| Artist: | Yes | ||
| Title: | The Big Tour, Volumes I & II | ||
| Unique_Id: | BIG_TOUR | ||
| Format: | LP | ||
| Catalog: | TRW 1903/1904 | ||
| Misc.: | Audience recording; (*) studio recordings | ||
| Produced: | |||
| Date: | 880305 | ||
| Cover: | Part I: | Full color cover, featuring Roger Dean painting, "Yessongs/Pathways". Yes logo and additional spaceship drawings are superimposed on the front cover. | |
| Part II: | Full color cover. Good reproduction of "The Big Tour" souvenir tour programs that were sold during the 1988 concerts. | ||
| The back covers of both LP sets are identical, with a "Yes Family Tree" diagram, song titles and b & w photographs of each band member (also taken from the tour program). | |||
| Sources: | 05 Mar 1988; Pacific Amphitheater, Costa Mesa, California or (*) 1979 Paris Demos | ||
| Tracks: | Part I: | *Dancing Through Light
*Golden Age *Tango Rhythm of Love Hold On Heart of the Sunrise |
Big Generator
Changes Shoot High, Aim Low Holy Lamb Solly's Beard Owner of a Lonely Heart |
| Part II: | Yours is No Disgrace
Nous Sommes Du Soleil Amazing Grace And You and I Wurm |
Love Will Find a Way
I've Seen All Good People Roundabout *In the Tower *Friend of a Friend *Everybody Loves You *Flower Girl |
|
| Band: | (1988 concert)
Jon Anderson Trevor Rabin Chris Squire Tony Kaye Alan White |
(* 1979 studio)
Jon Anderson Steve Howe Chris Squire Rick Wakeman Alan White |
|
| Xref: | Golden Age (CD), The Affirmative (LP) | ||
| Quality: | VG stereo, audience recording or (*) Ex stereo | ||
| Comments: | The Big Tour,
Volumes I &
II comes in the form of two separate 2LP sets, making 4 LPs
altogether.
The bulk of the material is from a live concert at Costa Mesa in 1988,
with the infamous 1979 Paris session material appearing here as
"bookends"
to the 1988 concert, for reasons that currently elude me (perhaps it
was
to make more money. After all, 2 double LP sets cost more than a single
3 LP set.)
The recording quality is a strong VG, in a sort of "rough stereo" (which means that there is no musical stereo separation of the instruments or vocals). A word of warning though: the speed of the recording is way off, probably the worst of all Yes bootlegs in that respect. Unless you have a turntable with pitch control, skip this album, period. Playing The Big Tour at a normal 33 1/3 RPM brings back bad memories of Alvin and the Chipmunks. The audience noise level is very high, to the point where it becomes distracting. The person taping the show sat next to a bunch of drunken, inattentive louts, who spent more time yelling, "whooo!" than actually listening to the concert! Jon Anderson shines as the true professional here, giving a fine performance. Trevor Rabin also plays and sings well, on YesWest material. Rabin's version of "Classic Yes" material has always been controversial and I personally don't enjoy it as much as the newer material here. The Big Tour gets a conditional recommendation. Not a total loss, presuming that one has a variable-speed turntable and a high tolerance for loud audiences and Rabin/Kaye versions of "Classic Yes" songs. These discs do have some enjoyable moments, but some excruciating ones, too. |
||
This article is Copyright 1995,
K.F.
Louie. May not be reproduced without the written permission of the
author.
This article has been previously published on Notes
from the Edge
Questions, Comments, offers of Yes bootlegs may be
sent
to me at:
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