House of Yes:Live From House of Blues (2000)
Disc One
1. Yours is No Disgrace
2. Time and a Word
3. Homeworld (The Ladder)
4. Perpetual Change
5. The Messenger
6. Ritual - Nous Sommes du Soleil
7. And You And I
Disc Two
1. It Will Be A Good Day (The River)
2. Face to Face
3. Awaken
4. I've Seen All Good People
5. Cinema
6. Owner of a Lonely Heart
7. Roundabout
By the time House of Yes: Live from House of Blues came out, you could argue that Yes didn’t exactly need another live album. After all, this is a band that’s never been shy about documenting themselves onstage. But dismissing this one out of hand would be a mistake. For all its potential redundancy, there’s a lot here to like, and a few things that make it a genuinely worthwhile entry in their catalogue.
First, there’s the venue itself. Recorded at the House of Blues in Las Vegas, this isn’t some cavernous sports arena or a festival stage. It’s a smaller, more intimate setting—just a couple of thousand seats—which gives the performance a looser, more connected vibe. And don’t let the “Blues” in the name fool you. These venues were scattered across the U.S., catering to a lot of classic rock acts who weren’t selling out stadiums anymore but could still pack in devoted crowds night after night. That’s exactly the kind of audience you can hear here: passionate, engaged, and in it for the long haul.
Second, the timing is key. This tour was in support of The Ladder, which remains one of the better latter-day Yes albums. And unlike so many classic rock acts who sheepishly drop one or two new songs into a set full of greatest hits, Yes leaned in. A significant chunk of The Ladder shows up here, and it works beautifully. The crowd doesn’t seem remotely put off by the new material, and for good reason—it blends seamlessly with the older classics. Honestly, if you played this for an uninitiated listener, they’d be hard-pressed to figure out which songs were the new ones and which came from the '70s. That consistency is one of the album’s sneaky strengths.
Of course, there’s the old problem that’s always plagued Yes live albums: the length of the songs themselves. When half your setlist is comprised of ten-plus-minute epics, you don’t have a lot of room to mix things up. That’s why so many of their live records share the same core of “necessary” repeats. Case in point: the three longest pieces here eat up 42 minutes of running time all by themselves—enough to fill an entire single LP. But that’s the deal you make with this band, and longtime fans know the trade-off is usually worth it.
Still, they do make an effort to vary things where they can. There are a few rarities sprinkled in, and they even play around with partial versions of some of their more unwieldy material. A highlight of that approach is the inclusion of Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil—but only for 59 seconds. And you know what? That’s perfect. Including the entire 20-minute monster would have dragged things down. Instead, you get a tantalizing flash of it without killing the momentum.
And yes, the obligatory “big three” are here. I’ve Seen All Good People, Owner of a Lonely Heart, and Roundabout—you can practically bet your mortgage on them showing up at every Yes show, and on every live album. Part of me wishes they’d change it up and throw in something totally off the wall. But if you’ve ever actually been to a Yes concert, you know why they always play these three. They’re the crowd-pleasers, the guaranteed sing-alongs, the encore moments that tie the night together.
Performance-wise, the band is in fine form throughout. Particularly impressive are Steve Howe and Chris Squire. Howe, in particular, seems to relish the chance to put his own spin on Owner of a Lonely Heart—a song he had nothing to do with originally. He adds subtle flourishes and guitar fills you won’t hear on any studio version, giving the track a distinctive live twist that makes this recording more than just a rehash.
All in all, it’s a solid, rewarding listen. It may not be the first Yes live album you’d reach for (that honor probably still goes to Yessongs), but it’s far from redundant. The intimate venue, strong performances, and thoughtful mix of old and new material give it an identity all its own. Honestly? Listening to it, I can’t help but wish I’d been there in the crowd that night.
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