Prolific prog musician Steven Wilson, of Porcupine Tree, has carved out an unusual second career as a remixer of progressive-rock albums. Taking the original (and deteriorating) analog multi-track tapes and transferring them to computer files, he’s been able to create new versions of the records he grew up listening to, including those by King Crimson, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Hawkwind, and XTC. Wilson’s become the go-to guy among music nerds who go in for this kind of revisionist history, having earned a reputation for clear, powerful mixes that do the originals justice.
Wilson’s remixes of five Yes albums have made their way into a new vinyl box set, with each disc bearing reworked artwork from Roger Dean. These mixes were originally released on deluxe Blu-ray editions, for which Wilson rejiggered—in both stereo and 5.1 surround—the English band’s best-loved work, including 1971’s The Yes Album, 1971’s Fragile, 1972’s Close to the Edge, 1973’s Tales from Topographic Oceans, and 1974’s Relayer. This run of albums found Yes becoming one of the most successful prog bands of the era, as their song lengths swelled to 20-plus minutes and their lyrics embraced abstract and cosmic conceits. Close to the Edge is frequently lauded as the high-water mark for prog rock; the double album Tales from Topographic Oceans is often laughed at as its indulgent nadir.