On the same day that the phrase “Yes We Can” became the United States’ official new governing philosophy, the premier progressive rock band of all time, Yes, kicked off their In The Present 40^th Anniversary tour…with at least one big but. Due to some respiratory health problems that have plagued long-time Yes singer and spiritual leader, Jon Anderson, the band has replaced him for this tour with Canadian Yes tribute band singer, Benoit David. And the smaller but is that keyboardist, Rick Wakeman, who has always been a little flighty anyway, has been replaced by his son, Oliver. The band is rounded out by Yes mainstays Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass) and Alan White (drums). Replacing Anderson has been more than controversial to Yes die-hards (including this writer) and even to Anderson himself, but reports from early In The Present gigs are very positive and Benoit David really does nail Anderson’s vocals perfectly (perhaps too perfectly). Even so, many fans still won’t be rushing out to buy Yes concert tickets until Anderson is back in the band. And to bide time until that happens, those skeptics can turn to Yes – The New Director’s Cut from MVD Visual.

Recorded during Yes’ 35^th Anniversary tour in 2003, Yes – The New Director’s Cut, features two full length concert performances from the classic line-up of Yes (Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Squire, White) from the N.I.A. Birmingham and Glastonbury Festival. This DVD edition sets out to appease fans who were a little less than pleased with the editing, narration, and interview clips (during songs) of the original tour document, Yesspeak. And it succeeds greatly. There is a great venue vibe contrast from show to show, as the first DVD is indoors and the second is outdoors, at the Glastonbury. And although the set lists are very similar, fans will love the two equally amazing takes of the 15-minute plus masterpiece epic, “Awaken”, from 1977’s Going For The One album…the highlight for this Yes fan.

Evident from these performances, these guys are some of the best players in the business and are all still on top of their game. It seems like Yes really shines its brightest (and the fans the most satisfied) when playing the deeper cuts like “Don’t Kill The Whale”, “South Side of the Sky”, “To Be Over” and the aforementioned “Awaken”. They are most certainly the highlights of Yes – The New Director’s Cut. The only times the shows sag a bit are during the Yes super-hits which the band sometimes seem to sleepwalk through. Maybe we’ll get to see a ‘Yes – Deep Cuts’ tour where Yes abandons the usual must-play hits and provides the fans with more of the magical surprise songs when Anderson returns for their 41^st year (you reading this, Yes?). But until then, dig into the excellent 4 hours-plus footage of Yes – The New Director’s Cut and send out your good vibes to Jon Anderson’s health.