I sort of agree and sort of don't.
I think I've always liked double albums because they tend to be a little less choosey.
On the other hand, "if it works don't fix it"

One of my favorite packaging trends is to put the l.p. on one cd and the supplemental material on a bonus cd. I like Yes' version of 'America' but have a hard time thinking of it as an l.p. track.

I'm going to have to follow the pack and go w/ Close To The Edge...Yes isn't my favorite Prog group, but that album is definitely one of the standout albums from the period...but personally, I'd omit the Yes Album and put in Tales From Topographic Oceans, but I guess that's just me.

I get your point, Seba. The extended scope of Tales... was the logical, even inevitable, progression from Close To The Edge. That notwithstanding, I'd have to say that to me, Tales From Topographic Oceans represents a whole new chapter in Yes' development, while The Yes Album, in spite of the absence of Wakeman, represents the beginning of what they continued in both Fragile and Close To The Edge...the longer structures, the emphasis on strong musicianship, that sort of thing. The Yes Album certainly has a lot more in common with the two albums that followed it than it had in common with the two albums which preceded it.

Also, the albums came out within two years...and they hit the U.S. album market like such a tidal wave that those of us who were discovering Yes through those three rapid fire masterpieces saw them almost as a single entity, once Close To The Edge had been released and the next album was the live retrospective Yessongs, which seemed to indicate a transition was at hand...and indeed it was.

Dammit.

Gonna have to do some listening and re-listening before I can vote on this one. Very tough call.

wtf happened to relayer and tales from topographic oceans????????

They're great, theocide...I love 'em both, especially Tales, but...maybe you just had to be there in '72 listening to FM rock to know why I feel this way...

I chose The Yes Album. Starship Trooper alone makes for a great album, but add Yours Is No Disgrace and I've Seen All Good People and it puts it on top. I love the other two and almost voted for Fragile.

I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that some who think Close to The Edge is the best of the three don't feel the other two are even close... Not sure why... I feel all three are great, but as I said earlier, I think The Yes Album is the best of the three... In fact, if the song "The Clap" wasn't on The Yes Album, it might be my 3rd favorite album of all-time in the history of Rock music (behind Forever Changes by Love and the Beatles White Album), but that one song keeps it out of the running... It still makes my top ten though...


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I had to listen to all three again before I made my decision cause I really do like Yes a lot. I finally went with Close to the Edge because it was so innovative and really got my attention. The title cut and Siberian Khatru are two of my favorite Yes songs.

Well, I don't feel that way at all. To me the albums are very close in quality, and each one builds on the progress of the one before, I think.