YesYears: A Lost Classic

[ACK!]

Unforunately, YesYears is long out-of-print. It was significant at the time of its release - 1991 - because it had been the first YES box set and the first time that any of the album tracks had been remastered from the two-track flat masters.

The first YES CDs had been mastered from old LP masters and were sonically lacking. Better than nothing, but when compared to the remastered versions, it left you wanting more. Fortunately, they followed through with new remasters a few years later.

It also had many unreleased tracks which were new to my ears and complemented the classic tracks very well. I believe these tracks have been incorporated onto the Rhino remasters, so they may be back in print. :rightG:

[cinderella]

I've worn the video out.

[Faceintheplace]

I got the boxset as a Christmas gift when it came out and I used to have the VHS but I've upgraded to the DVD so I can't wear out Yesyears now. I also now have most of the film footage used in the Yesyears video.

And ACK! is right, the only tracks on Yesyears unavliable anywhere else now are: Run with the Fox, Vevy Part 1 and 2, I'm Down and the live tracks from the Big Generator tour, and Love Conquers All (but a version without Trevor is on the first Conspiracy cd) but the upcoming live box will include stuff from the '76 and '88 tours so there we are.

All the other unreleased tracks from Yesyears are now on the BBC Sessions album and the Rhino remasters.

[ACK!]

I've worn the video out.

Get the DVD. It's a Canadian region 1, so it's playable on U.S. players. It's basically a straight transfer of the original video - no 5.1 surround or video upgrading. But it's watchable and if you have a home theater system with pro-logic II, you can get simulated surround from the stereo sound. :theband:

[Stevehoweworshipu!]

The DVD is seriously the greatest thing ever. i love it so much...BUY IT!!!!!!

[KPatrick]

The DVD is seriously the greatest thing ever. i love it so much...BUY IT!!!!!!

Agreed. Much better than YESSPEAK. YESSPEAK is good in its way, but if Chris hadn't brought him up, you never would have heard about Trevor Rabin -- a noticeable flaw given that he was largely responsible for their most poular song and album, whatever one may think of the quality of that tune and album. YESYEARS gives you the story, without Roger Daltrey reading cue cards, with great pictures and stories -- Rick, especially, is in rare form.

[cinderella]

YESYEARS gives you the story, without Roger Daltrey reading cue cards, with great pictures and stories -- Rick, especially, is in rare form.


It's just the best and I agree Rick is hilarious. I never knew he was so funny until I saw him on YESYEARS.

[Faceintheplace]

Same here.

[Nellsalot]

The YesYears documentary is great and I would be happy to show it to any newbie to introduce them to the band (whereas I would be ashamed to show YesYears). It's as good an explaination of the different periods of their career as any.

[RABARKS]

My favourite tracks from the box are Abilene,Montreux's Theme and Vevey (better than the version on GFTO expanded).
The DVD is great, but I would have liked less talk and more (complete) musicclips! I love the excerpts from the guys at work on GFTO. It's the kind of eavesdropping I would like to have done at all their classic albums!
:headset:

[KPatrick]

love the excerpts from the guys at work on GFTO. It's the kind of eavesdropping I would like to have done at all their classic albums!
:headset:

Now THAT is a lost classic: a double-DVD of the GFTO session footage and the TORMATO session footage, with commentary from the principals. The TORMATO session films are, in many ways, Yes's LET IT BE: the scene excerpted in YESYEARS is almost uncomfortable to watch. (Alan: "There was something magic there [in an earlier take] that just... isn't there anymore." Chris, responding: "Oh, I'd happily do it again. But I'd rather just not go on, sort of pressing for... that... sort of situation..." (nervous smiles all around))
But it would be a marvelous insight into what goes on at the heart of the flame to see the making of those two albums... not that the guys would probably ever let them out, and that's certainly their prerogative...

Does anybody know who owns these films and what's in them? (cough)Henry?

[InverYes]

Aren't both of these available on here as weeds?

[Stevehoweworshipu!]

that thing that rick does on the mellotrom is the greatest thing known to man......
dooddidididid....BAAAAA!!!!!!!!!DAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! !!!!......dooodoodididid....BAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!DDDDDAAAA!!!!
"Can you bluff your way through that one?"

[KPatrick]

Aren't both of these available on here as weeds?

OK, newby alert. What on earth is a weed? I have weeds available, in my back lawn. They look terrible. Come help me pull them, the neighbors are complaining.

[garchov]

But.....there's nothing like a New York cut marinated in roasted garlic terayaki sauce!

[Faceintheplace]

Weed = unreleased Yes live material traded from fan to fan. A weeder will list a show and put up 3 copies, 2 to people with burners, 1 to someone without. The people who have cd burners will keep the same process going in order to provide everyone who wants a certain show with a copy.

[Roadkill]

I bought the YesYears box set shortly after getting into the band. I think I only had one Yes album at the time - Fragile - and the ABWH album so I was really going out on a limb with this! For some reason, I just had an inkling that I was going to enjoy their music.

At the time, I was unemployed and I remember painstakingly saving my dole for weeks on end to afford the box set. On the bus home, I pored over the back of the box, reading the song titles with anticipation. I got home, slipped on my headphones, and had a bloomin great time listening to it. I think I stopped halfway through the track from Tales, just to get something to eat. It really is an amazing collection of tunes, lovingly presented in the tradition of the Led Zep box that preceeded it. You just don't get box sets like these anymore.

Shortly after, I got the YesYears video and I have to say it's the best "rockumentary" I've ever seen. Some great clips of the band doing their thing, and some really amusing interviews.

[Faceintheplace]

Yesyears was the first time I got any of the classic older stuff on good sounding cds. Before then I had all the albums from The Yes Album up to 90125 on used vinyls, Yesterdays, 9012Live and Big Generator on tape and had Yes, Time and a Word and ABWH on cd. IMO they were the best sounding Yes cds out there until the late 90's Atlantic remasters. They still sound pretty great actually.

[cinderella]

I love Trevor's version of And You And I on YesYears. I know the original is wonderful, but he put a completely different twist on the guitar solo. I just really liked it........A lot! :guitar:

[True Believer]

The DVD is definitely worth buying.

[Swig]

The planets were definitely alligned for me in 1991. I first got into YES in March, that summer I got to see them on the Union tour, and YesYears came out. Are the versions of Something's Coming, Everydays, and Then on the Rhino Remasters (i've never heard these) that people are referencing here the same that are on YesYears? The BBC takes and original studio takes are different than what is on the box set. and my video tape no longer plays.

[Jackaranda]

I wish they'd do an updated version of the video/dvd. YeaYears was beautifully done, I'd love to see a "Volume II" sometime.

[cinderella]

It was worth the price for me, just for Trevor's tarzan yell! :winknudge

Hilarious!