Yes – Yesingles II (Rhino)

Fun size Yes – just in time for Halloween

This is the followup to Yessingles, which came out in 2023, and collected most (but not all) of the band’s songs that were edited for 45’s, cassettes, CD’s, or radio singles.  For volume two, instead of being an overview, it’s essentially the leftovers from volume one – yet, it makes for a really enjoyable listen.

Yessingles II, another addition to Rhino’s Rocktober series, opens with one of the strangest songs in the group’s entire catalog: “Something’s Coming” is a cover from the West Side Story musical that was originally only available as a b-side.  Oddly, the entire 7-minute song was squeezed on the flipside of the band’s debut single. That 45’s a-side, “Sweetness,” is also included, featured here in a rare, mono mix that has a really fine Jon Anderson, understated vocal. 

The band’s second single, “Looking Around,” has got some great musicianship – remember, this lineup was before the addition of guitarist Steve Howe or keyboardist Rick Wakeman, yet the iteration still sounds really tight.  There’s a maturity to “Sweet Dreams,  from their next album. Yet, the song really never goes anywhere.  

Side two jumps seven years ahead for the slightly-truncated single version of “Going For the One,” one of the major omissions from the first compilation.  It fades abruptly and immediately, with no silence, jumps right into an edit of “It Can Happen,” off the band’s breakout, 90125 from 1983.

1987’s Big Generator was oddly not represented at all on the first volume.  Here, we get the harmony-laden opening of “Rhythm of Love,” and “Love Will Find a Way,” which omits the strings at the beginning and fades early. Both are examples of Yes at their late-period peak.

The real treat of the entire collection is “Make it Easy,” an outtake from the pre-90125-era band, before Anderson rejoined, when they were being billed as Cinema.  It features guitarist Trevor Rabin on vocals, and is surprisingly good.

The album comes in a blue and white splatter vinyl, which looks as good as it sounds.

Unlike the first Yessingles, none of the tracks on this second volume were heavily edited (thankfully).  

Because most of these songs are the band’s lesser hits, it really sounds fresh.  Yessingles II is a great listen through and through.  —Tony Peters