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I'm sure everyone has heard of Yes, but they've been really growing on me the last few weeks. Colter gave me a few demo mp3s and I think I'll be going out to purchase a few albums when the cash comes in. Any particular albums I should look into? I don't get to purchase music very often so I'd prefer not getting something with only a few good songs.

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Yessongs is a good live album.

I have eleven Yes lps and to me the best ones are The Yes Album, Fragile, and Close To The Edge. I've never heard Yes on CDs so I can't comment on how good they would sound, but on vinyl those three albums sound great.

If you have a good surround setup and a DVD player that plays DVD-A, check out a DVD-A copy of Fragile, It sounds fantastic.

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I used to have alot of Yes on vinyl, Fragile was good, but Johnyholiday is right on the money with YESSONGS, that is a good album(s) to get a taste of Yes, great performances, covers their best songs, hard to believe at times that it is a Live album, bet it sounds good on CD................YESSONGS gets my vote..............

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It's distracting as all heck when crowd noises come from only in front. I very much enjoy live music and the occasional live DVD, but have a hard time with most live CD's. I also feel the more artistic side of the band gets revealed in the studio where they can pretty much do whatever they want.

It's just a personal preference - I can't help it that I'm that way.

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It's distracting as all heck when crowd noises come from only in front. I very much enjoy live music and the occasional live DVD, but have a hard time with most live CD's. I also feel the more artistic side of the band gets revealed in the studio where they can pretty much do whatever they want.

It's just a personal preference - I can't help it that I'm that way.

10-4

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I have loved Yes since the 70s, and if I had to do it again, I wold buy in this order:

The Yes Album

Going For the One

Fragile

90125

Yessongs

Close to the Edge

Topographic Oceans

Relayer

--I love all of these albums, and I don't think you can go wrong at all by buying any one of these first. Yessongs to me is their best, but its alot to swallow. Close to the Edge is incredible but a tad repetitive, Topographic is the most interesting, but I think you have to be a fan to love it. I think if you like any of these, you will eventually want all of them anyway. They are all classic to me-- All of their later stuff and albums named after the band members have some nice moments but are hit-or-miss.

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Bill Bruford played and toured with King Crimson. They put out a DVD titled Deja Vrooom. Lots of talent. The discs sound excellent. Also has DTS. One song has six viewing angles, one of each of the six members. The music of the performer being viewed then comes from the center channel. You can also make your own version of Court of the Crimson King by using snippits of KC's former incarnations. Greg Lake (ELP) was an early member. I have always thought this was a great DVD. Anyone else? Don't forget Tony Levin.

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I'm not a huge fan but I would have to suggest Fragile as a good

starting point. At least it will have some songs you've

heard...Roundabout & Long Distance Runaround. It also has the

brilliant Steve Howe solo guitar piece titled Mood For A Day.

Secondly, callmeishmael I think it's 21st Century Schizoid Man that you're able to "remix" on the dvd. I could be wrong though.

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Here I is!

I just don't wander down here much anymore.

Fragile and CTTE are indeed two of the most 'Yes' like of all. Classic material, very classically influenced. Some of the Fragile compositions are more solo works than unified band compositions imho though. CTTE is only 3 compositions, but great ones they are, I especially like Siberian, which is a very classicaly influenced piece they used for decades as the show opener.

Yessongs was a three LP set featuring the bands best works to date. Never a sloppy live band, they hit it note for note and the solos are incredible. Fish, Squires showpiece is a real mindblower. Unless they've remastered it, it's still a bit muddy though.

Relayer was an oddity, being a short vacation for Mssr Wakeman on keyboards. Enter Patrick Moraz, S. American virtuoso, who would later tinkle the ivories for the Moody Blues. Again, long compositions that swept you away to other lands....

In the mid stream Going for the One picked up the tempo and songwriting chops with clever 5 minute outings on a variety of themes. Not as unified as the previous 'concept' albums but splendid songs just the same. In the same genre was Tormato, though some may care less for it.

Then there is 90125 featuring Yes' only number one single every, Owner of a Lonely Heart. It's less Yeslike of anything thus far, owing to new guitars, keys and production, but very lush, and with three vocalists now.

It might surprise some that I really like Union. The show was fantastic live. Yes at this time was nearly two complete touring units, so they just all got together with dualing keys, guitars, vocals, and had at it. Some kind of bizarre tunes in there but also very lovely.

Symphonic Yes is one I enjoy also, although Bruford's triggered snare is a bit overbearing at times. It's nice to have the full orchestra accompanying.

I'd start out with the remastered Classic Yes, Yessongs, then stop in and have a listen to my discs called Keys to Ascention, which is a 4-CD live+Studio set from recent times, it features the classic tracks and some more recent ones by one of the best incarnations of the band (- Wakeman).

And you can't have a Yes collection without Journey to the Center of the Earth and Six Wives of Henry the Eighth.

Michael

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Ah, the ABW&H thing...This was a confusing time in the bands history, with basically two Yes's on the planet at nearly the same time

There is another album I failed to mention, that is Drama, that is post

breakup, when the Buggles (remember 'Video Killed the Radio Star') came

to join in on keys, guitar, and production. 1980

Big Generator was 1983

At one time Anderson on vocals Chris Squire, the bassist, took up the

name Yes with Alan White on drums, Tony Kaye (from the first album) on

keys, and Trevor Rabin on guitars, keyboards and vocals for the 90125

albums. 1987

A few years later Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, and Howe (from the most popular period of the bands recording) are the vox,drums, keys, guitar of the band in another setting. 1989

These two bands then got together for the Union tour. 1991

Then things kinda of got back to normal...whew

The timeline of membership is nearly as screwy as King Crimson's.

Remind me Who, I think I have a chart of who's who in Yes in the 4cd box set YesYears. There is also a live set called YesShows and 9012live if ya want to get really confused.

It's a massive catalog. Especially if you're me and have to collect every solo work that everyone in the band has ever been in. Then you get:

Chris Squire Fish out of Water

Anderson- Olias of Sunhillow

Anderson and Vangelis-

Alan White Ramshackled

Bill Bruford and the entire King Crimson catalog

Steve Howe- haven't got any of his many guitar works but plan to.

Wakeman- about a bazillion CD's mostly available in Japan only

Trevor Rabin- early solo works

You get the picture....

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Ah yes. Try the DVD 5.1 Surround Keys to Ascension. Yes it is live but Yes is not your typical band. They can be as good live as in a studio. Try it. This is the best Yes lineup IMO. Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman and White. This has all the classic Yes tunes, good concert effects and pretty good sound quality.

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lol Mike - information overload. Maybe the next time I'm in Indy and we're looking for stuff to do we can go album hunting.

Does the Keys to Ascension DVD have Starship Trooper on it? And is that the one you demo'd last time Mike? I didn't really dig those few songs with the high school orchestra...ya, it was a cool idea, but ya...

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