Disco de Yes: “Definitive Rock Collection”

I'm a sicko of a Yes fan. I own all their albums on vinyl, bought them again on cassette in the 80s, and bought them again on CD in the 90s. But I've got to draw the line somewhere.

How many freakin times can a band re-release the same "greatest hits" with a different cover? When I was notified by Amazon of a new Yes album, I jumped all over it thinking, "the boys are back for the first time in 7 years!" But no, it's more like "the boys have released their 7th greatest hits CD in 7 years."

PLEASE DON'T ENCOURAGE THIS SORT OF BEHAVIOUR! Don't buy this album or it'll just make them do it again, and again, and again. If we all boycott future Yes greatest hits albums, then maybe they'll be forced to actually WORK for their money. I think we'd all enjoy that for a change. WHO'S WITH ME??

Yes is my all-time favorite group, bar none. Everything they have done is simply timeless. I have almost every single song they have recorded, and I own all of their releases as well.

I bought 'The Ultimate Yes' when it came out in 2004. I was record shopping one day when I stumbled upon this release. I didn't buy it. The store I was shopping at carried 'The Ultimate Yes' as well. I compared the two, and realized they were identical.

Now I agree with the other reviewers in that this release was very unnecessary. 'The Ultimate Yes' is still in print, and all this is is a record with an identical track listing, but a different cover photo (taken during the 'Going For The One' period, I believe).

But, the music is great, and that is why I give it five stars. 'Yours Is No Disgrace,' 'South Side Of The Sky,' 'Roundabout,' 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart' and almost everything else that made Yes legendary are here.

But, I can also say there is plenty missing. Where are fan favorites like 'Survival,' 'Beyond And Before,' 'Nine Voices,' 'Perpetual Change,' and 'Love Will Find A Way'?

Overall, since 'The Ultimate Yes' is still for sale, don't buy this release. Buy that for the new 2004 studio recordings. That is the better buy. But the music is still great.

As compilation CDs go, this two-disc collection incorporates music from Yes' long and diverse career. Both CDs run just under 80 minutes. The first disc covers the early albums, dating from 1969-1973. This was the time when the band evolved their signature sound: long, often meandering progressive pieces, with complex melodic and key changes, and strong classical influences. This style was sometimes criticized for being too ornate and ethereal, but it was unique and distinctive. The second disc spans more recent material, in which the band underwent repeated personnel changes, and adopted more of a song-oriented format. As a result, the second disc is less coherent. Still, on balance, this is a good collection for listeners who don't want the original albums.

As was stated before, this is just "Ultimate Yes" with different packaging. If it was possible to give this no star instead of one, I would, but the Amazon rating system doesn't let you rate anything a zero (or lower). Go to Rhino's Website and e-mail them the thumbs-down!

This is Rhino pulling some kind of rip off. This CD is simply an earlier Rhino release -- THE ULTIMATE YES (2004) -- with a different cover and title. I mean its exact, track for track. The only difference is that ULTIMATE included a bonus 3rd disk with five live acoustic tracks. I have no problem with Rhino releasing a new Yes compilation, but not to re-release the exact same product in a different package. What's the logic behind this?

This review does not reflect the music or Yes as a whole (I love Yes dearly), In fact, I believeis solely about a stunt that Rhino is pulling.