Yes - where to start?

I believe I started with Fragile, if I remember well, and that was a good starting point, it took a while to sink in, but it was enough to get my interest and keep listening until I really got into it. Also, Close to the Edge is a really great album, both albums are my favourite Yes albums and I think it's a good place to start. Going for the One has some really good songs too (specially Awaken and Turn of the Century), and Relayer has "Gates of Delirium", which is also great, though certainly not a very good place to start.

However, perhaps the very best to start would be a live album, like Symphonic Live (available as a CD or DVD), which has many of the bands best songs, superbly played, and orchestrated in a very fine fashion. Another great live album to start for me would be Keys to Ascension, however this has the problem that the CD version comes split in two double albums with live and new studio recordings included (however, some of the new songs are good, so it may be good enough anyway), and the DVD version has some not so great video quality (though it's not terrible at all); still, this album has some of my favourite versions of many of their classic songs, so it may still be a good place to start... pehaps you could get the pair on DVD.

Close to the Edge, Fragile, Relayer and the Yes Album to start with. You really can't go wrong with any of those. Relayer is a pretty wild album though, and probably my favorite, so that might not be the best place to start but you will want to get it pretty soon.  Close to the edge is the no brainer answer though. If you like that then get the ones right before it next. Their first two albums are good but I would save them for way later. If you get into Yes in a big way then you will want to get those. Stick with their first ten years before getting into the later stuff. 

cstack3 wrote: dreadpirateroberts wrote: AWESOME! Thank you every one - I have a crystal clear idea of where to start now :) In regards to their first release, what's the general feeling there? I quite love the first release, "Yes," as it features Peter Banks (very under-appreciated) and introduced the world to many new concepts, including Squire's unique bass sound, Bruford's outstanding drumming etc.   My evolution into Yes started with "The Yes Album," followed by "Fragile" and then "Close To The Edge."  This is a very natural progression.  "Time and a Word" is a very fine album, but their use of orchestration is somewhat jarring, and led to dissent within the band.  However, it contains some Yes classics including "Astral Traveller" and the title track.  Sounds like you have some good advice on PA!  You can easily sample individual songs if you seek them out by song title on YouTube, there are tons of these songs (both uploaded from the CD as well as live versions). Enjoy your trip!!

Thank you! Yeah, awesome advice here, absolutely.

I'll definitely end up going for 'Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge' progression (as they come up time & time again, in everyone's recommendations) then move from there. Probably to 'Relayer' and others, before coming back to the earliest.

I guess my only problem is, as I've just ordered those 3 together, they'll arrive at the same time and I'll have to choose which to actually listen to first. :)
 


Edited by dreadpirateroberts - June 09 2011 at 10:22

Fragile.

dreadpirateroberts wrote:   Thank you! Yeah, awesome advice here, absolutely. I'll definitely end up going for 'Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge' progression (as they come up time & time again, in everyone's recommendations) then move from there. Probably to 'Relayer' and others, before coming back to the earliest. I guess my only problem is, as I've just ordered those 3 together, they'll arrive at the same time and I'll have to choose which to actually listen to first. :)

Endless Dream, from Talk, is a really great song.

The Yes Album & Yessongs, to get a good studio and live introduction.  Though if you are bothered by subpar sound, skip Yessongs and move onto Fragile or CTTE, and Topographic Oceans.  Topographic is my personal favorite and along with Relayer are the most expansive, adventurous, some would say pretentious, but to me that's good

Avoid everything after Drama like the plague, just my opinion of course.  Good luck!

cstack3 wrote: dreadpirateroberts wrote:   Thank you! Yeah, awesome advice here, absolutely. I'll definitely end up going for 'Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge' progression (as they come up time & time again, in everyone's recommendations) then move from there. Probably to 'Relayer' and others, before coming back to the earliest. I guess my only problem is, as I've just ordered those 3 together, they'll arrive at the same time and I'll have to choose which to actually listen to first. :)   ...may all of your conflicts in life be so delicious!!   In the US, we go "eenie-meenie-meinie-moe...."  You are starting onto a wonderful pathway of discovery, have fun & write back with your impressions.

Thanks! I was going to flip a coin if two shipped separately, but looks like they'll arrive together, so I might have to use the 'eenie' trick!


And thanks to everyone who's taken the time to help me out, appreciate it. I'll be looking out for the best place to go re: Live sooner or later, and so I've already noted 'Symphonic Live' & 'Yessongs' & 'Yesshows' & 'House of Blues' from the recommendations for instance. 'Topographic Oceans' is interesting to me as it seems to create a bit of discussion, which is great. Though I feel like I'll be slipping 'Fragile' into the player first, when it arrives with 'Yes Ablum' and 'Close to the Edge' in a couple of weeks.

And thanks for the note dennis (& others), re: steering away from the later stuff, I think you're right there, I might not like it by the samples I've heard.

Will definitely come back with impressions. damn waiting!

esky wrote: You know Yes won't be heavy. Then you're obviously a know-it-all. Just follow the lead of the others you mentioned and give Fragile a spin already.

Edited by dreadpirateroberts - June 15 2011 at 19:21

Dellinger wrote: Sorry to insist, but when you choose to start digging live Yes, don't discard keys to ascension. That one's got some of my favourite versions from some of my favourite songs, particularly Starship Trooper (you'll hear it on The Yes Album), Awaken, and Time and a Word. It's got many other of their better songs too, but they don't add so much as this ones... and only Close to the Edge I find less satisfying to the original (but the version on Symphonic is a killer, so if you get that live album too you won't miss CttE so much in a live context).