Yes House of Yes

After 30 years as Yes frontman and vocalist, Jon Anderson leads in fine form. His mellow enthusiasm is genuine, and this 15-song set (recorded at the Las Vegas House of Blues club) catches the band on a very good night. Squire is a playful match to Howe's reliable precision, and the best of the new songs (particularly "Homeworld" [The Ladder]) are almost as good as the classics. And while the Bob Marley tribute song "The Messenger" is best forgotten, few could deny that Yes has indeed retained its vitality after all these years. In addition to interviews with all the band members (except White), impressive extra features on the DVD include a Dolby 5.1 version of the "Homeworld" album track, accompanied by computer-animated excerpts from the "Homeworld" CD-ROM game, and an HTML version of the Yesworld Web site. A conspicuous effort to attract a new generation of cyber-savvy fans? Perhaps, but if this terrific DVD is any indication, Yes needn't worry about passing into obscurity. --Jeff Shannon

Yours Is No Disgrace
Time and a Word
Homeworld (The Ladder)
Perpetual Change
Lightning Strikes
The Messenger
Ritual-Nous Sommes du Soleil
And You and I
It Will Be a Good Day (The River)
Face to Face
Awaken
Your Move/I've Seen All Good People
Cinema
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Roundabout

Some thirty years into what has turned out to be a groundbreaking and chart-topping career, Yes went into the studio with legendary producer Bruce Fairbairn and emerged with a masterpiece -- their strongest and most cohesive studio album in two decades, The Ladder. With their new album propelling them forward, the band took to the road to do one of the things they do best: perform their music live. At the turn of the millennium, Yes returned to its roots, performing at intimate House of Blues clubs across America. The Ladder Tour was a rebirth for this legendary band and a return to form. An extraordinary performance at the House of Blues, Las Vegas created a unique television broadcast of a live concert. Captured here in exquisite 5.1 Digital Audio sound are blistering performances of such Yes classics as "Awaken," "Roundabout," "I've Seen All Good People," and "Owner of a Lonely Heart," along with future classics "Homeworld (The Ladder)" and "Lightning Strikes."

This DVD documents a period in the evolution of Yes that at once connects modern Yes music with its roots, its heritage with the future, and charts a course into the 21st century.