Search - Conspiracy: Live on DVD

Sherwood and Squire at their very best.

P. J. Scott | Melbourne Australia | 04/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD has been over two years in the making, having been filmed in April 2004.
But it was worth the wait!
Anyone familiar with the amazing Bass guitar skills Of Chris Squire from YES will know of his collaboration with one time YES member Billy Sherwood, who teamed up to make the 'Conspiracy'(2000) and 'Conspiracy-The Unknown'(2003)albums.
These contributions from Chris and Billy probably sit somewhere between progressive rock and a more mainstream feel.
This DVD displays songs from both albums, as well as a special treat with Mr. Squire's 'Hold Out Your Hand' and 'You By My Side' from his 1975 solo album 'Fish Out of Water.'
The visual appearance will attract criticism from some for the dimly lit stage set, which gives a grainy image at times; perhaps requiring the use of high speed film. A similar approach was used in the bonus interview material where there is candle-light illumination, combined with a narrow spot light on the face only. The person being interviewed is looking away from the camera at almost a 90 degree angle; and whilst I did find this mildly distracting, the content of the spoken words remained interesting enough to keep my attention.
The show opens with a blistering, foot stomping, performance of the song 'Conspiracy' which sets the tone for a show strong on the Bass sounds of Chris Squire with a masterful contribution from Billy Sherwood on lead guitars. In fact, one of my overwhelming impressions when watching Billy strut his stuff on lead guitars, was how under-rated he has been through much of his career. His place in YES saw him being subservient to Mr. Steve Howe. But after watching Billy's mastery of his guitar parts, I began to understand that he would likely be the equal of Mr. Howe. But that's another story.
Chris and Billy are joined on the set by Billy's brother Michael Sherwood and Scott Walton on keys, along with Jay Schellen on drums.
The setting is a dimly lit studio; and by the use of cleverly crafted camera angles, you the viewer are able to see all the finer work of the hands and fingers of these brilliant musicians at work.
After 57 minutes of very enjoyable, well crafted music and an appropriate finishing piece in 'Red Light Ahead' the show ends all too soon, leaving me wishing for an encore.
Whilst progressive rock appeals mainly to a select group of musical enthusiasts, this DVD has a sound which should please a wider ranging audience with its rock based influence and soothing, soulful vocal harmonies.
Still, all self respecting YES fans should give this one a go.
I thoroughly enjoy the show and will be watching it many times over. I am very grateful to have this one in my collection.
"

Live . . . in the studio

Rushead 2112-Hemispheres | Los Angeles, CA. | 07/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I love the most recent album by this group, but this DVD has a very low production value. Also, when I see the word LIVE printed on the cover of a DVD, I expect it to feature footage of a band performing live in front of an audience. This is a live performance in a studio with no audience, and it has a certain cheesey music video feeling to it. The video quality is very poor, with many areas containing video artifacts, due to the low bitrate video encoding. Only Dolby Digital 2.0 is available on this disc (also very low bit rate) why couldn't they provide an uncompressed PCM audio option? The performance value on this disc is very good and it is a shame that a poorly produced disc got in the way of it. If this DVD was included as a bonus disc with the CD, then it would have been a good value. If you are obsessive about Yes and have to have all their stuff like me, then I would still recommend this disc. Just don't set your expectations too high."

GOOD STUFF FOR CHRIS SQUIRE FANS

drew b | jacksonville, florida United States | 03/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you liked the yes albums The Ladder and Open Your Eyes and have an affinity for the Conspiracy project you will enjoy this DVD.
aLL FANS OF the FIsh out Of Water cd will be very pleased to see the first two songs done in sequence here. That is worth the price of admission alone. The Camera work is a little tedious but hey adjust and you will be rewarded."