YES

The first album by Yes finds a couple of key elements of the band's music already firmly in place - in particular. Jon Anderson's voice has almost reached the angelic falsetto he would become known for, whilst Chris Squire's distinctive and unique bass playing is already there.

However, the band were still figuring out their own identity and had not yet hit upon their classic sound, with Anderson and Squire still honing their songwriting chops. The presence of a couple of cover versions from key hippie-folk-psych pioneers - the Byrds and the Beatles - show that the band were still at a stage when they were trying to emulate and live up to their inspirations rather than strike out into uncharted territory.

That said, the album does have its charms; in particular, the rowdier tone of Beyond and Before (hailing mainly from Peter Banks' more boisterous guitar sound) makes it an interesting entry to the Yes discography. Indeed, it's impressive how far along they had come already - though The Yes Album is stronger than this, you can more or less see how that developed from the seeds sown here.

An intriguing enough album, especially for those who want to see the roots of the band, but nothing those who aren't already hooked on Yes' classic albums need to bother themselves with as a first port of call: explore their peak, then come back to take in this early effort.