Yes / Fragile remixed and expanded

I’m really late to the game, as I’ve only recently become a fan of Yes and recently purchased this CD/Blu-ray package. But is anyone else having an issue with the Blu-ray Disc? It doesn’t seem to change anything on the menu screen when I’m trying to select something. I can press the arrow keys up or down a million times, but there’s no way of knowing what I’ve selected until after I press “select.” Was there an official recall/replacement for this menu screen issue? Thanks! :)

@Paul: please post that number five of the Yes remasters is coming soon:
“YES – TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS – Steven Wilson 2016 Remixes”

With compatibility problems with the Bluray and Sony BD players, I think I’ll just go for the DVD. One question for anybody out there. Is The DVDA an actual DVDA disc that needs a special player or is it a DVD Video disc with audio on it? Thanks.

Trying to make sense of the USA pre-order link. The UK one looks as it should…with the “This title will be released on…” blurb. But that US one *almost* looks as though it’s now available (and at a ridiculously high $53.99). Amazon is notorious for inaccurate or incomplete listings, but this one is just puzzling. ???

I love Big Generator for what it is, but it requires me to remember not to think “these guys used to be a prog rock band,” if that makes sense. When a lot of the British 70s prog bands made their transitions to radio-friendly stuff in the 80s, people scoffed but taken for what they are – simple, catchy arena-rock classics, BG is actually quite a fun album. I could say the same for post-PG Genesis, Styx, Kansas, or Asia too. They weren’t trying to be cerebral progressive rock bands anymore, so if the mind can switch that off and listen to that stuff for what it WAS trying to be, then there’s actually a lot of brilliance to be heard in them. I remember roller skating to “Rhythm of Love” and thoroughly enjoying the experience, not even connecting the dots with stuff like “Roundabout” or “Siberian Katuru.” So for that alone, I thank them.

Another note – while SW is no stranger to pop music (he remixed some Tears for Fears), I can’t see him doing some of the later Yes albums with the same degree of enthusiasm, which could possibly be why the remixes of “King Crimson 3.0” albums are taking so long… Or maybe not. Maybe it’s just Fripp being Fripp. :-)

I’m very stoked about this release. Odd, the order in which they’re coming out…but I’m not complaining.
These Yes/Panegyric /Wilson DE’s are the benchmark by which all DE’s should be measured. And by that I mean the CD/Blu versions (both for extra Blu content AND superior mini-LP packaging).
Oh, and FWIW, my vote for upcoming releases are TFTO, Drama, 90125, & Big Generator.

I agree with Rodney regarding the “full album needle drop” mix of any album… “such a pointless waste of time and energy. If they have access to the master tapes then why bother”… if you want to hear the vinyl, go and buy it. I don’t want to hear snap crackles and pops out of a Blu-Ray and if they have the space, make room for visual content (concert footage).

Does anyone else have the quandary of which format to buy? I’m more likely to listen to a 5.1 mix in my car these days (I have an Acura TLX which has an amazing sound system for factory default). My car is basically my man cave as the wife/kids own the house. So it’s where I turn up the music and listen most. Therefore a DVD-A is what I need to be able to use it there. But, I’m also always about the bonus features, and the Blu-Ray gives us more of that. A previously unheard track? I can’t pass that up. Wish they had a solution that gives me the best of both worlds (without having to buy both). Has anyone seen if they are putting Blu-Ray players in cars for music listening purposes?

I have the original Fragile DVD-A (as well as the Magnification DVD-A).

Yes Rik, I have it too, and I’m very fond of it. It has “America” as a bonus (both in surround and in stereo).
But I’m looking forward to this new version by Steven Wilson and see what he came up with.

Yes I have the original DVD-A
It’s not that bad

I own one of the early 5.1 DVD-A’s of Fragile, issued by Elektra/Rhino in 2002. The surround mix is rather clumsy (for lack of a better word), but I have a sentimental attachment to this old thing and am unsure I want to “upgrade” to this new edition. My DVD-A is in a 5×6 latched jewel case, with a reproduction of the original vinyl’s booklet and some cool video extras like a photo gallery and a Yes timeline.

Anyone else have one of these?

It will be interesting to see what’s next, everyone has their fave Yes years,
can’t say i like everything they’ve done, choice wise and they are all different with all the feedback i’d wouldn’t mind 90125/Talk, but we will wait and see

The next remix should be TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS!!! In the hands of Steven, this masterpiece will shine with a new light… Of course I want to hear also Going for the One, but FIRST: TALES!!!

I would say buying this from Burning Shed is a no brainer compared to the price on Amazon and i know the price will probably drop on Amazon before the release date but if it drops below £20 there will be postage to pay. I have stopped buying any new releases from Amazon as their prices are shocking thank god HMV came back online.

After reading many of the comments for the Steve Wilson Yes & XTC reissues it appears that many SDE readers, like me, like Blu-rays with high quality sound, lots of extras, and and minimal, yet high quality packaging, at a reasonable price. Universal, Sony, & Warner PLEASE take notice.

Looking forward to this release.

Rodney – a needle-drop usually implies taking a mint copy (hopefully new / sealed) of the original vinyl, and ripping it digitally using high-end equipment. The finer reissue teams will then reduce noise and remove as many vinyl-related artifacts as possible. Sometimes the result is difficult to distinguish from a regular CD unless you know what to look for. That’s what we can reasonably expect from the people involved with this project.

But sometimes they just rip a used vinyl copy and clean up the sound minimally, and there is plenty of noise and artifacts. I’ve bought a few of those CDs, but in some cases it’s still preferable to the album not being reissued at all.

And while it’s not classic Yes by any stretch, Big Generator is pretty cool for what it aims for – a bomastic 80s arena-rock album with big drums and guitars, with a few prog overtones thrown in for good measure. Trevor Rabin’s guitar work shines on several cuts, especially Shoot High, Aim Low. I already have the Japanese iteration, but a deluxe set with demos and alternate mixes would be cool.

Hmm, all these Amazon links say it’s a one disker. I’m not going to preorder this until that magic “2” appears, thanks.

Steve Wilson is an undisputed genius and visionary. The Yes and XTC remasters have all surpassed expectations. The Bluray editions have had more high quality content than many box sets costing over 4 times the price.

Topographic Oceans followed by Going For The One and Tormato gets my vote!

I’m sorry if this is a stupid question but what is a “full album needle drop” mix? Do we seriously need a mix that contains scratches and pops like an old vinyl??

I wouldn’t mind seeing the Rabin years getting the deluxe treatment. And maybe that means Rabin is directly involved and not Wilson if that era wasn’t of strong interest to him.

What I’ve found with some of these deluxe versions from different bands is a fresh evaluation of the material, not to mention unreleased or live material from that era. Maybe I didn’t give it a chance years ago, but now listen to it with a different perspective.

I like a few songs from BG, but I’d actually prefer a deluxe edition of Talk before BG. (And I may be the only one.)

I’d love to see Drama deluxe next, especially since they’ll be doing that album in full next year, but suspect Going for the One will be next for the deluxe treatment, with Tales as my dark horse pick.

As long as Wilson keeps giving us instrumental versions of all these albums, I’ll be happy.

William: Are you nuts?!?! Here’s hoping that don’t waste their time with that rubbish. Next release will be “Tales from Topographic Oceans” followed by “Tormato” and “Time And A Word.”
I believe “Going For The One” and “Yes” will be the end of the Steven Wilson remasters.

Adam I am with you on this one if i can use a term Yesssssssss!!!!!!! After
buying their previous 3 double cd/bd, and what a superb and outstanding job Steve Wilson has done with the full support of Yes and the untimely
passing of the legendary Chris Squire i am sure this will also be dedicated
to the bass player, and what i really enjoy about these revisited/remastered albums, we have up to 6 different versions of the original album and plenty of extras while the sound quality is amazing,
same as the recent Tull albums. After the above 3 albums were complete
and released at their various times, what was going through my mind, i wonder if i can use a pun from The Who, “Who’s Next”and even better
the release date is during my birthday week, i’ll have to repeat myself
Yesssssssssssss!

they should remaster Big Generator next. OR expand it and reissue it as a Deluxe set.

Cant wait !
The other Yes albums done by Steve are fantastic with great sound , good bonus material and shows how much can be put on a Blu ray , its what fans really want .

Will the Blu-Ray packaging be the same as the DVD-A this time? I believe with the previous releases the Blu-Ray was in a vinyl replica sleeve whereas the DVD-A was a standard digipak. That’s the main reason I went with the DVD-A versions as much prefer a digipak.