SWEETNESS / SOMETHING'S COMING

This is YES`first single, which of course, wasn`t a hit.

"Sweetness", composed by Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Clive Bailey (a guitarist who worked with them in the band called "Mabel Greer`s Toyshop" before they formed YES) is a very Pop Rock ballad, a "love song" really, which wasn`t very common for YES in later years. Anyway, in their first and second albums there are some songs like this. I think that the record label wanted then another Pop Rock band, so YES recorded some ballads too in their beginnings. "Sweetness" has some good vocal hamonies, good keyboards and guitars, and that `s all.

"Something`s Coming", taken from Leonard Bernstein`s "West Side Story" musical, has a very good arrangement, with Bill Bruford playing some Jazz drums and the rest of the band playing heavy in some parts. It also has very good vocal harmonies, which became a "trademark" for this band in their history. There were two released versions of this song: one in Stereo and one in Mono. The Stereo version was available in the "Yesyears" Box Set, and I think that it is available now in the Rhino Records Remastered version of their fist album which was released 2 or 3 years ago.

For such giants of progressive movement, their debut single was quite a humble, simple beginning. Sweetness was a love song written for Chris Squire´s wife, Nikki. Still, the seeds of what yes became in latter years are there: Anderson´s angelic vocal delivery, subtle harmonies, great playing for such unknown musicians and quite original approach to song format at the time. The flip side, Something´s Coming (from West Side Story, a rare cover) is a little more ambitious and shows they were quite original since the very start. I really think Bill Bruford´s drumming was something special and anyone can see on that track.

I still think Yes early releases were something to look more carefully than most people do. The key to understand the whole progressive genre lies in such records. Certainly they would evolve into something much more complex and grandiose, but still they were unique.

The early years of Yes are not half as good as what they would eventually become - legends of Prog, but this single works as a curiosity piece to mull over. It is more intriguing than entertaining. The songs are pleasant enough but lack the depth and complexity of works to come.

This is far removed from the brilliance of Fragile or Close To The Edge, but every band has to start somewhere. Musicologists may use this as a frame of reference and rightly so as these two albums alone confronted music itself. However this single is forgettable fluff really. The music is nice and dreamy but also dull after a few listens. Good enough for two stars as Yes were always accomplished musicians who knew how to structure a song.