Yes - List Your Top 5 albums

[Simon A]

1. 90125
2. Drama
3. Going For The One
4. Fragile
5. Talk

Honorable mention for Tormato

I also enjoyed some of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe. The "Can't Look Away" album by Trevor Rabin is an underrated gem.

 

[GOS]

1. 90125
2. Drama
3. Going For The One
4. Fragile
5. Talk

Honorable mention for Tormato

I also enjoyed some of Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe. The "Can't Look Away" album by Trevor Rabin is an underrated gem.

Yes! I mean, Cool! 90125 is also a favorite of mine. Let me tell a little secret here. 90125 was the very first YES album I ever bought. I didn't say the first I ever heard...the first I bought. As a result, for sure, it holds a warm spot in my musical heart. Hmmmm - makes me wonder if a good sounding version can be found. Vinyl???

 

[Beefalo]

Yes! I mean, Cool! 90125 is also a favorite of mine. Let me tell a little secret here. 90125 was the very first YES album I ever bought. I didn't say the first I ever heard...the first I bought. As a result, for sure, it holds a warm spot in my musical heart. Hmmmm - makes me wonder if a good sounding version can be found. Vinyl???

I can personally vouch for this one. There's a US seller $5 plus shipping. West German Target.
https://www.discogs.com/Yes-90125/release/9971889

 

[ProgRules]

I recently received the 1968 - 1987 Studio Albums CD boxset with all the extra tracks.
Now thinking about continuing to collect their material past 1987 and have just ordered Union.

Even though I have all the albums- most more than 1 copy- I'm tempted to get that set just b/c it looks so cool. Esp when I see it for something really low like $26.

I hope you don't let Union deter you from continuing your post-87 search. It has some good tunes, even a great one (The More We Live- Let Chris sing!!!), but it is quite a mess in many ways. It's not really a Yes album- more of a corporate creation where outsiders took pieces of Yes member's creations, mixed them together, added some outside elements (like re-recording some of Howe's efforts w/ Jeff Haun!?!?!) and rushed the product to market w/ no real Yes leadership and limited input.

Not to dampen your response to the music- as I do find it enjoyable. Just the worst album they released imo- through Magnification. Past that I have no experience, since that's where I got off the bus.

 

[IMachine]

Speaking of SACD, how do people here on QQ feel about the High Vibrations SACD boxset? Compressed mess or worth it?

I remember (played a long time ago) I loved especially Time And A Word SACD, because there was more bass in the mix.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

I remember (played a long time ago) I loved especially Time And A Word SACD, because there was more bass in the mix.

It's a compressed mess......stay way.....not with it

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Speaking of SACD, how do people here on QQ feel about the High Vibrations SACD boxset? Compressed mess or worth it?

Stay away it's a compressed mess.....not worth it

 

[Daniel John]

Actually, Tormato came after GFTO with the same lineup: Anderson/Squire/Howe/Wakeman/White. And I say, Tormato is way underrated... great playing on fine songs like Release Release, Future Times, Onward, Arriving UFO, and (especially) On The Silent Wings Of Freedom. If you haven't heard this album in a while, it's worth giving it another chance.

That's right. I thought there was a line up change for Tormato. I don't dislike this album (but it's not one of my favs) seems like they gave rick Wakeman too much free rein. I'll definitely spend some more time with it now that I have it on CD. The 1968-1987 Studio boxset discs include extra tunes, 10 extras on the Tormato disc some are really good and surprised they didn't make it on the original release.

 

[Daniel John]

1. Fragile
2. Close to the Edge
3. Going for the One
4. Relayer
5. The Yes Album

Bottom of the list: Tales from Topographic Oceans. I cannot stand that indulgent mess

Although both have their issues, I'll take Tales over Relayer. Yes seems to be drifting off into Mahavishnu territory on Relayer.

 

[Daniel John]

Ok here is my list of my top 5 YES albums in order from best to least favorite of my top 5

1. The Yes Album ...... Blu-ray mixed by SW
2. Fragile ...... Blu-ray mixed by SW
3. Yessongs......Japanese 7" SACD/Hybrid import
just blows me away how good this is, sounds.
as if its multichannel in my car but its not
4. Close to the Edge.....Blu-ray mixed by SW
5. Going for the One......the last great studio.
album by the band and deserves the Blu-ray
treatment mixed by SW as well

Now wouldn't it be AWESOME if they ever get the Atmos treatment?! YES INDEED!!

I also think Tull, ELP & Genesis (especially Trick of the Tail) would also be AMAZING in the Atoms format!!!

Check out the SACD of GFTO. Best version of this album I've heard.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Check out the SACD of GFTO. Best version of this album I've heard.

I have the Japanese 7" limited edition SACD/Hybrud edition and think it sucks.....what other SACD's are there?

 

[GOS]

I can personally vouch for this one. There's a US seller $5 plus shipping. West German Target.
https://www.discogs.com/Yes-90125/release/9971889

You mean it has a much better dynamic range?

 

[Daniel John]

I have the Japanese 7" limited edition SACD/Hybrud edition and think it sucks.....what other SACD's are there?

I have the Audio Fidelity SACD version. Sounds great to my ears, much better than the red book versions I have. Agree, It would be great to have GFTO with the extra material (as per the Studio boxset) in multichannel.

 

[jimfisheye]

I have the Japanese 7" limited edition SACD/Hybrud edition and think it sucks.....what other SACD's are there?

Agree 100% The SACD set is the most stepped on distorted "volume war" mastering of all those Yes albums I've heard! Fully terrible.
Have you heard that CD box set? I'm curious how the albums we don't have in original flat transfer stereo mixes from bluray sound here. Looks like a few bonus tracks beyond what's on the other releases or bluray editions as well. Are these volume war fare (ie brick walled) or the real deal?

I thought I remember Rhino releasing a vinyl remaster of The Yes Album around that time that was well done. A good sign?

Heh. Looks like we have every permutation of the group: TYA, Fragile, CTTE, Tales, Relayer

Also FYI, there are demos from the Onion album sharing around that are the actual band recordings featuring Steve Howe actually sounding like Steve Howe and everything. A couple even surfaced as bonus tracks. (On one of those box sets I think.)

I wanted to post a top 5 live list. All of my Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman line up recordings have "for fans only" sound quality. Is anyone out there more on top of the sharing scene with these dates?
These 2 were already mentioned for good reason:
1979-04-18 Qubec (TheTooleMan 2011)
1978-10-28 London (TheTooleMan 2003)
Those are the best copies I have. Not sure again, if there are better. But there ARE shockingly worse copies of both out there.

 

[ProgRules]

Although both have their issues, I'll take Tales over Relayer. Yes seems to be drifting off into Mahavishnu territory on Relayer.

I concur- but then I also find that rewarding territory.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Agree 100% The SACD set is the most stepped on distorted "volume war" mastering of all those Yes albums I've heard! Fully terrible.
Have you heard that CD box set? I'm curious how the albums we don't have in original flat transfer stereo mixes from bluray sound here. Looks like a few bonus tracks beyond what's on the other releases or bluray editions as well. Are these volume war fare (ie brick walled) or the real deal?

I thought I remember Rhino releasing a vinyl remaster of The Yes Album around that time that was well done. A good sign?

Heh. Looks like we have every permutation of the group: TYA, Fragile, CTTE, Tales, Relayer

Also FYI, there are demos from the Onion album sharing around that are the actual band recordings featuring Steve Howe actually sounding like Steve Howe and everything. A couple even surfaced as bonus tracks. (On one of those box sets I think.)

I wanted to post a top 5 live list. All of my Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman line up recordings have "for fans only" sound quality. Is anyone out there more on top of the sharing scene with these dates?
These 2 were already mentioned for good reason:
1979-04-18 Qubec (TheTooleMan 2011)
1978-10-28 London (TheTooleMan 2003)
Those are the best copies I have. Not sure again, if there are better. But there ARE shockingly worse copies of both out there.

Yes I have the Rhino CD box set and the extra tracks if i remember them were a nice bonus. The sound quality was better than the Japanese SACD/Hybrid in my opinion. The price was/is right as well.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Agree 100% The SACD set is the most stepped on distorted "volume war" mastering of all those Yes albums I've heard! Fully terrible.
Have you heard that CD box set? I'm curious how the albums we don't have in original flat transfer stereo mixes from bluray sound here. Looks like a few bonus tracks beyond what's on the other releases or bluray editions as well. Are these volume war fare (ie brick walled) or the real deal?

I thought I remember Rhino releasing a vinyl remaster of The Yes Album around that time that was well done. A good sign?

Heh. Looks like we have every permutation of the group: TYA, Fragile, CTTE, Tales, Relayer

Also FYI, there are demos from the Onion album sharing around that are the actual band recordings featuring Steve Howe actually sounding like Steve Howe and everything. A couple even surfaced as bonus tracks. (On one of those box sets I think.)

I wanted to post a top 5 live list. All of my Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman line up recordings have "for fans only" sound quality. Is anyone out there more on top of the sharing scene with these dates?
These 2 were already mentioned for good reason:
1979-04-18 Qubec (TheTooleMan 2011)
1978-10-28 London (TheTooleMan 2003)
Those are the best copies I have. Not sure again, if there are better. But there ARE shockingly worse copies of both out there.

If you want an excellent sounding "Yessongs" I suggest picking up the Japanese 7" 2 disc SACD/Hybrid released in 2017......blew my mind in a very great way IMHO

 

[H.A.L.]

I wanted to post a top 5 live list. All of my Anderson, Bruford, Howe, Squire, Wakeman line up recordings have "for fans only" sound quality. Is anyone out there more on top of the sharing scene with these dates?
These 2 were already mentioned for good reason:
1979-04-18 Qubec (TheTooleMan 2011)
1978-10-28 London (TheTooleMan 2003)
Those are the best copies I have. Not sure again, if there are better. But there ARE shockingly worse copies of both out there.

TheTooleMan!!! I remember him from DimeaDozen! Very good recordings. Reminds me that I have 5T of boots lying around. Win10 sort of put those external HDs to pasture, although I backed up on way too many DVDs to drag out now. Fun period, though! Guess I should login again to see if my account is still active.

 

[JediJoker]

At this point, I have heard every Yes album save for the two most recent. Of those, these are my top five:

5. Fragile

4. Drama

3. 90125

2. Relayer

1. The Yes Album

Honorable mention to Talk.

 

[Bill B]

The list and order will change depending on the day you ask me but today....
The Yes Album
Close To The Edge
Relayer
90125
Tales From Topographic Oceans