Customer Reviews

Roundabout & Other Hits

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wish this collection had focused even more on single edits as "And You and I" is missing. My first experience with Yes was when the single edit was on the radio when I was 13. I couldn't afford albums then but I bought the single and became a permanent fan. It's not a great starter set but for me necessary.

As a die-hard Yes fan, I am fully aware of constant compilations being released for them. We have the original 'Yesterdays.' We have 'Classic Yes.' We have 'Highlights.' We have 'The Best of Yes 1970-1987.' The list goes on.

But this is kind of cool. It doesn't contain any '80s material, and unlike 'Classic Yes' and 'Yesterdays,' it mixes early Yes (1969-1970) with the "classic" Yes period (1971-1979). And it contains nothing from the first and only album without Jon on vocals, 'Drama,' which is a sigh of relief to some fans (not me, I did enjoy that record).

And most of the key songs are here. 'Roundabout,' 'America,' 'Don't Kill The Whale,' and 'Wonderous Stories' are just some of the hits I spotted from this comp that had success.

Overall, don't put this release down. It's actually quite necessary, and is a breath of fresh air compared to several other compilations.

Highly recommended for the new Yes fan. There is some great material here. ENJOY!!!

The first place I heard "Your Move" was on AM radio, likewise with the single version of 'Roundabout'. Of course, I immediately bought the 'Fragile' album and worked my way backwards to 'The Yes Album'. And so on with the single version of 'America', which had Total Mass Retain as the B-side!!! I believe that at that time, 'Close to the Edge' was still a few days away from being released. I later got the sampler album(as an import LP) 'The Golden Age of Atlantic'. Anyway, I've ordered this CD and I have no doubt that I will completely enjoy the abrupt shift from "I'll be there with you" into Rick's shortened keyboard break on 'Roundabout'. I will also probably smile at all the associated memories from those days.

Single edits were designed, after all, to grab the listener's attention in the typically short AM format of a two to
two-and-a-half minute 'sound bite'. Despite the jarring (to many ears) headlong plunge into 'Roundabout's high octane instrumental section, I can't remember another AM song that has ever left me feeling literally breathless the way the 'Roundabout' single did. From the roar of the full-bore last verse to the quiet whisper of Steve Howe's now-classic close. Bill Bruford's phenomenally relentless drumming drives the song to it's close. 'Fragile' is the album that introduced me to Bruford's seemingly effortless ability to shift into whatever style and dynamic he feels best serves the music at hand. I really enjoy the syncopation he provides during the middle section of 'South Side of the Sky' But back to the single edit of 'Roundabout'. Even Deep Purple's 'Highway Star' didn't affect me that way and 'Highway Star is pretty high energy listening. With Yes there are so many factors to consider in their best work - the sometimes galloping pace, the compositions themselves and their amazing structure, the awesome musicianship involved in the creative process and the final product and the amazing ear of Eddie Offord. In fact, the only band to equal Yes(IMHO), although in a completely different style and approach, is the mighty Gentle Giant.

So this collection is not for everyone, but I'm certain it will be in my car's CD player for some time to come. I plan to thoroughly enjoy it as I do almost everything Yes has done.

I am not too heavily into Yes but I wanted some sort of compilation of theirs, so I decided to purchase this album. I think that Rhino Flashback selected a great variety of their songs, you got the well known "Roundabout" and the other hits: "Your Move", "Wonderous Stories", "Going for the One", and "Don't Kill the Whale." The other 5 songs are great fillers and I liked those ones as well. The best part is that they are all under $5! Overall, I would say that this a great compilation for the casual Yes listener, 10 songs for under $5 (that's cheaper than iTunes).

Please, stay away from this one. For Yes' sake. What we have here is a half-witted collection of some of Yes' best songs from the '70s... in. Single. Edit. Form. If you can imagine Roundabout, Starship Trooper, and I've Seen All Good People (or rather Your Move - the I've Seen All Good People segment has been thrown off a cliff or something like that). At least they didn't tamper with any selections from Close to the Edge. But that's a moot point, because they didn't INCLUDE any selections from Close to the Edge, which is debatably their best album. How stupid is that? No Gates of Delerium, either, but hey, what would you expect? I suppose it isn't that bad, and it does have a healthy smattering of some of their best concise songs (Long Distance Runaround; Wonderous Stories; hell, even the absolute guilty pleasure Don't Kill the Whale), and their absolutely awesome covers of America and Every Little Thing. But there are so many other Yes compilations out there! Or you could just buy The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, Yessongs and Relayer. That might suit you better.

I am really at a loss as to whom these types of releases are even supposed to be targeted. Anyone who consideres themselves a "Yes fan" would not care for these butchered, "edited" versions of songs....and as we all know, if you are not a "Yes fan" you are likely a "Yes Loather" and would have absolutely NO interest in any Yes product regardless of the length of the actual songs.

Please....Whomever is behind atrocious releases such as this one....concentrate on marketing a product your proven customer base will actually want!!!

It's really sad that the folks working "in the industry" have no clue about their artists, product or the desires of their potential customer base.