Yesoteric

"Yesoteric" is a widely-distributed, multi-volume bootleg compilation of music by the band Yes and other related artists which circulated beginning in the early 1990s among fans. It was initially distributed on cassettes, and later on CDs, and was often associated with the Yes fan newsletter Notes From the Edge.

With Rhino's official Yes CD re-releases surfacing in the early 2000s, followed by the release of the box set, much of the unreleased studio material was released as bonus tracks, in much higher quality, effectively negating the need for the existence of the Yesoteric set's studio material, though it still circulates largely due to the live material that exists in the "Chronicles" section of the collection.

Its reputation among Yes fans is an infamous one, and it's often been the contention of those fans to treat its existence in a Tolkien-esque "keep it secret, keep it safe" manner, as it was often feared that litigation was just around the corner from those in the Yes camp.

External links

* [http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~domino/genesis/yes/yesoteric/yesoteric.htm Yesoteric info site]
* [http://www.yesfans.com/archive/index.php/t-24075.html Forum discussion on history and threats to its existence]
* [http://nfte.org/ Notes From The Edge - Yes fan newsletter]
* [http://nfte.org/back-issues/0054 Original issue of long-running Yes fan magazine Notes From The Edge, outlining the collection's first inception]