Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two (21LP)

Yes was firing on all cylinders in the fall of 1972. The prog-rock pioneers’ fifth studio album Close To The Edge was a smash success as audiences around the world packed arenas to see the legendary group perform. The band captured the magic of that tour on its first live album, Yessongs. Released in 1973, the triple-LP sold over a million copies and blew minds with Roger Dean’s iconic artwork.

In 2015, seven complete concerts from the weeks leading up to the shows heard on Yessongs were assembled in the 14-CD boxed set Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two. The boxed set now makes its vinyl debut as a monumental 21LP version.

Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two holds every note from all seven shows, recorded in the fall of 1972 as the band’s tour jumped from Canada to North Carolina, and then Georgia and Tennessee, before their last stop in New York at Nassau Coliseum on November 20. This comprehensive set comes in a cigarette-style flip top box with artwork by Dean and featuring each of the shows pressed on a different colored vinyl (ruby, orange crush, cobalt, soda bottle clear, tan, forest green, and electric blue). The collection is limited to 1,972 individually numbered copies and is available exclusively to Dig!.

The set memorialises Yes’ first tour with drummer Alan White, who sadly passed away in 2022 after 50 years in the band. He replaced Bill Bruford, who recorded Close To The Edge before leaving to join King Crimson. White only had three days to learn the band’s live show before his first night on stage with Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass) and Rick Wakeman (keyboards).  

Recorded three months into the tour, these powerful performances attest to how quickly the new line-up came together musically as they navigate hits like “Roundabout,” and complex pieces like “And You and I.” Even though the setlist didn’t vary much from night to night, the individual performances are strikingly different.

Show listing:

October 31, 1972                    Toronto, Canada

November 1, 1972                  Ottawa, Canada

November 11, 1972                Durham, NC

November 12, 1972                Greensboro, NC

November 14, 1972                Athens, GA

November 15, 1972                Knoxville, TN

November 20, 1972                Uniondale, NY