YES: Japanese SHM-CD Collection (1969 - 1987) [2009, Warner Music Japan]

Yes' debut album is surprisingly strong, given the inexperience of all those involved at the time. In an era when psychedelic meanderings were the order of the day, Yes delivered a surprisingly focused and exciting record that covered lots of bases (perhaps too many) in presenting their sound. The album opens boldly, with the fervor of a metal band of the era playing full tilt on "Beyond and Before," but it is with the second number, a cover of the Byrds' "I See You," that they show some of their real range. The song is highlighted by an extraordinary jazz workout from lead guitarist Peter Banks and drummer Bill Bruford that runs circles around the original by Roger McGuinn and company. "Harold Land" was the first song on which Chris Squire's bass playing could be heard in anything resembling the prominence it would eventually assume in their sound and anticipates in its structure the multi-part suites the group would later record, with its extended introduction and its myriad shifts in texture, timbre, and volume. And then there is "Every Little Thing," the most daring Beatles cover ever to appear on an English record, with an apocalyptic introduction and extraordinary shifts in tempo and dynamics, Banks' guitar and Bruford's drums so animated that they seem to be playing several songs at once. This song also hosts an astonishingly charismatic performance by Jon Anderson. There were numerous problems in recording this album, owing to the inexperience of the group, the producer, and the engineer, in addition to the unusual nature of their sound. Many of the numbers give unusual prominence to the guitar and drums, thus making it the most uncharacteristic of all the group's albums

by Bruce Eder, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Beyond And Before (Squire / Bailey) (4:56)
2. I See You (McGuinn / Crosby) (6:53)
3. Yesterday And Today (Anderson) (2:52)
4. Looking Around (Anderson / Squire) (4:20)
5. Harold Land (Anderson / Squire / Bruford) (5:47)
6. Every Little Thing (Lennon / McCartney) (5:47)
7. Sweetness (Anderson / Squire / Bailey) (4:35)
8. Survival (Anderson) (6:23)
9. Everydays (Single Version) (Stills) (6:24)
10. Dear Father (Early Version #2) (Anderson / Squire) (5:52)
11. Something's Coming (Bernstein / Sondheim) (7:10)
12. Everydays (Early Version) (Stills) (5:19)
13. Dear Father (Early Version #1) (Anderson / Squire) (5:32)
14. Something's Coming (Early Version) (Bernstein / Sondheim) (8:03)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals, Percussion
Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals
Bill Bruford: Drums, Vibraphone
Peter Banks: Guitar, Vocals
Tony Kaye: Organ, Piano

Yes' second (and least successful) album was a transitional effort; the group trying for a more produced and sophisticated sound through the use of an orchestra. Even so, the results weren't conventional, because the group didn't tone down or turn down its sound. Much of Time and a Word relies on bold, highly animated performances by Bill Bruford, Chris Squire, and Tony Kaye. Additionally, by this time the group was developing a much tauter ensemble than was evident on their first LP, so there's no lack of visceral excitement. "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" was a bold opening, a highly amplified, frenzied adaptation of the Richie Havens song, melded with Jerome Moross's title music from the movie The Big Country. Somewhat more successful musically is "Then," which keeps the orchestral accompaniment to a minimum and allows Kaye and Banks to stretch out on organ and guitar. "Everydays" is highlighted by Anderson's ethereal vocals and Kaye's dueting with the orchestra. A surprising amount of the material here seems rather tuneless, but the group was solidifying its sound and, in the process, forcing Banks out of the lineup, despite some beautiful moments for him (and Tony Kaye) on the prettiest parts of "The Prophet," a piece that also contains fragments of music that anticipate Yes' work right up through Tales from Topographic Oceans. "Astral Traveller," as a title, anticipates the themes of future group work, though they still don't have the dexterity to pull off the tempo changes they're trying for. By the time the record was completed, Banks was out of the band, which is why Steve Howe, his successor, ended up pictured on the cover of most editions.

by Bruce Eder, AMG

Tracklist:

1. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Havens) (4:53)
2. Then (Anderson) (5:50)
3. Everydays (Stills) (6:12)
4. Sweet Dreams (Anderson / Foster) (3:52)
5. The Prophet (Anderson / Squire) (6:39)
6. Clear Days (Anderson) (2:09)
7. Astral Traveller (Anderson) (5:57)
8. Time And A Word (Anderson / Foster) (4:40)
9. Dear Father (Anderson / Squire) (4:15)
10. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix) (Havens) (4:46)
11. Sweet Dreams (Original Mix) (Anderson / Foster) (4:21)
12. The Prophet (Single Version) (Anderson / Squire) (6:36)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals, Percussion
Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals
Peter Banks: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocal
Tony Kaye: Piano, Organ
Bill Bruford: Drums, Percussion
David Foster: Acoustic Guitars on the title track

On Yes' first two albums, Yes (1969) and Time and a Word (1970), the quintet was mostly searching for a sound on which they could build, losing one of their original members – guitarist Peter Banks – in the process. Their third time out proved the charm – The Yes Album constituted a de facto second debut, introducing the sound that would carry them forward across the next decade or more. Gone are any covers of outside material, the group now working off of its own music from the ground up. A lot of the new material was actually simpler – in linear structure, at least – than some of what had appeared on their previous albums, but the internal dynamics of their playing had also altered radically, and much of the empty space that had been present in their earlier recordings was also filled up here – suddenly, between new member Steve Howe's odd mix of country- and folk-based progressive guitar and the suddenly liberated bass work and drumming of Chris Squire and Bill Bruford, respectively, the group's music became extremely busy. And lead singer Jon Anderson, supported by Squire and Howe, filled whatever was left almost to overflowing. Anderson's soaring falsetto and the accompanying harmonies, attached to haunting melodies drawn from folk tunes as often as rock, applied to words seemingly derived from science fiction, and all delivered with the bravura of an operatic performance – by the band as well as the singer – proved a compelling mix. What's more, despite the busy-ness of their new sound, the group wasn't afraid to prove that less could sometimes be more: three of the high points were the acoustic-driven "Your Move" and "The Clap" (a superb showcase for Howe on solo acoustic guitar), and the relatively low-key "A Venture" (oddly enough, the latter was the one cut here that didn't last in the group's repertory; most of the rest, despite the competition from their subsequent work, remained in their concert set for years to come). The Yes Album did what it had to do, outselling the group's first two long-players and making the group an established presence in America where, for the first time, they began getting regular exposure on FM radio. Sad to say, the only aspect of The Yes Album that didn't last much longer was Tony Kaye on keyboards: his Hammond organ holds its own in the group's newly energized sound, and is augmented by piano and other instruments when needed, but he resisted the idea of adding the Moog synthesizer, that hot instrument of the moment, to his repertory. The band was looking for a bolder sound than the Hammond could generate, and after some initial rehearsals of material that ended up on their next album, he was dropped from the lineup, to be replaced by Rick Wakeman.

by Bruce Eder, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Yours Is No Disgrace (Anderson / Squire / Howe / Kaye / Bruford) 9:41
2. Clap (Howe) 3:17
3. Starship Trooper (music: Anderson / Squire / Howe; lyrics: Anderson / Squire) 9:29
a) Life Seeker (Anderson)
b) Disillusion (Squire)
c) Wurm (Howe)
4. I've Seen All Good People 6:57
a) Your Move (Anderson)
b) All Good People (Squire)
5. A Venture (Anderson) 3:19
6. Perpetual Change (Anderson / Squire) 8:58
7. Your Move (single version) (Anderson) (2:59)
8. Starship Trooper: Life Seeker (single version) (Anderson) (3:28)
9. Clap (studio version) (Howe) (4:02)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals, Percussion
Chris Squire: Bass Guitars, Vocals
Steve Howe: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vachalia, Vocals
Tony Kaye: Piano, Organ, Moog
Bill Bruford: Drums, Percussion

Colin Goldring: recorders (4a, 7)







Tracklist:

1. Roundabout (Anderson / Howe) (8:36)
2. Cans And Brahms (Extracts From Brahms' 4th Symphony in E minor Third Movement) (Brahms, arr. Wakeman) (1:43)
3. We Have Heaven (Anderson) (1:40)
4. South Side of the Sky (Anderson / Squire) (7:58)
5. Five Per Cent for Nothing (Bruford) (0:38)
6. Long Distance Runaround (Anderson) (3:30)
7. the fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Squire) (2:42)
8. Mood For A Day (Howe) (3:03)
9. Heart Of The Sunrise (Anderson / Squire / Bruford) (11:33)
10. America (Paul Simon) (10:34)
11. Roundabout (Early Rough Mix) (Anderson / Howe) (8:35)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Bill Bruford: Drums, Percussion
Steve Howe: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass Guitars, Vocals
Rick Wakeman: Organ, Grand Piano (Electric Piano and Harpsichord), Mellotron, Synthesizer

With 1971's Fragile having left Yes poised quivering on the brink of what friend and foe acknowledged was the peak of the band's achievement, Close to the Edge was never going to be an easy album to make. Drummer Bill Bruford was already shifting restlessly against Jon Anderson's increasingly mystic/mystifying lyricism, while contemporary reports of the recording sessions depicted bandmate Rick Wakeman, too, as little more than an observer to the vast tapestry that Anderson, Steve Howe, and Chris Squire were creating. For it was vast. Close to the Edge comprised just three tracks, the epic "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru," plus a side-long title track that represented the musical, lyrical, and sonic culmination of all that Yes had worked toward over the past five years. Close to the Edge would make the Top Five on both sides of the Atlantic, dispatch Yes on the longest tour of its career so far and, if hindsight be the guide, launch the band on a downward swing that only disintegration, rebuilding, and a savage change of direction would cure. The latter, however, was still to come. In 1972, Close to the Edge was a flawless masterpiece.

by Dave Thompson, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Close To The Edge (Anderson / Howe) (18:43)
i. The Solid Time Of Change
ii. Total Mass Retain
iii. I Get Up I Get Down
iv. Seasons Of Man
2. And You And I (music: Anderson, themes by Bruford / Howe / Squire; lyrics: Anderson) (10:09)
i. Cord Of Life (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
ii. Eclipse (Anderson / Bruford / Howe)
iii. The Preacher The Teacher (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
iv. Apocalypse (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
3. Siberian Khatru (Anderson, themes by Anderson / Howe / Wakeman) (9:01)
4. America (Single Version) (Paul Simon) (4:13)
5. Total Mass Retain (Single Version) (Anderson / Howe) (3:21)
6. And You And I (Alternate Version) (Anderson, themes by Bruford / Howe / Squire; lyrics by Anderson) (10:18)
i. Cord Of Life (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
ii. Eclipse (Anderson / Bruford / Howe)
iii. The Preacher The Teacher (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
iv. Apocalypse (Anderson / Bruford / Howe / Squire)
7. Siberia (Studio Run-Through of "Siberian Khatru") (Anderson; themes by Anderson / Howe / Wakeman) (9:20)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Bill Bruford: Drums, Percussion
Steve Howe: Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals
Rick Wakeman: Keyboards

In many ways, the extravagance of this package equates the profligacy of the prog rock combo themselves. After all, how else but on a triple-LP collection could one hope to re-create (and/or contain) an adequate sampling of Yes' live presentation? Especially since their tunes typically clocked in in excess of ten minutes. Although they had turned in five studio long-players, the vast majority of Yessongs (1973) is drawn from their three most recent endeavors The Yes Album (1970), Fragile (1971), and Close to the Edge (1972). There are two exceptions, the first being the "Opening (Excerpt from "Firebird Suite")" – which comes from the 1969 Boston Symphony Orchestra's recording, conducted by Seiji Ozawa. The other is Rick Wakeman's keyboard solo "Excerpts from 'The Six Wives Of Henry VIII'." Yes had just undergone a personnel change shortly after concluding work on Close to the Edge as Bill Bruford (percussion) left to join King Crimson in July of 1972. Bruford can be heard on "Perpetual Change," as well as the medley of "Long Distance Runaround" and "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)." Enthusiasts keen on various and arguably irrelevant minutia should note the spelling of "praimaturus" as credited on Yessongs. It is slightly different from Fragile, which is denoted as "praematurus." That bit of trivia aside, the new lineup finds Alan White (drums), quite ably filling Bruford's shoes, alongside Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitars), Chris Squire (bass/vocals), and Rick Wakeman (keyboards).

One of their trademarks has always been an ability to re-create their often densely layered sound in concert. They effortlessly pull off the tricky chord progressions and changes in time signatures of "Siberian Khatru" and a sublime "Heart of the Sunrise," which unquestionably bests the dexterity of its carefully crafted studio counterpart. Both Howe and Squire's respective solos during "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" are highlights as they give the entire unit an opportunity to show off their capacity for dramatic dynamics. The remainder of Yessongs is similarly strong, particularly the note-perfect "Close to the Edge," and the inspired concluding instrumental jam during "Starship Trooper." However, one criticism that can be leveled at the entire Yessongs release is the less than optimal audio quality throughout. The sound is generally muddy with no real fidelity to speak of and an even less precise stereoscape. But until someone goes back to the multi-tracks and remixes them for 21st century ears, this is as good as it gets when documenting Yes during this seminal transition period.

by Lindsay Planer, AMG

Tracklist CD1:

01. Opening (excerpt from 'Firebird Suite') (3:46)
02. Siberian Khatru (8:53)
03. Heart Of The Sunrise (11:20)
04. Perpetual Change (14:14)
05. And You And I: 1. Cord Of Life; 2. Eclipse; 3. The Preacher The Teacher; 4. Apocalypse (9:39)
06. Mood For A Day (2:52)
07. Excerpts from 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' (6:34)
08. Roundabout (8:39)




Tracklist CD2:

01. I've Seen All Good People: 1. Your Move; 2. All Good People (7:06)
02. Long Distance Runaround / The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus) (13:32)
03. Close To The Edge: 1. The Solid Time Of Change; 2. Total Mass Retain; 3. I Get Up I Get Down; 4. Seasons Of Man (18:10)
04. Yours Is No Disgrace (14:16)
05. Starship Trooper (1. Life Seeker; 2. Disillusion; 3. Wurm) (10:13)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: vocals
Chris Squire: bass and vocals
Steve Howe: guitars and vocals
Rick Wakeman: keyboards
Bill Bruford: drums (CD 1 track 4, CD 2 track 2)
Alan White: drums (everything else)

Four decades after its release, this is still the most controversial record in Yes' output. Tales from Topographic Oceans was the place where Yes either fulfilled all of the promise shown on their previous five albums or slid off the rails in a fit of artistic hubris, especially on the part of lead singer Jon Anderson and guitarist Steve Howe, who dominated the composition credits here. Actually, the group probably did a bit of both here across 80 minutes of music on a fully packed double-LP set; the group's musical ambitions were obvious on its face, as it consisted of four long songs (really suites) each taking up a side of an album, and each longer than the previous album's side-long "Close to the Edge." And Tales had a jumping-off point that was as far advanced in complexity and density as Close to the Edge had been out in front of its predecessor, Fragile, – and all of it made The Yes Album seem like basic rock & roll. Anderson, by virtue of his voice and lyrics, is the dominant personality on Tales, and his fascination with Eastern religion is fully manifest, as never before (or since). Confronted by song titles such as "The Revealing Science of God," and a concept derived from the Buddhist Shastric scriptures, the casual listener might have felt in need of both a running start and a sheet of footnotes: Yes keyboard player Rick Wakeman clearly felt something along those lines, as it was while making this record that he decided to exit the group. And, yet, Tales contains some of the most sublimely beautiful musical passages ever to come from the group, and develops a major chunk of that music in depth and degrees in ways that one can only marvel at, though there's a big leap from marvel to enjoy. If one can grab onto it, Tales is a long, sometimes glorious musical ride across landscapes strange and wonderful, thick with enticing musical textures; it offers the Yes fan the chance to be a true "astral traveler." Apart from one percussion break by Alan White that doesn't come off (if there had to be a Yes album with a percussion solo, why couldn't it have come along when Bill Bruford was in the band?), the music never falls flat, and it's a pity that Wakeman couldn't appreciate the richness and vitality he brought to the album. And Anderson and Howe get to work in an extraordinarily wide range of musical voices. In another reality, perhaps the gorgeous, folk-like passages on Tales would have spawned songs of four or five minutes, but here they are, woven into these long-form pieces, and if one can take the plunge into these particular sonic oceans, and comfortably stay under long enough, it's a journey that will reward. But it's not a trip for everyone – or even every Yes fan – to take, especially not too soon after discovering the album.

by Bruce Eder, AMG

Tracklist CD1:

1. The Revealing Science Of God / Dance Of The Dawn (22:36)
2. The Remembering / High The Memory (20:53)
3. 'The Ancient' / Giants Under The Sun (18:35)




Tracklist CD2:

1. Ritual / Nous Sommes Du Soleil (21:52)
2. Dance Of The Dawn (Studio Run-Through) (23:36)
3. Giants Under The Sun (Studio Run-Through) (17:18)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass and Vocals
Rick Wakeman: Keyboards
Alan White: Drums
Steve Howe: Guitars and Vocals

Yes had fallen out of critical favor with Tales from Topographic Oceans, a two-record set of four songs that reviewers found indulgent. But they had not fallen out of the Top Ten, and so they had little incentive to curb their musical ambitiousness. Relayer, released 11 months after Tales, was a single-disc, three-song album, its music organized into suites that alternated abrasive, rhythmically dense instrumental sections featuring solos for the various instruments with delicate vocal and choral sections featuring poetic lyrics devoted to spiritual imagery. Such compositions seemed intended to provide an interesting musical landscape over which the listener might travel, and enough Yes fans did that to make Relayer a Top Ten, gold-selling hit, though critics continued to complain about the lack of concise, coherent song structures.

by William Ruhlmann, AMG

Tracklist:

1. The Gates Of Delirium (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White / Moraz) (21:57)
2. Sound Chaser (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White / Moraz) (9:27)
3. To Be Over (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White / Moraz) (9:20)
4. Soon (Single Edit) (4:18)
5. Sound Chaser (Single Edit) (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White / Moraz) (3:14)
6. The Gates Of Delirium (Studio Run-Through) (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White / Moraz) (21:17)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Steve Howe: Guitars, Vocals
Patrick Moraz: Keyboards
Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals
Alan White: Drums, Percussion

Going for the One is perhaps the most overlooked item in the Yes catalog. It marked Rick Wakeman's return to the band after a three-year absence, and also a return to shorter song forms after the experimentalism of Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer. In many ways, this disc could be seen as the follow-up to Fragile. Its five tracks still retain mystical, abstract lyrical images, and the music is grand and melodic, the vocal harmonies perfectly balanced by the stinging guitar work of Steve Howe, Wakeman's keyboards, and the solid rhythms of Alan White and Chris Squire. The title track features Howe on steel guitar (he's the only prog rocker who bothers with the instrument). "Turn of the Century" and the album's single, "Wonderous Stories," are lovely ballads the way only Yes can do them. "Parallels" is the album's big, pompous song, so well done that in later years the band opened concerts with it. Wakeman's stately church organ, recorded at St. Martin's Church, Vevey, Switzerland, sets the tone for this "Roundabout"-ish track. The concluding "Awaken" is the album's nod to the extended suite. Again, the lyrics are spacy in the extreme, but Jon Anderson and Squire are dead-on vocally, and the addition of Anderson's harp and White's tuned percussion round out this evocative track.

by Ross Boissoneau, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Going For The One (Anderson) (5:33)
2. Turn Of The Century (Anderson / Howe / White) (7:56)
3. Parallels (Squire) (5:58)
4. Wonderous Stories (Anderson) (3:50)
5. Awaken (Anderson / Howe) (15:38)
6. Montreux's Theme (Howe / Squire / Anderson / White) (2:38)
7. Vevey (Revisted) (Anderson / Wakeman) (4:47)
8. Amazing Grace (Traditional, arranged by Chris Squire) (2:36)
9. Going For The One (Rehearsal) (Anderson) (5:11)
10. Parallels (Rehearsal) (Squire) (6:21)
11. Turn Of The Century (Rehearsal) (Anderson / Howe / White) (6:59)
12. Eastern Numbers (Early Version of 'Awaken') (Anderson / Howe) (12:17)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals, Percussion, Harp
Chris Squire: Bass guitar, Vocals
Steve Howe: Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Portuguese 12 String (incorrectly listed as a vachalia at the time), Lap Steel Guitar, Vocal
Rick Wakeman: Piano, Organ, Polymoog and Minimoog Synthesizers, Pipe Organ
Alan White: Drums, Percussion

The '70s model of Yes runs out of gas. Recorded in a morale slump and an impending haze of drink, Tormato's decent tunes are sabotaged by Rick Wakeman's increasing penchant for cheesy textures and the band's thin overall sound. "Don't Kill the Whale" was their last successful single for years; the soaring "Onward" almost but not quite redeems the twee silliness of "Arriving UFO" and "Circus of Heaven." Of special interest is the pounding "On the Silent Wings of Freedom," which pushes Chris Squire and Alan White to the front of the mix, establishing the kind of aggressive and straightforward rhythms that would propel the band through the '80s. Bass freaks, take note: this tune also marks one of the few appearances of the Dipthong pedal, accounting for Squire's distinctive "bow bow bow" sound.

by Paul Collins, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Future Times / Rejoice (6:47)
a) Future Times (Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White)
b) Rejoice (Anderson)
2. Don't Kill The Whale (Anderson / Squire) (3:58)
3. Madrigal (Anderson / Wakeman) (2:27)
4. Release, Release (Anderson / White / Squire) (5:49)
5. Arriving Ufo (Anderson / Howe / Wakeman) (6:09)
6. Circus Of Heaven (Anderson) (4:32)
7. Onward (Squire) (4:05)
8. On The Silent Wings Of Freedom (Anderson / Squire) (7:52)
9. Abilene (Howe) (4:03)
10. Money (Squire / Anderson / White / Wakeman) (3:15)
11. Picasso (Anderson) (2:12)
12. Some Are Born (Anderson) (5:43)
13. You Can Be Saved (Squire) (4:20)
14. High (Howe) (4:30)
15. Days (demo) (Anderson) (1:00)
16. Countryside (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White) (3:12)
17. Everybody's Song (early demo of "Does It Really Happen?") (Anderson / Howe / Squire / White) (6:48)
18. Onward (orchestral backing track) (3:06)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: lead vocals (all), Alvarez 10-string guitar (1a, 5, 8)
Steve Howe: guitars (1-5, 7, 8), electric & acoustic mandolin (6), vocals (1, 3-6)
Chris Squire: bass (1, 2, 4-8), bass pedals (1a, 3, 5), piano (2), vocals (all)
Rick Wakeman: Birotron (1, 2, 4-6, 8), Hammond organ (1, 4), Polymoog (1, 2, 4-8), RMI (8), harpsichord (3), piano (5)
Alan White: drums (1, 2, 4-6, 8), glockenspiel (1a), crotales (1a, 3, 6, 7), cymbals (3), bell tree (3), gongs (5), vibraphone (7), percussion (4), drum synthesizer (5), vocals (4)
Damion Anderson: vocals (6)

by Jeri Montesano, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Machine Messiah (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (10:28)
Part I
Part II
Part III
2. White Car (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (1:21)
3. Does It Really Happen? (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (6:36)
4. Into The Lens (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (8:32)
5. Run Through The Light (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (4:43)
6. Tempus Fugit (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (5:22)
7. Into The Lens (I Am a Camera) (Single Version) (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (3:48)
8. Run Through The Light (Single Version) (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (4:31)
9. Have We Really Got To Go Through This (Howe / Squire / White) (3:43)
10. Song No. 4 (Satellite) (Howe / Squire / White) (7:32)
11. Tempus Fugit (Tracking Session) (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (5:40)
12. White Car (Tracking Session) (Downes / Horn / Howe / Squire / White) (1:11)
13. Dancing Through The Light (Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White) (3:17)
14. Golden Age (Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White) (5:58)
15. In The Tower (Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White) (2:55)
16. Friend Of A Friend (Anderson / Howe / Squire / Wakeman / White) (3:38)

Musicians:

Geoff Downes: Keyboards, Vocoder
Trevor Horn: Vocals, Fretless Bass
Steve Howe: Guitars, Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass, Vocals, Piano
Alan White: Percussion, Vocals

The second official concert package from Yes contains tunes recorded over a span of two years (1976-1978) and two different incarnations of the band. Like its live predecessor Yessongs (1973), Yesshows finds the combo during one of their states of perpetual change. Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass/vocals), and Alan White (drums) are joined by Rick Wakeman (keyboards) on a majority of the selections. The exceptions being "Gates of Delirium" from Relayer (1974) and the Tales from Topographic Oceans' (1973) epic "Ritual" – which is presented in two parts – and has Patrick Moraz (keyboards) in Wakeman's stead. The original concept contained a few features that would have been akin to Yessongs. They debated as to whether they should make it another triple-LP and feature Tales from Topographic Oceans in its entirety, like Close to the Edge had been done on Yessongs. Undecided, they made a rough mix of a two-album incarnation, but then shelved it in order to focus their attentions on creating new music. Purportedly, that unapproved (by Yes, anyway) version was cleaned up by the record company and released for the holiday shopping frenzy of 1980. As issued, the seven tracks hang well together and provide enthusiasts an opportunity to hear a mixture of older and newer material. Best of all, Yes retain their enviable ability to ably re-create the complex and challenging passages with a soul that is occasionally lacking from the studio counterparts. Reaching back nearly a decade is an excellent update of the optimistic "Aquarian Age" anthem and the title composition of their second platter, "Time and a Word." It is enveloped by a pair of equally well-executed sides from Going for the One (1977). Here, both the opener "Parallels" and the song "Going for the One" exceed the comparatively sterile non-live readings. Particularly endearing and inspired is Anderson's off-key voice crack during the high-octane chorus of the latter. The more involved works – especially the Moraz performances on "The Gates of Delirium" and the nearly half-hour "Ritual" – are fuelled by a continuous energy. They build on the structure established from the respective long-players, yet even the most intricate elements and dynamics are amplified in their decisiveness and command. Anderson's intimacy and passion fuse on the closer "Wondrous Stories," almost as if releasing the audience from one last embrace.

by Lindsay Planer, AMG

Tracklist CD1:

01. Parallels (7:08)
02. Time And A Word (4:07)
03. Going For The One (5:24)
04. The Gates Of Delirium (22:43)




Tracklist CD2:

01. Don't Kill The Whale (6:51)
02. Ritual / Nous Sommes Du Soleil - 1 & 2 (28:55)
03. Wonderous Stories (3:59)
04. I've Seen All Good People (7:32)
05. Roundabout (7:54)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: vocals
Chris Squire: bass guitar, vocals, mixing
Steve Howe: guitars, vocals
Patrick Moraz: keyboards
Rick Wakeman: keyboards
Alan White: drums, vocals

A stunning self-reinvention by a band that many had given up for dead, 90125 is the album that introduced a whole new generation of listeners to Yes. Begun as Cinema, a new band by Chris Squire and Alan White, the project grew to include the slick production of Trevor Horn, the new blood (and distinctly '80s guitar sound) of Trevor Rabin, and eventually the trademark vocals of returning founder Jon Anderson. His late entry insured that Rabin and Horn had a heavy influence on the sound. The album also marked the return of prodigal keyboardist Tony Kaye, whose crisp synth work on "Changes" marked the band's definitive break with its art rock roots. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was a huge crossover hit, and its orchestral break has been relentlessly sampled by rappers ever since. The vocal harmonies of "Leave It" and the beautifully sprawling "Hearts" are additional high points, but there's nary a duff track on the album.

by Paul Collins, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Rabin / Anderson / Squire / Horn) (4:30)
2. Hold On (Rabin / Anderson / Squire) (5:18)
3. It Can Happen (Squire / Anderson / Rabin) (5:29)
4. Changes (Rabin / Anderson / White) (6:21)
5. Cinema (Squire / Rabin / White / Kaye) (2:08)
6. Leave It (Squire / Rabin / Horn) (4:14)
7. Our Song (Anderson / Squire / Rabin / White) (4:18)
8. City Of Love (Rabin / Anderson) (4:52)
9. Hearts (Anderson / Squire / Rabin / White / Kaye) (7:43)
10. Leave It (Single Remix) (Squire / Rabin / Horn) (3:57)
11. Make It Easy (Bonus Track) (Rabin) (6:12)
12. It Can Happen (Squire / Anderson / Rabin) (Cinema Version) (6:05)
13. It's Over (Previously Unissued) (Rabin) (5:42)
14. Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Previously Unissued Extended Remix) (Rabin / Anderson / Squire / Horn) (7:05)
15. Leave It (A Capella Version) (Squire / Rabin / Horn) (3:19)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Tony Kaye: Keyboards
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass, Guitar (Bass), Vocals
Alan White: Drums, Percussion, Vocals

For fans waiting for a follow-up to the massive success of 90125, 9012Live: The Solos proved to be a disappointment. This brief album consists of solo turns by each bandmember, along with two 90125 tracks scarcely changed from the studio versions. "Solly's Beard" provides a pleasant, if somewhat incoherent showcase for Trevor Rabin's guitar work, and Jon Anderson takes an uneventful walk down memory lane with "Soon." The highlight of the album is the duet "Whitefish," and with Chris Squire and Alan White galloping through a spirited medley of "The Fish," "Sound Chaser," and "Tempus Fugit." While it's an okay tour souvenir, 9012Live: The Solos can hardly claim to be a proper album.

by Paul Collins, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Hold On ( 6:45)
02. Si ( 2:32)
03. Solly's Beard ( 4:45)
04. Soon ( 2:08)
05. Changes ( 6:58)
06. Amazing Grace ( 2:14)
07. Whitefish ( 8:36)
08. City Of Love ( 6:31)
09. It Can Happen ( 6:29)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals, Keyboard, Guitar
Tony Kaye: Keyboards, Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Alan White: Drums, Vocals

The four-years-in-the-making follow-up to Yes' comeback album, 90125, Big Generator was also a million-selling hit, although not as successful as its predecessor, probably because the singles "Love Will Find a Way" (number 30) and "Rhythm of Love" (number 40) couldn't match "Owner of a Lonely Heart" from the previous LP, even if they were favorites on AOR radio at the time. Actually, it was the title track that was a carbon copy of "Owner," so maybe that was the problem. More likely, though, "Owner" was a one-shot (courtesy of producer Trevor Horn), and as Yes asserted itself more here, the band reverted more to its old style, making for some confusion. Nevertheless, this album was Yes' last major hit.

by William Ruhlmann, AMG

Tracklist:

1. Rhythm Of Love (Kaye / Rabin / Anderson / Squire) (4:48)
2. Big Generator (Rabin / Kaye / Anderson / Squire / White) (4:34)
3. Shoot High Aim Low (White / Kaye / Rabin / Anderson / Squire) (7:03)
4. Almost Like Love (Kaye / Rabin / Anderson / Squire) (5:01)
5. Love Will Find A Way (Rabin) (4:51)
6. Final Eyes (Rabin / Kaye / Anderson / Squire) (6:26)
7. I'm Running (Rabin / Squire / Anderson / Kaye / White) (7:38)
8. Holy Lamb (Song For Harmonic Convergence) (Anderson) (3:24)
9. Love Will Find A Way (Edited Version) (4:18)
10. Love Will Find A Way (Extended Version) (7:12)
11. Rhythm Of Love (Dance To The Rhythm Mix) (6:55)
12. Rhythm Of Love (Move To The Rhythm Mix) (4:26)
13. Rhythm Of Love (The Rhythm Of Dub) (7:51)

Musicians:

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Tony Kaye: Keyboard
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards and Vocals
Chris Squire: Bass and Vocals
Alan White: Drums and Percussion





All thanks go to the original releasers