As a Yank I consider myself extraordinarily fortunate to have lived in London in the 70’s and saw Yes more than a couple times and photographed one concert at the Rainbow.
Ha !! I was just thinking they were truly the gods of prog in the years you named. I know Tormato fell a bit short but still, live in 78’ they were fire.
Holy crap. So many decades later and Steve’s guitar break in yours is no disgrace still gives me chills. I know there are so many great guitarists but Steve is the daddy of prog guitar heroes. To me at least. The technical prowess, the changing tones, his rhythmic sensibility and his phrasing. Just still hits me right in the feelz.
Yes, I have always looked at groups/bands in terms of how many 'geniuses' made them up. In my view there were three in the Beatles, all the members of Yes, both Simon and Garfunkel, two in Floyd (erstwhile three), and so on. That is why I always return to Yes, never fails to deliver satisfaction for me. Still haven't decided if Fragile or Close to the Edge is best. This video is a complement to the music they created with their collective genius.
The best Yes concert I ever attended was in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Theater in the mid 1970s. Renaissance (my second favorite band to Yes) opened and -- I thought of this because of Jon mentioning the Beatles song "I'm Down," after they encored with Roundabout and people started getting up to leave, they came back out on stage and did "I'm Down." It was easily the most awesome version of that song I've ever heard.
This footage is amazing. As one of those “chicks” believe me I was totally immersed into the construction of sound I was hearing, and watching now, I’m going through the same emotions, but I’m 62 now and it’s the same, but I am grateful to see this !!
YES are the true embodiment of class , style , and sophistication !!!!!!!!!!!!!the YES were light years ahead of their time !!!!!!!!!!! job well done by BBC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
05:28 "I would've gone to a school, but there wasn't a school." Now there is a "School of Rock" (I'm a teacher at one) and people can get a doctorate in Jazz. You were definitely ahead of the curve Mr. Bruford.
Bruford admits he should of been a jazz musician, I think that’s why KC fascinated him back then because they were a bit more of a band in the jazz spirit rather than a rock band.
I love ELP, King Crimson, Tull, Floyd, Gabriel-era Genesis, esp. Gentle Giant...but in the end it's always Yes. They defined the genre and crowned it with the greatest prog album of all time, Close To The Edge. Anderson, of course, is the key. That voice...nothing else like it anywhere.
Yes has been my favorite band since I was 12….1971. I know this sounds stupid to most, but they have been a big part of my life. Even my mother appreciated them because as a classical pianist, she appreciated their complexity, time signatures, tempo changes….and not singing about sex and drugs lol. I always thought as Yes as modern masters, or classical put to a modern beat if you will. Ive seen them 19 times, starting in ‘73. I’ve been a musician my entire life, starting with piano a 4 yrs old, guitar since 13. Just like Hendrix, there will never be another like Yes. Love you guys, and thanks for all the great music.
Christian Vander y su grupo Magma fueron quienes realmente revolucionaron al Rock Progresivo. Su álbum "Mekanik Destruktiw Komandoh" es música "fuera de este mundo".
Not really. .. they just were a great combo. If you look up morbid man covers close to the edge on SoundCloud, u will see a fool like me can record it alone, it in his bedroom.
@@morbidmanmusic , you may have a high level of technical prowess and be able to "play that fast". Now, "play really fast" and still come up with great melodies and catchy hooks. As @gorskiy1 said, covering and creating are not the same thing.
@@Jimbowlcoach nope. there are a hundred reasons YES trumps KING CRIMSON, as cultural force etc. ex: YES were the band that BLEW a billion young minds, cuz they RADICALLY changed Rock Music On The RADIO. (KC didn't.) It was a billion ppl's FIRST exposure to "experimentalism" in music, for example. They broke EVERY rule in the book! ex: YES are the band that made Band Logos ICONIC. ex: all metal bands with their fantasy LP covers were inspired by YES, not KC's LP covers. (ITCOCK might have the BEST lp cover ever, however!) ex: I'd argue Chris Squire ALONE was more important to the history of music than ALL of KC's members combined, as far as Cultural Impact. It's also ironic that BB left YES for KC.....considering how LITTLE of KC is improvisation! (All my bands are 99% improv, cuz it's structured improv and killer all the time!) I didn't see the last version of KC, but i was VERY disappointed to see they went the Elton John route: Let's play all the CLASSICS instead of doing daring new music or mostly improv! (Even Led Zep would RE-COMPOSE "21st Century" rather than keep playing the original version! Shame on Fripp! Cripes! Listen to the NEW Riff Page inserts into "Whole Lotta Love" on the 1979 Knebworth set!) I'd rather see Fripp do a NEW KC every 12 months, recruiting different dazzling musicians and singers each YEAR, to do a bunch of improv recordings and maybe tour or not. The point is the DANGER and thrill of Fripp + innovative musicians, and to surprise us constantly. That Adrian Belew (who I love) sang on more than a couple KC records is counter to KC's value, sigh.
I love all kinds of music from underground noise, to avant-disco, to metal, to prog, to punk, to old country and western to funk and jazz and classical.... ....and THE MUSICIAN who hit me the most? Chris Squire! (And I'm a guitarist who loves Howe and Banks!)
Yes even though I’m a guitarist Chris Squire was the magic ingredient in yes. His background vocals moved me like no other and shaped the way I sing today.
This is the ideal of Yes. This time, this line up. They all look so youthful and energized. This music here, at this time, and the year to follow, speak a language that I fully relate to. The themes are the anthems of my youth. But life moves forward and things continue to change. So did Yes. Such is life, but it has always been hard for me to accept. I guess I am an idealist.
Creativity like Yes had from The Yes Album to Relayer is like lightning in a bottle. You're lucky if you capture it once. They were in the zone for five years.
Some great comments in this vid. Jon, who we all thought was so spiritual, really in it for 'the girls and the travelling'. Chris referring to 'even some of the chicks'. Bill's assessment of Yes fans: Young, white, affluent kids, 16-20, with long hair and tatty clothes! Me? A Yes fan since 1972 after listening to CTTE.
Interesting that CS makes such a point complimenting RW on his musical precision and 'spot on' playing at 10:04, only to have RW completely contradict that with his hilarious description of being totally lost at 10:44.
The floor is literally shaking at the end of yours is no disgrace. Intense crowd energy. Yes in 70,71,72 was alchemical magic of the highest degree. The music just projects pure possibility, potential....pioneers.
Interesting comment from Anderson about his lyrics; that it's not about the idea behind the lyrics, but the sound of the words. I've heard this reported a few times. In Dan Hedges biography of the band a story is recounted of Anderson ringing Brian Lane up one day and saying to him something like, "I need the name of a fish with eight syllables. Ring me back in half an hour." Lane came up with Schindleria praematurus.
shame to see JA saying how incredible the music their FANS would be making 20 years later. that never came true. (every prog band I saw influence by YES were not 1% as great as yes, sigh.)
This is great music. Yes’ influence is evident in so much of the music that followed them including a lot of music today. I love listening to Yes but won’t allow myself to believe there’s no brilliant being composed today. I try to stay open-minded and willing to give new music a chance. Just recently saw Transatlantic and Porcupine Tree. Those are just 2 of many ‘newer’ bands carrying the torch for this type of masterful music…
@@caug I find all the modern "prog" bands to be radically the OPPOSITE of the Classic Art Rock bands (from ELP to Floyd to the rest): lifeless. predictable. bloodless. (Show me where Steven Wilson or the Morse guy RIDES THEIR ORGAN LIKE A BUCKING BRONCO!) The only stuff today that compares to the 1970s proggers are avant-musicians in the "noise-rock" underground scene. (The rule in noise rock is you gotta be ORIGINAL and ya gotta be experimental. No copycatting!) And the Stoner-Prog genre. (Sloppy prog! So you get all the rich harmonic content etc of prog, but it's WILD AND MESSY and sloppy, as rock should be!) This week I discovered "WILLZYX" from NH, who are noise-art-rock and wild and fun and crazy. Took a few listens cuz it was so dense! Stoner-Prog bands like Jerusalem Witch and The Schizophrenic Hum and the rest, are a lot more artsy and strange than any of the modern "prog" bands. (Prog is almost a dirty word IMO, now. I use Art-Rock.)
The testament of a time when rock music could indeed be progressive. Watching this is like being a fly on the wall in the engine room of a group of young musicians pushing at the boundaries and re-imagining the different musical contexts from which they arose. Bill was still on that journey when he took the next step (leap) to King Crimson not that long afterwards. Yes were genuine trail-blazers in the 1970s. The terms on which one can appreciate their later music trajectories are different. But right here you have something closer to the Big Bang that eventually produced 'Close to the Edge', 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' and 'Relayer' - still their most adventurous work, with the founding era being recapitulated and summarised in 1977's 'Going for the One'. Fine memories, perpetual change.
"I figured everyone else knew the piece so it had to be me. The gap was only a few seconds, but it seemed like days."😂 I've been there too. Good to know that Rick is human.
This really is a marvelous RUclips channel that you're putting together Bill. Yourself and your ol' mate Fripp have really taken RUclips to a new level.
My two favorite things about this video. Rick Wakeman's dance moves @16:17 is one. Second thing - While watching the interviews, I kept thinking Spinal Tap. Then I read somewhere an interview with Jon A that when he went to see the Spinal Tap movie, he could see how early Yes fit into that pretentiousness (I'm paraphrasing). I've been listening to Yes since the mid 70's, and back then I thought these guys in their 20's were wise, mystical, etc. Now at 58, it's fun to look at them as just some talented kids.
Pretentious? Maybe. But they were quite aware that they need a visual show to match the scale of American venues, which seated tens of thousands, just to give people their money’s worth. What we see in this video didn’t do that in their minds. Is it really that much different than Garth Brooks playing while suspended over the stadium audience in a cable? The similarity to Spinal Tap was that the stage design was more visualized than executed, and it so often went wrong. Rick’s dancing was part of that-a mix of natural physical reaction and staged rocking out that sometimes didn’t fit. Steve and Chris also threw in the occasional high kicks in the concerts that always seemed to me an afterthought for visual effect.
Should have added-great musicians often surprise me by their amazing musical wisdom, far outstripping their maturity in other aspects of their lives. I think most older musicians would agree with that-certainly Wakeman would.
What an incredible gem! Each one of those young men is a genius. The music they created 50 years ago is STILL on fire! "Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are". "Hot color, melting the anger to stone". Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this performance.
...Yes growing up in public, music and spirituality, a year before "Yessongs" was recorded, which is still one of my favorite albums from the last 50 years. Nice to have Bill releasing all this, a real treasure...thanks !
Age 16 for me to see them. They were my escape to another realm with the help of other things. Middle Earth I think. Their tempo changes and chord transitions matched perfectly my mixed up teenage years. And it’s something parents couldn’t control and had no access to.
Greetings from Singapore. Togerher with my big [musically blessed] family I grew up with the music of Yes & we love you guys & your music. Thanks for sharing Bill.
The '72 tours (with Bill AND Alan) were Yes at its most incendiary. But this lineup had a jamming looseness combined with stellar musicianship that was never matched.
The greatest genre of music ever created saw audiences in 1969 with "In the Court of the Crimson King" and it really blossomed in the early 70s with guys like Yes.
Man, I'm getting old, 72 years! I saw YES, in 1976 or so in Lexington Kentucky at Rupp Arena when they were doing the Concert In The Round with the circular stage that rotated. So great!
Outstanding in every way. Jon stated what will music be like in 10-12 years let alone 15. It was progressing so much until it didn't. This was the golden era of music, the brilliance has been extinguished in later years. This is why we hold dear the music of Yes and others in this era. Thank you Bill for being such a great drum mentor and for bringing out the best of Yes music documentaries.
Even with very poor sound, please listen how Bill's sound cutting through the music! His orchestral type of playing and his hi tuned toms for the time, absolute ground breaking! . I absolutely love Bill Bruford's playing! What a gigantic influence on so many drummers around the world! It must have been cool playing with a great bass player who uses a pick. Thank you for posting this gem.
And especially to hear him jamming on the Howe solo of Yours Is No Disgrace! Due to his early departure from Yes (I know, there is a song or two of him on Yes Songs if I recall correctly) this is great to listen to. I wish he would have stayed a couple of more years.
So awesome... never seen any of this footage. How lucky for that audience to be privy to so many future classics... and Wakeman's dancing, another bonus!
I've adored this SO much - Bill you were so cool and ahead of your time - love all of it - the hair - the insight....And, I hope one day we get the live Yessongs Perpetual Change video - that was unmatched and was never achieved again.
I think its because he's so low-key and unobtrusive. Not showy or glam. He's a true musician. And unfortunately we've been trained and dumbed down as a generation to think glitter and flash make an entertainer.
I still can’t comprehend his talent level. Off the charts. And how he plays on that oversized monstrouosity of a guitar is mind blowing! Lol His fingers must be eight inches long. One of my favourite guitarists. Side note. The other faves of mine are all named Steve too. Coincidence? Steve stevens Steve Lukather Stevie Ray Vaughan And of course….the best of them all. Stephen Stills.
this shit is all so heavy! never get tired of these songs. some great moments in here like bill holding it down cig in gob, steve expounding on the "rockin" classical part that was his inspiration, killer jam there at the end
Proud to be mentioned by Dr.Bruford as a target social group - white, young and long-haired. I'm involved since then, so it worked, thanks. I'm also very much admired by Jon speaking about very delicate and responsible mission - youth-targeted musicianship. Love Yes so much - Jon, Steve, Rick and Patrick, Bill and Alan, Chris..., Eddie, Roger and many other good people I've seen there.
What an archival gem! Wonderful images and sound recording, considering the era. The BBC is right to list this shoot as a crown jewel. It really is one. This group was a milestone in my teen years. I have listened to this music and know every note, every silence. This edition of Yes is and will always be the best! It's Yes in all its creative and performing quintescence. Its acme. Thank you, Bill! -- A true fan forever
The BBC didn't list this as a crown jewel. That was series VH1 did where they showed old BBC recordings. BBC forgot about Yes before the 80s. I was a teenager in England in the late 80s when I discovered Yes and they were a totally forgotten band. It was like finding some lost treasure. I had never heard of them and I had been heavily into music for years. In England in the 80s and 90s it was like they didn't exist. I remember seeing how American guitarists my age would rave about them in American guitar mags bit nobody in britain did.
Oh this is magical… I was a bit young to be into Yes at this time, but through later introductions to their early music… I became an instant ’fan’. I’m a singer, as was my father. I believe that music is the highest art. I obviously am not including all recordings in this category. But yes,Yes, I believe, certainly in this period, created fine art. Wonderful artists of the greatest art. Much love, respect and gratitude to you all… alive and sadly not… ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Saw them at Newcastle City Hall at about that time! Radio DJ John Peel described 'Yes' as probably the best band / show on the road at that time! Brilliant!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this especially the excerpt from "Mood for a Day". Maestro Steve Howe unquestionably ranks among the giants of classic rock guitarists.
Saw YES many times, Cow Palace, Circle Star, Oakland Coliseum etc... always great. Miss Chris Squire! Glad to see Jon playing and singing so beautifully with Band Geeks!!
Oh God Bill, thank you for this. I am so lucky to be around to discover Yes when they started. A magnificent band with outstanding players. I never heard a sound or instrumentation like that before. From the drums to the bass that drives these songs to the keyboards, guitar and quite angelic voice of Jon Anderson it was completely unique and groundbreaking. I will always love your music. Thank God you came together and pursued your musical dreams. I still listen and it takes me right back. ❤️
The beauty of youthful energy ! Dreams and lives sparking in creativity ! Quite something to behold. Somebody needs to do some digging into the archives of the BBC. There must be whole shows there of this time for this great band. If not , maybe in Europe somewhere ..
These glimpses of a live performance as well as the behind the scenes interviews are priceless. A missed drummer friend from high school introduced me to Yes' music. While in his room and surrounded by worn old drum skins, broken old sticks that I think that he could not bear to throw out, and numerous milk crates filled with a diversity of albums of all genres, he placed a Yes album onto what was a garage sale/flea market record player, amp, and speakers. The moment that the music played, we were taken on such a journey. I had trouble keeping up with all of the feelings that these exceptional musicians were evoking within me. 🌺
YES I have felt the sound of your lovely band since I was just a wee boy. The psychedelic rock and the smooth improvisational progressive rock that your band has been through the years has enriched my life and inspired my musical talent to burst forth on the drum kit. Not anywhere near Bill Bruford's skills, but enough to enjoy the sound that I make.
Seeing YES back in the early days (70's) was a total experience and solidified my life as a musician - I knew I'd be playing the rest of my life "going for the one"!
This is very illuminating as to the personalities in the band at the time- really cool. Bruford speaks like he's an alien observing from the outside. These guys had an entire lifetime's worth of musical experiences in just this phase of the band.
Such a difference as Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman joined, elevated it beyond the ordinary. Finally a guitarist and keyboard player that could match the quality of the bass, drums and lead vocals.
Pardon me Bill, but I'm star-stuck! That particular lineup of Yes musicians (1971-72) was a huge musical inspiration to me. When I saw you guys live on the Fragile tour, my mouth was open in total shock and disbelief of your performance. I was quite impressed with the Fragile album (Heart Of The Sunrise) and you guys pulled it off live, wow!!!. Your drumming and syncopated beats were out of this world! I'm glad I found your channel, I lost touch with you after you left Yes, but now I'll be able to see what you've been up to since leaving that band. I wish you all the best with your new YT channel. Thank you for sharing your musical genius with us. I'll stay tuned.
I saw Yes play back in the early 70s. Admittedly, my enthusiasm for Yes faded after Close To The Edge. My musical taste evolved and the arena rock bands didn't interest me anymore. Fifty years later I stumble on this upload and enjoyed the magic that Yes once had. Bruford went on to do some truly amazing work with King Crimson. He was part of my favorite Crimson lineup (Lark's Tongue in Aspic). Thanks for this upload! It is marvelous.
I started playing guitar at 11 yrs old, and I remember being astonished at Yes, and trying to play even some of the riffs propelled my guitar playing as I grew into my teenage years! At 62 I'm now grateful for the huge range of influences that prog rock gave me!
Great footage, and just look at that audience towards the end, they are definitely not just sitting down and politely clapping at the end of the song, they are really into the music! Bill, I understand that you felt the need to quit Yes but I wish you had stayed for the ensuing tour for Close To The Edge, just to have live versions of you playing the songs on that immense album...
And to think that both Close to the Edge and Bill's departure would happen this same year. Even at this point, you can see the soul of a searcher and artist at unrest. Kudos, Bill! Thanks for posting this time vault.
@@simonal1989 Ok... The video title says 1972. But whatever. Fragile came out in November of '71. Close to the Edge came out in September of '72. Bill left the band in July of '72. To my thinking, that's all within the course of a year. I'm not really sure what you're getting at with your comment.
I was in high school in the late 70s. all the other kids were listening to top 40 rock. I was tuning into Yes Rush and King Crimson. I forced my friends to listen, some got it, most did not.
There will be periods where I listen to less of Yes or take the music for granted but then something like this will suck me back in and the same magic I felt from first discovering them will come back in full force. Bless you Bill.
I hope these people will keep their youth and life of those days forever and continue to make great music for a long time to come. No rough editing should be done to these wonderful performances.
After discovering Close to the Edge in the 90s when I was 17, I still have yet to fully grasp what a cosmic happenstance it is that these equally brilliant musicians got together and managed to make such incredible music! 17:27, wow! 🔥
Bill, I've been following you since 1972 (and first saw you live with KC in '73). While I fully understand and appreciate why you left Yes, watching this 5-piece unit live just convinces me all over again what a powerful musical force you five were. Fragile and Close To The Edge remain two of my all-time fave albums. Thanks for posting this! Best, Richard (the ticket-stub guy)
I grew up in the 70s and then as now, felt this music and these musicians were never going to be matched in the style they play. Man, what aa group of great players, no weak links in this band. I would have loved to see an isolated drum camera on Bill, you can hear some great drumming going on, and seeing him along with hearing him would have been ideal. Even though this is young Bruford, Bill should be very proud of this band, its music, and his drumming in the band.
This era will never happen again. Glad I was there to witness it.
That;s for sure! Glad I lived through it too.
Golden age of rock -- '68-'73 (with outliers).
That's for certain. Straightforward, uncomplicated times with the best music ever made.
It’s happening right now!
As a Yank I consider myself extraordinarily fortunate to have lived in London in the 70’s and saw Yes more than a couple times and photographed one concert at the Rainbow.
"I like hearing mistakes in my music." Great quote. It's for people who understand why auto-tuned music sounds like robot music.
Bill Bruford
I remember Jimi Hendrix being told that he was the greatest guitar player, and he replied, "You only hear your mistakes."
Unique and wonderful group.❤
YES, between 1971 to 1977 produced the most astonishing albums that will continue to be revered more and more. Grateful to have seen it.
I agree the blessed run of albums extended as far as Going for the One.
Ha !! I was just thinking they were truly the gods of prog in the years you named. I know Tormato fell a bit short but still, live in 78’ they were fire.
@@ER-me1ii I would give Tormato honorary inclusion into the classic period.
@@nandopelusi7699 i think the first album was amazing accessible music that showed the signs of what was to come.....brilliant rockin
Bingo !
Quintessential Yes lineup.
RIP Chris
Holy crap. So many decades later and Steve’s guitar break in yours is no disgrace still gives me chills. I know there are so many great guitarists but Steve is the daddy of prog guitar heroes. To me at least. The technical prowess, the changing tones, his rhythmic sensibility and his phrasing. Just still hits me right in the feelz.
One of the greatest group of musicians ever put together. Enjoyed this so much.
That’s an understatement
Agreed !!!
Yes, I have always looked at groups/bands in terms of how many 'geniuses' made them up. In my view there were three in the Beatles, all the members of Yes, both Simon and Garfunkel, two in Floyd (erstwhile three), and so on. That is why I always return to Yes, never fails to deliver satisfaction for me. Still haven't decided if Fragile or Close to the Edge is best. This video is a complement to the music they created with their collective genius.
The best Yes concert I ever attended was in Las Vegas at the Aladdin Theater in the mid 1970s. Renaissance (my second favorite band to Yes) opened and -- I thought of this because of Jon mentioning the Beatles song "I'm Down," after they encored with Roundabout and people started getting up to leave, they came back out on stage and did "I'm Down." It was easily the most awesome version of that song I've ever heard.
@@williamsporing1500 Oh, I dunno: 'one of the greatest groups of musicians ever put together' sounds fairly sweeping to me.
This footage is amazing. As one of those “chicks” believe me I was totally immersed into the construction of sound I was hearing, and watching now, I’m going through the same emotions, but I’m 62 now and it’s the same, but I am grateful to see this !!
Wonderful! I am so smiling. 🌺
I still am amazed at there music after all this time
It is a true testament to the music to stand up all this time
Yeah, I get that. In a way, we are not ageing at all. Nice.
In D.C. 1972, we never disparaged women. We respected and admired women, unless they were jerks like some of the men.
Steve’s guitar work on YIND is marvellous.
To this day that guitar still doesn't know what happened. :)
Every member of this band is a huge virtuoso on their instrument.
YES are the true embodiment of class , style , and sophistication !!!!!!!!!!!!!the YES were light years ahead of their time !!!!!!!!!!! job well done by BBC !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
05:28 "I would've gone to a school, but there wasn't a school."
Now there is a "School of Rock" (I'm a teacher at one) and people can get a doctorate in Jazz. You were definitely ahead of the curve Mr. Bruford.
Bruford admits he should of been a jazz musician, I think that’s why KC fascinated him back then because they were a bit more of a band in the jazz spirit rather than a rock band.
Jon Anderson as performed with School of Rock kids several times in various workshops.
I love ELP, King Crimson, Tull, Floyd, Gabriel-era Genesis, esp. Gentle Giant...but in the end it's always Yes. They defined the genre and crowned it with the greatest prog album of all time, Close To The Edge. Anderson, of course, is the key. That voice...nothing else like it anywhere.
Same with me!!
Tull for me!
Agree, but for me perhaps Genesis Live 1973 is "the bible of progressive".
Wonderful bands all those you named!!!!
Yep. The crowned jewel of prog is CTTE. I always come back to it. It’s definitive.
I think The Flaming Lips took a lot from Yes, especially the vocals.
Yes has been my favorite band since I was 12….1971. I know this sounds stupid to most, but they have been a big part of my life. Even my mother appreciated them because as a classical pianist, she appreciated their complexity, time signatures, tempo changes….and not singing about sex and drugs lol. I always thought as Yes as modern masters, or classical put to a modern beat if you will.
Ive seen them 19 times, starting in ‘73. I’ve been a musician my entire life, starting with piano a 4 yrs old, guitar since 13. Just like Hendrix, there will never be another like Yes.
Love you guys, and thanks for all the great music.
Spot on dude!
Not stupid at all. The impact they had on my life is profound. Esp as a teen.
Agreed !!
Christian Vander y su grupo Magma fueron quienes realmente revolucionaron al Rock Progresivo. Su álbum "Mekanik Destruktiw Komandoh" es música "fuera de este mundo".
Aún así, todos mis respetos y admiración para Yes.
The level of talent in these chaps is staggering.
Not really. .. they just were a great combo.
If you look up morbid man covers close to the edge on SoundCloud, u will see a fool like me can record it alone, it in his bedroom.
@@morbidmanmusic who asked lmao
@@morbidmanmusic I bet it sounds like ear cancer
@@morbidmanmusic covering and creating are not the same thing
@@morbidmanmusic , you may have a high level of technical prowess and be able to "play that fast". Now, "play really fast" and still come up with great melodies and catchy hooks. As @gorskiy1 said, covering and creating are not the same thing.
THE greatest 5 piece ensemble ever..Immaculate. No other band could do what Yes did.
King Crimson
@@Jimbowlcoach Damn it! U Beat me to it.
Gentle Giant, also a modern band would be Wobbler
Too bad Howe was such a wanker. No wonder Wakeman and Bruford left. It was never the same after that.
@@Jimbowlcoach nope. there are a hundred reasons YES trumps KING CRIMSON, as cultural force etc.
ex:
YES were the band that BLEW a billion young minds, cuz they RADICALLY changed Rock Music On The RADIO. (KC didn't.) It was a billion ppl's FIRST exposure to "experimentalism" in music, for example. They broke EVERY rule in the book!
ex:
YES are the band that made Band Logos ICONIC.
ex:
all metal bands with their fantasy LP covers were inspired by YES, not KC's LP covers.
(ITCOCK might have the BEST lp cover ever, however!)
ex:
I'd argue Chris Squire ALONE was more important to the history of music than ALL of KC's members combined, as far as Cultural Impact.
It's also ironic that BB left YES for KC.....considering how LITTLE of KC is improvisation! (All my bands are 99% improv, cuz it's structured improv and killer all the time!)
I didn't see the last version of KC, but i was VERY disappointed to see they went the Elton John route: Let's play all the CLASSICS instead of doing daring new music or mostly improv!
(Even Led Zep would RE-COMPOSE "21st Century" rather than keep playing the original version! Shame on Fripp! Cripes! Listen to the NEW Riff Page inserts into "Whole Lotta Love" on the 1979 Knebworth set!)
I'd rather see Fripp do a NEW KC every 12 months, recruiting different dazzling musicians and singers each YEAR, to do a bunch of improv recordings and maybe tour or not. The point is the DANGER and thrill of Fripp + innovative musicians, and to surprise us constantly. That Adrian Belew (who I love) sang on more than a couple KC records is counter to KC's value, sigh.
I adore Rick reminiscing about missing his part live and the ensuing silence . And then he plays the part for one second and it’s jaw-dropping!
Ahahah
Steve Howe is just freakin insane!!! His guitar playing has always been a signature sound of Yes.
Hearing and seeing Chris Squire playing Perpetual Change and Heart of the Sunrise and Astral Traveler and Roundabout... shaped my life like no other.
I love all kinds of music from underground noise, to avant-disco, to metal, to prog, to punk, to old country and western to funk and jazz and classical....
....and THE MUSICIAN who hit me the most? Chris Squire!
(And I'm a guitarist who loves Howe and Banks!)
Yes even though I’m a guitarist Chris Squire was the magic ingredient in yes. His background vocals moved me like no other and shaped the way I sing today.
This is the ideal of Yes. This time, this line up. They all look so youthful and energized. This music here, at this time, and the year to follow, speak a language that I fully relate to. The themes are the anthems of my youth.
But life moves forward and things continue to change. So did Yes.
Such is life, but it has always been hard for me to accept. I guess I am an idealist.
Creativity like Yes had from The Yes Album to Relayer is like lightning in a bottle. You're lucky if you capture it once. They were in the zone for five years.
@@andyharman3022 Yup, I guess so. No artist has ever overcome aging or the fact that "lightening in a bottle" is a completely uncontrollable thing.
Some great comments in this vid. Jon, who we all thought was so spiritual, really in it for 'the girls and the travelling'. Chris referring to 'even some of the chicks'. Bill's assessment of Yes fans: Young, white, affluent kids, 16-20, with long hair and tatty clothes!
Me? A Yes fan since 1972 after listening to CTTE.
Interesting that CS makes such a point complimenting RW on his musical precision and 'spot on' playing at 10:04, only to have RW completely contradict that with his hilarious description of being totally lost at 10:44.
r u sure you know the music?
Close to the Edge is my favourite album ever.
me too
God that run at 6:54 by Squire is just so fucking good
"I don't think we can start to think what the music will be like in 15 years time" enters Johnny Rotten
😂🤣😂🤣
If this was filmed in 1971 then jon Anderson was talking about what music would be like in 1986.
Erm......yep.
Madonna.. And Genesis going down the tubes with Invisible Touch..
Marillion. Smiths. Stone roses.
Would have said to rotten 'unlike you, didn't the lads do well'.
The floor is literally shaking at the end of yours is no disgrace. Intense crowd energy. Yes in 70,71,72 was alchemical magic of the highest degree. The music just projects pure possibility, potential....pioneers.
Interesting comment from Anderson about his lyrics; that it's not about the idea behind the lyrics, but the sound of the words. I've heard this reported a few times. In Dan Hedges biography of the band a story is recounted of Anderson ringing Brian Lane up one day and saying to him something like, "I need the name of a fish with eight syllables. Ring me back in half an hour." Lane came up with Schindleria praematurus.
My all-time favorite lineup of any rock musicians. Unparalleled creativity. Thanks for sharing this, Bill.
Their BEST lineup by far.
"Long time waiting to feel the sound..." Yes made us all feel the energy they produced and we're all better for it!
All I can think is they were so young and their music was so profound! The music today can't touch this level of mastery and brilliance.
shame to see JA saying how incredible the music their FANS would be making 20 years later.
that never came true.
(every prog band I saw influence by YES were not 1% as great as yes, sigh.)
This is great music. Yes’ influence is evident in so much of the music that followed them including a lot of music today. I love listening to Yes but won’t allow myself to believe there’s no brilliant being composed today. I try to stay open-minded and willing to give new music a chance. Just recently saw Transatlantic and Porcupine Tree. Those are just 2 of many ‘newer’ bands carrying the torch for this type of masterful music…
@@caug I find all the modern "prog" bands to be radically the OPPOSITE of the Classic Art Rock bands (from ELP to Floyd to the rest):
lifeless.
predictable.
bloodless.
(Show me where Steven Wilson or the Morse guy RIDES THEIR ORGAN LIKE A BUCKING BRONCO!)
The only stuff today that compares to the 1970s proggers are avant-musicians in the "noise-rock" underground scene. (The rule in noise rock is you gotta be ORIGINAL and ya gotta be experimental. No copycatting!)
And the Stoner-Prog genre. (Sloppy prog! So you get all the rich harmonic content etc of prog, but it's WILD AND MESSY and sloppy, as rock should be!)
This week I discovered "WILLZYX" from NH, who are noise-art-rock and wild and fun and crazy. Took a few listens cuz it was so dense!
Stoner-Prog bands like Jerusalem Witch and The Schizophrenic Hum and the rest, are a lot more artsy and strange than any of the modern "prog" bands. (Prog is almost a dirty word IMO, now. I use Art-Rock.)
Yes, they were so young and the complexity of the music is pure genius! Really I still get blown away by them, after all these years.
That is so not true. You obviously don't listen to much music of today to be so blatantly ignorant of reality. And YES is my fave
Best lineup of Yes.
Therefore best lineup in the history of rock.
What about Jonh, Paul, George and Ringo ?
@@progrunner3094 they were not that good musicians, in my opinion. just great pioneers.
Jonh????@@progrunner3094
Rush is the only other band I can think of where EVERYONE was a virtuoso on their instrument.
@@user-zt2wc3uh1l I would say Gentle Giant is also in this league and Jethro Tull first 2-3- versions.
The testament of a time when rock music could indeed be progressive. Watching this is like being a fly on the wall in the engine room of a group of young musicians pushing at the boundaries and re-imagining the different musical contexts from which they arose. Bill was still on that journey when he took the next step (leap) to King Crimson not that long afterwards. Yes were genuine trail-blazers in the 1970s. The terms on which one can appreciate their later music trajectories are different. But right here you have something closer to the Big Bang that eventually produced 'Close to the Edge', 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' and 'Relayer' - still their most adventurous work, with the founding era being recapitulated and summarised in 1977's 'Going for the One'. Fine memories, perpetual change.
"I figured everyone else knew the piece so it had to be me. The gap was only a few seconds, but it seemed like days."😂 I've been there too. Good to know that Rick is human.
I'm guessing that at times he's been a bit too human. . .you might ask one of his wives to sum it up!
Yes made the most masterful and beautiful music in the history of all rock, and this will always hold true.
This really is a marvelous RUclips channel that you're putting together Bill. Yourself and your ol' mate Fripp have really taken RUclips to a new level.
really is. . what youtube should be about.
Bruford's channel is great. But Fripp dressing up like a fool, and his old wife showing her tits on RUclips? His is not no disgrace.
@@davel7791 Fripp sold to the satanists
Oh that Bill,. Hi From the El Macombo!
My two favorite things about this video. Rick Wakeman's dance moves @16:17 is one. Second thing - While watching the interviews, I kept thinking Spinal Tap. Then I read somewhere an interview with Jon A that when he went to see the Spinal Tap movie, he could see how early Yes fit into that pretentiousness (I'm paraphrasing). I've been listening to Yes since the mid 70's, and back then I thought these guys in their 20's were wise, mystical, etc. Now at 58, it's fun to look at them as just some talented kids.
Rick's dance.. 💜
Pretentious? Maybe. But they were quite aware that they need a visual show to match the scale of American venues, which seated tens of thousands, just to give people their money’s worth. What we see in this video didn’t do that in their minds. Is it really that much different than Garth Brooks playing while suspended over the stadium audience in a cable? The similarity to Spinal Tap was that the stage design was more visualized than executed, and it so often went wrong. Rick’s dancing was part of that-a mix of natural physical reaction and staged rocking out that sometimes didn’t fit. Steve and Chris also threw in the occasional high kicks in the concerts that always seemed to me an afterthought for visual effect.
Should have added-great musicians often surprise me by their amazing musical wisdom, far outstripping their maturity in other aspects of their lives. I think most older musicians would agree with that-certainly Wakeman would.
@@rickdenney5772 The guy at 10:00 is talking in a drug trance.
What an incredible gem!
Each one of those young men is a genius. The music they created 50 years ago is STILL on fire!
"Battleships confide in me and tell me where you are".
"Hot color, melting the anger to stone".
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this performance.
As far as the lyrics go, I heard Jon in an interview fairly recently that there was a lot of weed around at the time.
Drummers can have a lot to say besides just sitting behind the band for two hours a night. We’re with you Mr. Bruford! 🥁
Wish we had a full vid of the concert. Footage is great
At least all of Perpetual Change & the attendant drum solo, eh ?....🚬😎
...Yes growing up in public, music and spirituality, a year before "Yessongs" was recorded, which is still one of my favorite albums from the last 50 years. Nice to have Bill releasing all this, a real treasure...thanks !
That bass to start out the video
We all miss you guys playing together
This was my introduction to YES back then, aged 16, I went out the next day and bought the YES Album.
My introduction was the QPR concert, I also went out the next day. I bought Close to the Edge at Ingleston Market.
Age 16 for me to see them. They were my escape to another realm with the help of other things. Middle Earth I think. Their tempo changes and chord transitions matched perfectly my mixed up teenage years. And it’s something parents couldn’t control and had no access to.
Greetings from Singapore.
Togerher with my big [musically blessed] family I grew up with the music of Yes & we love you guys & your music.
Thanks for sharing Bill.
This has got to be one of the most bass-guitar heavy music ever made. I can't think of any other band that had such bass presence.
Weather report
Gentle Giant, sort of.
The '72 tours (with Bill AND Alan) were Yes at its most incendiary. But this lineup had a jamming looseness combined with stellar musicianship that was never matched.
Yes, many dismiss Alan. But he was incredible in his own right.
The greatest genre of music ever created saw audiences in 1969 with "In the Court of the Crimson King" and it really blossomed in the early 70s with guys like Yes.
Man, I'm getting old, 72 years! I saw YES, in 1976 or so in Lexington Kentucky at Rupp Arena when they were doing the Concert In The Round with the circular stage that rotated. So great!
Outstanding in every way. Jon stated what will music be like in 10-12 years let alone 15. It was progressing so much until it didn't. This was the golden era of music, the brilliance has been extinguished in later years. This is why we hold dear the music of Yes and others in this era. Thank you Bill for being such a great drum mentor and for bringing out the best of Yes music documentaries.
Even with very poor sound, please listen how Bill's sound cutting through the music! His orchestral type of playing and his hi tuned toms for the time, absolute ground breaking! . I absolutely love Bill Bruford's playing! What a gigantic influence on so many drummers around the world! It must have been cool playing with a great bass player who uses a pick. Thank you for posting this gem.
And especially to hear him jamming on the Howe solo of Yours Is No Disgrace! Due to his early departure from Yes (I know, there is a song or two of him on Yes Songs if I recall correctly) this is great to listen to. I wish he would have stayed a couple of more years.
I wanted to say the same about Chris Squires bass sound
@@glynnp42 king crimson came a calling, he thought that’s where he belonged, he was frippnotized. 😂
Absolutely. ❤️
Bill Bruford is the greatest jazz fusion ever.
So awesome... never seen any of this footage. How lucky for that audience to be privy to so many future classics... and Wakeman's dancing, another bonus!
This is an excellent recording of early Yes. The sound mix is excellent - a strong and natural live sound; it amused me when Steve Howe criticised it!
The drums are buried in the mix.
I've adored this SO much - Bill you were so cool and ahead of your time - love all of it - the hair - the insight....And, I hope one day we get the live Yessongs Perpetual Change video - that was unmatched and was never achieved again.
Steve Howe ... what a great guitar player. Not sure why he doesn't get the recognition (elsewhere) that he deserves. ES175
I’ve been saying that for years ….😩
I think its because he's so low-key and unobtrusive. Not showy or glam. He's a true musician. And unfortunately we've been trained and dumbed down as a generation to think glitter and flash make an entertainer.
@@serenitypeaceandcomfort3669 Especially now. We think that looks and clothes make an entertainer, but it’s really the ability to play.
I still can’t comprehend his talent level. Off the charts. And how he plays on that oversized monstrouosity of a guitar is mind blowing! Lol
His fingers must be eight inches long. One of my favourite guitarists.
Side note. The other faves of mine are all named Steve too. Coincidence?
Steve stevens
Steve Lukather
Stevie Ray Vaughan
And of course….the best of them all. Stephen Stills.
@@Golfstar17 agree ! ESP Stills !!!
this shit is all so heavy! never get tired of these songs.
some great moments in here like bill holding it down cig in gob, steve expounding on the "rockin" classical part that was his inspiration, killer jam there at the end
Great extended guitar solo on "Your is no Disgrace"!
Bruford is one of the most articulate drummers I've heard.
Are you implying that most drummers just say “I hit things and go boom!”?
He's a MUSICIAN❣
He earned a Ph.D.-late in life, in music. Yes: He’s intelligent-& articulate.
@@michael-davidarrkerns4799 I thought drummers got drool on their IQ tests?
@@mattmarkus4868 Ha :)
Yours is no Disgrace is one of my favorite Yes songs. I love the Yessongs album version the most, but it’s great hearing and seeing other versions.
Yes’ greatest era. Thank you, Bill - you’re such a legend!
Nice peek at the down-to-earth hard work behind an out-of-this-world show.
Proud to be mentioned by Dr.Bruford as a target social group - white, young and long-haired. I'm involved since then, so it worked, thanks.
I'm also very much admired by Jon speaking about very delicate and responsible mission - youth-targeted musicianship.
Love Yes so much - Jon, Steve, Rick and Patrick, Bill and Alan, Chris..., Eddie, Roger and many other good people I've seen there.
Ah Yes this is the soundtrack of my life! I made a living teaching these songs since 71' thanx Bill and Yes and youtube!
What an archival gem! Wonderful images and sound recording, considering the era. The BBC is right to list this shoot as a crown jewel. It really is one. This group was a milestone in my teen years. I have listened to this music and know every note, every silence. This edition of Yes is and will always be the best! It's Yes in all its creative and performing quintescence. Its acme. Thank you, Bill! -- A true fan forever
The BBC didn't list this as a crown jewel. That was series VH1 did where they showed old BBC recordings. BBC forgot about Yes before the 80s. I was a teenager in England in the late 80s when I discovered Yes and they were a totally forgotten band. It was like finding some lost treasure. I had never heard of them and I had been heavily into music for years. In England in the 80s and 90s it was like they didn't exist. I remember seeing how American guitarists my age would rave about them in American guitar mags bit nobody in britain did.
Rick Wakeman interview at 10:43 , priceless. He gave me a good chuckle and seems like a good humoured, decent chap.
Loved it ... very Special Unique Chemistry in this Yes Line up .. every member is totally focused & pushing ...
My favorite Yes album. Takes me away every time...
What a fantastic snapshot of the band in that era. I had not happened upon this before. Thanks for sharing!
Oh this is magical… I was a bit young to be into Yes at this time, but through later introductions to their early music… I became an instant ’fan’.
I’m a singer, as was my father.
I believe that music is the highest art. I obviously am not including all recordings in this category.
But yes,Yes, I believe, certainly in this period, created fine art. Wonderful artists of the greatest art.
Much love, respect and gratitude to you all… alive and sadly not… ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Saw them at Newcastle City Hall at about that time! Radio DJ John Peel described 'Yes' as probably the best band / show on the road at that time! Brilliant!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this especially the excerpt from "Mood for a Day". Maestro Steve Howe unquestionably ranks among the giants of classic rock guitarists.
Saw YES many times, Cow Palace, Circle Star, Oakland Coliseum etc... always great. Miss Chris Squire! Glad to see Jon playing and singing so beautifully with Band Geeks!!
Unquestionably the greatest line up of all.
Oh God Bill, thank you for this. I am so lucky to be around to discover Yes when they started. A magnificent band with outstanding players. I never heard a sound or instrumentation like that before. From the drums to the bass that drives these songs to the keyboards, guitar and quite angelic voice of Jon Anderson it was completely unique and groundbreaking. I will always love your music.
Thank God you came together and pursued your musical dreams. I still listen and it takes me right back. ❤️
The beauty of youthful energy !
Dreams and lives sparking in creativity !
Quite something to behold.
Somebody needs to do some digging into the archives of the BBC. There must be whole shows there of this time for this great band. If not , maybe in Europe somewhere ..
These glimpses of a live performance as well as the behind the scenes interviews are priceless. A missed drummer friend from high school introduced me to Yes' music. While in his room and surrounded by worn old drum skins, broken old sticks that I think that he could not bear to throw out, and numerous milk crates filled with a diversity of albums of all genres, he placed a Yes album onto what was a garage sale/flea market record player, amp, and speakers. The moment that the music played, we were taken on such a journey. I had trouble keeping up with all of the feelings that these exceptional musicians were evoking within me. 🌺
Bill and Chris were always so locked in time. Just listen to the early Yes albums. Great footage!
They’re even tighter on Fish Out Of Water
Thank you so much for everything!
YES I have felt the sound of your lovely band since I was just a wee boy. The psychedelic rock and the smooth improvisational progressive rock that your band has been through the years has enriched my life and inspired my musical talent to burst forth on the drum kit. Not anywhere near Bill Bruford's skills, but enough to enjoy the sound that I make.
Right there with ya
Seeing YES back in the early days (70's) was a total experience and solidified my life as a musician - I knew I'd be playing the rest of my life "going for the one"!
Hi Bill. Saw you guys in 1973 or 4 in Cincinnati, Ohio. My first concert. My first experience smelling weed. 😏 You guys were awesomre!
Outstanding performance from the whole band. So much talent, creativity and fantastic melodies.
What a group of talented, playful musicians! Spectacular.
This is very illuminating as to the personalities in the band at the time- really cool. Bruford speaks like he's an alien observing from the outside. These guys had an entire lifetime's worth of musical experiences in just this phase of the band.
Such a difference as Steve Howe and Rick
Wakeman joined, elevated it beyond the ordinary. Finally a guitarist and keyboard player that could match the quality of the bass, drums and lead vocals.
Pardon me Bill, but I'm star-stuck! That particular lineup of Yes musicians (1971-72) was a huge musical inspiration to me. When I saw you guys live on the Fragile tour, my mouth was open in total shock and disbelief of your performance. I was quite impressed with the Fragile album (Heart Of The Sunrise) and you guys pulled it off live, wow!!!. Your drumming and syncopated beats were out of this world!
I'm glad I found your channel, I lost touch with you after you left Yes, but now I'll be able to see what you've been up to since leaving that band. I wish you all the best with your new YT channel. Thank you for sharing your musical genius with us. I'll stay tuned.
Best band ever. Close To The Edge was released the year I was born. And remains my favourite album ever. Yes.
Absolutely loved this. Thank you for keeping this music alive, Bill.
Fantastic … awesome … definitely waking up brain cells‼️‼️‼️❤️
THANK YOU 💕💕💕 My heart lives.
I saw Yes play back in the early 70s. Admittedly, my enthusiasm for Yes faded after Close To The Edge. My musical taste evolved and the arena rock bands didn't interest me anymore. Fifty years later I stumble on this upload and enjoyed the magic that Yes once had. Bruford went on to do some truly amazing work with King Crimson. He was part of my favorite Crimson lineup (Lark's Tongue in Aspic). Thanks for this upload! It is marvelous.
I started playing guitar at 11 yrs old, and I remember being astonished at Yes, and trying to play even some of the riffs propelled my guitar playing as I grew into my teenage years! At 62 I'm now grateful for the huge range of influences that prog rock gave me!
Great footage, and just look at that audience towards the end, they are definitely not just sitting down and politely clapping at the end of the song, they are really into the music! Bill, I understand that you felt the need to quit Yes but I wish you had stayed for the ensuing tour for Close To The Edge, just to have live versions of you playing the songs on that immense album...
And to think that both Close to the Edge and Bill's departure would happen this same year. Even at this point, you can see the soul of a searcher and artist at unrest. Kudos, Bill! Thanks for posting this time vault.
This was 3 October 1971, and Fragile hadn't even come out yet!
@@simonal1989 Ok... The video title says 1972. But whatever. Fragile came out in November of '71. Close to the Edge came out in September of '72. Bill left the band in July of '72. To my thinking, that's all within the course of a year. I'm not really sure what you're getting at with your comment.
I was in high school in the late 70s. all the other kids were listening to top 40 rock. I was tuning into Yes Rush and King Crimson. I forced my friends to listen, some got it, most did not.
There will be periods where I listen to less of Yes or take the music for granted but then something like this will suck me back in and the same magic I felt from first discovering them will come back in full force. Bless you Bill.
I hope these people will keep their youth and life of those days forever and continue to make great music for a long time to come. No rough editing should be done to these wonderful performances.
Best Magical Group ☀️
Thank You Bill and Others Yes !
What a remarkable collection of musicians and artists.
After discovering Close to the Edge in the 90s when I was 17, I still have yet to fully grasp what a cosmic happenstance it is that these equally brilliant musicians got together and managed to make such incredible music! 17:27, wow! 🔥
Absolutely fantastic to see this. Hadn’t come across it before and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thank you, Mr Bruford, for posting this. Lovely addition!
Bill, I've been following you since 1972 (and first saw you live with KC in '73). While I fully understand and appreciate why you left Yes, watching this 5-piece unit live just convinces me all over again what a powerful musical force you five were. Fragile and Close To The Edge remain two of my all-time fave albums. Thanks for posting this! Best, Richard (the ticket-stub guy)
I grew up in the 70s and then as now, felt this music and these musicians were never going to be matched in the style they play. Man, what aa group of great players, no weak links in this band. I would have loved to see an isolated drum camera on Bill, you can hear some great drumming going on, and seeing him along with hearing him would have been ideal. Even though this is young Bruford, Bill should be very proud of this band, its music, and his drumming in the band.