THE BEST OF YES

Another Atlantic / Atco Records compilation from YES` material. It seems that since YES left those record labels to sign with Arista Records for the "Union" album, they signed a contract with Atlantic / Atco to let them go, with the condition of let the labels release as many compilations of their material as they want! I say this because there are several packages, at least four counting this release (which is also included as an official album in their official website`s Discography section). First, it was "Yesyears" (1991). Then, "Yestory" (1992), which itself is more like a compilation of tracks taken from "Yesyears" but released in 2 CDs, not in four CDs. In 1993 there was another compilation called "Highlights- The Very Best of YES". So, many songs like "Roundabout", "And You and I", etc., have been re-released on several compilations! This "The Best of YES" compilation is a strange compilation, because some of the songs included in this CD are not really the best or the more representative of the band`s music. It looks more like "it`s time for another YES`compilation, as the contract says"! (I could be wrong).

Anyway, it has some good songs, like "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" and "Into the Lens", both very good songs taken from underrated albums like "Tormato" and "Drama", respectively (I could have chosen "Machine Messiah" in place of "Into the Lens"). It also has two songs not composed by YES`members: "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Required" (sic, it is "Not Experience Needed") and "America", which, despite being very good covers, are not among the best of their recorded material. Instead of "Sound Chaser" from the "Relayer" album, I could have chosen "To Be Over". The rest of the songs I think that are among the best from the albums they were chosen, but again, how many more compilations are we going to see from YES released from their "Atlantic years"?