Yes: Live at Montreux 2003

Thirty years after their commercial heyday the progressive supergroup Yes is arguably better than ever. Formed in 1968 by bassist Chris Squire and vocalist Jon Anderson, Yes began as an artsy rock band that combined psychedelic, classical, and pop elements into a jazzy hybrid style all their own. After the addition of guitar virtuoso Steve Howe and keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman, Yes coalesced into the progressive powerhouse that pushed the envelope in rock music to its limit with hits like Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise. The group continues to record to this day, but they arguably hit their peak in 1977 with the Going for the One album recorded in Montreux, Switzerland.

In 2003 the band returned to the Swiss Alps for their first ever appearance at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival. It was an auspicious homecoming, as Yes turned in a stellar performance captured on the DVD Yes: Live at Montreux 2003. Featuring the classic Yes line-up, this concert includes inspired version of radio classics like I've Seen All Good People, along with the newly recorded Magnification, an extended piece that harkens back to the Yes epics of yore.

Yes has always been associated with instrumental excellence. And the playing throughout this concert is scintillating. There are many highpoints, but the musical sparks are especially evident in the rarely performed South Side of the Sky, which features guitarist Steve Howe and keyboardist Rick Wakeman trading breathtaking riffs off the cuff. There's a musical telepathy at work here that has to be seen to be believed.

Jon Anderson has always possessed one of rock's most unique voices. And it truly is a wonder to hear him singing even better than he did thirty years ago. His heavily backtracked We Have Heaven is a crowd-pleasing treat; his Show Me is a showstopper.

Anchoring the rhythm section, of course, are bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone better than these two, as their interplay on the fan favorite The Fish demonstrates.