Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Twoby Yes

Yes has been through more changes than probably any other band in history, but no matter who has been in the band, one thing has been consistent: the live performances have always been amazing. Nearly fifty years later, they still play to packed houses, and still put on incredible shows. This set of seven live shows came from a tour that's generally considered around the peak of their creative output, and contains some progressive rock masterpieces that even decades later are considered some of their truly definitive tracks.

The set came into being after some tapes were discovered after many years in storage. Knowing the appetite their rabid fanbase has for live material, they decided to release them all as on big boxed set. Not a lot of bands would do something like this, as the tracklist for each show is essentially the same. Yes has always been filled with master musicians, so performances tend to be fairly consistent from show to show over a single tour. This isn't too say there's never any room for the occasional extension on a guitar solo or a keyboard piece, but the common fan isn't going to pick out a lot of difference from show to show. That's what makes this such a great piece, it's a section of the band's history, a large chunk of their music from one of their hottest tours. A lot of time was put into remastering and restoring the tapes into this set, which shows the affection that their fans have for the band, and the respect the band gives right back.

The lineup is one of their best: Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe and Alan White. Rick Wakeman is frequently considered among the best prog rock keyboard players ever. Bassist Chris Squire, right up until his death last year, was the one common thread throughout the band's many lineup changes, the one member to be a part of every iteration of the band. Jon Anderson has one of the most distinctive vocals in rock. Alan White took the role of drummer from Bill Bruford, one of the best progressive drummers in history, and he nailed the job. Lead guitarist Steve Howe is one of the most highly respected guitarists in the prog rock world, and this tour is the five of them firing on all cylinders.

The songs include a lead-in of Siberian Khiatru, a fan favorite; a classic rock radio favorite of I've Seen All Good People/Your Move, which is a masterful blending of multiple pieces, something Yes is particularly adept at; Mood For A Day/Clap; Heart of the Sunrise; the full And You And I suite, in four parts; the four-part Close to the Edge suite; Excerpts from The Wives of Henry VIII; perennial show closer Roundabout; and Yours Is No Disgrace. These will all be familiar to even casual Yes fans, as they would continue to play most of these in various forms for decades. Of course, Yes is known for their orchestral style of music, which leads to much longer pieces than what you usually hear on the radio, and also suites, or songs broken into several distinct, yet interconnected sections. This is crystal clear in this set, with some of their biggest and best suites all performed in one show.

New fans need to take a moment and make sure they know what they are getting into before getting the whole set. There are seven shows here, from the same tour, from 1972, and the track list for each is basically identical. The songs in each show tend to be long; even the shorter ones are part of a larger suite of music. So those with shorter attention spans might do better to sample some of the band's other live works before diving into this one. Casual fans will definitely want to dip their toe in the water first, maybe starting with one show. Having said that, hardcore fans are the target audience, and if you love the band, you will unquestionable love this set.