|
On January 19th, 2006, The Syn performed at the Summerville
Theater in Boston. Hot on the heels of their popular reunion
CD, "Syndestructible", this would be, in fact, the bands first
tour ever outside their native England, and also their first
tour in about, say, 30 years!
This DVD captures the whole event, from the unedited 90
minute concert, to the onstage banter, to some interviews
backstage. However, don't expect the grand production values
of "Songs From Tsongas" or other recent Yes DVDs. What we
get here is more like an intimate club gig. There is no light
show to speak of, and definitely no Roger Dean-designed set
pieces - just a band, standing close together on a cramped
stage, playing their music for a small but appreciative audience
(maybe a few hundred or so.) Fans are probably already aware
that the line-up has changed slighty since the release of
the CD.
Group founders Chris Squire & Stephen Nardelli are still
present, of course, as if keyboardist Gerard Johnson. But
gone are the Stacey brothers, replaced here by Yes drum legend
Alan White, and American guitarist Shane Theriot (who looks
considerably younger than the others.)
This concert reveals more of a raw, rock-n-roll side
to the band than was evident on "Syndestructible". There is
a slightly crunchier edge to the guitars, and some slammin',
dynamic drumming from White that helps kick things up a notch.
The set-list gives us a taste of The Syn's past, present,
and future. From the past we get a 3 song medley of the band's
60s-era singles,
"Grounded-Flowerman-14th Hour Technicolor Dream" (with
a brief Who-inspired jam during "14th Hour"!)
From the present we get the "Syndestructible" CD played
in its entirety (although the acapella "Breaking Down Walls"
is used as taped introduction music, not actually performed
live.)
And from the future we have "Silent Revolution", a somewhat
bluesy piece that is slated to be on the band's next album.
For me, the real highlights of the show come from the current
material -
"The Promise" is quite stunning in a live setting (with
some added dynamics from the Squire/White rhythm section),
"City of Dreams" far surpases the studio version, and
"Golden Age" makes for a fun, upbeat encore.
I also really enjoyed "21st Century", a catchy folk-rock
flavored piece that I had not heard before (although it is
apparently re-worked from an earlier Syn song.) The song's
stinging anti-war lyrics definitly make it one of the bands
most poignant and relevant tracks yet...As for the indivdual
performances? Squire, as would be expected, displays some
amazing bass chops throughout the show, and is armed here
with two familar instuments; his classic yellow Rickenbacker
4001, and the pointy white Elektra bass he played on Yes'
"Tempus Fugit" video. It's nice to see Chris obviously having
a blast on stage, seeming looser and less intense than he
has on recent Yes tours.
Lead vocalist Stephen Nardelli may not be the most charismatic
or dynamic of frontmen, but I certainly wouldn't go so far
as the previous reviewer who said he can't sing. Nardelli
has a sort of subdued British blues style that was popular
back when the Syn first started, and he's pretty good within
that style. Granted, Nardelli does seem a little tentative
during the first couple of songs here, but he grows in confidence
as the show progresses (It's also obvious that he and Squire
share a good personal raport.)
Keyboardist Gerard Johnson makes a good showing for himself,
sounding at different points like Tony Kaye and Tony Banks
- although in a few places I felt his keys should have been
louder in the mix (especially on "Cathedral of Love", where
the gentle Melloton sound is all but lost). Theriot, formerly
with The Neville Brothers, does a good job of covering the
guitar parts - although I was mildly dissapointed that the
electric sitar was not used on "Cathedral of Love".
And as for Alan White? He's still one of rock's greatest
drummers! No doubt about it!...On the negative side, Squire
tells a rambling story (on stage) about the day he met Jimi
Hendrix. This is something that I will likely skip over on
future viewings, as it's longer than some of the band's epic
songs and, in my opinion, slows the momentum of the show.
It's also obvious that the band is using pre-recorded backing
vocal enhancement in a few places (Squire may be a fine singer,
but even he can't sing 3 part harmonies by himself!) And be
warned, there are a few rough-edges (AKA 'clunkers') during
the performance, but these are easily forgiveable when you
consider that this particular line-up had only played together
for 19 days before this DVD was shot!...
All in all, If you liked "Syndestructible", this DVD is
well worth the time and money spent.
|
