Cheap Yes: Live in Philadelphia 1979 (DVD) Price

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Customer Reviews of Yes: Live in Philadelphia 1979

Great performance; audio and sound just OK
Just like Black Sabbath's "Never Say Die" 1978 concert DVD (also released recently by Sanctuary Records), this event was shot on videotape long before the digital age. At times, the image looks decent - I do have to question the letterboxed format, being that videotape cameras didn't have widescreen/Panavision lenses back in 1979 - while other times the band members appear a little out of focus. The camerman, also, don't seem to be as familiar with Yes' material as they should be while the cameras are running, and occasionally have a hard time showing band members' faces. Unfortunately, not all of this show is seen or heard - I'm sure the boys played much longer than the disc's 50-minute running time, as they no doubt were inspired by the lively crowd here. Yes fans also will think that the audio - while not quite as atrocious as some might have you think - sounds like a solid bootleg. Yes, there is Chris Squire's bass in the mix, and Jon Anderson's voice is up front, but the mix is muddy and echoey, as if the videocamera's microphones were used to record the sound. This will appall people only familiar with digital technology, while those of us who remember vinyl will take a somewhat more forgiving attitude.
On the plus side, there are some shots that look decent, such as Alan White's drum solo, and some close shots of Steve Howe ripping into his strings on his mammoth Gibson. I found this DVD at the super center for less than six buckaroos, and couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy it at that price, fully knowing that the quality (not the band's performance - they sound really good - would have loved to been at this show) wouldn't be the greatest. If you can find it at this cheap price, pick it up, but I wouldn't recommend people buy it at full retail price. Be sure and get the Sanctuary version that has a red and blue cover. (P.S. What's up with the June 2004 release date listing at the top of this page? Are they going to reissue this DVD again this summer? Please enlighten me someone.

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Narcissistic Circus
If you want a good laugh buy it. The production values are toilet, so bad that you cannot ascertain if it was a good performance or not, sounding like it was strained through the gates of hell. However, John Anderson's outfit including his girlie sandals and prancing around the center-round like pretty pretty princess is amusing but when Rick Wakeman whips out his Jumbo Key-tar, wow my son and I started howling until we cried.

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Terrific performance but poor DVD presentation
This is a very tough one to review. I cannot argue with the blurb on the box about this being Yes at their peak and with their greatest line-up of all time, but the sound and picture quality of this DVD are extremely disappointing. It really does look like a cheap bootleg done on cine film and with a mono cassette recorder. This is a great shame, as the group are clearly giving their all to delight the ecstatic crowd.

The highlights for me were the spirited rendition of Roundabout and the marvellous duel between Rick and Steve in the extended outro of Starship Trooper, which just about make this DVD worthwhile. The brutal truncation of The Ancient was very disappointing though. The commentary option is uninspired and will never get a second airing.

Get it, if you're a die-hard Yes fan, but get it on sale!