Yes - Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (Dig)

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Free Music Notes for Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (Dig)

Free Music Review: FRAGILE PART TWO ?
Hit: 5 Stars

For the uninitiated, this is an overall decent representation of Yes' music from the 70's to now, with at least one track representing every album except a few(the debut, Tales and Keys). As you can hear, the band has gone through many member changes and many styles and phases yet retaining a distictive sound of their own. For those not familiar with Yes, they pretty much have the following aspects: a couple high-voiced vocalists, clean cutting bass guitar loud in the mix, classical-tinged piano and synthesizer licks, somewhat country-ish guitar playing, long epic tracks done in sections often stretching up to 20+ minutes, positive yet undecipherable lyrics that deal with the spiritual/metaphysical etc, spacey album covers, revolving door of coming and going band members, all of which leaving lasting marks. That's pretty much Yes in a nutshell, and here are some fine songs to boot. A decent set to start off with, and good for those not willing to shell out for the 5 disc box set. Consider this the 2 disc version.

As for the third disc, there are 5 new tracks here, the first with Rick Wakeman since 'Keys to Ascension' from 1996, which give this set a strange sense of almost being a Fragile part 2 or a 'mini-Fragile'. Indeed, the content is very much like that classic 1971 Yes album in that it is comprised of solo pieces and band compositions. There is an solos for Anderson(Show Me), Squire(New World Symphony), Howe(Australia) and Wakeman(South Side Variations), plus acoustic versions of two tracks from the original Fragile(Roundabout & South Side Of The Sky). All that's missing is a new epic track(Heart Of The Sunrise-ish) and an Alan White solo. I suppose since Alan wasn't on the original Fragile that he doesn't get a solo. But anyway, I like the idea of a Fragile 2. This is almost that. The new tracks:

ROUNDABOUT: amazing what has been done to this road-weary classic rock song by stripping it down to a basic acoustic rock 'n' boogie number which kinda bops and jives in a jazzy, looser way. Of course Rick Wakeman has replaced the synth and organ with pub piano and Steve Howe brings out his country stylings. See, Yes can be fun and isn't all about tight, po-faced sophistication and muso wanking. The arrangement is different towards the end.

SHOW ME: a solo Anderson tune raided from his backlog of unreleased solo material which Yes has been performing as a new Yes song during their recent tours. It's kinda a short, sad-ish song, similar to maybe ABWH's quieter tunes or one of his solo albums like 'Earthmotherearth'. Again, acoustic with some madolin and piano.

SOUTH SIDE OF THE SKY: a different arrangement, shorter and features Rick Wakeman's solo spot- some beautiful classical-style piano variations on the themes of the song.

AUSTRALIA: Steve's obligatory acoustic solo this time is an instrumental acoustic rendition of a track from his first solo album from 1975. Why this track? Good to hear it though. I do think the band should go back and take some of the best of their solo songs and do them up Yes style as new recorded Yes songs, a stop-gap album. A lot of good solo stuff that would have made great Yes songs. Here's your chance to hear one.

NEW WORLD SYMPHONY: finally a new Squire solo! Worth the price of the album alone just for that novelty. Based on Dvorak's 9th symphony, it's short and has that trademark clean Rickenbacker bass sound. And it's all bass, nothing else.

they needed to add a few more tracks and an Alan White solo for a real Fragile 2. And this is the first new material with Rick Wakeman since 1996, and the first studio stuff since 2001. It makes one anticipate a next Yes album with Rick back on board.

So for the curious or the casual fan, a good collection/selection. For the Yes fan, more fun with Yes, the longest running proggy band.

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