My First YES album.

OK, guys...here's something else to chew on.

I'm thinking of starting a YES collection.  I'm not sure where to start though. What should my first purchase be?

Well, what ELSE should I go with?

Go with:

Relayer
Going for the One
Tales from Topographic Oceans
Close to the Edge
Fragile
Keystudio

After digesting those goodies, add the following to your collection:

Drama
Tormato
Magnification
The Ladder

Back in 1984, I started with Drama and worked backwards...but for a newbie, I would start with GFTO.... it's the very essence of classic Yes, but not quite as 'heavy' as some of their earlier stuff. 

As great as Relayer is, it really wouldn't be the place to start IMHO..

OK...cool.  Got it.  Thanks.

I don't thnk they've ever made a bad album (althought I haven't heard Open Your Eyes), it's just that their best ones are so good that anything less than brilliant suffers in comparison. Personally I'd avoid some of the "greatest hits" type collections as they're generally too short to do justice to Yes, but anything from The Yes Album through to Drama is brilliant.
After that, it depends what you think of the Rabin stuff whether you go for 90125, Big Generator and Talk. The 2 Keys to Ascension volumes are also good.
Don't forget the ABWH stuff as well.

chopper wrote: I don't thnk they've ever made a bad album (althought I haven't heard Open Your Eyes), it's just that their best ones are so good that anything less than brilliant suffers in comparison. Personally I'd avoid some of the "greatest hits" type collections as they're generally too short to do justice to Yes, but anything from The Yes Album through to Drama is brilliant. After that, it depends what you think of the Rabin stuff whether you go for 90125, Big Generator and Talk. The 2 Keys to Ascension volumes are also good. Don't forget the ABWH stuff as well.

And Magnification

Winter Wine wrote: chopper wrote: I don't thnk they've ever made a bad album (althought I haven't heard Open Your Eyes), it's just that their best ones are so good that anything less than brilliant suffers in comparison. Personally I'd avoid some of the "greatest hits" type collections as they're generally too short to do justice to Yes, but anything from The Yes Album through to Drama is brilliant. After that, it depends what you think of the Rabin stuff whether you go for 90125, Big Generator and Talk. The 2 Keys to Ascension volumes are also good. Don't forget the ABWH stuff as well. And Magnification

I remember Hugues' "review" for OPEN YOUR EYES. He opened it with "...and close your ears!"

Simple you listen to it if you like it you buy it,music is personal taste and you may not like everything Yes do.

Of course if you do say that anything YES have done is less than brilliant then me and the boys will be around with the chain saws
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Edited by Winter Wine

I usually reccomend you buy them in pairs, in this order:

The Yes Album & Going for the One
These two are a touch easier to swallow than some of their other albums, but both have their masterful moments (ie. Yours is no Disgrace and Awaken).  They also bookend Yes's "classic" period, so you can see how they changed over the years.

Fragile & Close to the Edge
Arguably Yes's finest pair of albums, with arguably Yes's finest lineup.  They really let Wakeman cut loose on these ones too, even moreso than on GFTO.

Relayer & Tales from Topographic Oceans
Approach with caution.  These are both phenomenal albums, but only for those who see their value.  I pesonally like them even better that Fragile and CTTE.  Tales in particular is very inaccessible and rambling, but its also my favorite.

And that's Yes's most acclaimed, right there.  Once you've got these, you're probably safe to buy the rest in any order you please.  And get some live albums.  They rock live.