YES

This is the first of many classic albums to come out from the progressive rock band Yes. This album was released in July of 1969 and consists an interesting line-up of musicians. The line-up included Jon Anderson on vocals, Chris Squire on bass, Bill Bruford on drums, Peter Banks on guitar, and Tony Kaye on Hammond organ. This album displays the band in their early stages as they are still developing their sound and techniques. This allows the listener to take an interesting trip back to hear where these goliaths of prog began. Despite this album differing from their later catalogue, there is still a lot to be enjoyed here. When taking a look at the line-up, bassist Chris Squire does exactly what is known to do. His bass performance throughout the album is incredibly prominent and gives a real punch to all of the songs. Jon Anderson's vocals on the other hand still seem like as if he holding back. By the time we get to the band's third album titled The Yes Album, Jon Anderson has fully broken out of his shell. Nevertheless, his vocal performance on this album is still great and completely enjoyable. The other band members give an impressive performance as well, from Bill Bruford's jazz-like drums to Peter Banks psychedelic guitar the musician box is definitely checked off.

Beyond and Before is the first track on the album and can also be considered the starting point of this iconic band. It was written by Chris Squire and Clive Bailey. Clive Bailey was the former singer and guitarist in Mabel Greer's Toyshop, the rock band which was a precursor to Yes. The band would open a majority of their live shows with this tune. Chris Squire once described the track as "one of those acid rock kind of songs" with its psychedelic lyrics. The song includes various interesting chord progressions and a nice vocal melody that highlights the bands terrific three-part harmonies. I See You is a cover of a song that was originally written by the band The Byrds. Peter Banks once stated that he was somewhat disappointed with the version recorded for the album as he later recognized the mistakes on it. There is some jazz-like improvisational interplay between Peter Banks and Bill Bruford which is a delight to hear. I would actually consider this to be one of Peter Bank's finest work on the album, his wonderful improvisations and well written melodies only strengthen the song. The way the band exits the main improvisational section is also quite brilliant. If you plan on doing a cover, this is how you do it. Yesterday and Today is a short but pleasant acoustic piece that contains beautiful vocals from Jon Anderson. Due to Jon Anderson's airy vocals, the track becomes surprisingly soothing and comforting. Looking Around changes things up from the last track, and is full of energy and vigor. When Chris Squire was asked about Looking Around in an interview, he stated that it remains to be one of his favorite tracks on the album. When it came to recording it, the band actually had difficulties with its pitching as they were unsure on what key the song was in. There is also some great Hammond organ from Tony Kaye that is present through the entire song. This is an exceptionally solid track!

Harold Land appears to be somewhat forgotten by most Yes fans but remains to be a genuinely remarkable song. The band seems to tackle the topic of war and how it effects someone in a genuinely heartfelt manner. This track yet again displays some terrific keyboard work from Tony Kaye as his is playing the lead instrument on most of the track. Harold Land remains as a good example of the path Yes would take when going into the future. Every Little Thing is yet another cover which originated from The Beatles. Chris Squire once said, he didn't realize how much he liked the band's version until he turned on the radio after performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1984 and heard the instrumentation. He believed that it was almost a new song being played until Anderson's voice was heard, making it a cover. This cover takes a different spin on the original as the band incorporates various interesting and more complex arrangements into the track. My favorite version of Every Little Thing still has to be the version found on the Songs From Tsongas - Yes 35th Anniversary Concert which has Rick Wakeman performing on piece. Rick Wakeman incorporates new and interesting keyboard melodies that make certain parts feel like a brand new song! Nevertheless, the version found here is still a great listen that yet again displays Peter Banks skill with guitar. Sweetness is the first song that Jon Anderson and Chris Squire (including former Mabel Greer's Toyshop guitarist Clive Bailey) collaborated on following their initial meeting. The song has various interesting vocal harmonies that is filled with the feel of a 60s love ballad with progressive rock touches. All in all, it is a truly enjoyable song that has a great build-up near the end. My favorite moment on this album has to be Survival. The track starts off with various instrumental melodies before initiating the chorus around the two minute and fifteen second mark. It also includes stunning guitar from Peter Banks in addition to skillful keyboard melodies from Tony Kaye. It's the track that I find myself revisiting the most from the album. It also serves as the greatest example of how the band's career would be like in a few years.

The band's debut album starts off Yes on an impressive note that is an enjoyable listen from beginning to end. It received mostly positive reviews at the time it was released but didn't sell as much as expected. Scott Campbell of the Arizona Republic wrote that Yes are "a promising set" that deliver on being "solid and together at nearly all times", with "strong and competent" vocals from Anderson. David Wagner, in the Post-Crescent, agreed with Campbell that Yes were a "very promising" group. He recognized "a lot of jazz swinginess" on the album, particularly on the two cover songs, and compared Banks's guitar style to that of Wes Montgomery which comes across strong on the guitar and drum section on I See You. This album manages to show the early stages of Yes and how creative they were since the start. If you haven't heard this album and you are a fan of Yes I would definitely recommend seeking it out. "In conversation it could be said, well after war your heart is dead. Well it's not hard to understand, there is no heart in Harold Land."

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