Yes
The Steven Wilson Remixes
(Rhino Atlantic)

The Steven Wilson Remixes collection spotlights Yes’ early to mid-70’s albums: The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge, Tales From Topographic Oceans and Relayer.

On Fragile and Close To The Edge I really began to hear little bits and pieces that I’d never heard before (and that’s saying a lot as I have pored over these Yes albums, and yes, on album, for years and years). Bill Bruford’s signature piccolo snare, unheard-until-now Steve Howe guitar stuff on “Long Distance Runaround,” and I am sure another bass overdub of Chris Squire’s on his solo, “The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus),” are just some of the highlights.

The entire first side suite, “Close To The Edge,” the album’s title track, is about the best version I’ve heard.

Tales From Topographic Oceans is as much a complicated (some would say overblown) four-sided, two-album listen as ever. Great listening on this 5.1 surround sound version, while Relayer, the album where Patrick Moraz replaced Rock Wakeman on keys, is for me, another high point.

For me, the songs here represent Steve Howe’s amazingly diverse guitar work at its best. Although the remix of “The Gates Of Delirium” should be put in a Steve Wilson time capsule for future generations to drool over, “Sound Chaser” for me is the gem here. Wilson plucked forth Patrick Moraz’s jazzy piano opening with some of the very best Alan White drumming he has ever managed for Yes.

Yes, I have heard all this before, and always loved it, but hearing it this way, the separation of instruments and pulling stuff forward as he has, Steve Wilson enlivens these great songs.