Search - Yes :: Extended Versions

Misleading title, these are not extended versions

K. L. Woomer | San Antonio Texas | 06/09/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"These are live versions that we have all heard before, and are not extended versions of anything.Misleading. It gets three starts because it is NOT the fault of the good songs on this CD that they were mis represented."

Beware . . .

Z. Spencer | CA United States | 03/17/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The only REALLY necessary thing you need to know . . . If you already own Yes' "Keys to Ascension," then you already own this collection. This collection is merely a reissue of 6 of the 7 live tracks from March 1996 (missing is "The Revealing Science of God" and the two studio tracks "Be the One" and "That, That Is.")

I wonder how the reviews would have fared for this collection if these live versions of these songs were unavailable elsewhere. Probably something like this . . . This collection starts with "SIBERIAN KHATRU" (originally from 1972's "Close to the Edge,' and with original drummer Bill Bruford). Strangely enough, it sounds a bit tired, with Steve Howe's formerly brilliant guitar work starting to drag the ensemble down tempo-wise. One gets the feeling that bass player Chris Squire and drummer Alan White are keeping the song afloat. (But frankly, most listeners won't even notice.) But the three part vocal harmonies are crisp and in tune (although they cheat at the end - Jon Anderson's voice is backed up by Rick Wakeman's keyboard rather than vocals from Howe and Squire. The repetitive nature of the guitar part can really turn off non-Yes-fans. The interest here is in the changing meters (2 sets of 8 followed by 2 sets of 7. Repeat.) Next up is "AMERICA," another pre-White recording, originally a single released before the early 1972 breakthrough album "Fragile," and the first recording with "new" keyboardist Wakeman. It made it's first album appearance on the compilation "Yesterdays" in 1974. Things pick up a bit on this song, although it is a bit of an oddity in the yes set list - it's one of the few covers that yes has ever released (this one being a Paul Simon tune from Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends."), as well as being a non-album track. Again the three-part vocals are quite good, and Anderson sounds a bit more at ease.Chris Squire's "ONWARD," originally from 1978's "Tormato" receives a new acoustic guitar intro from Howe which is quite nice (called "Unity," a detail missing from the non-existent liner notes for this release) . The song itself is a wonderfully dreamy gem, with excellent vocals from Anderson and Squire.The epic "AWAKEN," (originally from 1977's "Going for the One") is masterfully executed, all members contributing meaningfully. Of note are Anderson's harp playing, Wakeman's astounding keyboards, and White's percussion. However, Squire's bass sounds even more muffled than on the rest of the album.The classic "ROUNDABOUT," originally from "Fragile," (and also found performed live on "Yessongs," "House of Yes," "Classic Yes" and ABWH's "An Evening of Yes Music Plus") is flawlessly played, with the original intro and middle section restored (both often truncated in concert for many years), and another captivating Hammond solo by Wakeman. Even the trademark three-part vocals at the end are covered nicely.This disc finishes off with "STARSHIP TROOPER," originally from 1971's "The Yes Album" (with original keyboardist Tony Kaye). All subsequent recordings of this classic have been vastly improved by Wakeman's solo improvisations at the end, and this one is no exception. Howe finishes off truimphantly.As a stand-alone body of work, this CD is quite good, in spite of the poor overall sound quality of Chris Squire's usually crisp upfront bass guitar and White's undermixed drums. Anderson and Wakeman are in top form, and all vocals (including Howe's) are quite good. And there may not be a better drummer in the business than Alan White."

'Extended' is a series of misleading releases flooding the m

Warhorse | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | 07/19/2005

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Various artists have these Extended compilations made for them behind their back that are nothing more than a condensed repackaging of live material. In this case, this is steals material from Keys to Ascension. This release was not official endorced - see the discography page of yesworld.com for official releases."