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Dr. Chris Evil
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Post subject: [2012-06-26] Yes "Yessongs: 40th Anniversary Edition" (Blu-ray) Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:11 pm |
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Pure Evil Gold!!
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Joined: | 26 Jul 2006 |
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Dr. Chris Evil
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Post subject: [2012-06-26] Yes "Yessongs: 40th Anniversary Edition" (Blu-ray) Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 8:13 pm |
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Pure Evil Gold!!
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Based on the exorbitant price ($50) and the negative reviews about picture and sound quality (not to mention a niggling review from one of our own ICErs in another thread), I'll be passing on this one. But I felt it should be mentioned since it was officially released on Blu-ray. Too bad they can't find the original uncut footage and soundtrack and do a reconstructed, expanded Yessongs Blu-ray. 
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ranasakawa
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Post subject: [2012-06-26] Yes "Yessongs: 40th Anniversary Edition" (Blu-ray) Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2012 4:22 am |
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Music from the 60s & 70s and a bit of the 80s
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Joined: | 26 Jan 2007 |
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I had this on DVD for years, the BluRay is no better, believe me, its a waste of money even at $10
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Dr. Chris Evil
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Post subject: [2012-06-26] Yes "Yessongs: 40th Anniversary Edition" (Blu-ray) Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:04 pm |
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Pure Evil Gold!!
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ranasakawa wrote: I had this on DVD for years, the BluRay is no better, believe me, its a waste of money even at $10 Did some research and the prevailing opinion is that the picture looks a little better, but the 5.1 "mix" is bogus -- that they just "upmixed" the original mono soundtrack to 5.1 DTS. Is the documentary any good?
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Dr. Chris Evil
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Post subject: [2012-06-26] Yes "Yessongs: 40th Anniversary Edition" (Blu-ray) Posted: Sat Jan 26, 2013 2:19 pm |
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Pure Evil Gold!!
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Joined: | 26 Jul 2006 |
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http://www.technologytell.com/hometech/ ... eak-sound/Love Hz: YesSongs on Blu-ray — Great Show, Weak Sound
by Mark Smotroff on June 26, 2012 at 10:21 am
Here is the TL;DR version of my review of the new reissue of Yes’ seminal live concert film YesSongs on Blu-ray Disc: A band of the stature of Yes deserves far better treatment than they’ve been getting over the years, especially on their archival releases. This import-only Blu-ray Disc reissue of their classic 1972 concert film from The Rainbow Theater in London — YesSongs — actually looks pretty good for its time, all things considered.
However, while the performances are stellar, the sound is fairly lame. Almost more than any of the other prog rock bands from the period, Yes was all about sonics and dynamics, none of which are to be found on this disc, at least in the “new” 5.1 mix. Someone somewhere responsible for this release should be embarrassed that it was released in this form. It sounds like they spread a limited-fidelity mono mix out around five speakers with some room ambiance in the rear channels. Thats it.
Now, onto the my full review.
I really had high hopes for this reissue, which I wrote about several of months ago upon learning of its pending release. Unfortunately, the release didn’t come out the way I’d anticipated given the hype of the press releases about “a stunning High-Definition picture and 5.1 surround sound restoration.”
Having YesSongs released on Blu-ray in this incarnation is a mixed blessing. I mean, it is wonderful that the movie exists at all, capturing the band virtually at the dawn of its ascent to superstardom in December 1972. The band is on fire and the concert footage is “stunning” at times, revealing intimate details most of us never get to see in a live concert setting, much less this early incarnation of the band at the relatively tiny Rainbow Theater in London. Closeups of Steve Howe’s incendiary–incendiary–guitar playing and Rick Wakeman’s cage of keyboards and early synthesizers are revelatory, as are the closeups of their clothes (Rick’s sparkling sequined cape, Chris’ glittery butterfly festooned jumpsuit, Jon’s painted boots–they were Starship Troopers, and lead singer Jon Anderson is almost the least flashy of the bunch!). The band hadn’t gotten to the point of laser light shows yet at this point; to create special effects, lights were aimed at a sort of flattened out disco ball thingie that spins up above the band on the back of the stage. They did have and use a smoke machine, however!
The picture is grainy at times and often dark–this is early concert stage lighting folks, not a new state-of-the-art Radiohead show. I am guessing it was done on 16 mm film given the grain levels. But still, it’s way better than any version I have seen over the years (in a cinema once, and on VHS).
So what’s the problem? Well, as guitarist Steve Howe explains in the fresh bonus interview, they kept the “live audio” intact on this release. So–while this is cool for authenticity, as it sounds pretty much like a 1972 concert hall might have sounded–despite a so-called “remix” with all the resolution and dynamics that DTS HD Master Audio has to offer, it is a pretty underwhelming sound. It’s downright weak in fact. My guess is they used the live sound feed capured on the film cameras, and not the multichannel master tape likely used for recording parts of the companion concert recordings on the like-titled 3 LP set Yessongs. While Yessongs on LP gets the nod for fidelity and for its tour de force energy, the sound on the Blu-ray Disc is positively anemic.
That this package was only released in the UK makes me wonder if someone somewhere in the great food chain of Yes’ marketing team looked and listened to the final product and felt it was not ready for the U.S. market. It has a pretty cover and printed picture label and four Roger Dean postcards, but no booklet or bonus discs with outtakes and such. There is a trailer, an interview section with Steve Howe, Roger Dean, and Chris Squire, as well as the original theatrical trailer (which itself is pretty weak as trailers go).
But the whole package feels half-baked, frankly, as if someone in finance said, “alright kids, we have run out of budget so lets get this puppy out the door and move on to the next thing.”
A band of Yes’ stature deserves better than this…
Consider that fans of this band are also likely fans of King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull, Rush, and ELP, all of which have issued high-quality surround sound experiences via reissues and archival releases.
Yes themselves have put put some stellar surround music discs and concerts (Fragile, Magnification, Symphonic Live, etc.). So, perhaps… perhaps… in my dreams there is a better incarnation brewing somewhere of YesSongs, for a subsequent domestic U.S. release, one with a true discreet surround mix made from multichannel soundboard recordings of the same show and properly synced to the film.
Yeah, this one is disappointing. Given the price, I am seriously considering returning it, yet I am a completist, so that side of me wants to hold onto it for the collection until something better comes along. You, Dear Reader, would certainly be best served waiting a while more until something better comes along! In the interim, if you are looking for good Yes on Blu-ray, get the Symphonic Live show or Live at Montreux 2003. While those are later incarnations of the band, the sound at least does the music justice.
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