AMG Review of Yesstory

Paul Collins
All Music Guide

Despite the seeming overabundance of Yes compilations and live recordings, this two-CD release does fill an important niche -- it's the definitive Yes set for fans who demand more than a single disc (The Very Best of Yes), but don't want to spring for the bulky box set. Essentially a distillation of the Yesyears box set, it benefits from the fine remastering job, while at the same time trimming away less vital tracks like the Tormato B-sides and the tepid '80s live performances. Still, it's shocking that the fine album, Drama, was left out entirely, or that Relayer was whittled down to the unsatisfying excerpt of "Soon." And only picking the two hit singles from 90125 and Big Generator won't fool many true fans of their later work -- both could have been passed over for better cuts that didn't pull in the teenyboppers. Still, despite its post-1980 lapses, fans of early Yes may find this an entirely satisfactory compilation.