Yesterdays

There may be better compilations but the sound quality of the old stuff here is great ! I've always thought Yes' early songs were fantastic and often wondered what the group would have turned out like if they had stuck to a "typical" song structure like the ones presented here. America is undoubtedly the best thing here but glossing over old Yes is a mistake. Plus Roger Dean's incredible cover artwork which uses the same female form as seen on Time and a Word (if anyone happen to notice)

Since this is a barely essential compilation of The first two albums, and "America" can be found on the 2003 reissue of "Fragile" this is not really worth buying.

Brufords final album on drums (America). Great cover!!

Nice collection but if you are enough of a Yes fan to appreciate these tracks theres a good chance you have most of them. If not get them theyre great early Yes songs. My favorite would be America but the longer and live version on The Word is Live Collection is the way to go.

I owned this album in vinyl in the 70s, listened to "America" (their cover of Paul Simon's song) repeatedly, but felt lukewarm about the other cuts (taken from Yes's first two albums) and played them less often. I just listened to the whole album again for the first time after 30 years, and although "America" still reigns supreme as one of the best songs Yes ever did, I'm struck by how well the other songs on the album hold up. There's such a wealth of musical invention on these early tracks. They blend ideas from jazz and classical music, but rather than just copy these genres, the band makes them its own, turning them into something new. It's clear from these tunes that Yes was destined for greatness. My only complaints about these tracks, which detract from a 5-star rating, are some irritating production gimmicks, e.g., fluttering the vocals on "Astral Traveller," and the orchestral background can be bombastic at times. "America," recorded later and with different personnel (Steve Howe replacing Peter Banks on guitar and Rick Wakeman replacing Tony Kaye on keyboards) showcases Yes in top form, and it's worth buying the album just for this cover, which is the only unabridged version I could find on iTunes. Puzzle for listners: can you spot the quote from the "West Side Story" version of "America"?

This is a collection of excellent early Yes (pre-Yes Album) and showcases the bands influences. While I think this compilation should not have omitted "Beyond and Before," it's does include the B-side "Dear Father," and an absolutely phenomenal cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America." I always think that die-hard Paul Simon fans would cringe at this cover, but for Yes fans, it's great, and a riot to hear Jon Anderson singing about "counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike." Bruford, Squire, and Howe provide an excellent arrangement here and this track really captures Yes at their best. That track alone is worth the $9.99.

the subtle uniqueness of this album is a sign of impeccable and discriminating taste in musical work. It is a montage of musical craftwork that YES comprised as a band and wanted to release to show their diversity, humbleness, and unparalelled virtuosity.

This is just an an OK compilation of early material by Yes. However, America is one of the best things they ever did. This is the only single disc that contains the long version.