[Music] Yes - The Yes Album

[Nick]

Reviewed By: Nicholas R. Andreas
Artist: Yes
Album: The Yes Album
Genre: Progressive Rock
Year of Release: 1971
On Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yes-Album/dp/B00007KWHN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1269060693&sr=8-1

   When I think about a classic Yes album, my mind, like the minds of most fans goes directly to the band’s 1972 effort Close to the Edge. However I feel that two albums prior to that album the band may have very well recorded something that is quite possibly an equal to the much better known Close to the Edge.

    Picking up where Time and a Word left off, The Yes Album represents the solid foundation of the band’s future identity, while flawlessly executing the new styles woven into it. One could chalk this up to simple growth as a band, a maturity of musical ideas, but I think, and plenty of Yes fans would agree that the addition of guitarist Steve Howe probably had something to do with it too.

Howe’s presence is felt early on the record, having several leads in the opening track “Yours is No Disgrace” that now people would simply say are “Howe-like”. He has a beautiful way on the album of bringing the guitar to the center of the music without any amount of heaviness, and without drowning out any of the other instruments. The second song, “The Clap” is simply a live rendition of Howe in London with an acoustic guitar performing a diddy that remains a live staple to this day. The man simply has a beauty and technique to his playing that is simply mesmerizing.

   The rest of Yes certainly have their moments on the disc as well. Gentle use of the organ by Tony Kaye and soothing yet soaring vocals by Jon Anderson certainly power “Starship Trooper”, while Chris Squire’s bass lays the fundamental groundwork for the Yes classic “I’ve Seen All Good People”. And of course Bill Bruford manages to add his own spark to things throughout the album.

Although many would say that The Yes Album was simply a stepping stone towards greater things I would certainly argue that the band had already arrived at the first of several masterpieces with the record. The album is prog-rock in its purest form, yet it might be the most accessible album the band ever produced, despite obvious attempts at commercialization in their later years. Whether you are listening to the album intently or in the background it will put a smile on your face, as it manages simply to be enjoyed, and does not require the concentration of Close to the Edge, or especially Tales From Topographic Oceans.

While most consider Close to the Edge THE Yes album, and many proggers consider it to be the brightest star in the entire prog sky, if I ran into somebody and had no clue about their musical taste, and I wanted to show them what Yes was capable of, I would be giving them The Yes Album.

Nick’s Rating: 100%

[setrataeso]

Well put.
I personally prefer TTO, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed The Yes Album, considering how little it gets spoken of.

[ZBomber]

Great review, but I disagree with the 100% because, while the album is amazing, I don't think its perfect. A Venture brings down the album a little bit (although its not a bad song). Personally, I'd give it something between a 95 and a 98.

[glaurung]

Great review! I would probably give someone Fragile as a first Yes album though.

[Nick]

Great review, but I disagree with the 100% because, while the album is amazing, I don't think its perfect. A Venture brings down the album a little bit (although its not a bad song). Personally, I'd give it something between a 95 and a 98.

You know, it was for that very reason I struggled with either giving the album a 98 or a 100. One one hand I would say that A Venture isn't perfect, and so the album isn't perfect. However it is a good song, even if it doesn't live up to the likes of Starship Trooper or Perpetual Change, and it's a nice change of pace, something a little different before PC takes the album home.

I think it works, it's only 3 minutes on a 40 minute album, and it's a nice beautiful song.

[Quadrochosis]

Great review, I find it funny that so many of the bands live staple songs (like all of them except "A Venture") come from this album, yet its rarely talked about.

[Perpetual Change]

The Yes Album was my first Yes album, and while it isn't my favorite, it's definitely a fantastic record that doesn't get nearly enough love from the new generation of Yes fans.  An older friend and "mentor" of mine introduced me to the Yes album when I was in high school, and told me it was the best album.  While not as immediately good as Fragile, Close to the Edge, or Going For the One, it's a solid album from start to end.  Starship Troopers and, of course, Perpetual Change are standouts.  And A Venture is incredible.  I don't see how anyone could dislike it.

[orcus116]

The only Yes album I've really embraced. I love it.