Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 1, 2014

Yes, unplugged? You mean the band whose electricity needs for its keyboard battery alone probably rival those of a small European nation? Of course this is said in jest, but the fact is Yes, long considered the paradigm of prog-rock, built a lot of its fascinatingly complex textures with innumerable overdubs and lots (and lots) of electric and/or electronic instruments. While there are still a ton of keyboards on display in this 2004 concert at Tsongas Arena in Massachusetts, things are rather reserved and acoustically oriented for much of the evening. The band was celebrating its 35th anniversary during this tour and this particular concert finds them affable and surprisingly low key. A number of the band’s biggest hits sound surprisingly spry in stripped down, more or less acoustic, versions, though odd arrangements (like a kind of bluesy shuffle beat behind Roundabout) may grate on purists’ nerves. Jon Anderson’s plangent tenor (counter-tenor?) still rings loud and clear, and the filigreed guitar work of Steve Howe sounds great. Rick Wakeman is a little spotty on keys at times, maybe having an off night, but Chris Squire and Alan White keep the rhythm section percolating along quite nicely.

Yes' set list for the concert includes:

Firebird Suite
Going for the One
Sweet Dreams
I've Seen All Good People
Mind Drive (Parts 1 & 2)
South Side of the Sky
Turn of The Century
My Eyes
Yours Is No Disgrace
The Meeting Room
Long Distance Runaround
Wonderous Stories
Time Is Time
Roundabout
Show Me
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Second Initial
Rhythm of Love
And You and I
Every Little Thing
Starship Trooper

Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Yes: Songs from Tsongas is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision (a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment) with an AVC encoded 1080i transfer in 1.78:1. The image quality here looks a bit better in motion than some of these screenshots would suggest, but there are some issues videophiles will probably have concerns with. Due to an unfortunate regimen of stage lighting, detail is often obliterated beneath effulgent purples and blues. The purplish-pinkish cast also tends to look like there's a kind of milky overlay on the proceedings, something exacerbated by inconsistent contrast. When the cameras get close to the band members, detail improves appreciably. There are no issues with noise, but occasional very minor combing artifacts can be spotted.

Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Yes: Songs from Tsongas offers both a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 option as well as an LPCM 2.0 option. I was a little surprised at the amplitude difference between these two, with the LPCM outing sounding unexpectedly anemic when compared to the surround iteration. The 5.1 track is therefore the way to go for those set up to handle it. This track provides sterling fidelity and a crystal clear recreation of the music. Textures are clean and easily discernable and all frequency ranges are reproduced handily. The mix is also extremely well prioritized, with Anderson's distinctive voice floating above and in front of the swirling instrumental layers.

Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Bonus Track: 'Ritual' (1080i; 28:43). Take that, Phish.


• Roger Dean Interview (480i; 7:34)

Though it isn't listed as a supplement and is instead offered as another Main Menu option, the disc also contains:

• Live in Lugano 2004 (480i; 1:10:02)

Yes: Songs from Tsongas Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I've been a huge Yes fan since I was a kid, and I personally loved the sometimes odd arrangements on display during this concert. Others who want "their" good old Yes may not be so agreeable about the revisions heard here. That said, there's no arguing the band for the most part sounds great (only Wakeman seems kind of off), and Anderson's voice is as facile and magnetic as ever. While the video leaves a bit to be desired, audio is top notch. Recommended.