Yes/Aichi & Hyogo,Japan 2019

YES finished their 50th anniversary tour in Japan with great success. The best original recording is now available. There are two performances included in this work. “February 19, 2019: Zepp Nagoya Performance” and “February 20: Amasin Archaic Hall Performance”. This is a masterpiece audience recording set that fully records both days. First of all, let’s check the structure of this work with the schedule of coming to Japan that has just been completed. ・February 19th: Zepp Nagoya [Disc 1 of this work] ・February 20th: Amashin Archaic Hall [Disc 2 of this work] – 1 day off – February 22nd: Tokyo Dome City Hall ・February 23rd : Tokyo Dome City Hall ・February 24th: Tokyo Dome City Hall [4-disc set that completes Western Japan with the finest sound] A total of 5 performances. The second half was a three-day consecutive performance in Tokyo, but this work is a four-disc set that completes the other first two performances. The schedule is beautiful, but the content is even more collectible. In fact, it was the same person who recorded both performances, and it is a West Japan set by the same recording artist. Moreover, the quality of both performances is excellent. This is a work by a well-known master at our store, “Western Japan’s Strongest Taper,” and his amazing skills are at full throttle, and he is praised every time as “like a soundboard” and “the sound is better than the actual one.” Particularly overwhelming is the Nagoya performance (discs 1-2). As usual, the extremely thick and glossy core gives you no sense of distance at all, with plenty of close contact, and the details are super clear. If this was a master released online, there is no doubt that the world would be excited, saying, “The sound board has come out!” It is a transcendent sound that only feels like an audience in the rawness of the performance. And the Osaka performance (disc 3-4) is also amazing. Unlike Nagoya, it is an audience-like recording where you can feel the venue acoustics, but that is not a bad thing. The crystal-clear sound that resonates in the space doubles the “feeling of rain” of YES Music and is truly majestic. Of course, if the sound is cloudy or caged, it will be ruined, but this Osaka recording is the exact opposite. The high-pitched sound is strangely wonderful, and the edges seem to shine. Moreover, the stability and balance are excellent. Not only the treble is outstanding, but the midrange is also very responsive, and the bass attack is sharp and the vibe waveform is so clear that you can see it. In terms of clarity, it surpasses even Nagoya (discs 1-2) at the sound board level, and it is a rare masterpiece where the venue acoustics are not cloudy but shine. [50th Anniversary Set that recreates the famous album “Kirishi”] With such a sound, the show features a complete reproduction of the masterpiece “Kirishi” and carefully selects delicious songs from 50 years of history. The advance announcement said that both Nagoya and Osaka were the “best selections,” and the reenactment of “Kirishi” was only scheduled for the first day in Tokyo. However, when you open the lid, Nagoya and Osaka are also reenacting the “crisis” show. Since it is one of the most famous albums in history, all the songs are representative songs, so it is no wonder that people say, “This is the best song selection.” The show consists of three major parts. Both Nagoya and Osaka are the same set, so let’s introduce them all together. ●Part 1: Fresh best song selection set (disc 1/3) As announced, the first part is a regular style with famous songs from each era. The song started with “Parallels”, which has a wonderful content and has almost never been played in Japan. After that, unusual songs continued to be played one after another, including “Sweet Dreams” from “Time and Words”, “Nine Voices (Longwalker)” from “Ladder”, and “Madrigal” from “Tomato.” Even “Yours Is No Disgrace” and “We Can Fly”, which have been released for a long time since 2012, are so rich that they feel like classics, and despite coming back to Japan without new releases, they are very fresh. And, at the end, “Yours Is No Disgrace,” Tony Kaye appears, another highlight of this time. As soon as he appeared and was introduced by Steve Howe, the venue was filled with excitement. This is a scene that makes the 50th anniversary feel even more special than the set itself. ●Part 2: A complete reproduction of “Kisai” (Disc 2/4) The second part is a live reproduction of the famous album “Kisai”. The song order is exactly the same as the album. It was also reproduced in 2014, which was Chris Squire’s last visit to Japan, but the performance is better this time. The key to this is Jay Schellen’s drumming. Anyway, powerful and sharp. It’s not just tight, it’s also skillful with technical phrasing, and has plenty of speed. Bassist Billy Sherwood’s breathing is also perfect, and he perfectly tightens up the ensemble, which has been said to have become “loose” in recent years. Perhaps thanks to that solid rhythm section, even Howe and Jeff Sounds sound crisp. The unannounced reenactment of “Crisis” was a surprise, but the real surprise was in its performance. You can enjoy it with the best sound. In the second part, Alan White also appears. Sit on a stool at the last “Siberian Khatru”. I’m glad that he’s still alive, but I think it would have been better if the second part was just a reproduction of the album, with a sense of unity from the same members… ●Encore: Grand denouement with guest participation (Disc 2/4) The show ended with a reproduction of the famous album, and the encore featured guest participation on all songs. Three songs will be played, starting with the rare “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed”, followed by “Roundabout” and “Starship Trooper”. Tony Kaye plays on all three songs, and Alan also joins in on “Roundabout” and “Starship Trooper.” Guests are perfect for this kind of festive atmosphere. Three consecutive songs with good vibes create a lot of excitement, but the unexpected result is “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed”. Not only is it unusual and fresh, but it’s also a very fun and uplifting song perfect for an encore. It makes me wonder why I haven’t done this before. Although they have held many planned tours, YES still surprised us with a show that was fresher than ever. There’s no point in simply playing an unusual song if it’s boring, but because YES has continued to produce so many great songs, I find myself listening to it with amazement. And then there’s the even more upgraded version of the great masterpiece “Kisai”… It is a masterpiece where you can enjoy all of it in two performances with the best sound. A complete set of Western Japan with a special feeling of 50th anniversary. Zepp Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan 19th February 2019 TRULY PEREFCT SOUND(from Original Masters) Amashin Archaic Hall, Amagasaki, Japan 20th February 2019 PEREFCT SOUND(from Original Masters) Live at Zepp Nagoya, Nagoya, Japan 19th February 2019 Disc 1 (46: 55) 1. The Firebird Suite 2. Parallels 3. Sweet Dreams 4. Fly From Here, Part I: We Can Fly 5. Nine Voices (Longwalker) 6. Clap 7. Madrigal 8. Yours Is No Disgrace Disc 2 (71: 48) 1. Close to the Edge 2. And You and I 3. Siberian Khatru 4. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed 5. Roundabout 6. Band Introductions 7. Starship Trooper Live at Amashin Archaic Hall, Amagasaki, Japan 20th February 2019 Disc 3 (47:44) 1. The Firebird Suite 2. Parallels 3. Sweet Dreams 4. Fly From Here, Part I: We Can Fly 5. Nine Voices (Longwalker) 6. Clap 7. Madrigal 8. Yours Is No Disgrace Disc 4 (72:43) 1. Close to the Edge 2. And You and I 3. Siberian Khatru 4. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed 5. Roundabout 6. Band Introductions 7. Starship Trooper Steve Howe – guitar, vocals Alan White – drums Geoff Downes – keyboards, vocals Jon Davison – vocals, acoustic guitar, percussion Billy Sherwood – bass, vocals Jay Schellen – drums Tony Kaye – keyboards (Special Guest)