Yes – Passion (Virtuoso 067/068)

Passion (Virtuoso 067/068)

Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, WI – April 26th, 1979

Disc 1 (66:15):  Radio ad, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Siberian Khatru, Heart Of The Sunrise, Future Times/Rejoice, Circus Of Heaven, Time And A Word, Long Distance Runaround, Survival, The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus), Perpetual Change, Soon

Disc 2 (74:04):  Clap, Starship Trooper, And You And I, Wakeman Solo, Awaken, Tour Song, I’ve Seen All Good People, Roundabout

Yes’ Tormato tour lasted for almost a complete year.  They played one hundred and six concert and all but six of them were in the US.  Ostensibly to promote Tormato, many were puzzled why, after scheduling a long US tour in 1978 and six massive concerts in Wembley, they chose to tour America for three more months in 1979 playing almost the same show as they did the previous year.  Speculation runs from the band wanting more recorded material for a live album to management wanting to cash in during the waning days of their brand of progressive rock.

Regardless of the reasons, it produced many sterling recordings, both professional and amateur.  Passion is the first time the April 26th, 1979 Milwaukee show has been pressed onto silver disc.  It is an excellent, three dimensional audience recording which perfectly captures the atmosphere of the show.  Also included is a minute long radio spot advertising the show.  

The show begins with “Siberian Khatru” followed by a tired, mistake laden version of “Heart Of The Sunrise.”  “Future Times/Rejoice” and “Circus Of Heaven” are the only new songs from Tormato in the set list which suggests the band had given up on the new album in the wake of the negative reviews.  (Yes would be adventurous later on in the tour by introducing “Arriving U.F.O.” to the set). 

Anderson speaks about “our 10th anniversary… So we’d like to play one or two songs that you might remember.”  The twenty minute “big medley” is one of their best ideas, a way to play obscurities (“A Time And A Word” and “Survival”), reintroduce old classics (“The Fish”) and play a bit from the Relayer album even though the keyboardist didn’t like it.  The finale of the show begins with “Starship Trooper,” referred to by Anderson as “about the eternal discussion between yourself and yourself.”

The tour song begins the encore section, and for Milwaukee Anderson sings:

Like to thank you,
like to thank you, everybody, for coming along this evening.
Like to thank you, everybody, for coming along this evening.It’s great to be with you, Milwaukee!
It’s great to be with you, Milwaukee!We’d like to thank you so very much for coming along this evening.
It would be so good, as we’d like to thank you so very much for coming along this evening.
We got Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
gotta be the place to be, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
gotta be the place to be!Gotta thank you so much, you’re all good people.
We gotta tell you, thank you, thank you, thank you!

“I’ve Seen All Good People” and a ragged version of “Roundabout” close the event.  Passion is certainly an appropriate title.  This is a passionate performance in front of an enthusiastic audience and is a great release from the Tormato era.