YES

This is a good pop rock album in the Yes catalouge, but not very good in the progressive rock area that we know Yes for. It sounds a lot like the Beatles, except for a more aggressive bassist. The lyrics are not as sophisticated as they would be in the other Yes albums, but it seems so charming to listen to this album because of how different it is from the other albums that they have put out.

"Beyond and Before" is alright, a good track. Chris Squire, you can tell, is a little under developed on this track with some very strong parts but with some very sour notes. It's a very reminisant of the Beatles sound. The guitar by Peter is okay. The vocal harmonies are very good on this track. "I see you", written by Jim McGuinn and David Crosby is an enjoyable track, the first one where you hear Jon singing with Chris and Peter Banks, and only by hmiself as well. It's a nice upbeat song and its uplifting. It has a good catchy rythym that is infectious. "Yesterday and Today" is a ballad kind of song, and it's fairly weak. The vocals are soft, but I don't find this song very interesting. "Looking Around" has some very nice vocal harmonies and some nice organs on this song. It's farily upbeat, though the lyrics are obviously subpar. It's not the best on the album, but not the worst. "Harold Land" isn't great, but has some nice piano. The lyrics are fairly good overall, but the music isn't so catchy for me and it isn't challenging for me. "Every little thing," written by John Lennon and Paul Mcartney isn't very good. It's got a really loud rythym section by Bill Bruford and Chris Squire, but it just dosen't seem to catch on to me. "Sweetness" starts with a very pretty organ part, then it gets nice and soft when Chris, Peter, and Bill enter. The vocal harmonies are to die for on this song, honestly. The lyrics are about love, but this song is rewarding in the end. "Survival" has some nice bass, cool effects by Chris. It's the first track that you can tell where they are going, and where Chris is going with that Rickenbacker bass! The guitar is pretty nice and soft on this track, but overall it's quite a heavy track because of the bass line giving the depth and high end to the track. It starts to get quiet near the middle with some nice acoustic guitar. A nice way to close an album!

Though this album isn't as good as albums like "Fragile," "Close to the Edge," "Tales from Topographic Oceans," or "Relayer" but this is a decent start. Lineup changes would make the overall sound of Yes different, but never forget the sweet beginnings. A 2 stars because it's not true prog rock.