Search - Yes :: Keys to Ascension

Amazing live album and great new tracks

Guy Campeau | Stoneham, Québec Canada | 03/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I think that both Keys (Vol 1 & 2) have the best live sound that I ever heard. Great classic in Vol. one like "Siberian Kathru", "Revealing science of God", "Awaken", "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper"

Powerful version of "America" with a top performance of Steve Howe on guitar. "Onward" is beautiful and a lot better that the original.

The two new track (thirty minutes of new music) is also very well done.

A jewel in my cd collection."

That That Is

David J. Eivers | Dallas | 06/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A fantastic Cd for a Yes fan. The 5 stars are mainly for That That Is though. I don't get some of the reviews for this song. Classic Yes has always been about long form songs. I played this song for a few musician friends of mine a few years ago and they were plainly blowed away by the Steve Howe extended jam near the end. These guys are in a new Metal band and never really listened to Yes. After I played this for them they wanted to hear some other stuff by Yes so I played Tormato for them. I think I ruined a perfectly good metal band that day? Oh well"

Yes - Great Live Stuff, Ok Studio Material

Steven Sly | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 08/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"After "Talk" in 1994 Trevor Rabin and Tony Kaye left the band. After two years of no Yes music what many Yes fans consider to be the classic lineup of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman, and Alan White got back together for the first time since the "Tormato" album in 1978. The band did a series of special shows in California that were recorded for a live album and video. Along with the live stuff they recorded two new studio tracks "Be The One" and "That, That Is" clocking in a 9:50 and 19:14 minutes respectively and represented basically an EP's worth of new material. The result was the two disc "Keys To Ascension I" album. Disc one is all live and disc two has two live tracks and the two new studio recordings. The live stuff here is great. The band play with vitality and vigor not heard since the "Yessongs" live album from back in the early 70's. The set includes some great songs too including "Awaken", "Onward", and "Siberian Khatru". Even the old war-horses "Roundabout" and "Starship Trooper" sound fresh and exiting. The two new studio tracks are both good, but not classic. I think I like the shorter one "Be The One" the best. The long 20 minute epic "That, That Is" seems to be long just for the sake of being long, but it is still good. This album seems to be out of print and even difficult to find used. Too bad because it is certainly worth owning."