Yes - Complete Deluxe Edition

Rating:
Summary: So-So
Review: Do not be decieved by the title of this book. If you are like me and are still looking for the definitive Yes guitar tablature book, I can promise you that this isn't it... and that such a definitive tab book doesn't exist, either. Understandably, though, it seems that such a book would be very difficult to compile (unless the band did it themselves) since pieces like "The Gates of Delirium" feature large, full band improvisational sections while many are never played exactly the same way (the intro to "Close to the Edge," for example) and differ with the whim of each individual player at different times. There is a book called "Yes: Classic Yes- Selections from Yesyears" that features tablatures for every guitar movement. The notable songs on this are "All Good People," "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Run Around" and some of the other significantly less adventurous pieces (those are the only songs with Wakeman and Howe, I believe). In this book, what we have here are just the chords on guitar (with suspect voicings) and melody lines arranged for piano (just like any other fakebook). *Note, this does not necessarily give you the keyboard parts* To some this may be useful if your intention is to study rock, to others who hope this provides everything necessary for your Yes cover-band- this will give you the tonalities and many of the musical structures, but will still require quite a bit of fleshing out on your part.

Rating:
Summary: Don't bother unless you are a hardcore prog rocker
Review: This book has almost all the Yes songs worth learning, unless, of course, you like 90125. The book doesn't include songs from any albums after YesShows. Other than that, it is really thorough, if you don't play bass, drums, lead guitar, or sing backup. A couple years ago I bought a complete Beatles book. I remember being really impressed by the layout. It is written like a score and has every part that is played--not excluding anything. This is what I thought the COMPLETE Yes book would be, but this book has all parts dumbed down so that they can all be played on piano, and as a bassist, this isn't particularly helpful. It does, however, have all the chord changes so it gives one a better understanding of what is going on.
Overall, I would say that I don't regret buying this book. It will be helpful in learning Yes songs. The piano bass parts are still very similar to what Squire is playing, and with a half decent ear for music, sounding out the rest should prove simple. It is worth the [the money] to a real Yes fan. WARNING: Don't buy this book if you can't read music. There is no tab.