[2012-09-14] Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe "Live At The Birmingham N.E.C." 2 CD/1 DVD (Gonzo Multimedia)

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 25931

Sept. 14, 2012 - London, UK - Much to the excitement of progressive rock fans across the globe, UK's premier record label Gonzo MultiMedia has released a vintage concert by Yes legends Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe (ABWH) – Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe – Live At The Birmingham N.E.C. The concert held on October 24, 1989 in Birmingham, UK has been released in its entitrety in this deluxe edition 2-CD/DVD box set.

A concept conceived as a return to more traditional 'YES' sounding music, ABWH recorded their debut studio album in late 1988, with the intial tracks done in Paris before the ensemble relocated to Montserrat with producer Chris Kimsey to complete work on the songs. In support of their self-titled debut release on June 5, 1989, ABWH prepared a major world tour touted as “An Evening Of Yes Music Plus”. The tour started in the US in Memphis, TN in late July, and featured Tony Levin on bass, Milton McDonald (additional guitars), Julian Colbeck (additional keys) – Jeff Berlin was also featured on bass for several shows due to Tony Levin being ill. Now for the first time, Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe's live UK performance at the N.E.C. can be watched and heard! Also featured is a short film 'ABWH – Off The Wall' by Julian Colbeck.

Songs include:
Tracks:
Disc 1:
1. Time And A Word/Owner Of A Lonely Heart/Teakbois, 2. Clap, 3. Mood For A Day, 4. Wakeman Solo, 5. Long Distance Runaround/Drum Solo, 6. Birthright, 7. And You And I, 8. All Good People, 9. Close To The Edge

Disc 2: Audio Content:
1. Themes/Bruford-Levin Duet, 2. Brother Of Mine, 3. The Meeting, 4. Heart Of The Sunrise, 5. Order Of The Universe, 6. Roundabout, 7. Starship Trooper

Video Content: Abwh - Off The Wall - A short film by Julian Colbeck.

This wonderful box set is exclusively available from Gonzo MultiMedia and won't be distributed to any shops or on-line sites. Purchasing information:

http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/produc ... on_(3_Disc).html.

Added by Linda, courtesy of Rich K.'s info -- it's going into general release:

The 2-CD version is now listed at Amazon US as an import:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009CXQK32/?tag=imwan-20

as well as at Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009CXQK32/?tag=imwan-21

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

This is intriguing. I still have my vintage ABWH DVD from 1998 (a stereo-only flipper disc most likely sourced from a laserdisc master), but if the audio and video quality were really good, I might bite.

Invisible Pedestrian · **Joined:** 24 Sep 2006 **Posts:** 25931

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

This is intriguing. I still have my vintage ABWH DVD from 1998 (a stereo-only flipper disc most likely sourced from a laserdisc master), but if the audio and video quality were really good, I might bite.

The audio is awesome-they used some bonus tracks on the ABWH remaster from this show. I was blown away. Didn't know such a show had been recorded.
The big seller here for me is the incredible drum/Stick duet between Levin/Bruford. Looks like the DVD is just a throwaway though.

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Is the DVD region free or coded for the US?

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

http://somethingelsereviews.com/2012/09 ... 1989-2012/

September 14, 2012 at 7:47 am

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe – Live at the NEC, October 24, 1989 (2012)
by Nick DeRiso

A new three-disc CD/DVD set celebrates that strange period in which a band not called Yes, including most of the individuals credited with the Yes sound, put together an album and tour that sounded just like … well, Yes. Only, for contractual reasons, they ended up calling themselves Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe. It was a bit like having a car and renaming it “Steering Wheel, Transmission, Radials and Chassis.”

Live at the NEC, October 24, 1989, a newly released three-disc ABWH set available exclusively through Gonzo MultiMedia, makes easy work of establishing that this is, in all but name only, Yes playing Yes music for Yes fans.

The song list largely mimics the original 1993 concert film An Evening of Yes Music Plus, beginning with a series of solo features — including a medley of songs from Anderson in “Time and a Word,” “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “Teakbois”; solo turns by Howe (“Clap,” “Mood for a Day”) and Wakeman; and then a drum feature for Bruford after the band’s take on “Long Distance Runaround.”

Also repeated are ABWH renditions of legacy Yes items like “And You and I,” “Close to the Edge” (interesting, of course, because Bill Bruford left before the tour in support of that album commenced) and “Roundabout”; as well as the tracks “Birthright,” “Themes,” “Brother of Mine,” “The Meeting” and “Order of the Universe” from Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe’s underrated self-titled 1989 release.

New on Live at the NEC, October 24, 1989, however, is their explosive take on “I’ve Seen All Good People” on the first disc, and an intriguing redo of “Starship Trooper” on the second disc.

“All Good People,” after a lovely acapella opening, surges into a bold restatement of the original theme — with Wakeman’s churchy organ providing the launching pad. Howe’s serrated fills eventually give way to a more classically inspired turn from Wakeman, who’s overtaken in turn by an ever-more insistent Howe. Back and forth they rage, punching and counterpunching, in what quickly becomes one of the most thrilling moments to be found on Live at the NEC.

Still, I kept coming back to Tony Levin, filling in for co-founding bassist Chris Squire (who was still off leading a band actually called Yes) but oddly not part of the earlier An Evening of Yes Music Plus because the featured show happened on a night when Levin was ill. As he adds this muscular thump to the song’s charging middle section, I was reminded that Levin’s pairing with Bruford was always ABWH’s most intriguing calling card — the thing that set it apart from the many other incarnations of Yes. I’m not certain, really, that Levin presence alone doesn’t make Live at the NEC worth the price of admission.

The disc-closing “Starship Trooper,” with Wakeman’s dynamic synthesizers replacing Tony Kaye’s original gurgling organ runs, has a completely different texture. Howe’s role is different here, too. The original take from The Yes Album, which saw Howe’s debut with the band, was perhaps fittingly more guitar-oriented. Within Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe, the guitarist is part of a larger compendium of sounds. Anderson inserts “Soon” after the second movement of “Starship Trooper,” before bidding the crowd farewell and ceding the floor finally to Howe — who closes things out with his titanic riff from “Wurm.”

The third disc in Live at the NEC, October 24, 1989 is devoted to unedited home movies, taken backstage and during sound checks from ABWH’s second keyboardist Julian Colbeck.

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

This sounds interesting if the price ever goes down ($25).

CO kid · 05 Jan 2007

Geff R. wrote:

This sounds interesting if the price ever goes down ($25).

Your wish has come true - they're releasing just the CDs (2 CD set) November 5th for $20 (+ $3 shipping).
https://www.gonzomultimedia.com/product ... e_NEC.html

Tricky Kid · **Joined:** 23 Sep 2007 **Posts:** 8226

CO kid wrote:

Your wish has come true - they're releasing just the CDs (2 CD set) November 5th for $20 (+ $3 shipping).
https://www.gonzomultimedia.com/product ... e_NEC.html

Nice! I will pick this up eventually.

Dr. Chris Evil · 26 Jul 2006

Tony Levin is the bassist on this, right?

I might get it just for that reason alone.

Jeff Berlin, for some reason, doesn't work for me, especially the way he drones those notes on "Heart Of The Sunrise."

Geff R. · 27 Sep 2006

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

Tony Levin is the bassist on this, right?

I might get it just for that reason alone.

Jeff Berlin, for some reason, doesn't work for me, especially the way he drones those notes on "Heart Of The Sunrise."

Levin is awesome.

richman666 · 15 Nov 2006

Geff R. wrote:

Dr. Chris Evil wrote:

Tony Levin is the bassist on this, right?

I might get it just for that reason alone.

Jeff Berlin, for some reason, doesn't work for me, especially the way he drones those notes on "Heart Of The Sunrise."

Levin is awesome.

Jeff Berlin is an amazing bass player, but I agree that he didn't do as good a job on this material as Levin did. However, he was brought in on short notice and did an admirable job for the show that ended up on the original live album/video. I'm looking forward to hearing this version with Levin, which is the same lineup I saw at the Garden State Arts Center.

richman666 · 15 Nov 2006

The 2-CD version is now listed at Amazon US as an import:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009CXQK32/?tag=imwan-20

as well as at Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009CXQK32/?tag=imwan-21

Linda, feel free to move these to the first post for easy reference. I will definitely be ordering mine from one of the Amazons soon.

[2012-09-14] Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe "Live At The Birmingham N.E.C." 2 CD/1 DVD (Gonzo Multimedia)

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