(RockAndMetal.com) (01/05/04)

By Michael Bennett

LONDON, UK - "Yesspeak," a documentary on pioneering progressive rock act YES, will be released January 27th on DVD via Classic Pictures, according to Billboard.

The three-hour exploration of the group, narrated by Who singer Roger Daltrey and spanning two discs, was release in Europe in November.

Directed by Robert Garofalo, "Yesspeak" features 150 minutes of concert footage in Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Stereo filmed during Yes' 2003 European tour.

Interviews and spotlights on each "classic line-up" band members Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Chris Squire (bass) and Alan White (drums), allow the Yes story to be told first-hand.

Garofalo, who has directed titles for Procol Harum, Wakeman as a solo artist and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, says Yes offered some unique challenges.

"The other projects were mainly live concerts," he recently told Billboard.

"This one is taking it one step further. The actual program is the behind-the-scenes of the live concert.

You do get quite a lot of the music, but you also get insight into the band.

"I went to great pains to make sure this film is an equal contribution from five different members, as opposed to an outlook on Yes," he said.

"It gives insight into each one's feelings, how they get along, differences in the past and how they jell together as one unit."

"It's how the band works, because they are five completely different personalities."

A free poster for the DVD designed by Roger Dean, who created the Yes logo and several of the band's classic album covers, is available from yesposters.com.

In other news, Rhino -- which last year released the comprehensive "Yes: In a Word" box set -- is planning to issue "The Ultimate Yes-35th Anniversary Collection" in the U.S. early in the new year.

Released in July by Warner Strategic Marketing U.K., the two-CD set bowed at No. 10 on the U.K. album chart.

The U.S. version will boast a five-song bonus disc that will include the brand new song 'Show Me.'

The disc will be rounded out by acoustic re-recordings of 'Roundabout' and 'South Side Of The Sky,' Howe's solo 'Australia' and Squire's interpretation of Antonin Dvorak's 'New World Symphony.'

Yes plans to kick off a North American arena tour in April, dates for which have not yet been announced.

The run will be followed by a European trek that will get underway June 2nd in Helsinki, Finland.

Copyright 2003-2010 Internet Music Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

---

[ Top ]