Yes

Artist: Yes
Label: Wea/Warner
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 4943674040285
ASIN: B00007M8S7

Release Date: 2003-02-20

Yes

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Tracks:

Beyond and Before
I See You
Yesterday and Today
Looking Around
Harold Land
Every Little Thing
Sweetness
Survival
Everydays [Single Version][*]
Dear Father [Early Version #2][#][*]
Something's Coming [*]
Everydays [Early Version][#][*]
Dear Father [Early Version #1][#][*]
Something's Coming [Early Version][#][*]

Customer Reviews:

The underrated debut from the prog rock legends.......2005-10-22

Yes (1969.) The first Yes album.

INTRODUCTION:
In the mid-late sixties, a meeting of two individuals occured that would change the world of rock music forever. Jon Anderson met Chris Squire in a club in England, and instantly the two discovered that they had a true talent for making music together. Recruiting some other musicians to play along with them, Yes was formed. The band would go onto be a progressive rock powerhouse in the seventies, but their first two albums went by pretty much unknown by the public. So, how does the self-titled 1969 debut from Yes measure up? Read on and you'll find out!

OVERVIEW:
Release Date: 1969
Produced By: Paul Clay and Yes
Record Label: Atlantic
Band Members: Jon Anderson on vocals, Peter Banks on guitar, Bill Bruford on drums, Tony Kaye on keyboards, and Chris Squire on bass.
Tracks: Beyond And Before, I See you, Yesterday And Today, Looking Around, Harold Land, Every Little Thing, Sweetness, and Survival.

REVIEW:
Back in their early formative period, Yes had not yet found their classic sound that would one day bring them great fame. But it's a shame the band's first two albums are pretty much neglected by the critics and the music-listening public alike, because the band's debut is one of the best albums of its time. Sure, the band hadn't found the sound yet that would make them famous, but this didn't matter. Even in this early formative period, the group had the potential to create awesome music. Contrary to popular belief, Yes was making great prog-flavored tunes long before Steve Howe or Rick Wakeman joined the band. For the sound on the album, the band sounds similar to early Deep Purple, but with more of an art rock sound than a hard rock one. We've got eight songs here, and all eight tracks on this album rock. Most of the songs are band originals, but two cover songs are thrown in the mix for good measure. Now, let's see how they fare!

-SIDE A-

-Beyond And Before: This song kicks off the album. The song itself starts excellently with an excellent riff from Peter Banks. His riff will grab your attention and hold onto it, because from start to finish, the first song on the album showcases all five members' abilities. The first track on an album should be an attention-getter, but it should also speak for what's to come on the album - this song does both excellently.

-I See You: This is a cover of a song the Byrds originally recorded three years prior on their Fifth Dimension album. Yes gave this song the same treatment they would give many other songs as the years passed by - adding in lengthy instrumental sections, a ton of keyboards, and, of course, the amazing vocals of Jon Anderson. What results is a song that gives the Crosby/McGuinn-penned original a run for its money!

-Yesterday And Today: Track number three is a radical departure from those that came before. It's a slow, melodic ballad in which Anderson's vocals are accompanied by piano. Tony Kaye does the piano excellently, and this is a seriously underrated ballad that should have been a bigger hit for the band. Anderson's vocals here must be heard to be appreciated.

-Looking Around: The fourth song on the album is probably my favorite track here. A catchy organ-style keyboard riff from Tony Kaye grabs your attention right at the start, and through and through, every member of the band is in his prime. If you need proof that Peter Banks and Tony Kaye are every put as talented as their better-known successors, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman, listen to this song. It should be all the proof you need!

-SIDE B-

-Harold Land: The fifth song here is probably its most well-known, but still, it wasn't a very big hit for the group. Despite that, it's an awesome song. Once again, Kaye is in his prime on the organ-style keyboards.

-Every Little Thing: Here we have a Beatles cover. I've always hated it when bands cover the Beatles, because covers of their songs are usually disappointing and disgraceful, and don't even come close to the original versions in terms of quality. But Yes proves to be an exception to this rule. Giving this old tune the Yes treatment works wonders for it - and believe it or not, I just might like this version MORE than the original one!

-Sweetness: As the title of the seventh track likely implied, this song is a slow-paced, melodic ballad. It was actually the first single the band ever released, and it does a pretty good job showcasing their abilities in this early formative period. People don't Yes enough credit for their ability to do ballads.

-Survival: The closing track is definitely one of the strongest cuts here. This song has its rocking portions, its slow and melodic portions, and pretty much everything in between. Sheer variety is the greatest strength here - is there anything this song DOESN'T do? The album couldn't have ended on a higher note.

In the end, Yes proves that they had the ability to make excellent music from the very beginning. Who cares if it doesn't sound like the band that most people know and love? The music itself flat-out rules. It also goes to establish just how talented the underrated Tony Kaye and Peter Banks are - it's a shame their successors in Yes get all the credit from most fans. Oh, well. Final verdict? If you're new to Yes, you might want to start with The Yes Album or Fragile. This is a great album, no questions asked, although there are better starting points. That said, though, this is a solid album through and through, and it belongs in the collection of every Yes fan.

EDITION NOTES:
In the early twenty-first century, the Yes catalogue got a much-needed reissuing. The new versions of the albums feature remastered sound, expanded liner notes, and bonus tracks. These new versions of the albums on CD kill older CD issues dead. If you don't have the albums yet, be sure you get the remastered ones!

Music Album:

Music Album

Music Album

Music

Reunion Mon Ile V.1 ~ Various Artists

The Bramble and the Rose ~ Lynn Morris Band

L'essentiel

King of the Nordic Twilight ~ Luca Turilli

Ain't Life Grand ~ Slash's Snakepit

Reggae Redemption Songs ~ Various Artists

Ima No Mama De 2 ~ Shinji Tanimura

Tabla for Accompaniment or Practice - Boxed Set

Kusottare ~ Candy

Morda a Minha Lingua ~ Peri