Yes: Keys to Ascension (1996 Video) User Reviews

The rebirth!

[1930s_Time_Machine · 9/10 · 9 February 2024]

For YES fans, a miracle happened in 1996 - the original YES got back together again and performed not just their original music but new music in that same classic style. The Trevor Rabin era was great but hearing and seeing this again after so many years was one of the musical highlights of our lives.

It wasn't quite impromptu but maybe because it all happened so fast that they didn't have time to get this video professionally produced. For the most part it's pretty good but whoever Steve Mitchel was he sure liked his special effects app on his iPhone - it might have looked clever in 1996 (although I doubt it) but the constant silly superimpositions of clouds, trees, smoke and bits of album covers look so tacky and 'new agey'

The sound quality is excellent as is the filming of the show, it's just the editing of that superb photography and daft messing around with the effects which makes it look a bit like a school project from someone who was really into Enya. It doesn't ruin the experience, it's still a great snapshot (albeit on a box brownie) of a great event which also features maybe the best version of STARSHIP TROOPER?

You can watch this a hundred times and it will still be magic.

THE CLASSIC LINE-UP WITH CLASSIC SONGS

[[e-mail] · 9/10 · 25 November 2004]

Back in 1996, after the so called 80's line-up split up, the so called classic 70's line-up of Yes, the greatest progressive rock band there ever was and still is, gave 3 concerts in San Luis Obiso. All ready after that things fell apart again due to keyboardist Rick Wakeman being reluctant to do any touring at that point in time.

However the DVD itself is a great capture of those 3 nights. In all honesty there has been some work done in the studio, for example singer Anderson did not remember all the words to epic "Revealing Science of God" and if you look carefully you see his lips singing something else, then what you hear coming from your boxes. But as said, it is still a great capture of classic Yes and all that it stands/stood for: long, well written and structured complex songs played by a highly talented bunch of musicians, who are the best in their fields.

Only minor point is that all though released in 2001, it isn't in DTS sound, "just" Dolby 5.1 (I'm a whiner, am I not..LOL).

But musicians and kids nowadays could learn a whole lot from this DVD about what "real" music is and what "real" musicians are.

All in all, a highly enjoyable DVD!!!

Classic Yes

[jimvandemoter-50236 · 7/10 · 21 May 2019]

Musically fantastic, but some visuals didn't match what was being played, mostly Steve Howe's guitar and Rick Wakeman's keyboard fingerings. Also overlaying visuals with what was happening on stage became annoying, something I've seen on almost every Yes concert video. I just want to see the band.

music affirmative/visual not so

[ajstewart_2000 · 3/10 · 21 April 2007]

As a long time fan of Yes, I enjoyed the CD of Keys To Ascension, both volumes, but found myself vaguely disappointed with the video that was released somewhat later. This music was created in a time before rock videos and the director would have been wise to have left this as a straight concert film, with cameras on the stage. However the director spends most of the time giving us the view from the back of the hall. I suppose so we can appreciate the architecture. Then he wastes time with clips of some sort of Mechano set on a turntable as well as people hanging off of mountains. Given that almost every tour since 1983 has been recorded and available as a home video, this one is certainly not essential. I'd go with Songs From Tsongas for the same line up.