THE YES ALBUM

Before I criticize, let me say that this is a timeless album by an incredible band- I have loved it for years and discover new things every time I listen. It places second in my favorite YES releases, right after "Close to the Edge", but has a more immediate and accessible sound, more comparable to "Fragile". I would not hesitate to give it the full five stars except for a few nagging thoughts that have developed after years of repeated listenings...for one thing, despite my respect for Steve Howe and the Leo Kottke- inspired "The Clap", I feel it sounds out of place here; although I can appreciate the song on its own terms, I find myself skipping it from time to time..."A Venture" also seems stylistically out-of-phase and strangely truncated; I have a feeling that with a different structure and arrangement it could have been a brooding "Heart of the Sunrise"- type classic but unfortunately sounds more than a little like a throwaway track between the incomparable "All Good People" and the grand, uplifting "Perpetual Change". Despite those flaws, this album remains one of my favorites and I would not hesitate recommending it to anyone- progressive rock fans or not.