ABWH - Roundabout (Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1989)

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That’s one hellish big drum kit, but it was all used in the band’s music somewhere. The overhead shots of the band from my viewpoint again prove that the drummer has the best seat in the house. Somewhere around the second verse at 1’27”, Jon’s shoulders roll and sway, showing me he’s into the groove bassist Jeff Berlin and I have cooked up.
If you take a leisurely scroll through the videos on this channel, you can’t fail to notice the variety of drum kits I seem to have used over the years. It even astonishes me. What was I thinking? The kits tell their own story, of reaction to changing technology, of the advent of electronics and samples, of changing music styles, of shipping costs. If you're interested in nuts and bolts, check out Rodrigo Delaveau Swett's run-down on my kits at billbruford.co....
From a beginner’s Olympic kit in the late 60s, to a second-hand Ludwig kit (whose metal snare drum rang out through the original Yes’ ‘Roundabout’), passing through Ivor Arbiter’s Hayman kits (which many in the US took to be Camco drums because of the round lugs), I barely seemed to play the same kit for more than a year or two. I was looking not just for the ‘perfect’ (never a helpful word in music) drum sound, but for the most appropriate confection of percussion which would suit the demands of the musical situation of the day, which itself was changing frequently. With my own band Bruford in the late 70s, I met Remo Belli and the bright clanging of his Remo roto toms became a signature component of the band’s sound, as much as, say, Allan Holdsworth’s guitar sound.
In the 80s of course electronic drums arrived and somebody had to see if these things were more than toys. Simmons drums got steadily more sophisticated over a decade or so until it was possible to configure dozens of samples into ‘kits’ that could be changed at the touch of a button. Not quite on the bar line, but pretty close.
Business with King Crimson was good in the early 80s, so it was possible to stage three drumkits: 1) a main kit with a rear back rack of pads, side rack of smaller percussions and mallet instruments on tables; 2) six hexagonal pads, on which I and guitarist Adrian Belew (who started out as a drummer) could set up ‘Waiting Man’; and 3) a small set from which Adrian could play ‘Satori in Tangier’ or declaim ‘Indiscipline’ while I commented on proceedings from the main set. The ‘most expensive drum kit ever staged’, consisting of two Simmons SDX units (one being back-up) and multiple pads around an acoustic set, failed me spectacularly in a moment of hubris when the two computers were powered down in the intermission at Madison Square Gardens with Yes in the early 90s, and refused to power back up again. A less than perfect evening.
In the intimate world of jazz performance there is neither desire, nor space on stage, nor finance for the transportation of large amounts of equipment. My career has swung between stadiums, theatres and small clubs with entirely different music, so equally different drumkits. When I began in the late 60s there was effectively no drum rental business, so we took our own gear everywhere. Decades later, drum rental is entirely possible in most major cities. As an endorsing artist for Tama Drums, I’ve been fortunate to have the company deliver drums to my specification at the beginning of a tour, and collect them at the end, thus saving big on expenses.
That’s a brief overview of ‘why’ and ‘what’ of the drumkits I sat at as the years rolled past. Broadly, the music dictated the instruments necessary to realise it, rather than the other way around. Even if you’re a non-drummer - especially if you’re a non-drummer - I hope you’ve found the above interesting! See you next week.
#billbruford #yes #kingcrimson #jazzdrummer #electronicdrumkit #earthworks #tamadrums #drummer #drumsolos #billbrufordsearthworks

[@georgegeysen6499]

Bruford is just the master of an economy of movement. His poly rhythms are fierce and yet he is so controlled. So refreshing. A master.

[@Sammywhat]

The info under the video is equally as important to preserve as the original recordings are. You are a very generous man, Mr. Bruford! Thank you for the share!! ♥

[@pacoside1092]

This channel is golden. Thank you for curating it Dr. Bruford!

[@yvoheaton6402]

Watching the interplay between Howe and Wakeman is a joy to behold. What an astounding number this is. Thank you for posting and for your comments Bill.

[@natethegreat1985]

Thanks for sharing these stories, Bill! More than "behind the music", inside it.

[@wajobu]

Jeff Berlin toiling away in the dark…I remember when this album was released like it was yesterday. The local high school bands tried to learn it to play at dances.

[@yoshipercussion5126]

Thank you for this amazing material, Mr.Bruford. What a performance. So tight and musical.

[@philipmandel]

I was fortunate enough to be at this concert. Thanks to a backstage pass via my good friend Jeff Berlin, I got to meet all four of ABWH. Even got a pic with Wakeman and another good friend Len Sherman.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hey Philip , how are you doing?

[@MommyMags50]

Love reading your comments/stories Bill. Keep em coming. Love this video. And YES, Jon's shoulder sway at 1:27 is delightful

[@MichaelPuterbaugh]

No shade intended to Alan White whose drumming shaped Yes's sound for so many years, but in concert he'd perform the middle section with a straight-ahead rock beat. It's amazing that Bill, as just one person, evokes so much of the multi-tracked Carnaval cacophony of the original studio version here.

[@markthulean8313]

That's because Bill bruford is arguably the best drummer ever!

[@markthulean8313]

The master of polyrhythms

[@jerrydecoster6183]

As I recall, Bill recorded Roundabout as a member of Yes.

[@madisondeans5566]

Bill was the OG drummer,as well as being boss rock drummer of the age!!

[@ajgat2]

You do know Bruford played the original track. I’m not trying to be a wise guy.

[@richardgleichmann7671]

Thank you for all the great music over the years, (starting first with hearing Roundabout.. in '69 or '70). Also thank you for the kit "breakdown" and a "view" from the road.. Be well..😌👍

[@TheInnerParty]

This was wonderful, thank you. But the star in this particular video, and this is very rare on KZbin, was the description in the video. Fascinating.💯 After a decade, I'm trying to achieve some thing like Bill did, and failing miserably, I dropped out of professional music, went to school, and became in Economist. So in the description when he talks about the critical importance of "transportation costs" I remember that like it was yesterday. It can absolutely break a band. I believe this is what killed Emerson Lake and Palmer's infamous US tour where they had an orchestra accompanying them. My understanding is palmers quarter inch steel drum kit, required a crane to lift an offer and the stage to be reinforced. Today, because I've been trained in such things, and that's what I have applied my mind to, it seems so obvious. But back then, it seems so cool❤

[@mariankocmanek6791]

Just came across this video. Wow, memories! I attended this show and was 6 years old at the time. I remember sitting on the lawn with my mother and her friends. I often listened to the ABWH album as a kid and just played it today for the first time in decades.

[@patrickkelly9178]

A great version, but what i miss here is not so much the wonderful basss but the extra that Chris Squire added to the harmonies of Yes

[@thevoid99]

agreed. at the rock hall of fame, geddy lee at least was able to provide the bass lines for the song where it was audible. it may not have been as close to what squire has brought but lee was able to hold his own.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hey, hello Patrick

[@patrickkelly9178]

Hello to you assume you are a Yes fan too?

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@patrickkelly9178 yeah sure!!! YES! Where are you from 😘

[@Jpeterson7]

Berlin is better than Geddy. Be real, he's just not mixed very loud in this video. He could play circles around this song and geddy, and they should have given him a solo to prove it. he had just a few days to learn the whole set after Levin got sick. @@thevoid99

[@jimmycampbell78]

Wonderful performance, thank you

[@stefaniabrazzi1358]

❤❤❤Fan since I was 12 years old! Seen only once in 2002 at the Brighton Dome, super fantastic. ❤❤❤

[@duncanparsons]

I saw this tour at London's Wembley Arena in Oct '89, and remember Bill's tambourining during the coda! I like Steve's face at the end of this performance, the grimace as he hears his guitar isn't entirely in tune..

[@thomasgoldthorpe508]

I remember watching this in Toronto from the same tour. I was so taken back by just how much talent shone on that stage. It was incredible to hear.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Thomas

[@lisachristensen4558]

All time FAVORITES ❤️🎶❤🤗

[@ranatz]

Thanks for sharing! I'm a huge fan of yours from the early days of Yes.

[@rosanacianciosi1226]

Muchas gracias Mr Bruford por compartir con todos nosotros tan ecpcional material ABWH tremenda banda y este tema de los mejores temas de YES gracias saludos desde Argentina

[@taniaion7145]

really getting into yes this year, and this live recording is a gem, thank you for sharing! i was in a college prog rock band back in '89 modeled after yes called sojourn. i played tambourine, flute, back up vocals. the drummer was a huge fan of yours and had simmons kit as well as a full kit in a cage. it was an undertaking loading in and out with that beast! he ( garry williams) now owns san fran drum co. and makes custom kits. this is what your writing style does, it really does feel like a conversation :) keep the content coming!

[@billrudiak]

Amazing performance of an amazing song, I'm just blown away by how someone thought to capture this with so many cameras waaay back in 1989! And in a live stadium venue like Shoreline. Almost 35 years later, we now take HD and 20+ cameras for granted. And thanks for all the background info Bill, it's great that you share all of this with your faithful audience. Will always remember seeing you play live with Earthworks at Yoshi's in Oakland.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Bill

[@kevintralle6487]

Bill was used to working with Jeff Berlin from playing on Kazumi Watanabe's "Spice of Life."

[@snoopstp4189]

first listened to this on a Craig 8 track with a pair of Jensen coaxial 6x9s in the rear deck... really takes us back to the good ole days..

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello snoop

[@ALIASZARDOZ]

Magnifique ! Sublime ! Un morceau rayonnant de lumière et de beauté musicale. ❤ Phil from Dunkirk

[@JosephFrancisBurton]

I was never sure what look Jon was going for with the frosted tips, faux military shoulder epaulets and baggy pajama bottoms.

[@bencarter6702]

Gold. Thanks Bill.

[@MichaelVLang]

As soon as Bill comes in, it sounds like The Tune. Love it.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Michael

[@user-cv5lx8xw2p]

素晴らしいです。懐かしいですね。

[@khrdina]

Bill, I love the music and greatly appreciate the commentary as well.

[@silviopimentel7247]

Thank so much for all your work.

[@scivalesmusicbooks1977]

In questi decenni ho ascoltato veramente di tutto, ma niente da fare: i miei insuperabili eroi rimangono sempre loro. E il mio grande modello Rick Wakeman... non ce n'è veramente per nessuno come timbrica, drive, presenza scenica, improvvisazioni a tempo doppio, ecc. E su tutto, la meravigliosa Energia Positiva di questa Musica!

Keep them coming Bill!

[@NEntv58]

And just love your 1976 work with Genesis...

[@veronicaterragni740]

Simplemente genios ❤ Los mejores de los mejores del mundo 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@rodrigogarrido5990]

Mr. Bruford I really enjoy reading your stories. Thanks for your music, you are a drum hero for me. And of course i was in the front row when you came to play in Chile in 2002.

[@danielmora7382]

I was there too! Although fourth or fifth row... what a blast!👍

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Rodrigo

[@lafayettemoreira4423]

Thank you.

[@doctalksdude651]

ELVIS IS PASTOR BOB JOYCE NOW BILL! THANKS FOR THE GREAT SONIC ASSAULT OVER THE YEARS SIR!

[@WakadooPlaypen]

I was there. Im still mad at you for retiring.

[@jefflevinson669]

Brufords prerogative many years of fantastic music

[@tommyrawlings3046]

Anderson's voice ss good as ever!

[@gilcimarmoreira3337]

fantasticos...

[@GiancaSitar]

That Mozambique!!!!!!♥♥♥♥♥♥

[@jersonllanes818]

nice good memories 1970 when i was teen ager ❤

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello jerson

[@tmm7369]

Give Jeff Berlin a look in!

[@andreltsz]

Bravo!

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, how are you doing

[@persona-non-grata1231]

Coisa mais maravilhosa ... . . .

[@kennyk3989]

Mr Buford back during “Close To The Edge” times being a younger drummer, your style caught my attention promptly. The jazz aspect was so different from anything else that I wore out so many LPs and 8-tracks listening and trying to learn what you were doing. I’m not book smart I’m self-taught and I eventually figured it out. I have to say that when you left the band I felt it ruined the whole basis of their sound. With all due respect to the late Mr White he came in and added his chops which didn’t help, but he was great for his own style just not for a jazz based rhythm. Too bad you didn’t stay. Thank you for years of watching and listening to a fantastic drummer.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Kenny

[@kennyk3989]

@@sarahwilliams6058 hi Sarah

[@mikec7176]

Really really nice!!👍

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Mike, how are you doing?

[@mikec7176]

@@sarahwilliams6058 Hello Sarah, I am doing fine, I hope you are as well.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@mikec7176 yeah I’m great Thank you Where are you from And do you mind we get to know each other better with some great benefits you’re gonna appreciate 😉😘🍑

[@BoBo0807]

Fascinating and informative as always! Regarding the "synth drums" of the 80s: Mr. Bruford writes, "Simmons drums got steadily more sophisticated over a decade or so until it was possible to configure dozens of samples into ‘kits’ that could be changed at the touch of a button." I'm wondering if those are the drums Phil Collins played on the "fight scene" part (as seen in the video - the early part of the instrumental break) of "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" from the Invisible Tough album? For years I thought the sound was coming from Tony Banks' keyboards, until I saw a live video from the Genesis 1987 tour!

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, nice meeting you

[@awkdarsh]

i love how the comments dont have a single jojo reference🥴 but man this song is greatt💕💕

[@ananominity]

The VIP in this band is the keyboardist. His playing is the most iconic, recognizable sound of the group

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello

[@drprick7432]

I started clapping spontaneously at the end of this! Lol

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hey, hello dr prick

[@v2gbob]

OMG, Bill--what a disaster! "The ‘most expensive drum kit ever staged’, consisting of two Simmons SDX units (one being back-up) and multiple pads around an acoustic set, failed me spectacularly in a moment of hubris when the two computers were powered down in the intermission at Madison Square Gardens with Yes in the early 90s, and refused to power back up again."

[@fabrikk60]

As electrical disasters go, I'm reminded of the Tangerine Dream concert I saw in Toronto circa 1987. *All* of the band's German gear (220 volt) was plugged into a large voltage converter so it could run on North American 120 volt. Guess what blew? And took over 30 minutes to fix?

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, Bob how are you doing?

[@lorenzofeugg7540]

Reunion!!!

[@harveydents]

ONE of the BEST drum parts EVER! Mr Bruford you are the MASTER sir! And im not even a drummer im a guitarist! You are my favourite drummer of all time and your playing never gets boring sir! God Bless, and COME OUT OF RETIREMENT!!

[@jaya1305]

I remeber this show. If my memory is correct, I saw this show and the very next day I drove up to Sacramento with a buddy to see you guys play again (ah to be 27 again!). As a drummer myself, I always liked wondering what new kit Bill would be playing when I would go to see him play live, although as a life long fan of Roto Toms, I was always partial to the Bruford era kit myself.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Jay

[@mia-eh8jx]

Love bruford

[@williammckay9229]

Saw this at the Greek Theatre in LA.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Williams

[@jeemjam17]

Truly one of the Best,wish I could have seen them with Bill Bruford on drums,pure brilliance. Kudo's to Alan White, I just preferred Brufords style . What an amazing live performance.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, nice meeting you here

[@Tiberius_Productions]

Look I hate to say it… but… Alan White > Bill Bruford… Alan knew how to make this song rock more that is monumental. RIP Alan!

[@ikkenhisatsu7170]

I know there are a myriad of reasons it didn't continue, but I was really hoping this lineup would continue. Tony Levin had found his legs by the (awful) Union record and we could have had two Yes's.

[@Rumtoad1]

I saw you on this tour in Portland,Oregon. I have to say though- I bet you are glad you don't have to play Roundabout anymore.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, how are you doing?

[@juliodicarlo5313]

Yo pienso que sin BB no es Yes, pero en esta versión hay algo que no funciona. Aniway... Thanks for sharing.

[@TheSuccessfulHuman]

Board mix?

[@ianpaice]

i love you

[@user-ri4xg4ol7r]

Been loving this for years, but give it up guys you’ve had your day and Britney Spears isn’t that good at singing it!

[@madisondeans5566]

Wtf,editor left out chris squire the greatest bassist of a generation & more!!

[@billmay7364]

Bill Bruford changes the Dynamics Of YES. Especially with Chris Squire. Jeff Berlin is nothing to Sneeze at. Great player. YES Classic Lineup was the Best. ABWH is as close as it gets.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello bill

[@billmay7364]

@sarahwilliams6058 Hello Sarah. If your a fan of Bill Buford. You have good taste. When Bill was active seen him play with King Crimson. Incredible Drummer. One of my favorites.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@billmay7364 really? Then I’d love to listen to more of his plays Where are you from?

[@billmay7364]

@sarahwilliams6058 U.S.A. And Yourself ? I'm Curious. Because Bruford usually don't attract Women to his Muse. Bruford is Obscure. Anyone who plays with King Crimson. Is outside the Box. Much like Zappa.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@billmay7364 I’m from USA 🇺🇸 too Why don’t we talk elsewhere than the comment section… I’d love to hear more from you What do you think?

[@amieljonatan3488]

KI BELEZA

[@michaeleastes1705]

This is a fine performance, but the presence of Chris Squire is definitely missed.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, Michael

[@johncase2408]

Fragile to me, broke new grounds in terms of song structure. Comparatively speaking, you could say Fragile was like Radiohead's 'OK Computer.' They were both innovative, but Yes' really changed the game in terms of song structure and Bruford's unique jazz elements, and last but not least the noticeable counterpoint treatment of the bass ala Chris Squire.

[@glennsvoboda6602]

Ass kicking like always!!!

[@vfxtutswithdan1893]

But who mic'd the acoustic snare? I can barely hear it in the mix.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, how are you doing today

[@Sos_tenuto]

I understand this is "ABWH" but I'm a bit disappointed that the support members get virtually zero screen time. Particularly I think the bass player added a whole lot to the music.

[@horizontalblanking]

Still a shame that Julian Colbeck is buried in the shadows 🙃

[@JosephFrancisBurton]

There are three musicians that are buried, not only in the shadows but also in the mix. Why call Jeff Berlin in on the fly if you are just going to bury the bass????

[@Jpeterson7]

I'm glad some people get it. Jeff is a beast on the bass. @@JosephFrancisBurton

[@Maldoror200]

💀..ALRIGHT..SLOW IT 🐌 DOWN, FELLA'S..!!! What's the damn rush..???

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello maldor

[@Maldoror200]

@@sarahwilliams6058 ..Hello, Sarah Williams..!! ✌️😉

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@Maldoror200 oh! How are you doing Maldor? Where are you from?

[@Maldoror200]

@sarahwilliams6058 ..Hey darlin, would LOVE to tell You..., just not soo "publicly".., You know..?!

[@sarahwilliams6058]

@@Maldoror200 yeah sure So where would you love us to go?? Are you on instagram?

[@randomdude6361]

Why is there not a single close-up bass shot 😢

[@jonesisdying]

because it's Jeff Berlin...

[@kpaasial]

Tony Levin was the bass player at the start of the tour but he got ill and Jeff Berlin was brought in as replacement.

[@KurtRichterCISSP]

Alexa, play 'Glory Days' by Bruce Springsteen ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Kurt

[@dannoonan6215]

Steve howe is more 'electric' on the acoustic than most electric players

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello Dan

[@tdog9818]

I understand the desire to keep things fresh and try new tech but man those e-drums (which I’m guessing were pricey) sound so cheap.

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, how are you doing ❤

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Yeah but .

[@jefflevinson669]

But nuttin

[@twtwtw1]

...no Squire

[@jefflevinson669]

@@twtwtw1 Jeff Berlin is no slouch

[@twtwtw1]

@@jefflevinson669 True but he isn't Squire either

[@jefflevinson669]

@@twtwtw1 oh my God man . They have a slightly different style both excellent . Love Tony Levin Percy Jones . Technically as solid as Squire just different

[@Cybi0]

The worst choice Bill Bruford could make at this time was to use electronic drums ... this apparatus will never be able to produce the myriads of different sounds REAL acoustic drums or percussions can give. Electronics instruments can fake the sound of acoustic instruments but will never reproduce the real analogic sound of them, even with a 192 billions gigahertz sampling rate. The human ears work in an anlogic way then the brain processes the signal received : the human ears don't do samples ...

[@Null_Experis]

bruh, you're listening to a digital recreation of actual music made by pulsing an electromagnet connected to a diaphram to generate air pressure.

[@tirmey]

Really bad sounding drums... oh the eighties! :(

[@sarahwilliams6058]

Hello, Mr thiago