Rick Wakeman, the former Yes keyboardist, has been reflecting on the extravagant live shows he staged in the 1970s to accompany his ambitious concept albums, admitting the spectacle often put his finances, health and reputation on the line. Looking back after a decade of such excess, Wakeman remained unrepentant, insisting his elaborate productions were driven by a genuine desire to give audiences their money's worth rather than any deeper psychological need for grandeur.

Among the extravagances recalled is the band's use of Clark Gable's former Cadillac, which had been refurbished by Rolls-Royce and fitted with a television and two separate bars exclusively for the group's use while touring. Wakeman traced his love of theatrical, story-driven music back to childhood, when his father introduced him to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, and said he grew disillusioned with ordinary concerts, prompting him to pursue increasingly ambitious, large-scale live shows built around his concept albums.