DVD Review: House of Yes - Live from the House of Blues

Years ago, I remember going through a phase where I was getting into a bunch of older bands. Acts like Boston, Journey, Styx, Rush, among others, including, of course, Yes. They had a few songs that I liked. I really liked the progressive orchestrations that Yes had, the influence they had on a favorite band of mine, Dream Theater. So when I saw this disk getting re-released, I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit them. The result is a mixed bag.

As I watched the concert, I thought it was technically shot and recorded very well, but there were elements that really got under my skin. My biggest problem is with Jon Anderson. It's nothing personal, it's just that his voice was driving me up a wall. It has this high pitched timbre, even when he is just speaking that just got under my skin and drove me nuts. Technically his voice is still good, considering how long he has been at this gig. I apologize to you diehard Yes fans, but I realized that I did not like them as much as I thought I did. Plus that outfit, that white flowing thing, I don't know what to say, I just didn't like it.

I guess I should talk about what I did like, because they do outweigh the downsides. Musically, the band is as tight as ever. The orchestrations are complex and they all combine to create a wonderful tapestry of sound. The one that really stood out to me was Steve Howe, his guitar playing is absolutely mesmerizing, it was just so smooth and it was just great watching him work. The rest of the band was excellent as well. I really liked the music, I wouldn't have minded listening to it all as instrumental, just drop Anderson out of the mix. Maybe it was just this how that he sounded like this, but it brought down the rest of the band just a notch.

Next is the setting. The House of Blues clubs are small intimate venues that get the band close to the fans, always a great idea. Watching the disk, I was reminded of the club that I frequent for concerts, a small venue which allows for more fan/band interaction. The stage setup looked to try to recreate a 1960's feel, bringing the band back to their roots. This intimate setting brought more intensity and fun to the performance. Small venues, in my opinion, are the ideal place to see concerts rather than the impersonal stadium tours that the most popular acts tend to frequent.

Video. The show is presented in a ratio of 1.33:1. It looks very good, it looks as if it was shot on video. It was edited together smoothly giving all of the band members there screen time, without cutting too quickly. A very nice looking overall disk.

Audio. The audio is presented in two flavors, Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0. Both tracks sound very good. It is mixed well so each instrument can be picked out and heard, yet nothing is overpowering the mix. Very nice.

Extras. In addition to the nearly two hour concert, we are given a few extras.
-Virtual Tourbook. Essentially a collection of photos from the tour.
-Homeworld video. A video featuring footage of the PC game of the same name, mixed in 5.1.
-The Making of the Ladder. A collection of interviews on the making of the studio album The Ladder.

Bottomline. This is a must for Yes fans, an excellent performance in an intimate venue. For those on the fence, it may be worth checking out as well. The interviews are interesting. The concert is shot well, and musically very good.

Recommended.