Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Yes - Time and a Word CD (album) cover

TIME AND A WORD

Yes

 

Symphonic Prog

3.36 | 1729 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

A Crimson Mellotron like
Prog Reviewer
3 stars Proto-progressive psychedelic pop is how you might want to describe the music on the second studio album of the legendary Yes - following up on their self-titled debut release, 'Time and a Word' from 1970 is a definitive improvement over the band's first effort, despite the fact that is resembles it quite a lot, both musically and structurally. The interesting mixture of original material and covers of pop and rock artists of the recent past is once again at stake here, however, this time with the inclusion of a small orchestra, which appears on most of the album and adds that flair of complexity and sonic intensity that the band would more thoroughly explore on future releases. The innocence and innovation of these early Yes album is what makes them delightful listens, as you understand the progression of their sound and the increasing ambitions of the talented musicians making up the five-piece band.

Primarily written by Jon Anderson, 'Time and Word' is a rather accessible album that often sees the use of extended instrumental sections, longer songs and the symphonic inclinations of the band - of course, sometimes the ambitious instrumental sections may not be as elaborate or impressive as on some of the band's classic albums, but the overall ambition of this record is something to appreciate. The gorgeous refrains, the fine vocal harmonies and the excellent bass playing grace the fine songs composed by Yes here, with 'Then', 'Everydays', 'The Prophet' and 'Astral Traveller' being particularly noteworthy. At the same time, the extended use of the orchestra often diminishes the role of Peter Banks and his guitar playing, which is far from dominant, and would become the reason for his leaving. Furthermore, there is little to no strong keyboard leads, which eventually indicates a possible lack of compelling ideas from Tony Kaye, whose playing is also undermined by the string sections and the orchestral interludes. All of this goes to show that 'Time and a Word' is a transitional Yes album, one that showcases how ambitious the band's music was becoming and who were the weak links in there.

A Crimson Mellotron | 3/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Social review comments

Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.