CLASSIC YES

Yes is a group truly impossible to encapsulate in a restricted format like this, but Classic Yes does a pretty good job. Focusing primarily on the band's "classic" period (hence the title), this compilation came out after the commercial failure Drama and before the commercial windfall of 90125. Excellently remastered by Joe Gastwirt in 1994, the CD is still available and a good way to introduce yourself to Yes if on a budget. Once you have a taste for the symphonic brilliance and sense of wonder only Yes can offer, you are going to run out and buy Fragile, The Yes Album, and Close To The Edge anyway; this makes Classic Yes a bit redundant and pointless but it's still a good collection of songs to keep in the car or give as a gift. For a more comprehensive sampling of Yes' entire career, I would recommend The Very Best of Yes instead.

As mentioned, Fragile, The Yes Album, and Close to the Edge are all essential on their own and make up the bulk of this collection. Some of the best songs from each are chosen, specifically "Heart of The Sunrise," "And You And I," and "Starship Trooper." Any Yes playlist would be incomplete without these three tracks and they are all included here in unedited form. One glaring omission is "Roundabout." Though a live version was included on a bonus 7" in the original release and as a bonus track on the CD, the studio recording is curiously missing. This is quite an oversight considering it is the song most associate with Yes. Anything from Relayer or an extra song from Going For The One would have been nice, but given time restrictions of the vinyl format I understand the song choices. "Wonderous Stories" is a nice touch, as is "Yours is No Disgrace." Classic Yes is a good representation of prog's most cherished act.