THE YES ALBUM

This is Yes' first masterpiece and an absolute Prog classic. Apart from A Venture, every song on this album has become a true Yes classic and probably every single Yes concert until this very day has included at least one or two songs from this album in the set list. Yours Is No Disgrace is a personal favourite of mine (but this studio version is not the best version, I particularly like the live version from the excellent House Of Yes DVD).

Steve Howe is heard here for the first time on a Yes album and, as we all know, Howe's unique guitar style instantly became one of the most (I would say the most) important features of the Yes sound. Those few albums without Steve Howe (the two first ones as well as a couple of albums in the 80's and one in the 90's) are simply not as good as the ones with him.

Rick Wakeman was yet to join the band and while he too became an important part of the band's distinctive sound, there are many great Yes albums without Rick (and the one under review here is a perfect example of that). In the live environment Rick would later put his very own stamp on several songs from this album, particularly Starship Trooper which was given an incredible Moog solo that can be heard on the Yessongs double live album. Rick also often ends his solo shows with a rendition of Starship Trooper (despite the fact that he didn't appear on this original version of it).

Another lifelong association with the band had yet to be born. I'm thinking, of course, of Roger Dean who would paint his first Yes cover art for their next album, Fragile.

The Yes Album might not be the Yes album, but this album was where it all really begun for them. With this album they proved for the first time that they are a really, really special band. The Yes Album is a milestone in the progressive rock genre and one of the most important albums of all time.

Need I say more?

Share this YES review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to SouthSideoftheSky
• Report this review (#176861)
• Buy YES music online with PA partners
• Show all YES MP3/Stream
• Go to YES page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to The Yes Album page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for YES related discussions