THE YES ALBUM

Yes recruited Steve Howe after the departure of Peter Banks, and dropped the orchestra and took the new album into their own direction. This album is an evolution in many ways from the last one. The best of this album was the best of Yes to date.

"YOURS IS NO DISGRACE" starting off this album is amazing because it is definitely their best song to date, improving on even their best output so far, like Then and Everydays. It's also their longest song, structurally it's well put together and the dynamics and melodies have never worked so good together in a Yes song. "THE CLAP" makes the listener fully aware that they have a phenomenal guitarist in Steve Howe. Recruiting him was inergral in their new sound, and The Clap is an amazing acoustic solo, showing him off quite well. Howe's dexterity and his improvisational skills along with his compositional skills, and even along with his soloing skills are simply unmatched in my opinion. There can be weirder players than him, faster players than him, but no one can put together something as captivating as a Howe solo like The Clap. "STARSHIP TROOPER" is Yes' first multi-part song, containing yet again, fantastic playing by Steve Howe, and the good old heavy end of Squire's bass. The 3 parts of this song meld together beautifully. When Disillusion starts, prepare to hear an awesome acoustic part by Howe, remeniscent of a bluegrass banjo player, and then seguing off into the atmospheric Wurm. What a great song! "I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE" is probably the weakest track on the album actually, no matter it's commercial success, it's still a good song, but it's the least dynamic and most repetitive. "THE VENTURE" is a really cool track instrumentally, great melody, they've really found that great sense of melody. "PERPETUAL CHANGE" is another long song, closing off the album on a decent note, there are a lot of good parts in the song, but for the most part, it's a drag-on.

A step-up in a lot of ways from Time And A Word, but not as consistent in quality, and doesn't prove to be a complete experience as an album. Yes would take their best elements from this album and throw them at you soon enough.

Best songs: Yours Is No Disgrace, Starship Trooper

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