50 years...just think about that for a second. That's a long time for any band to be together in one form or another. British progressive rock legends Yes have had numerous different line-up configurations over the years (and actually have two existing outfits at the moment) but other than very brief periods of time have actually been pretty active overall during that 50 year span. 50th Anniversary-Live at the Apollo features the fairly recently formed Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, and Rick Wakeman collaboration, who started working together in 2010 sporadically but really kicked it into active touring and recording sessions in 2016. Recorded live at the Manchester Apollo in 2017, this live set features most of the classic '70s Yes gems with a healthy dose of the '80s & early '90s material from when Rabin was active in the band. Joining the trio are bassist Lee Pomeroy and drummer Lou Molino III.
As someone who has seen both versions of Yes live in recent years, both this one and Steve Howe's Yes, I will admit that the energy & enthusiasm of what Yes is all about seems to come more from this outfit. Covering the mandatory tracks like "Long Distance Runaround", "I've Seen All Good People", "Roundabout", "And You and I", "Owner of a Lonely Heart", "Rhythm of Love", "Changes", and "Heart of the Sunrise", the band also drop in some lesser known favorites from both eras, like a fantastically performed "Perpetual Change", the anthemic "Hold On", a bright, energized "Lift Me Up", and the catchy "Make It Easy", which leads into of course "Owner of a Lonely Heart". The legendary "Awaken" is resurrected, and done so to perfection, Rabin adding in his tasty licks alongside Anderson's angelic vocals and layers of keyboards from the always reliable Wakeman. Vocally throughout Anderson does a fine job, and while Rabin might not have the range he used to, his lead & backing vocals are still quite good.
Available on 2CD, DVD, Blu-ray, and 3LP formats, 50th Anniversary-Live at the Apollo is a wonderful trip down memory lane with these five talented individuals. Now, the world awaits the new music that they have been working on these last few years...bring it on!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
CD1
1) Intro/Cinema/Perpetual Change
2) Hold On
3) I've Seen All Good People
4) Lift Me Up
5) And You and I
6) Rhythm of Love
7) Heart of the Sunrise
CD2
8) Changes
9) Long Distance Runaround/The Fish
10) Awaken
11) Make It Easy/Owner of a Lonely Heart
12) Roundabout
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