the Water to the Mountain"***
15."Soon"***
16."Long Distance Runaround"***
17."The Fish"***
18."Lift Me Up"***
19."Rick Wakeman Solo"***
20."Awaken"***
21."Roundabout"***
22."Starship Trooper"***
5.1 Audio Mixes
1."Shock to the System"*
2."And You And I"*
3."Lift Me Up"*
Bonus Audio Tracks
1."Shock to the System"****
2."And You And I"****
3."Drum Duet"*****
4."Changes"*****
* Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California, August 8th, 1991
** McNicholas Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado, May 9th, 1991
*** Pensacola Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, April 9th, 1991
**** Wembley Arena, London, June 29th, 1991
***** Star Lake Amphitheatre, Burgettstown, July 24th, 1991
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