Search - Yes :: The Collection

For diehard Yes collectors only

John Sposato | Syracuse, NY, USA | 12/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this compilation more because it was a budget import, and loyal fans will buy an import at any price. However, if you've been buying later material, then there's really nothing new here. The older songs we know and love like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Roundabout" were from the House of Blues concert from Halloween 1999, as the record company could not get to the originals released by WEA. These newer tracks were released by Eagle Rock and Beyond Music. The cover is definitely not the real Roger Dean (couldn't afford him, I guess), so here's a reasonable facsimile from Mikael Morientez (he did similar work for an even more-derided various artists comp of prog on the same label, which had members of Yes and Asia, which I find in the bargain bin sometimes). The paintings of the band inside are what they looked like in 1973, not the ageing troubadours they've become (stars grow old too!). There are also a few typos in the liner notes. If you're starting out with Yes, then maybe you can get this. For the rest of us, this is more for us collectors and completists, you see. This is one of a budget series of 2 CD comps of many people (or if they're off-limits, cover versions) that you may have seen around supermarkets and pharmacies. These are more impulse items than official releases. They're not gray market or bootlegs, but they serve a certain kind of market. The title is just a suggestion. This isn't considered a major release, apparently. These kinds of albums have been around since the days of vinyl!"