Queen liked him enough to invite him to play on _Innuendo_ Steve had nothing but praise for all of Queen. 1. Steve 2. Brian/Mike Oldfield My three faves by far.
It's amazing how we critique a song. This is just some great musicians jamming out to a classic Yes tune. Nothing more and nothing less. No need to compare anything. They are having a great time playing it and I for one can appreciate this creation. It's not about May or Howe, or Rick or his son. Not even about rather Squire was better. Just enjoy instead of comparing. I'm sure their thoughts were soley aimed at just rockin away this song. Enjoy!!!!
Damn, Brian May's sound is HUGE here. The moment he walks on stage the whole band seems to put more energy in their performance. And that final solo from Rick is pure gold. I was thinking "Yeah, still amazing but you can hear he aged", which is true, BUT the moment the rhythm sections doubles the time feel he is on fire!
I went to the "Grumpy Old Christmas Show" in Liverpool last year. He wore an old sweatshirt, jogging pants and trainers....under a frock coat...was very disappointed with it being christmas...
That G - Eb - C (I - bVI - IV) chord sequence in WURM was the very first Yes music I ever learned at the tender age of 14 in 1971. Those three chords started me down the prog rock road. I'll be 65 next year and still play every day. I hope I'll have my 1981 Lado Solo I in my hands when I take my last breath.
I'm 72.5 and this took me right back to my teens. Brian May is beyond description on his hand-made masterpiece. It's a perfectly beautiful sunny spring day here in S.Louisiana, and all's well. Please guys, knock off the negativity and your memories. Peace to y'all.
The fantastic thing still about Rick Wakeman is the man still wears a cape. Even with a t shirt. Cape. I don’t have a cape. Rick Wakeman likely has giant road cases FULL of capes. Closets of capes. Capes of all colors and sizes. Capes for Christmas, vacations, family gatherings. CAPES. “Oh look, Ricky has his lovely Sparkly cape on today, he really dressed up for your 95th birthday pappy! He must think you’re very special!…” How many cape stores are left you ask? Can’t be more than 1 or 2 in the whole wide world (other than the cheap magician cape supply stores) but Rick Wakeman keeps those fine caperies in business. Only the best old capeists are still doing their work, crinkled hands from sewing new “drag bars” into torn up cape finery, renewing the glory of exquisite vintage capery, with an artistry almost gone. I don’t have a cape, you likely don’t either. But we want one. Or more. Imagine the sun streaming into your living area on a shiny autumn Sunday, padding around your home with comfy, warm fuzzy slippers, carrying a cup of hot chocolate or tea, gnawing on a sausage wrapped in a pancake, with a cape. Sounds appealing doesn’t it? Delightful even. Rick Wakeman knows. Oh yes. He knows.
I thought this would be yet another edition of "shredding to the oldies," then Brian May steps out of nowhere and delivers a stunning, powerful, and heartfelt solo with taste and nuanced sensibility comparable to Steve Howe at the height of his powers. It's not just an homage or a by-the-numbers crowd pleaser. May knows the song, loves the song, and adds an interpretive depth to the song while avoiding derivative playing or empty theatrics. It's the mark of a truly seasoned and gifted musician . I guess he's as good as everyone says he is--only better.
Cheers yo, but c'mon!!!!! I dare say let me hear you try to "shred to the oldies", and then I'll listen to your fine opinion. There was NOTHING wrong with this blissful cover of The Wurm.
Yes, Brian is capable of all that and more. He never shreds, the best guitarists don't. In every way (his way) Brian is equal to Steve Howe (Doubt it? Just listen to a Queen album). Music isn't a football game where we take sides. It's all good if the music is good. For those who care, the Wurm (German; Dutch: Worm) is a river in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany which rises in the Eifel mountains and flows for 57 kilometres before discharging into the Rur.
Just found this, and I thought the same. Plus, he has a doctorate in astrophysics, and his iconic guitar was built by him and his dad from scratch (everything -- including the pickups). Very smart guy. What makes it even more fun is he looks like Sir Isaac Newton.
@@lapdawg60 As for Brian's Red Special guitar, the pickups were and are slightly modified Burns Tri-Sonics which they bought and installed in the guitar.
I live very near to Brian May and he often visits the astronomy club I belong too. Glad to say we have spoken on a few occasions due to the fact I have a masters in astrophysics and am working towards PhD also a bonus is I also play guitar, although not to his standards and I am very much with him when it come to the protection of the environment and our native woodland creatures such as badgers. He really is a very down to earth and humble guy.
I envy you. Through my teen years my career path was astronomy until I switched to engineering in the middle of college. And a lifelong musician, classically trained on piano, pipe organ, violin. Also play guitar and sax. I'd love to have an opportunity to hang out with Brian May.
The Positivists today are very careful to hide the fact that Isaak Newton was an avid student of astrology back then: In fact, Newton got some of his insights on gravitation from that forgotten medieval source of knowledge and wisdom, this is astrology.
You know when you love something, cause you don't want it to end ~ and that is the cresendo to Starship Trooper. Brian May was brilliant, and of course Rick is on fire! 🔥
What? That is neither of them so what are you talking about? Bruford kicks White's ass as a player for Yes, I could hardly watch live Yes with White in the later years.
I layed in my collage dorm room in 1971 listening to The Yes Album in the dark that was the last track on the album if I remember right… lowest bass line ever heard at that time…. .. what a wonderful time it was… 52 years ago and with a totaly different group of people playing that progression it is still exciting …..in a few years years no one from that time will be left to lend the same excitement to the performance… everyone here should be grateful that a few still are out there doing it…
Huge Yes fan here, but I'm an admirer of BM as well. Saw Queen in concert with the legendary Freddie Mercury. Saw Yes quite a few times. I'm not going to judge this performance. All I can say is that if you were in the audience you would have loved it regardless. Brian was a guest having fun with the boys, it's what famous musicians do. Brian is not trying to be Steve Howe, he's just being himself. Lay off the judgment and just enjoy the jam!
Thanks magic Rick for this. Thanks Brian for your generosity and love for music. A tribute for us, all we fans of Yes over the world! Thanks for this gift!
As a teenager, we would gather in my friend's house - the one where no parents were home - and play those three chords of Wurm for like an hour, taking turns soloing over them, in complete awe and reverence, yet feeling the power of what they conveyed. The amps kept getting notched up "one more loud". At one point, and no one knows how, at the end of one of these sessions a living room arm chair wound up flipped on its side. To this day, we believe the sheer volume and power of Wurm did it.
Brilliant playing by Brian. I hope that Steve Howe saw this and liked it. I am a gigantic Yes fan, and I think that Wurm is one of their best compositions.
Please, get over yourselves. No, it's not Steve Howe. Who cares? And who cares what it sounds like? May is a guest legend, and he can do what he likes. I'm a huge Yes fan, but can accept the situation like an adult. Grow up
As a long time fan of Yes, I have never seen another musician enter Rick's circle of keyboards. Thank goodness it was Brian May. That was great! I just hope that the people in the audience knew how special this was. Amazing! Thank you for posting!
Sir Brian comes out and the song becomes something else altogether. He is larger than the whole rest of the musicians. Thank you for sharing the show with us.
The man is a genius indeed, but so is Brian May. This is really interesting to listen to, for all its warts and flaws. Would love to hear May attempt a cover of Sound Chaser!
Amazing that no matter what video it is there are always those that look for the negative. Love the job Wakeman does toward the end. No one can play the MiniMoog like that. He just knows that piece of equipment like no one else. You won't be seeing this stuff forever. Enjoy it while it lasts!
This song is practically sacred to me, I love it so much, so it must be treated with reverence. The guy on the blue guitar honored the song with his playing, Brian May was dazzling, brilliant, and Wakeman was scary good as usual. Wow.
Wow, Brian May shreds on this, I kind of wished he did this in Queen, but that’s just my opinion, I loved Queen (especially in the ‘70s) but this is another level
"loved Queen (especially in the ‘70s)" I'd love to give you a (brotherly!) kiss on the head for that. Yes, yes, and once more, yes. The first three albums, right? Magical...
Player/Composer Steve Howe is vastly underrated/unappreciated. Great jamming by the Wakeman kid and Les Paul guitarist...still the old school dudes were able to take the piece to another level. I put the Steve Howe voicing of the chords on my looper and could literally shred over it all night!
Excellent. Wakeman is such a freak. I love him. Steve Howe is so underrated. Technically brilliant, and good ear for the melody. Throw in Brian May, and how have I not seen this before!!!
Ok. I admit it. I was about to be judgy McJudgeington. But when Brian stepped in he was inspired, respectful, soulful and powerful. I even think he supercharged Rick for his final solo. Comparing is futile. I’m glad this exists.
He's unique - we say that a lot about artists, but it's so true with him. And that Red Special guitar - designed and built by May when he was a teenager - makes a big difference as well! R.I.P. Freddie, Peter, and Chris.
Rick at the end. So awesome. No wonder the crowd got to their feet. Stuff on keyboards we guitar players get envious of, especially we who lean on pentatonics a lot.
