The ‘Yes Album,’ the landmark album that established Yes as one of the leading progressive rock bands of the 1970s, is getting a special 50th anniversary reissue. The new box set will feature rare and unreleased material, including two live concerts from 1971 and new mixes by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.
The Yes Album was released in February 1971 and was the first album to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who joined the band in 1970. Howe brought a new level of virtuosity and diversity to the group, contributing to classics such as "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Starship Trooper" and "I've Seen All Good People". The album also showcased the songwriting and vocal talents of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye.
The box set will include four CDs, a Blu-ray disc and an LP, containing the original album remastered, alternate takes, studio outtakes, single edits, radio sessions and more. The highlight of the set is the two previously unreleased concerts, recorded at London's Lyceum Theatre on January 17th, 1971 and at Yale University on November 19th, 1971. The Lyceum show captures the band just weeks before the release of The Yes Album, while the Yale show documents their first U.S. tour with Howe.
The Blu-ray disc will feature a new 5.1 surround sound mix by Steven Wilson, who has previously remixed several other Yes albums. Wilson says he aimed to create a "more immersive listening experience" that respects the original stereo mix. The Blu-ray will also include a Dolby Atmos mix, which Wilson describes as "a thrilling new way to experience this classic album".
Steve Howe says he is proud of The Yes Album and its legacy. He says, "The Yes Album represents to me the invention of '70s Yes. This was aided by leaving outside material off the record and heavily investing in the influences we brought together, particularly the arrangement skills and utilizing the available best technology. Our adventurism shows in the originality of the music and lyrics, as none of us had done anything quite like this before."
The Yes Album 50th anniversary edition will be released on November 24th, Black Friday. It will also be available digitally. Fans can get a taste of the reissue with an early take of “I’ve Seen All Good People”, which is available now on streaming platforms.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]