Search - Yes 9012 Live on DVD

This DVD is redeemed by the Director's Cut

moviemusicbuff | Walnut, CA United States | 07/11/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am a casual Yes fan and I really enjoyed the live performances of 90125 (one of my favorite Yes albums on audio CD) which marked a great revival for the band during the mid-80's. Although some Yes purists prefer Steve Howe to Trevor Rabin, I really liked Rabin -- he shows a lot more enthusiasm & enjoyment in his guitar playing than Howe and he plays all the older Yes numbers with great skill. When Howe plays, he seems very morose and he rarely ever smiles, even though he is a great musician.

I really liked the "Director's Cut" because it features the entire live concert performance without the annoying visual effects, which really disrupted the flow with its nonsensical imagery of the 50's family in the living room and the other weird effects. My favorite songs that were performed on this DVD are the 90125 numbers, "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "It Can Happen," "Changes," and "Leave It". Trevor Rabin also does a commendable job on the Steve Howe Yes songs "Roundabout" (which he plays on electric guitar), "I've Seen All Good People" (which is done on a faster tempo than Howe's version) and "Starship Trooper". I wished the band could have played more classic Yes pieces.

The bonus features include an interesting interview with the band members and the song "Roundabout". It is interesting that this DVD was made by Steven Soderbergh before his work on the big screen. I deleted one star for this DVD because of the annoying visual effects which marred the feature film, and the mediocre sound quality of the DVD. However, this is the only live performance of Yes during the Rabin era, and the 90125 numbers bring back good memories of the past.

If you like the Trevor Rabin era of Yes, you'd really enjoy this DVD. Watch the Director's cut.
"

Oh YES! a Brilliant DVD at last.

P. J. Scott | Melbourne Australia | 04/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Unlike most of the reviews here.....I have actually seen this DVD and can comment with an informed view!
This show rocks!
First, there is a small paragraph in the credits that mentions the fact that the original masters for this concert had been lost and much time and effort was placed in reworking the sound.
Well, indeed they have, and perfectly; as the 5.1 sound is absolutely fantastic! The picture is clear and sharp. And best of all, - the viewer can watch the 'non charlex' version with the push of the DVD remote button.
Incidently, the very dated 'charlex' effects which were the result of Steven Soderburg's authorship have been labelled by many as the low point of the original video. To actually have the option of removing those dated, black-and-white and colourised movie clips from an otherwise outstanding concert is a god-send. In actual fact, the viewer is subsequently able to see even more camera angles and shots than were available even when the charlex features weren't running.
Like many, for some years, I had to make do with that horrible Brazillian DVD which had both mono sound and a lousy, fuzzy picture. This release has been like a breath of fresh air and has given me a greater appreciation of this particular part in YES history. Some folk have never warmed to YES-West. Too bad! They have missed some brilliant, high energy and furious tempo playing. This DVD brings out the raw impact of a special group of musicians, set amongst the popularity of the world stage for the first time.
Extras include 'Roundabout' performed on the same night and for whatever reason, left off the original video. Also included are interviews and behind-the-scenes views of the men whilst back-stage and in transit between venues. Again, this is a look at a part of YES history and is worth it to see them again, as they were in 1984.
My only complaint would be that this DVD wasn't released in such high quality, many years ago.
However, it was worth the wait!
When you purchase this DVD, (as you should) you won't bother with the old video and charlex effects. You'll be like me and opt for the full concert and enjoy the clear view; time after time."

Great moments from Rabin-Era YES

Jeff Barnaby | Richmond, Virginia | 08/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have to admit a couple of things first. I am probably one of six or seven YES fans who appreciate both Trevor Rabin and Steve Howe as YES guitarists. This is primarily because my introduction to YES was backwards compared to most. As a guitarist myself, I became familiar with YES during the hey day of MTV when this video was originally released. At the time I thought this was the most incredible music ever produced and Trevor Rabin became an instant guitar hero. Over the years I became familiar with the Classic YES lineup and I will now confess that I do sort of understand the disapproval of the Howe fans. Still I defend Trevor Rabin because he did not set out to join YES and replace Steve Howe. He joined up with Chris Squire and Alan White when is appeared YES was NO more -- a regular event in YES's impressive history. When Tony Kaye and Jon Anderson joined up the band became a new incarnation of YES, and different or not, they did stay around until the mid 90's and produced some pretty good stuff of their own along the way. And since they kept throwing in new versions of Classic YES standards, they managed to introduce a whole new generation to the vintage material.

So trying to put my personal feelings aside, this DVD holds up pretty well on its own. While not as crisp as the newer YES shows, the video is still clean and the audio is not bad. There seems to be a lot of people out there really liking the straight concert footage without the graphics. To me one's just as good as the other. I think I prefer the graphics left in. After all, this was a 1984 concert/movie made back when, as that new song out there says, when there were videos on MTV, so there is nothing wrong with it looking "so 80's."

The concert is a bit on the short side, especially for a YES concert which can typically run for well over 2 hours. When this DVD was delayed so many times I was hoping that they were going to add the instrument solo footage from the "9012-LIVE The Solos" album that was released in 1984. I think that the songs from 90125 come off between pretty well and excellent, except for Leave It. An earlier reviewer observed that it consists mostly of tracks from the album and that is correct. Makes for a C- concert song. Still with all the overdubbing they did on the original song, what else could they have done?

"Hold On", "Changes", "All Good People", and "Owner of a Lonely Heart" are probably the best songs of the show. "City of Love" works pretty well. "It Can Happen" is OK, but sounds a little off in a few places. Again, "Leave It" is mostly tracked. "Cinema" gets things off in the beginning and its a pretty good start. Sadly, "Starship Trooper" at the end is probably the weakest songs. It starts off sounding OK but frequently sounds hollow in places. While I have always loved Trevor as a guitarist it seems that he is struggling with covering some of Howe's parts. The solo at the end is way too cluttered and over the top. I much preferred his playing on "All Good People" where, even though he took some liberties, he contained himself within the song and stayed true to its spirit.

Finally, the extras -- Quite good and plenty of them. I very much enjoyed the before and after backstage moments. Gives one a true since of life out there on the road. The band member interview were great although they left me a feeling a bit odd. All the band members then are younger that I am now -- but when I saw this film they were considered to be an "older band", ahh!! The cut of Roundabout is not all that great and answers all questions regarding why it was left off of the final version of the film.

So the final vote -- 4 out of 5 stars. Good clean cut from the 80's, several well done cuts (although they really should have included the solos), and some great memories from the better MTV years."

Return with us now to those bygone days of big hair.....

H. Goodman | Hopewell, NJ USA | 04/19/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The folks at Image Entertainment and the Yes organization did a very nice job on this long-awaited DVD. "9012Live" is definitely a memento of the 80's, as the music, stage clothes and special effects prove. I must admit that I always enjoyed the Trevor Rabin-era Yes line-up, as well as the (now dated) Charlex effects employed by director Stephen Soderbergh. But I have read on various Yes websites and publications that many fans had been hoping for a "Charlex-free" print of the film. It's nice to know that the powers-that-be actually listened to the fans and included an effects-free director's cut of the film in addition to the original, giving the viewer a choice.

The other extras included here are a backstage documentary entitled "Access All Areas", and a half-hour's worth of period interviews with the band members. These segments are especially interesting when viewed in the context of the band's history, both before and after this period in their career. Also, "Roundabout", which was filmed but never included in the finished product, is here as an added bonus. Overall, the picture is crisp and vivid...a marked improvement over the Brazilian disc issued some years back.

My one complaint, and the reason I'm only giving it four stars, is with the audio choices. I'm one of those fossils who haven't yet acquired a 5.1 surround system. On virtually all of the other Yes DVD's (the exception being "Philadelphia 1979"), one may choose between 5.1 surround or a (usually) pretty good stereo mix. Interestingly, the audio options offered on the on-screen menu of this DVD are 5.1 surround or Dolby 2.0. However, on the DVD case (in very tiny letters on the back) are the choices - surround 5.1 or mono 1.0. If the technology exists for a good 5.1 mix to be extracted from the stereo masters, I have to believe that a good stereo remix could have easily been created for this disc. Listening through headphones or speakers, the "Dolby 2.0" option is very obviously mono.

Other than that gripe, I'd have to say that this is a disc worth owning whether you are a long-time Yes fanatic, or a casual fan. It is an interesting document of a time when Yes became more of a "pop" band than a "prog" band, and pulled it off with great aplomb."