by Geoff Bailie
Released in July 2026 for, presumably, its 50th anniversary, this Yes release comes off the back of two years where multiple new and archive releases have appeared. As a fan of YesAll, that’s not a complaint – it’s amazing! Jason Jones and the team at Rhino who have produced the recent box sets and Record Store Day releases are once again behind this one… and the bar continues to be set high. The packaging doesn’t give us a lot of information and so the assumption is that this is sourced from the radio broadcast of the 1976 show rather than a multi track that could have had some mix / balance fixes – but don’t worry, you’ll not come away thinking you’ve listened to a bootleg!
The story so far … Patrick Moraz joined the band on keyboards, and very quickly they made Relayer before they headed out on tour. Having toured that album, and their position as a live draw being undiminished, they went their separate ways to make solo albums, before what’s become known as the Solo Albums tour in 1976. By this the 17th show of the tour, the solo album material was dropped almost entirely except for some of Story of I in Moraz’s solo and some Olias from Jon as his pot, and was replaced with Ritual from Tales… and that’s the set list of this release.
What you have hear is a powerful performance by, by now, a well drilled band, playing with the same fury and energy as they did in the classic Yessongs era. Siberian Khatru starts the show off and the band hit the ground running. It’s notable that Moraz isn’t doing a straight copy of Wakeman’s part, but he’s not doing anything that makes you feel something is missing. The pace is relentless as the band tackle two from Relayer – a superb live version of Soundchaser with incredible guitar parts from Howe (there is great use of left/ right panning during the guitar cadenza which really brings the piece to life), and searing solos on the keyboards, followed by Gates of Delirium, with its bass and drums showcases. Of course, Gates ends with the beautiful Soon, and Jon Anderson sings incredibly on this hymn-like finale to the suite.
With about 25,000 people in attendance, the crowd get rewarded with I’ve Seen All Good people, and you can hear the audible excitement in their responses. An acoustic Long Distance Runaround follows – if you’ve heard the QPR version it’s similar to that except Howe adds some electric guitar licks in places. That’s all a set up for the solo section, starting with Moraz playing Cachaca (Baiao) and leading into Howe’s familiar Clap. With release of Olias of Sunhillow still being a few weeks away, it’s hard to know what the crowd made of the excerpts played. I think for those who hadn’t heard Olias (everyone?) they probably just considered this to be a harp solo, with some keys and occasional guitars – but it gets plenty of cheers and is one that it’s good to have a great quality release of in the collection.
Solos over, it’s back to the epics and to Ritual! Tales may have had its critics over the years, but the crowd give a great response to this powerful live piece. Writers, Anderson and Howe sing and play beautifully throughout this, and of course Squire and White get that incredible bass and drum feature before the closing Nous Sommes Du Soleil. Moraz is at a bit of a disadvantage due to the few prominent keyboard parts on this track, and it feels like he is also quite far back in the mix, but it still sounds magnificent.
In show terms, it has been about an hour since I’ve Seen All Good People, and the crowd (who have maintained their energy!) are rewarded with Heart of the Sunrise. Listen out for Alan White’s inventive playing during the opening bass solo… there’s a large hint of Bruford, yet something uniquely his own. Jon’s shakers are a bit loud, compared to the Mellotron, but this version rips along with a Yessongs-like energy, as the crowd whoops and whistles. This all leads to a lightning pace Roundabout which you might imagine would be the closer but… Yes return with, I imagine at the time, an unexpected cover of The Beatles’ I’m Down, notable for some great playing from Steve Howe.
It has only been in recent years that the Yes archives have been opened to reveal some amazing live recordings from the 1970s – and this is a worthy addition. The Moraz line up was relatively short lived and this excellent release is a definitely worth picking up if you’re a Yesfan for its mix of lesser-played live tracks and incredible playing by every band member.
LIVE AT ROOSEVELT STADIUM, JERSEY CITY, 17 JUNE 1976
2CD Track Listing
Disc One
“Apocalypse” *
“Siberian Khatru” *
“Sound Chaser” *
“The Gates Of Delirium” *
“I’ve Seen All Good People” *
“Your Move” *
“All Good People” *
“Long Distance Runaround” *
“The Story Of I” (excerpt) *
“Clap” *
“Olias Of Sunhillow” (excerpt) *
Disc Two
“Ritual” *
“Heart Of The Sunrise” *
“Roundabout” *
“I’m Down” *
* Previously Unreleased
3LP Track Listing
Side A
Apocalypse*
Siberian Khatru*
Sound Chaser*
Side B
The Gates Of Delirum*
Side C
I’ve Seen All Good People*
Your Move*
All Good People*
Long Distance Runaround*
The Story Of I (excerpt)*
Clap*
Olias Of Sunhillow (excerpt)*
Side D
Ritual- Nous Sommes Du Soleil*
Side E
Heart Of The Sunrise*
I’m Down*
* Previously Unreleased
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