Constructing a lost Yes album of the '00s

We were having a discussion on Yesfans.com about whether one might construct a lost Yes album of the last decade by considering the best solo and other band work by the Yesmen. So, here's a suggestion, all available to buy digitally on Amazon.com for a total of $8.71. Most of these pieces were never intended for Yes, it isn't a "lost album" in that sense, it's just a bit of fun of what perhaps might have been.

1. Where Do We Go from Here? (4:21) [from Dream and Variations by Don Harper's Oceana Orchestra; featuring Trevor Rabin] http://tinyurl.com/yaozus2
2. Wish I'd Known All Along (4:05) [from Phoenix by Asia; written by Howe] http://tinyurl.com/y923u7t
3. Buddha Song (6:09) [from Live from La La Land by Jon Anderson; once intended to be recorded by Yes on The Ultimate Yes] http://tinyurl.com/yzy7sm4
4. City of Dreams (9:38) [from Syndestructible by The Syn; co-written by Squire] http://tinyurl.com/ygmvmf6
5. Ghost in the Mirror (4:37) [from Silent Nation by Asia; co-written by Geoff Downes/John Payne/Billy Sherwood] http://tinyurl.com/yf96t6f
6. Beyond the Void (9:06) [from Retro 2 by Rick Wakeman] http://tinyurl.com/yghnebv
7. The Golden Mean (2:50) [from Motif Vol 1 by Steve Howe] http://tinyurl.com/ykefgno
8. Lonesome Trail (6:38) [from Conspiracy by Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood] http://tinyurl.com/ye98ht3
9. Starship Trooper (8:36) [from Rock Infinity, a re-named version of the abortive Jim Ladd's Headsets album From Here to Infinity made before Chapter 1: Alone Out Here; this track is credited to Mickey Thomas, but also features Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe, Alan White, Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye] http://tinyurl.com/ygbymm8

I think the song titles nicely suggest a theme of yearning, which is how Yes fans often felt in the decade...

And here's a UK version using Amazon.co.uk (total £6.51), with one substitution given different availabilities in the two countries:

1. Where Do We Go from Here? (4:21) [from Dream and Variations by Don Harper's Oceana Orchestra; featuring Trevor Rabin] http://tinyurl.com/ylzxvhp
2. Wish I'd Known All Along (4:05) [from Phoenix by Asia; written by Howe] http://tinyurl.com/ygh2jyp
3. Buddha Song (6:09) [from Live from La La Land by Jon Anderson; once intended to be recorded by Yes on The Ultimate Yes] http://tinyurl.com/yl6jf9a
4. 1/2 a World Away (5:47) [from The Unknown by Conspiracy] http://tinyurl.com/yfrkvf4
5. Ghost in the Mirror (4:37) [from Silent Nation by Asia; co-written by Geoff Downes/John Payne/Billy Sherwood] http://tinyurl.com/ylz6e2j
6. Beyond the Void (9:06) [from Retro 2 by Rick Wakeman] http://tinyurl.com/yj3hjsq
7. The Golden Mean (2:50) [from Motif Vol 1 by Steve Howe] http://tinyurl.com/yzmyqnm
8. Lonesome Trail (6:38) [from Conspiracy by Chris Squire & Billy Sherwood] http://tinyurl.com/ykary2k
9. Starship Trooper (8:36) [from Rock Infinity, by Mickey Thomas with Billy Sherwood, Steve Howe, Alan White, Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye] http://tinyurl.com/yln3gzv

Henry

Poll: Best new Yes song of the '00s

I asked you to vote on the best new Yes song of last decade and, after 150 votes, the results were very clear:

In the Presence of: 67 votes (45%)
Magnification: 22 votes (15%)
Give Love Each Day: 21 votes (14%)
Dreamtime: 15 votes (10%)
We Agree: 7 votes (5%)
Can You Imagine: 6 votes (4%)
Time is Time: 4 votes (3%)
Aliens are Only Us from the Future: 3 votes (2%)
Show Me: 3 votes (2%)
Spirit of Survival: 1 vote (1%)
Other answer (Homeworld, which was from the previous decade): 1 vote (1%)

So, with a band setting out to write a new album without Jon Anderson, it is perhaps reassuring that by far the most popular piece of the last decade originated from Alan White. On the other hand, in the next two places are "Magnification" and "Give Love Each Day", both of which seem to have been from Anderson originally. Only two Magnification tracks got no votes at all (Howe's "Soft as a Dove"; and the shot at airplay, "Don't Go").

As remarked previously, the tragedy of the noughties is that there was just the one new Yes album. However, a smattering of further '00s Yes songs did emerge. Not that these were very popular! "Show Me" (on the US version of The Ultimate Yes) and the 2008 live piece "Aliens are Only Us from the Future" (now destined for the Squackett project) got 3 votes apiece, and I suspect some of those for "Aliens…" were joke responses judging by the online reaction to the song.

While the '00s didn't bring much in the way of new Yes material, the archives were flung open by a series of released on Rhino: In a Word: Yes, The Word is Live and the expanded and remastered re-releases. I count about 23 Yes pieces that were not previously officially available that came out last decade, and several of these hadn't even been bootlegged before. So, that's our next poll: which was your favourite?