Various Artists - Tales From Yesterday (UK release 1995)
Various Artists - Tales From Yesterday (UK release 1995)
I'm not much for cover versions as a rule. Whether this is the result of a diet of cheesey "Hot Hits" albums all those years ago, or a natural reaction to the exponentially increasing amount of recycled dross in the charts these days, I don't know, but generally I prefer music that adds something to the gene pool. I want new tunes, if you please.
There are exceptions, though, and "Tales From Yesterday" on the Magna Carta label is one of them - 13 spirited renditions of Yes classics by a variety of very talented artists, including various band-members themselves. It even has a Roger Dean cover - what more could you want? I loved this album from the first time I heard it, and to be honest I've probably played it more than any individual Yes album since then. Not that there's anything wrong with the originals, of course, (perish the thought!) it's just that this collection brings a new lease of life to many personal favourites. Highly recommended.