Yes celebrated their 50th anniversary with a tour through America and Europe, one that is commemorated on Rhino's 2019 set
50 Live. Recorded over two July nights in Philadelphia,
50 Live touches upon material written throughout the band's history but it adheres most closely to the prog rock that made their name in the early '70s. The set is anchored by classics -- "Close to the Edge" opens the album," "Starship Trooper" ends it, with "Yours Is No Disgrace" and "Roundabout" arriving elsewhere -- and the newer material is in the same vein (in other words, there is no "Owner of a Lonely Heart" or "Leave It"). Considering how the 2018 lineup is directed by guitarist
Steve Howe, this shouldn't be a surprise, and it has to be said that this incarnation -- which features
Howe,
Geoff Downes,
Alan White,
Billy Sherwood, and vocalist
Jon Davison, who joined the band in 2012 -- does this sound justice, which makes the album precisely what it's intended to be: a celebration of a particular time and sound, delivered with affection and skill. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine