The Word Is Live is a live

Live album

A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...

 box set by progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band Yes

Yes (band)

Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...

 and was released in 2005 through Rhino Records.

Considered the live companion to 2002's studio In a Word: Yes (1969 - )

In a Word: Yes (1969 - )

In a Word: Yes is a 5-CD box set by progressive rock band Yes encompassing their entire career from its inception in 1969 to 2001, including material from the 1989 Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album...

box set, The Word is Live serves to document the band's live story from early BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 recordings in 1970 with Peter Banks

Peter Banks

Peter Banks is an English guitarist. He was the original guitarist of the progressive rock band Yes.-Early career:When Banks was a young boy, his father bought him an acoustic guitar...

 to 1988 shows for Big Generator

Big Generator

Big Generator is the twelfth studio album by progressive rock band Yes. It was released in 1987 on Atlantic Records' Atco subsidiary label and was the follow-up to the massively successful 90125 album.- History :...

. All but the first two tracks were previously unreleased.

Many of the tracks were originally broadcast on radio shows and have been bootlegged extensively. In these, it is often the case that the radio show's final mix was the only mix available so few improvements in quality could be done for the release. While a few of the recordings (mostly those from the 1980 tour) do feature a less-than-polished quality to them, The Word is Live is still considered a fine document of Yes in a concert setting.

The box set also comes with a 52 page book containing images and stories by Yes fans and praising retroperspectives from artists such as John Frusciante

John Frusciante

John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...

 from Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...

. The opening for the book was written by Greg Lake

Greg Lake

Gregory Stuart "Greg" Lake is an English musician, songwriter and producer, best known as a vocalist and bassist of King Crimson, and the bassist, guitarist, vocalist, and lyricist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer.-1960s: King Crimson:...

 of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...

.

The set includes several pieces not originally released as studio recordings by Yes, including "It's Love", an extended cover of a song by The Young Rascals, and "Go Through This" and "We Can Fly From Here" from the tour to support Drama

Drama (Yes album)

Drama is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock group Yes. It is the first of two Yes albums without vocalist Jon Anderson. In early 1980, after rehearsing music for the follow-up to the tepidly-received Tormato, both Anderson and Rick Wakeman departed the band over creative and...

, but which were not released on Drama.

The title is presumably an alteration of the lyric "The word is love" from the song Time and a Word

Time and a Word

Time and a Word is the second album by progressive rock band Yes, released in mid-1970 in the UK and November 1970 in the US. This was the last Yes album to feature the group's original line-up, as Peter Banks was fired before the album's release....

.

Disc one

1. "Then" (Jon Anderson
   Jon Anderson
   Jon Anderson is an English singer-songwriter and musician best known as the former lead vocalist in the progressive rock band Yes...
   
   ) – 5:25
2. "For Everyone" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire
   Chris Squire
   Christopher Russell Edward "Chris" Squire , is an English musician, known as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes. He is the only member of the group to appear on every album.-Before Yes:...
   
   ) – 4:44
   • Tracks 1 – 2: BBC
     BBC
     The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
     
     , 1970
3. "Astral Traveller" (Jon Anderson) – 7:24
4. "Everydays" (Stephen Stills
   Stephen Stills
   Stephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
   
   ) – 11:01
   • Tracks 3 – 4: Gothenburg
     Gothenburg
     Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
     
     , 1971
5. "Yours Is No Disgrace" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Steve Howe
   Steve Howe (guitarist)
   Stephen James "Steve" Howe is an English guitarist, known for his work with the progressive rock group Yes...
   
   /Tony Kaye
   Tony Kaye (musician)
   Tony Kaye is a British musician.Kaye was the original keyboard player for the progressive rock group Yes from 1968 to 1971, and rejoined Yes from 1983 to 1995...
   
   /Bill Bruford
   Bill Bruford
   William Scott "Bill" Bruford is an English drummer, percussionist, composer, producer, and record label owner. He was the original drummer for the progressive rock group Yes, from 1968-1972. Bruford has performed for numerous popular acts since the early 1970s, including a stint as touring...
   
   ) – 11:45
6. "I've Seen All Good People
   I've Seen All Good People
   "I've Seen All Good People" is a song performed by the band Yes and written by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire. It is included on 1971 The Yes Album. It is said that the song originated from Gary S...
   
   " – 7:52
   1. "Your Move" (Jon Anderson)
   2. "All Good People" (Chris Squire)
7. "America" (Paul Simon
   Paul Simon
   Paul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
   
   ) – 16:21
8. "It's Love" (Felix Cavaliere
   Felix Cavaliere
   Felix Cavaliere is an American songwriter, singer, music producer, and musician.Although he was a member of Joey Dee and His Starlighters best known for their hit "Peppermint Twist", he is best known for his association with The Young Rascals during the 1960s. The other members of The Rascals...
   
   /Eddie Brigati
   Eddie Brigati
   Eddie Brigati is an American singer and songwriter.Most memorably, Brigati shared vocals, and played tambourine, in the pop group The Young Rascals from 1965 to 1970...
   
   ) – 11:07
   • Tracks 5 – 8: London
     London
     London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
     
     , 1971

Disc two

1. "Apocalypse" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Steve Howe/Bill Bruford) – 3:08
2. "Siberian Khatru
   Siberian Khatru
   "Siberian Khatru" is the third, shortest and final song of progressive rock band Yes album Close to the Edge. Live versions of the song are found on the Yessongs, Keys to Ascension, and Live at Montreux 2003 albums, and it also is on several compilation albums. It is notable for being the only song...
   
   " (Jon Anderson; Themes by Jon Anderson/Steve Howe/Rick Wakeman
   Rick Wakeman
   Richard Christopher Wakeman is an English keyboard player, composer and songwriter best known for being the former keyboardist in the progressive rock band Yes...
   
   ) – 10:10
3. "Sound Chaser" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Steve Howe/Patrick Moraz
   Patrick Moraz
   Patrick Philippe Moraz is a progressive rock keyboard player. He is best known as the keyboardist for the progressive rock band Yes, from 1974 to 1976, and the Moody Blues from 1978 to 1991...
   
   /Alan White
   Alan White (Yes drummer)
   Alan White is an English rock drummer known for his work with the progressive rock band Yes. White was also a member of the Plastic Ono Band, playing live in 1969 at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival, which was recorded and released three months later as Live Peace in Toronto 1969...
   
   ) – 11:17
   • Tracks 1 – 3: Detroit, 1976
4. "Sweet Dreams" (Jon Anderson/David Foster) – 6:22
   • Track 4: London, 1975
5. "Future Times" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Steve Howe/Rick Wakeman/Alan White)/ "Rejoice" (Jon Anderson) – 6:59
6. "Circus of Heaven" (Jon Anderson) – 4:52
   • Tracks 5 – 6: Oakland
     Oakland, California
     Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
     
     , 1978
7. "The Big Medley" (Jon Anderson/David Foster/Chris Squire)– 25:53
   1. "Time and a Word"
   2. "Long Distance Runaround"
   3. "Survival"
   4. "The Fish"
   5. "Perpetual Change"
   6. "Soon"
   • Track 7: Inglewood
     Inglewood, California
     Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
     
     , 1978
8. "Hello Chicago" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Steve Howe/Rick Wakeman/Alan White) – 2:11
9. "Roundabout
   Roundabout (song)
   "Roundabout" is the opening track for the 1971 album Fragile by British progressive rock band Yes. The song was written by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. In January 1972, an edited version of the song was released as a single with "Long Distance Runaround" on the B-side. "Roundabout"...
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) – 8:42
   • Tracks 8 – 9: Chicago
     Chicago
     Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
     
     , 1979

Disc three

1. "Heart of the Sunrise
   Heart of the Sunrise
   "Heart of the Sunrise" is a progressive rock song by British band Yes. It is the closing track on their fourth album, 1971's Fragile. The compositional credits go to Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, and Chris Squire, though keyboardist Rick Wakeman contributed some uncredited sections.The song...
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Bill Bruford) – 10:56
   • Track 1: Oakland, 1978
2. "Awaken
   Awaken (song)
   Awaken is a song by the British progressive rock band Yes released on their acclaimed 1977 album Going for the One. At 15 minutes and 31 seconds it is the longest track on the album, occupying most of the second side of the LP....
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) – 17:53
   • Track 2: Chicago, 1979
3. "Go Through This
   Go Through This
   "Go Through This" is a song by the British progressive rock group Yes.The song was originally composed in instrumental form by Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White during the Drama sessions before the band was introduced to Geoffrey Downes and Trevor Horn of The Buggles fame, who subsequently...
   
   " (Steve Howe) – 4:21
4. "We Can Fly from Here" (Geoff Downes
   Geoff Downes
   Geoffrey "Geoff" Downes is an English rock keyboard player, songwriter, best known as the keyboardist for the bands The Buggles, Yes and Asia, of which he is the only consistent member. When he was a keyboardist for The Buggles, he played multiple keyboards to achieve a New Wave technopop sound...
   
   /Trevor Horn
   Trevor Horn
   Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
   
   ) – 6:46
5. "Tempus Fugit" (Geoff Downes/Trevor Horn/Steve Howe/Chris Squire/Alan White) – 5:53
   • Tracks 3 – 5: New York City
     New York City
     New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
     
     , 1980
6. "Rhythm of Love" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Trevor Rabin
   Trevor Rabin
   Trevor Charles Rabin is a South African born musician, best known as a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983–1994, and since then, as a film composer.- Early years :...
   
   /Tony Kaye) – 6:42
7. "Hold On
   Hold On (Yes song)
   "Hold On" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes, from their 1983 album, 90125. It reached number 27 on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart in 1985.- History :...
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Trevor Rabin) – 7:24
8. "Shoot High, Aim Low
   Shoot High, Aim Low
   "Shoot High, Aim Low" is a song by Yes. It appears on the 1987 Big Generator album. The song appears to have never released as a single, but reached position #11 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the '80s...
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Trevor Rabin/Tony Kaye/Alan White) – 8:27
9. "Make It Easy
   Make It Easy
   "Make It Easy" is a 1981 song by the progressive rock band Yes. An early version of this song was written and sung by Trevor Rabin, originally as a demo titled "Don't Give In"...
   
   /Owner of a Lonely Heart
   Owner of a Lonely Heart
   "Owner of a Lonely Heart" is a song by the progressive rock band Yes. It is the opening track of their 1983 album 90125. Written primarily by Trevor Rabin, the song reached number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100 — to date Yes's biggest chart success...
   
   " (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Trevor Rabin/Trevor Horn) – 6:09
   • Tracks 6 – 9: Houston, 1988