Yes - YesSymphonic


Year of Release: 2001
Label: Yes LLC
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 18:44:00

The fact that the full album Magnification hit the shops in Europe before the actual release date, already looked like a strange experience. The fact that music lovers in the US will now have to wait until December makes it even more bizarre! Could this have been a well studied move in order to sell loads of so called "special tour samplers" during the band's last "tour of the US"? Indeed it's always a nice treat if you can lay your hands on something brand new, something you can't buy in a regular store. Sadly, some people bought multiple copies of this 3-track release in order to sell them at a huge profit through eBay. Yes fans unable to attend the shows but also unable to wait until the album's release forked out large sums of money, but for what exactly?

As long as the full album isn't available, this sampler remains a true must-have, as it includes two full tracks off the new album and an orchestral version of "Long Distance Runaround." If my information is correct, the latter will also feature as a bonus track on the Japanese version of Magnification, so if you reserve a copy of the Japanese issue, there's no need to get hold of this little "teaser"! Unlike the full album, this sampler has been released on the Yes-label, which as far as I know is a first. When buying this CD during the band's US shows you were also given information on how you could pre-order the album through www.getmusic.com/track/YES.html [no longer available -ed]. Once you purchased the CD, Getmusic would then provide you with special access so that you could download every track on the album in its entirety. The ten downloadable songs would then time-out within 20 days of purchase. The offer ended on the sad day of September 11th. So in a way it looks like this release has lost most of its "value" after 11th September (which was the set date for the US release as well, as it's mentioned on the rear sleeve) and certainly once the full album is available for everyone.

The choice of both Magnification tracks here have been perfectly designed to whet the appetites of those attending the shows, that's for sure. After all, I guess everyone attending a Yes show must be a Yes fan and thus will almost certainly buy the new album anyway. Kicking off with "In The Presence Of," not only is it a typical Yes song, it's also a lengthy track in which the orchestra works well and Steve Howe really shines. It also contains some of the strongest melodies on the album, so if anyone hears this as a first acquaintance for the new album, then it has already done it's job, as it surely has you hooked. "Don't Go" is more compact, more direct, and in a way maybe more "poppy." Based on a straight beat, it's the harmonies that really steer this song into the right direction, the weird "30's section" included. For the time being the "true" rarity on this disc is the orchestrated version of "Long Distance Runaround." Edited to a mere 3:50, this live version has the orchestra take over a large portion of the initial guitar lead, with powerful brass accompanying Squire's heavy Rickenbacker. It certainly sounds different, yet I'm convinced Yes fans will rather have Steve's guitar all over the place as opposed to his sparse interventions here. As a souvenir for this tour, maybe that particular release is justified, yet I hope someone on this tour sees the sense in recording certain concerts completely so a live album can be released at the end of the tour. Instead of 3 tracks hopefully it will then be 3 full discs!


Tracklisting:
In The Presence Of / Don't Go / Long Distance Runaround

Musicians:
Jon Anderson - vocal master magician, midi guitar, acoustic guitar
Chris Squire - bass, vocals
Steve Howe - acoustic and electric guitar, steel, mandolin, vocals
Alan White - drums, percussion, vocals, piano
Orchestra conducted by Larry Groupé

Discography:
Yes (1969)
Time And A Word (1970)
The Yes Album (1971)
Fragile (1972)
Close To The Edge (1972)
Yessongs (1973)
Tales From Topographic Oceans (1974)
Relayer (1975)
Going For The One (1977)
Tormato (1978)
Yesshows (1980)
Drama (1980)
Classic Yes (1982)
90125 (1983/2004)
90125 Live - The Solos (1985)
Big Generator (1987)
Union (1989)
Yesyears (1991)
Yesstory (1991)
Highlights: The Very Best Of Yes (1993)
Talk (1994)
Keys To Ascension I (1996)
Keys To Ascension II (1997)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Yes, Friends And Relatives (1998)
Beyond And Before: BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (1998)
Something's Coming (1998)
Friends & Relatives (1998)
The Ladder (1999)
Millennium Collection (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (2000)
Yes, Friends and Relatives - Volume Two (2001)
YesSymphonic (ep) (2001)
Magnification (2001)
Keystudio (ep) (2001)
3 For 1 Box Set (2001)
Original Members Of Yes (2001)
Extended Versions (2002)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 (2002)
Yestoday (2002)
In A Word (2002)
Yes Remixes (2003)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2 (2003)
Roundabout: Best Of Yes Live (2003)
The Yes Story Gold (2003)
The Ultimate Yes - 35th Anniverary Collection (2004)
(Re)Union (2004)
Topography: The Yes Anthology (2004)
Inside Yes 1968-1973: A Critical Review (2004)
The Word Is Live (2005)
Live And Solo: The Collection (2006)
Greatest Hits Live (2006)
An Evening Of Yes (2006)
Yesstories: Group & Solo Tales (2006)
Essentially Yes (2006)
The Definitive Rock Collection (2007)
Roundabout & Other Hits (2006)
Live At Montreux 2003 (2007)
Works (2007)
The Best Of Yes: 1970-1987 (2007)
Symphonic Live (2009)
The BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (2009)
Introducing Yes (2009)
Wonderous Stories: The Best Of Yes (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Fly From Here (2011)
In The Present - Live From Lyon (2011)
Heaven & Earth (2014)
Songs From Tsongas (2014)
Like It Is: Yes At The Bristol Hippodrome (2014)
Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two (boxset) (2015)
Like It Is: Yes At The Mesa Arts Center (2015)
Topographic Drama - Live Across America (2017)
Fly From Here - Return Trip (2018)
From A Page - Studio Tracks Plus In The Present Live From Lyon (2019) Yes50 Live (2019)

9012LIve (VHS/DVD) (1985/2005)
Greatest Hits Video (VHS/DVD) (1991/2001)
Yesyears: A Retrospective (VHS/DVD) (1991/2003)
Yes: Live - 1975 At Q.P.R. (VHS) (1993)
Live In Philadelphia 1979 (VHS/DVD) (1996/2003)
Keys To Ascension (VHS/DVD) (1997/2001/2009)
The Union Tour Live (DVD) (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (VHS/DVD) (2000)
The Best Of MusikLaden Live (VHS/DVD) (2000/2003)
Live In Amsterdam (VHS/DVD) (2002)
Symphonic Live (DVD+CD) (2003)
Yes: Special Edition EP (DVD) (2003)
YesSpeak (DVD) (2003)
YesAcoustic (DVD) (2004/2006)
35th Anniversary Concert: Songs From Tsongas (DVD) (2004)
YesSpeak - YesAcoustic - 35th Anniversary Edition (DVD) (2005)
Critical Review 1968-1973 (DVD) (2005)
Greatest Video Hits (DVD) (2005)
Inside Yes Plus Friends And Family (DVD) (2006)
Acoustic Live (DVD) (2006)
Total Rock Review (DVD) (2006)
Close To The Edge: Rock Milestones (DVD) (2007)
Live At Montreux (DVD/BR) (2007)
The Lost Broadcasts (DVD) (2009)
Rock Of The 70s (DVD) (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Live Hemel Hempstead Pavilion October 3rd 1971 (2014)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin UK

Added: September 24th 2001
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: yesworld.com
Hits: 2246
Language: english

  

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