YES / Tokyo 2003 2nd Night / 2CDR

Thirty years after the legendary first visit to Japan, YES in 2003, when the “five golden people” made their final visit to Japan. Introducing the first original recording that conveys the scene.
It was “September 15, 2003: Tokyo International Forum Performance” that was imbued with this work. This is an audience recording recorded when I came to Japan on the “FULL CIRCLE Tour”. YES has visited Japan a total of 12 times (including ABWH and YES feat. ARW of the branch family), and among them, “Golden 5 people (Anderson / Squire / Wakeman / How / White)” It was only my first visit to Japan in 1973 and 2003. First of all, let’s look back on the schedule of such a memorial visit to Japan and confirm the position of the show.

・ September 12: Osaka Welfare Pension Hall
・ September 14: Tokyo International Forum
・ September 15: Tokyo International Forum ← ★ This work ★
・ September 16: Kanagawa Kenmin Hall

Above, all 4 performances. Except for the Osaka Welfare Pension Hall, which was also the stage for my first visit to Japan, everything was in the Kanto area, and this work was a concert that was the middle of the day. This work recorded at such a show is a beautiful audience recording with a rich and lustrous sound. It is the first appearance recording handed over from the recording person himself, but the recording person is a person who has been producing masterpieces recently. The 90’s recordings of VAN HALEN and Ozzy Osbourne are popular, but YES fans will be familiar with “SHIBUYA 1998 2ND NIGHT (Amity 634)”. Since this work is also recorded on the second floor, you can not expect a sound board-like close contact, but it can clearly capture from the deep bass that vibrates the floor of the venue to the high tone that extends well, and the core that penetrates straight even in the thick sound. Glitters down. And no matter how powerful the bass is, it doesn’t chatter at all, and the treble peaks are not distorted at all. It is a beautiful recording that is wrapped in the symphonic feeling of pouring and the warmth of the melody.
The sound is drawn with YES songs played by “the five people”. Speaking of “FULL CIRCLE Tour”, the official work “LIVE AT MONTREUX 2003” is the latest (two months before this work), so let’s organize the set while comparing.

● 70’s Classics
・ Fragile: South Side Of The Sky / Heart Of The Sunrise / Long Distance Runaround / Roundabout
・ Crisis: Siberian Khatru / And You And I
・ Ultimate: Awaken
・ Tormato: Don’t Kill The Whale
● After the 1980s
・ Lonely Heart: Owner Of A Lonely Heart (★)
・ Magnification: Magnification / In The Presence Of
・ Ultimate Yes: Show Me
● Other
・ Howe’s solo time: To Be Over / Clap
・ Others: Tulip (★) / We Have Heaven / Whitefish
* Note: The “★” mark is a song that cannot be heard in the official work “LIVE AT MONTREUX 2003”.

… And it looks like this. Because of this time, the “MAGNIFICATION” number and “Show Me” recorded on the best compilation album are also fresh, and that is the revival of “South Side Of The Sky” since the 1970s and the first debut in the 21st century. We Have Heaven “and so on. The repertoire, which was a big topic at the time, jumped out one after another, making it an unprecedentedly fun show.
And speaking of topics, John’s favorite nursery rhyme series “Tulip” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart”. Now I’m used to playing Steve Howe alone, but at the time I was surprised that “I didn’t have Trevor or Billy …”. In fact, it is the live performance since “SYMPHONIC LIVE” for themselves, and the laughter and surprised laughter (of course, it is not a fool, but a voice of joy that is unexpectedly leaked) is recorded in this work. It has been done.
After this, after twists and turns, John Anderson and Rick Wakeman left YES, and Chris Squire also died in 2015. The “five golden people” are no longer available forever. However, even though it was twice in 30 years, “the five people” came to Japan. This work is a live album that can be present at such a valuable site. One of the world’s first appearances that has appeared more than 18 years since the show. Please enjoy it carefully.

★ The first performance of “Golden Five” in Japan since 1973. This is the first appearance audience recording of “September 15, 2003: Tokyo International Forum”. This is the original master of this work, which was handed over from the recorder himself, and is a beautiful recording with a sparkling core that penetrates straight even in a thick sound. John’s “Tulip” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” that can not be heard in the “MAGNIFICATION” number, “Show Me”, “We Have Heaven / South Side Of The Sky”, and the official work “LIVE AT MONTREUX 2003” unique to this period It is a treasure board where you can fully experience the memorial site.