THE YES ALBUM

Yes

Symphonic Prog

4.31 | 3306 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

When Yes recorded this album in July 1970 it was make, or break for them. Their first two albums failed to achieve any commercial success. Not helping, the second album, 'Time and a Word' was recorded using an orchestra, alienating Tony Kaye and Peter Banks, who felt they were being shunted out of the band. The fall out was Peter Banks leaving the band and Steve Howe joining Yes. While there is marginal technical difference between the two guitarists Steve Howe brings far more to the table. Less jazzy, influenced by the Country & Western playing of Chet Atkins and the classical style of Julian Bream, Howe is more versatile and able to stretch the musical ideas of the band, forming contrasting styles to Jon Anderson (Pop/Folk), Bruford (Jazz), Kaye (Classical/Jazz) and Squire (Rock). When they pull their forces together, they achieve that unique classic Yes sound, just as Jagger and the Rolling Stones have their sound and the other great rock bands theirs. The Yes Album is the album where all these elements come together in their first really, progressive rock album.

What's special about Your Is No Disgrace and Starship Trooper is the guitar riffing. These are signature tunes the band will be playing in concert for the next 40 years. Tony Kaye also contributes. His Hammond organ supplements the guitars without subtracting from them, while subtly inserting moog over the top of the guitars to give the music more body. Tony Kaye has a similar style of Hammond organ playing to Rick Wright, from Pink Floyd. Neither are flashy. Both are equally competent on the piano and neither likes too much moog. Jon Anderson is a highly underrated lyricist. The opening two lines of Yours Is No Disgrace, 'Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face'/ 'Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human race' may be interpreted as an anti-war song or not, but the words are a perfect fit. Jon Anderson gets criticized a bit for his lyrics. Song lyrics aren't designed to win Pulitzer prizes. He outdoes himself on the lyrics for 'I've Seen All Good People' which is a metaphor of male-female relationships described in terms of chess moves. These are very clever lyrics.

Perpetual Change is a brilliant mini-epic with the bass playing of Chris Squire dominating over the song. He works it all in with Howe's electric guitar and Bill Bruford expanding on it with some very clever drumming. The polyrhythmic middle section must be extremely complicated to play. The band gives a brilliant performance of this song on their live album, Yessongs. Only the most talented bands can pull this sort of music off. Rush do much the same thing on Jacob's Ladder. This is sublime music right on the edge when it comes off.

I prefer The Yes Album to Fragile because it has less soloing and the more integrated feel of a team effort. With two distinctive keyboardists who each have their own style, it's impossible to say which is the superior album. We are entering a period of vintage Yes here where the band are at the top of their game.

iluvmarillion | 5/5 | 2020-6-10

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