Yesshows

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Yesshows is the second live album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was released by Atlantic Records in the United States on 24 November 1980 and in the United Kingdom on 19 December 1980, and it turned out to be the last Yes release before the group split early in 1981. The album gathers performances from five concerts on their 1976, 1977, and 1978 tours in North America and Europe, with mixing done by bassist Chris Squire. It was later remastered and expanded in 2009 by Isao Kikuchi for Warner Music Japan’s SHM-CD Papersleeve edition.

Background: In 1979, after finishing the 1978–79 tour supporting Tormato, Atlantic asked Yes to make a live album as a follow-up to Yessongs. Squire selected hours of concert tapes and did the initial mixing at Sun Park Studios. Roger Dean was commissioned for the artwork. A Christmas 1979 release was planned but shelved after disagreements over Squire’s picks and edits. Guitarist Steve Howe objected to some production edits, and the band wanted to refine the recordings and perhaps expand to a triple album. By 1980 the lineup had changed, with Anderson and Wakeman leaving and Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes joining. The band recorded Drama (1980) and toured from August to December 1980. Atlantic ultimately used Squire’s selected performances for Yesshows, with mastering at Strawberry Mastering.

Content: Yesshows features seven tracks from five shows. “The Gates of Delirium” and “Ritual” come from 17 August 1976 in Detroit during the North American tour with Patrick Moraz on keyboards. “Parallels,” “Going for the One,” and “Wonderous Stories” were recorded on 24 November 1977 in Rotterdam. “Time and a Word” and “Don’t Kill the Whale” come from Wembley Arena in London during the Tormato tour, the latter recorded by the BBC for a live radio broadcast on 28 October 1978.

Chart performance and reception: In the United States, Yesshows peaked at No. 43 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 12 weeks. In the United Kingdom, it entered the Albums Chart at No. 29 and rose to a peak of No. 22, remaining for a total of about five weeks. Opinions among the band were mixed. Wakeman, Anderson, and Howe were not enthusiastic about the final release, while White, Squire, and Moraz were more favorable. Contemporary reviews varied, with some praising the standout live moments like “Gates of Delirium” and “Ritual,” while others felt opportunities were missed to include more classic material.