----------------------------------------------------- OCTOBER 2003  ----------------------------------------------------- Source: MoJo Magazine, Issue #119 The Ultimate Yes By John Bungey  3 Stars [out of 5] Thirty-fifth anniversary compilation from indestructible progsters (but what will they call their 40th anniversary set?) The opening track here, Yours Is No Disgrace, sets the template -- rocky guitars, glossy vocal harmonies, neo-classical structure, barmy lyrics ("battleships confide in me and tell me where you are"). Yes's fiddlesome ambitions have created marvels -- And You And I, Going For The One and pungent stinkers - Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil), with thin material stretched to eternity. Their music can beguile and infuriate -- often in the same song. Yes fanatics will know these greatest hits backwards but the 2CD set is a good primer for the curious. Even the over-produced big rock tunes of later years sport decent hooks (Owner Of A Lonely Heart). But evidence that Yes struggled to match early glories comes with the telling presence of Bill Bruford on 11 of the 21 tracks -- and he left in 1972. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com