[.ca] Yes: Live at Montreux 2003 [HD DVD]

That's what I'm talking about!:
First and foremost, be made aware. You read the words of a rabid and utterly biased fan of the band. Hard listener since May '73, when the combined purchases of The Yes Album and Close To The Edge two weeks later changed the idea in the head of a young listener about what can be accomplished through the medium of music. This is the band that has been what Steve Howe called "the most durable" in the tumultuous Yes history. This is also the band that toured nearly solidly from the spring of 2002 through autumn 2004. Yes is taking a well deserved break from the road, and from each other, after touring from 1997 to 2004 steadily. In 2002, Rick Wakeman's return set the stage for what is often called the classic lineup. The performances from that period of time resulted in the Songs From Tsongas dvd. It was very hot and humid in the northeast that night, and during the band's version of And You And I, Rick's synth bit the big one. This typifies Yes' luck. That dvd turned out fine, anyway. A little post production cleanup. This is the one, however. This is the most accurate representation of this fine group's work during what I believe is their finest hour. It captures them in all their glory. It begins the way they actually do themselves. Haltingly, searchingly. The Siberian Khatru opening (excerpt from the Firebird Suite is greatly missed at the start) is tepid, but gradually warms as the veteran outfit gains their footing. From there, it's lights out. They just keep getting better with the years, and here at last is a version of Awaken that does the song justice and proves what a potent force Yes are in performance. The same can be said of And You And I. Your reviewer saw the band a half a dozen times from the summer of 2000 to the fall of 2004, and this is the closest thing on dvd to actually being at the amazing event that is Yes in concert.

The best of the best...:
Having been a Yes fan since 'Time and a Word' (1970), I have heard and seen most of the official and bootleg releases of the band's music. Last year I bought Yes:Live at Montreux. Maybe it was the location or the crowd, maybe it was just an 'on' night? This captures the best of the band live with a wonderful mix and great visuals. This IS my YES 'desert island' DVD.