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Yes

Symphonic Prog

4.68 | 5068 ratings

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Progbear
Prog Reviewer

This, more than any other, was the album Yes was working up to. With the full cast of characters in place on FRAGILE, this is clearly the next step upward.

I don't use the term "all-time classic" lightly, but it definitely applies here. The title suite set a new standard for "side-long" pieces, the transition from the pipe-organ centered "I Get Up, I Get Down" section to the energetic synth-led grand finale is one of the pinnacles of progressive music. "And You And I" opens with solo acoustic guitar, but it's not merely "Roundabout-The Sequel". The transition into the "Eclipse" section, with its dramatic Mellotron strings and cascades of slide-guitar, still has the power to get me all choked up even after all these years. Capping things off is "Siberian Khatru", one of their best rhythmic rockers, spotlighting Howe's guitar and Wakeman's organ to stunning effect.

I can think of few other albums that are such a textbook, even a guidebook, for progressive rock. So many other bands used this album as a point of reference, applying the ideas pioneered here as a template for their own music. But Yes did it first, and did it best.

Progbear | 5/5 | 2005-8-15

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