Keys to Ascension, Vol. 2

Artist: Yes
Label: Sbme Castle Us
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Live
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 2

UPC: 060768120723
EAN: 0060768120723
ASIN: B00006JYBJ

Release Date: 2002-10-08

Keys to Ascension, Vol. 2

Related Categories:

Britain

General

| Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock

| Pop | Styles | Music

General

| Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock

| Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

General

| Live Albums | Rock | Styles | Music

Psychedelic Rock

| Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)

| Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Arena Rock

| Classic Rock | Styles | Music

Tracks:

I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE: A. YOUR MOVE/B. ALL GOOD PEOPLE
GOING FOR THE ONE
America
Time And A Word
Close To The Edge
Turn Of The Century
And You And I

Tracks:

MIND DRIVE
FOOT PRINTS
BRING ME TO THE POWER
Lightning
Children Of Light
Lifeline
Sign Language

Similar Items:

Keys to Ascension
Going for the One
Tormato
The Ladder
Magnification

Customer Reviews:

magnificent studio tracks.......2006-08-16

the studio tracks are very good, specially mind drive, are 5 stars
The live ones are 3 stars.

Another angry Wakeman!.......2005-04-02

With all honesty, the album is wonderful, and looks wonderful as it's predecessor from 1996. The live tracks here are beautifully performed, in fact the best version of "Time and a Word" in my opinion ever done. Somewhere along the line Rick again was outvoted as he wanted this record to stand on it's own. As a result, Rick left YES again, but this time it didn't matter- as I reviewed in Keys One- this was the Grand Finale' of Yes.
The Engineers toyed with the CD production at some point, and like the other reviewer I was fortunate to get the 1997 version, as I noticed one of the songs was given a hatchet job in the later release, and another a piece added. Nonetheless, the album is a full blown YES effort, despite "Mind Drive" from the studio being in it's 18 minutes somewhat dull- it has some amazing musical moments.
Keys to Ascension One and Two, aptly titled and packaged, are YES at the end of their career. Although I forced myself to buy "The Ladder..." it was like a replay of the 80's.
YES has given us masterworks of musical art. My story of YES ends here. But the collection of remasters and memories carry on. "High the memory."

Mislead To Ascension, Too........2004-09-15

I am writing this review to let others know of my shopping experience of this particular item. It advertises (extra tracks) which is why I bought it, being a long time and devoted fan. The track list has the opener listed as "Lightning"--which is a title I had never heard before. It also lists the songs "Lifeline" and "Children Of Light" seperate which leads you to believe they are seperate songs or perhaps alternate versions from the original 1997 release, not so!! Since I already own Keys To Ascension 2 , I know the song title "Lightning" does not appear on the original 1997 release--and having been a HUGE fan of the studio tracks from these sessions--I was counting on discovering another gem. I received my order by mail only to find the exact same tracklist on this 2002 release as my previous 1997 release. Please listen to the song samples here as proof, if hoping to find some thing new here. On the other hand, if you are a YES fan who has not heard the studio tracks from Keys 2 yet, I DO DEFINELY recommend buying it--however search for the 1997 US version to save some money.

Good, but the best material went onto Volume 1.......2003-01-15

In late 1995-early 1996, the classic lineup of Yes -- Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, White -- recorded an album's worth of material at the Yesworld Studio in San Luis Obispo, California. In March 1996, they recorded three straight nights of concerts played in that city. Each of the two 2-CD volumes of "Keys of Ascension" has included some of the live performances of Yes classics and some of the new studio tracks.

I suspect that a Volume 2 wasn't originally planned, because all the best live material went onto Volume 1. The tracks here have some clunker notes, and the performances aren't the sheer revelations that Volume 1 was. "Close to the Edge" and "And You and I" are two of Yes' best songs ever, and if you don't have a recording of them yet your life is sadly incomplete, but the versions here sound a little sluggish compared to those on "Yessongs". On the other hand, "Going for the One" and "Time and a Word" sound better here than on "Yesshows". I'm not a "Time and a Word" fan, but if I was, this version, with a nice Wakeman piano intro, is the one I'd want to listen to. The high point of Volume 2 is "Turn of the Century", a ballad from the "Going for the One" album that tells a "Pygmalion" tale, with fine acoustic work by Howe. The recording quality is much better than was possible on Yes' earlier live albums.

The studio tracks aren't of the same high standard. They're pleasant, but none will ever appear on any Yes best-of collection. "Mind Games" is not as good as some of the reviews here would lead you to believe. It might be great at half its 18-minute length, but is too padded to maintain interest for that long. "Foot Prints" and "Bring to the Power" are good but not great tracks. The closer "Sign Language" and the second half of "Children of the Light" are Howe-Wakeman duets -- they're okay, but anyone who's honestly a Yes fan knows that the two could walk into a studio on any day of their lives and record something at least this good.

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music CD

Drive ~ Jan Hammer

The Force ~ Robert Stewart

Chicago Rhythm ~ Al Turk & Charley Straight

How My Heart Sings! ~ Bill Evans

Complete Prestige Studio Sessions 1949 -1951 ~ Sonny Rollins

American Primitive, Vol. 1: Raw Pre-War Gospel (1926-36) ~ Various Artists

Funky Glamorous Part 2 Ft. Kreva ~ Maboroshi

Jumpin' at Shadows ~ Duster Bennett

Rumba Catalan ~ Various Artists

Hinotama Boy ~ Keiichi Suzuki, Moonriders