There are more than a few Progressive Rock fans here at Biff Bam Pop!, and I might be the biggest one of all of us. Or maybe just the obsessive, since here I am putting together a Holiday Gift Guide entry. Below you’ll find solid reissues fans will want to dig into, books devoted to hardcore Yes fans, and a fresh live album from one of the leading lights in prog metal.
RUSH 50
RUSH
Who it’s for: RUSH devotees and completists who didn’t anticipate that we’d be getting a reunion tour featuring Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and newcomer Annika Niles, who steps behind the kit in memory of the late, legendary Neil Peart.
The log line: Celebrate 50 years of RUSH with their first-ever complete career anthology. 50 tracks on 4 CDs featuring selections from every studio, live and deluxe reissue album. Igniting the experience are the very first two singles, “Not Fade Away” and “You Can’t Fight It,” remastered & reissued for the first time ever. The collection showcases seven unreleased tracks, including five 1974 live selections with the non-album songs “Bad Boy” and “Garden Road,” a Vault Edition of “The Trees” with an alternate guitar solo, and the very last performance with Neil Peart in Los Angeles on August 1, 2015 of “What You’re Doing / Working Man / Garden Road.” The 104-page hardcover book features new Hugh Syme 50th anniversary artwork along with stunning new song illustrations, photos and liner notes by renowned rock journalists David Fricke and Philip Wilding.
You can order RUSH 50 here.
In The Wake of Poseidon – All New 2025 Mixes – CD+Blu-ray
King Crimson
Lizard – All New 2025 Mixes – CD+Blu-ray
King Crimson
Who it’s for: Fans who think King Crimson peaked with their debut album or 1981’s Discipline; audiophiles looking to show off their in-home surround sound systems; band completists who missed out on the now out-of-print multi-disc box set, Sailors’ Tales.
The log line – In The Wake of Poseidon: The complete recording sessions for King Crimson’s majestic In The Wake of Poseidon on CD/Blu-Ray. The Blu-Ray features completely new mixes* of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround & Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson (*except Devil’s Triangle) / New Elemental Mixes of four of the tracks in Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton, plus two additional versions of Cadence and Cascade / Complete recording sessions of the album in Hi-Res Stereo / The Original Stereo Master of the album (30th Anniversary edition). The CD contains the 2025 mix with Devil’s Triangle sourced from the alt mixes (as featured originally on the Sailors’ Tales box set), and the new Elemental Mixes.
The log line – Lizard: The complete recording sessions of King Crimson’s extraordinary Lizard on CD/Blu-Ray. The Blu-Ray features all new mixes of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA 24/96 Surround & 24/96 Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson / All new Elemental Mixes of the whole album in 24/192 Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton / The 30th anniversary remaster in 24/96 / The complete recording sessions from September 1970 in 24/48. The CD includes the 2025 Steven Wilson album mixes and a selection of Elemental Mixes
You can order King Crimson’s In The Wake of Poseidon here and Lizard here.
Fly From Here – Return Trip Super Deluxe Edition
Yes
Who it’s for: Longtime fans who missed out on the limited release of Fly From Here – Return Trip in 2018, which featured new vocals from album producer Trevor Horn; fans of the Buggles or Yes’ now beloved 1980 release, Drama, the first to feature Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. Bias alert – this is one of my favourite Yes albums, and it sounds fantastic in surround sound. There’s not a bad song on Fly From Here – Return Trip, and it’s worth having for anyone remotely interested in the band.
The log line: New release of the 2018 album, Yes’ alternative take on their ‘Fly From Here’ opus of 2011. 2025 versions include a 1CD, 2LP (In a Tip on Sleeve) and an exclusive Super Deluxe Edition Blu-ray featuring a new Atmos mix by Richard Whittaker. Vinyl and CD have an exclusive instrumental mix of Fly From Here as a bonus track.
You can order Fly From Here – Return Trip by Yes here.
A Compendium of Yes Tour Books & Concert Programs
Douglas Gottlieb & Glenn Gottlieb
A Compendium of Yes Concert Posters
Douglas Gottlieb & Glenn Gottlieb
A Compendium of Yes Picture Sleeves
Douglas Gottlieb & Glenn Gottlieb
Who it’s for: Diehard Yes fans who want to explore the band’s visual side; collectors and completists who want the first three titles in the Yesstuff series of books from the Gottlieb Bros.
The log line – A Compendium of Yes Tour Books & Concert Programs: For over five decades, YES has captivated audiences not only with their groundbreaking music but also with a striking visual universe, often captured in their lavish tour books and concert programs. Now, for the first time, experience this stunning legacy like never before with A Compendium of YES Tour Books & Concert Programs, the first book in the Yesstuff series. This vividly illustrated full-color compendium offers an unprecedented visual journey through every official tour book ever produced and an extensive collection of concert programs from YES’s illustrious career. From the band’s humble beginnings with simple festival programs to their grandest modern-day deluxe tour books, each page is a celebration of collectible rock history. Delve into the evolution of YES’s iconic visual identity, meticulously documented with over 300 vibrant images across 254 full-color pages. Explore the striking graphic styles, often crafted by visionary artist Roger Dean, that became synonymous with the band. Authored by the Gottlieb Bros., Douglas Gottlieb and Glenn Gottlieb, this work is born from a lifelong passion for YES’s music and a nearly four-decade-long professional collaboration with the band and Roger Dean. Featuring a foreword by legendary YES guitarist Steve Howe, this is the essential first volume in the Yesstuff book series, which details the YES story through the lens of these amazing collectibles.
The log line – A Compendium of Yes Concert Posters: Few items of musical ephemera are imbued with more talismanic, time-travelling power than the concert poster. Produced in the smallest of quantities, they’re hard to obtain and even harder to preserve across the ravages of time. Unwieldy, fragile, and subjected to all manner of assault by tape, thumbtacks, and glue, it’s a wonder any manage to survive. When they do, they can fetch a king’s ransom at auction. After all, who wouldn’t want to be transported back in time to a legendary gig by a favorite band at a fabled, but long-since-lost concert palace we remember fondly from our youth? This full-color compendium features what is likely the world’s largest collection of rare YES concert posters, documenting the band’s extraordinary career from their earliest performances to the present day. As you turn the pages, you’ll witness the evolution of YES’s visual presence—deeply intertwined with Roger Dean‘s iconic artwork: otherworldly landscapes, intricate illustrations, and the iconic YES logo. From early, utilitarian bills to fully realized artistic statements, these limited-edition posters are now preserved in high-resolution archival digitization—rendered in stunning clarity for a new generation of fans and collectors.
The log line – A Compendium of Yes Picture Sleeves: Even the most dedicated YES collectors will discover previously unknown treasures in this meticulously researched music reference book documenting the band’s complete international picture sleeve singles legacy. Compiled by longtime YES archivists and collaborators Douglas Gottlieb and Glenn Gottlieb, this comprehensive guide finally catalogues the rare vinyl collectibles that have remained scattered across the globe for decades. You’ve hunted for original “Looking Around” singles and understand why the YES logo rendered in Japanese Katakana characters is legendary among YES memorabilia circles. Now access the complete archive that serious collectors have been piecing together for decades—finally compiled in one authoritative volume.
You can order the Yesstuff books here.
Quarantieme: Live A Paris (Limited Deluxe 3cd+3bluray Artbook)
Dream Theater
Who it’s for: Fans who either attended or missed out on Dream Theatre’s 40th anniversary tour, which saw the return of drummer Mike Portnoy after a decade-plus absence; musicians who want to see master players performing at their peak.
The log line: In 2024, Dream Theater celebrated their 40th anniversary as a band – alongside the return of founding member Mike Portnoy – with a mammoth tour that straddled the globe. Quarantième: Live à Paris was filmed and recorded live in Paris in front of a huge audience at the Adidas Arena. Performing tracks from across the band’s career, as well as material from their most recent studio album, Parasomnia, this stunning audio/visual release documents DT at their flamboyant best. Limited deluxe 3CD/3Blu-Ray artbook edition with Hugh Syme artwork and 68 pages of photos and images plus a Blu-Ray of bonus material. Includes the full show with Atmos, 5.1 and hi-res stereo audio.
You can order the Quarantieme: Live A Paris (Limited Deluxe 3cd+3bluray Artbook) here.
