The progressive art-rock band Yes put itself on the multimedia map this past summer with the release of the world's first CD-ROM 5-inch maxi-single, "Walls."
"The idea of the release was to get the fans involved with the band," said Yes publicist Brian O'Neil. "CD-ROM users can plug it in to their ROM (read-only memory) drives and click into interactive menus, featuring a virtual multimedia feast of behind the scenes rehearsal footage, unreleased demos, profiles, lyrics, interviews and a `jukebox' section that contains tracks from the album (`Talk')."But not only does the maxi-single target the computer literate, it is also compatible to the standard stereo-component CD player.
"As a single, any CD player can play the five tracks for listening enjoyment," said O'Neil.
Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin said during a telephone interview that the single signified the beginning of an alliance between the electronic world and the recording industry.
"Since the band is already a pioneer in the recording industry, we wanted to take it a step further and mingle with the computer age."
During its recent tour, Yes also employed an innovative sound enhancement called "Concertsonics" to bring a new dimension to the live show.
By using the computer-enhanced quadrophonic sound, anyone sitting in the reserved seats owning a portable FM stereo/cassette player with headphones was able to tap into the quadrophonic sound frequency and hear the live concert in stereo.
The audience could still enjoy the concert without the the headphones, said Rabin. But by using them, the sound came through incredibly clear in an umbrella effect.
"It's kind of like audio binoculars," he said.
As a followup to these innovations, in November, Yes also released a full-length CD-ROM titled "Yes:Active."