Yessongs

Only the most dedicated fans of the prog band Yes need bother with 1975's concert film YESSONGS, which is not too much over an hour in length but felt much longer.  I would consider myself one of said fans, and for that reason the film's shoddy presentation was that much more frustrating.  I can tell you how crummy the film looks.  The lighting is pretty shabby, though more often singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and drummer Alan White just seem to be playing in darkness.

Even more unforgivable is the audio mix.  I don't know how this sounded in movie theaters with its four channel quadrophonia, but the print I encountered on Amazon Prime was subpar.  I've read similar reviews from those who watched the old VHSs, DVDs, and even Blu-rays. Yes deserves a treatment that showcases their astonishing talent, and it doesn't happen here.  Maybe I can blame the performances themselves, culled from shows at the Rainbow Theater in London in '72, which seem oddly less energetic than elsewhere, certainly the studio albums.  Little of the punch of songs like "Yours is No Disgrace" and "I've Seen All Good People" comes across. 

But even this inferior recording by director Peter Neal still highlights what great musicians these guys were.  Howe gets the best coverage, handing the double neck with ease and skill.  Wakeman appears professorial behind the keyboard, though his shimmering cape always threatens to upstate him.  As this show was recorded in December, he briefly detours into "Jingle Bells" and 'The Hallelujah Chorus" as he navigates excerpts of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII."

YESSONGS thankfully doesn't get too pretentious, as some other concert films from the '70s tended to.  There is some sped up nature footage, but also glimpses of Roger Dean's beautiful album cover art.