NEW AGE OF ATLANTIC, THE

This was the second of two companion samplers or compilations released by "Atlantic" records, the first being "The age of Atlantic".

Released in 1972 the album sold for less than a pound in the UK, but was an essential purchase for prog fans, and more specifically fans of YES. The sole reason for this was that it contained an otherwise unavailable Yes recording in the form of a 10½ minute cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "America". This was something of a holy grail for those who enjoyed the music of Yes, as they transformed what was originally an acoustic masterpiece for the folky duo into a full blown prog epic.

As if this wasn't enough, the album also contains a rare Led Zeppelin song "Hey hey what can I do" which does not appear on any of their official albums (although it did eventually make it onto the "Led Zeppelin" box set). This hidden gem outshines many of the songs which made it on to the then current Led Zeppelin III.

The mighty Atlantic label catalogue was of course extensive, and some of the tracks here are of little interest in a prog context. There is though a solo appearance by one time King Crimson member Gordon Haskell, although it has to be said that "Sitting by the fire" is somewhat removed from the output of that band. Other contributions worthy of mention are Stephen Stills' Buffalo Spingfield performing "Bluebird", Cactus doing a version of "Long tall sally", and the J Geils band, who flirted on the fringes of prog, doing "I don't need you no more".

With the inclusion of "America" on recent Yes compilations and expanded remasters, it has become much more widely available. Seen in the context of the history of the band though, the "New age of Atlantic" stands as a significant milestone.