I should start by saying that i saw Yes at the Palace Theater in Louisville on the Open Your Eyes tour (before OYE was even out - my first non-Rabin Yes concert), and it was the most amazing concert of any kind i had ever attended. When they played "The Revealing Science of God," i thought, yes, i must have waited all my life for this moment! What a beautiful hall, and what a beautiful memory is that show. I know a fellow Yeshead who was also at that show, and is reluctant to see them again, for fear that they can never match that performance. It was absolutely magical. In the intervening time, i've seen Yes twice - and while each was memorable and joyous in its own right, neither can be said to "top" that Palace show.

But this Masterworks tour is a different animal entirely, isn't it? Because so many of us have been waiting so long for the opportunity to hear more than one epic piece on the same night. And having seen them three times with the "new" line-up, i knew (or thought i knew) what to expect from this "newest," Billy-less one. While Billy Sherwood had his moments, i was kind of glad to learn he wouldn't be on this tour. He just never seemed enthusiastic about the older material; no matter what he said, his passion was reserved for the Rabin-era stuff - which, i'm sorry, is just backwards. Mainly he was a distraction in concert: my wife and i had to spend too much time looking at him, trying to figure out just what it was he was supposed to be doing. So - sorry, Billy, i don't miss you. Igor Khoroshev, on the other hand, is an absolute godsend, the genuine article. His technical ability is without question. But most important he brings an excitement to Yes keyboards that has been missing for many years: he loves the material, is genuinely thrilled to be playing with Yes, and puts everything he has into the performance. Listening to live recordings from ABWH up through Keys, the biggest impression i got was that Wakeman just didn't want to be there. But Igor has all of Wakeman's prowess, plus a love of the material. The combination is amazing.

So what of the concert itself?

Igor was spot-on all night. Absolutely brilliant. And quite the showman, too, frequently throwing his head back to look up to the heavens and making a sort of salute/tip of the invisible hat whenever he played something particularly clever. By way of contrast, the showmanship that others attribute to Chris Squire, i would call "showoffmanship." Aside from being the most inventive rock-type bassist, bar none, onstage he's just a big lovable lunkhead in constant need of adulation. Lookit me, i can stand on one foot! Lookit me, i can hold up my guitar! (Which, by the way, was just the beautiful Rickenbacker all night.) But his playing was superb throughout, and his voice - when he could remember the words - sounded better than it had during the last two tours. Steve was back in his prime, too, with strong, fluid solos, and a look of utter concentration. He would frequently look up toward the audience and sort of squint - i couldn't decide whether he was making sure we had heard that last cool bit he'd played, or he was admonishing the front-of-house sound guys to correct some sonic glitch only he could hear. Otherwise he stared at the guitar and did his sort of trademarked head-bob. One day his neck's just gonna snap, i know it. What do you say about Alan? He was flawless and didn't draw attention to himself. Jon was angelic, strong of voice and just glowed. Didn't move around the stage nearly as much as last year: he had a small riser with his little percussion area and a mic stand, and he would shuffle back and forth between the two, ceding the entire apron to Steve and (mostly) Chris. But what about the songs?

Opening with "Close to the Edge" was brilliant. It remains, to my mind, their finest single piece, and its dynamic really made for a captivating start. Such a bold statement: yes, here we are - now shut up and hear the Total Mass Retain. And they nailed it. Absolutely spot-on, but not just technically: the energy each man put out made for an almost overwhelming surge from the stage. For the first time in a long time (but not for the last time that night), during the organ interlude, i thought i would cry. Just break down and bawl like a baby. Jon and Igor slew me.

On the last couple of tours, Jon has taken to singing little bits between songs. Just a quiet, almost off-hand little thing to pass the time while Steve changed guitars and everybody took a swig of water. I always found it very sweet, and so much better than any canned between-song-banter. No "HELLO, NASHVILLE!!!" for Jon. This night he simply spoke, almost recited, a verse from "Starship Trooper" before they launched into it. That is, until he forgot the words. It was so cool to see Jon with that "just a moment, it'll come to me" look on his face, then look into the audience for help. He still got a word wrong (substituting "young sons and daughters" for the "proud" ones), but nobody minded, especially when he stuck with the new wording throughout the song. What a trooper, what a man. Again the organ parts stood out: Igor really has the touch, and knows it. Also of special note was "Würm" at the end, which got stretched considerably. Right about where you figure the song's gonna end, Chris goes into a couple minutes' bass solo, followed by a couple more minutes of guitar solo. It was fun to see Chris and Steve almost competing to see who could show off more - at one point Steve even put his foot up on the monitor like a regular rock n' roll guitar god. He was really feeling his oats, and well he should. He seems to be getting so frail, though. I worry that it won't be long before that big ES175 will have to go on a stand instead of on a strap around his neck.

Now, a lot of people have been crowing about how great "The Gates of Delirium" would be in concert, but i was not among them. It just never really did it for me on the album. Sure, the intro's nice, and the battle sequence is appropriately chaotic, but for my money, "Sound Chaser" was always the better piece from Relayer. But they really made the piece come alive in the amphitheater, with Igor at the heart, making short work (and full-fledged art) of Patrick Moraz' truly wild synth and organ parts. (Though no one can ever replace Patrick's sideburns...) I was spellbound, and even my wife ("It's 22 minutes!?!") had to admit she was impressed.

I missed nearly every scrap of "Leaves of Green" thanks to the Sam Adams i had just before the show. I can say that it was just Steve on acoustic and Jon, and that it was cool to see them meet midstage at the end, shake hands and thank each other. Very English, very sweet.

And O! then came "Heart of the Sunrise"! I don't care what anybody says, they can play this number every night, for as long as Igor remains with them. Such a powerful and beautiful piece, but only when the guy on keyboards is willing to play the organ. I read once where Igor said that you have to play the organ from the elbows - and while i won't claim to know exactly what he means, one can easily get the idea by comparing his moving performance to Rick Wakeman's look-how-fast-I-can-move-my-fingers approach. How can the wind with its arms all around me?...

"Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soliel" is the other piece everyone was looking forward to but me. I won't claim any real familiarity with Topographic Oceans: i've got "Ritual" on the box set, and i've been lifted up by "The Revealing Science of God" live, but that's it. And "Ritual" just kind of lays there when i play the CD, so going in i said i would've preferred "RSoG." But what a sweet and lovely piece it proved to be in concert! I just wasn't prepared. A lot has been said about the percussion, but i guess i wasn't paying attention, because i thought it was going to be in the battle sequence of "GoD." Makes sense, i thought, it'll really hammer home the point. I was, of course, wrong, because the drums come near the end of "Ritual" and make such a noise of exultation and JOY... Anyone in the amphitheater who wasn't absolutely transfixed, must've been passed out. There are no words, our language simply is not equipped to describe this. Make no mistake, Jon, we love when you play, too.

So now comes the sticky part. 'Cause now they go into "I've Seen All Good People," which just doesn't fit, i'm sorry. It's not only been played to death, but it also lacks the scope, scale and artistry of the remainder of the show. The only reason i can find for it's being appended to the setlist (along with the "Roundabout" encore) is that it gives everyone, band and audience alike, a chance to wind down from the physically emotional high of the preceding 90 minutes. You couldn't just go home after "Ritual": you're just too raw, too dumbstruck. So they tacked two pieces onto the end which are familiar and easy to digest, so you go home satisfied, but not still overwhelmed. And they're fine songs, so there's nothing really to complain about. Except that Jon, playing the rhythm acoustic, sped up "Your Move" inexplicably to nearly double-time. Otherwise, nothing particularly earthshaking.

They left the stage, and there was much clapping. There were also whistling, cheering, hooting, and the screaming of requests. They returned and played "Roundabout," performance of which was noteworthy for two reasons only. Firstly, there were absolutely no technical problems with the acoustic bits - because while they've played the piece at every show i've attended (yes, even with Rabin, and don't get me started), this is the first time there hasn't been copious feedback (except the time on the Ladder tour when he just skipped it entirely). Secondly, again, Igor's breathtaking organ parts. The man is simply a wizard, bringing new life to seemingly dead material, simply by loving and serving all the things that Wakeman couldn't be bothered to. Thank GOD and Gorbachev for perestroika!

All in all, an experience both musical and spiritual - reminding of the majesty of our Maker in ways Amy Grant never could. What would i have changed? Not much. I would've liked to hear "South Side of the Sky" in the only forum that would've allowed it. I might've substituted, say, "A Venture" for "Leaves of Green." I would've dropped "I've Seen All Good People" entirely. Am i complaining? Hell no. I wish i could've been there every night of this tour. I feel renewed, somehow transformed by the grandeur and beauty of this performance. And worn completely out.

Thank you, Yes. Together, you are so much more than Jon, Steve, Igor, Chris and Alan - and i love you all.