Union 30 Live

[battema]

If ARW's team are coordinating this, I suppose this means the newly remastered boots will come with special added audience applause and crowd noise

[Paulrus]

As for the "mixed by Trevor Rabin" tag on the Mountain View show, he already mixed the original one so I'm willing to bet it's identical to the 2011 DVD release.

I was at that Mt View show. As I recall at one point (maybe during the long delay while they were fixing microphones) Jon said something like "I can't think of more things that can go wrong... "Hey guys, let's record tonight!"" That's what they consider worthy of inclusion in an expensive box set?

[reynard]

If purchased from the link above, the total with shipping is just under $400. Almost $100.00 for shipping.....

Well I was first made aware of this release via an email from Gonzo this morning and at the end of said email is this fwiw:

ATTENTION ALL NORTH AMERICAN FANS.

Whilst we would love you to buy the set directly from us, the $75 shipping costs are insane!! We recommend you order your copy from one of our US domestic partners, links below:
https://recordstoreday.com/UPC/5056083208531

https://www.popmarket.com/union-30-l.../5056083208531

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08X8D2RSN...4105800&sr=8-1

ATTENTION ALL JAPANESE FANS.

Whilst we would love you to buy the set directly from us, the $75 shipping costs are insane!! We recommend you order your copy from Disk Union our Japanese domestic partner, links below:

https://diskunion.net/progre/ct/detail/1008271957

And also for the record, I did buy the Rabin box set and am regretful. Was motivated mostly by 90124 which I never got originally and the second hand market had gotten far out of my price range. So figured for a little more then it would cost to get a hold of it, I get that plus two live shows and and some nice remasters etc. Well first off the box far bigger then it needs to be for what it contains so shelving it can be a problem and the remastering doesn't sound any better/different then my original recordings of his solo stuff (to my ears) and the bonus song on Face to Face isn't actually on the disc. Just a radio single edit of a song so no loss really but just points to the lack of quality overall. The live shows are good but of course they're not hard to get a hold of and weren't crazy expensive
before the box release. Regardless, caveat emptor and all that... needless to say this "box" is something I'll certainly be passing on.

[bondegezou]

If it allows the band to get paid for their work, I have no problem with commercial releases of former bootlegs. Given Yes' continued willingness to work with Gonzo I assume the band have been getting paid. Also the bootleg status of Pensacola and Denver was made clear in the sales materials for the original Union Live so I knew what I was buying. I agree they should have made an effort to find the best versions out there and it sounds like they did not.

The current Yes aren't generally willing to work with Gonzo. This release has been organised by Larry Magid, who was working with ARW, and is being promoted by Rick Wakeman. It's Wakeman and Rabin who work most with Gonzo, although Anderson and Bruford have too. Presumably appropriate permissions have been obtained from the current band/band members to allow this, although, that said, it is possible that either no permissions were needed (the current band, Howe or White may not have any control over this material) or permissions were just not obtained (wouldn't be the first Voiceprint/Gonzo release where that's happened).

Henry

[bondegezou]

I did buy the Rabin box set and am regretful. Was motivated mostly by 90124

What were the liner notes like for 90124? The original standalone release had misprinted liner notes so large portions of text were missing. I wondered if they'd been corrected for the box set release.

Otherwise, I entirely agree with your reasoning.

Henry

[Interstellar]

Some part of me is still thinking that this announcement is a joke (an early April Fools like some other people wrote), but everyone here seems to be discussing this seriously, so I'm obviously mistaken and out of touch with that kind of reality.

[reynard]

I'll have to get back to you on that when I get home tonight as I haven't looked at it for almost a year now and don't remember. Once I ripped all the discs it went into the closet as it's too big for any of my shelves (as mentioned).

[Poisoned Youth]

With a release in May, I have the over/under on this thread at 30 pages.

[Rarebird]

So you get 10 performances, both on CD and 4 on DVD? This will be video I hope?
Though I wonder how much differences there will be between the 10 performances.

[Harbottle]

The Wakeman archival live sets by Gonzo were badly done. The Trevor Rabin box set by Gonzo was badly done. Gonzo is a re-born Voiceprint and the badly done Voiceprint releases are too numerous to mention. If this was being done by Rhino, I'd be pre-ordering. Done by Gonzo, ain't interested.

Henry

Totally agree. I won't buy anything by Gonzo.

[profusion]

The most frustrating thing is that Jon Kirkman, I think it was, mentioned the possibility of a Progeny style set from the Union tour on one of the Cruise To The Edges. I'm speculating here but chances are that would actually have been sourced from multitracks. With this being released, they have absorbed the hole in the market for a Union tour release meaning we will probably never get to hear that material.

There's a good chance that any proper multitrack recordings from the Union tour (and it HAS to have been considered, considering the cash grab nature of the entire project) would have burned up in the Universal fire. Arista would have had control of those originally.

1969-87 material would be controlled by Rhino now, so whatever unheard stuff still exists would reside there. Just based on the shows used on Yesshows, Detroit '76 and Rotterdam '77 should be release candidates if the multitracks survive. New mixes of those complete shows would be auto-buys for me. Apart from that, there might not be much left that isn't already circulating.

The best bonus material for this boxed set would be special footage of Rabin and Howe giving each other icy stares backstage.

[Aquatarkus]

Repost from the closed thread since mine was the final post pre-shutdown: Wasn't the setlist the same every night? I saw this tour in San Diego and in Los Angeles and I don't remember the set changing. Great gigs though. Terrible album. I never understood why the producer Jonathan Elias felt the need to bring in other musicians to support guys like Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman. But more importantly, why would anyone by the same show across 30 different nights? It's not like Yes were Phish where they could play 13 consecutive gigs at MSG and not repeat a single tune. I wish Yes were more like that but they've never messed with the setlist much. Sure performances will vary a little night from night by not by that much!

[profusion]

Repost from the closed thread since mine was the final post pre-shutdown: Wasn't the setlist the same every night? I saw this tour in San Diego and in Los Angeles and I don't remember the set changing. Great gigs though. Terrible album. I never understood why the producer Jonathan Elias felt the need to bring in other musicians to support guys like Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman. But more importantly, why would anyone by the same show across 30 different nights? It's not like Yes were Phish where they could play 13 consecutive gigs at MSG and not repeat a single tune. I wish Yes were more like that but they've never messed with the setlist much. Sure performances will vary a little night from night by not by that much!

There were minor differences over the course of the tour. "City of Love", "Take the Water to the Mountain" and "Soon" were played at the first show in Pensacola and never thereafter. "Hold On" was dropped midway through the European leg.

"Saving My Heart" was the only song added during the tour--and not exactly a positive!

[calyx]

There were minor differences over the course of the tour. "City of Love", "Take the Water to the Mountain" and "Soon" were played at the first show in Pensacola and never thereafter. "Hold On" was dropped midway through the European leg.

"Saving My Heart" was the only song added during the tour--and not exactly a positive!

Of course, there is the case of one (or was it two) shows where "Close to the Edge" was played. A recording of this has yet to surface, though.

[profusion]

Of course, there is the case of one (or was it two) shows where "Close to the Edge" was played. A recording of this has yet to surface, though.

I wonder whether that's a myth. Sounds like something they might have rehearsed but not played. It might have been interesting if the studio album lineup had played it, but trying to get the full 8-man lineup involved with it seems like a trainwreck waiting to happen.

[Impman]

I wonder whether that's a myth. Sounds like something they might have rehearsed but not played. It might have been interesting if the studio album lineup had played it, but trying to get the full 8-man lineup involved with it seems like a trainwreck waiting to happen.

Supposedly that's what happened in Lake Placid, NY. Just the original 5.

[Brian]

Fuck no.

[Brian]

I mean just generally to this box set and I am something of a completist.

[Sean]

This is overkill. Call it "Union Carbide".

I'd like a DVD of the in the round show, but anything else would be pretty redundant.

I have the one that isn't in the round and it's great. That would be a nice companion.

[Garyhead]

And they want $145.00 for a Four LP vinyl set???? $36.00 per Disc????

[jrw]

I’m a bit of a Yes completist, but this is just way out of my price range.

If they were to release a show or highlights like Progeny, I’d bite.

[Sean]

Weird how the Denver in the round show is not offered at all. That show was pro shot. Same one as in YesYears too, I do believe. I remember seeing some of it on a show called In Concert that was on one of the big networks, late at night.

[Progatron]

^^^ Can't comment on the Rabin set, but VP/Gonzo definitely has a mixed record. On the plus side, Gonzo put out the fantastic 10-CD Hugh Hopper series. They also put out a very nice Third Ear Band archival series that is essential for fans, though Esoteric subsequently re-did it within their re-issue program.

Voiceprint also did a stellar reissuing of the Anthony Phillips catalogue with some lovely 2-disc editions loaded with excellent bonus tracks and detailed booklets. I even hung on to all of mine when the Esoteric clamshells came out, because it seemed a shame to part with them.

Can't speak much for Gonzo, I had to check my Discogs catalogue to see what I have. Mostly Anderson/Wakeman and some Brand X & related stuff. I wouldn't touch this monstrosity with a 10 foot pole, but more power to anyone who can justify buying it.

[Frumious B]

Steve Howe mentioned that they had recordings of 6-7 Union shows. Unfortunately I’m assuming that this box isn’t sourced from those tapes, but from various boots that you can find wherever. Otherwise why include audience recordings at all? I’ll bet whoever $5 that Wembley on this set is just a straight copy of the radio broadcast not even pulled from the BBC archives.

Which band members have actually signed off on this release? I’m assuming Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman are onboard, but what about Howe, Bruford, White, Kaye and the Squire estate?

Overall this thing looks kinda cool, but doesn’t seem to be delivering very much. Still, I’d be interested in a standalone CD set or FLAC download of Shoreline, if its’s the complete show, which seems to be the only non bootleg source, and the retro concert t-shirts look fun.

[reynard]

What were the liner notes like for 90124? The original standalone release had misprinted liner notes so large portions of text were missing. I wondered if they'd been corrected for the box set release.

Otherwise, I entirely agree with your reasoning.

Henry

Ask and ye shall receive... granted hastily shot with my phone and the last two pages are just credits and another photo.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AHT...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16Tw...ew?usp=sharing