Perhaps The Best Release In 30 Years
The Yes Album by Yes
A friend of mine was once sorting through my CD collection and commented "You know, they did make music after 1978." I think that he was trying to be witty without exhibiting the general snobbishness most people have for Progressive Rock.
While his comment was unwarranted at the time, and I've since found many new bands that I enjoy, I will confess a great musical devotion to the period 1968 - 1978. During that era, many of the most talented bands to record put together some amazing albums, including more than a few that are "must haves" in their respective genres.
In that time frame, bands like Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, ELP and many others created a whole new type of music -- complex works that blended musical concepts from classical, jazz and rock to create a sound that transcended the three minute pop tune that had been the focus for so many years.
Probably the most successful of all the Progressive Rock bands was Yes, which started out playing a slightly complicated brand of folk rock in the late 1960s. However, the initial line up didn't really gel, and following the departure of guitarist Peter Banks after Time and a Word, Yes began an outstanding run of best selling albums that continues to this day.
The first album that the "new" band produced was The Yes Album, which is a landmark both in the career of Yes, but also in Progressive Rock, and music in general. It is one of the most astounding albums ever released. If you listened to FM radio in the 1970s, or Album Oriented Rock stations today ("Classic Rock") you are undoubtedly familiar with a lot of this album, and the format of those stations comes, in no small measure, from this record and the two that would follow it.
The Yes Album
I've been listening to a lot of live Yes lately -- shows from throughout the existence of the band. What is truly amazing about this album is that every song (with the possible exception of A Venture) is a classic track that continues to be played live to this day. The album has as much grandeur today as it did when it was released over thirty years ago.
This album was keyboardist Tony Kaye's final effort with the band until he returned in the 1980s (he was replaced by Rick Wakeman for Fragile,) The other musicians are Chris Squire (bass, vocals,) Steve Howe (guitars, vocals,) Jon Anderson (vocals) and Bill Bruford (drums.)
Although some don't care for Anderson's falsetto vocals, I would consider that to be the one possible downside of this group. Each of the other members are among the best at their instruments, particularly Squire, who I consider to be the best bassist of all time.
Track Listing
Yours Is No Disgrace
Beginning with punctuated bass, guitar and drum, this picks up a lot when Kaye kicks in his pipe organ. I consider this song to be probably the best example of Yes possible -- stellar bass by Squire, noodling guitar all over the place by Howe, perfect accompaniment on the keyboards, and some of the best drumming Bruford did with the band. The vocal is a three part harmony throughout by Anderson, Howe and Squire. There is a lengthy instrumental passage that explores some basic themes on the three key instruments without wandering too far out there (often the case with some prog bands.) At almost ten minutes long, some will argue that it's too drawn out, but there isn't a lot of repetition, and I'd have to say that it all has relevance.
The Clap
A live track, this has been Howe's signature song for an awful lot of years -- it's just him, an acoustic guitar and a very intricate and detailed piece of music. Not being the world's biggest fan of acoustic music, I'd rather hear him work an electric guitar, but this is a great example of how giving someone time to flesh out a "solo song" is a good idea...if the musician is up to it.
Starship Trooper
Title taken from a Robert Heinlein novel, the song itself doesn't really have anything to do with that source. This is a much lighter song than Yours Is No Disgrace, but every bit as wonderful. Squire plays an amazing bass on this song -- if you play the instrument and you've never heard this song, run out and get it today...and prepare to be humbled. Not much in the way of harmonic vocals for much of this song, and Anderson stays in a range that is perhaps more comfortable for some listeners. The coda to this song (subtitled Würm on the album) is a somewhat repetitive run with a nice Howe guitar solo over several layers of guitars. Live, that section takes on a new life, and it's one of the few places where Howe (or Trevor Rabin, who replaced him when he left for a bit in the 1980s) jams out a lengthy and unique guitar solo.
I've Seen All Good People
Something of a "hippie track", this is an acoustic track that heavily features the vocal talents of Anderson, Howe and Squire. While the lyrics are a bit dodgy (the first part is about how life compares to the game of chess, and the line "Give peace a chance" [John Lennon] is repeated here and there,) this remains one of those classic Yes tunes that many people identify the band with. Kaye plays an interesting part on his Moog synthesizer as well as a beautiful pipe organ towards the middle. About three minutes in, the band kicks in electric instruments in a pounding measure that continues the original sound much heavier. One of Howe's better tracks, although the guitar isn't always at the front.
A Venture
This one doesn't get a lot of play any more, although it's a fine song. Very good drumming by Bruford, nice guitar pieces here and there, solid piano (particularly towards the end) and a singular vocal by Anderson. Interesting that one of the shortest songs on the album (around three minutes) is also the least played.
Perpetual Change
Like Yours Is No Disgrace, this song collects all of the pieces of the band so effectively that it's a showcase for everything that made the band the success that they are. The song starts out slowly, with a big emphasis on piano and vocal, with bits of guitar tossed in here and there. The multi-level vocals are here as well, although used as a response rather that harmony to the main vocal. About five minutes in, the band puts together an instrumental passage that features outstanding playing by all, particularly Howe.
Conclusion
If I was making a short list of the best albums of the last thirty years, it would be impossible not to include this...and it's pretty likely that I would place it towards number one. This is the kind of music that you can listen to over and over and get something new out of it every time.
Is Yes the best band of all time? Probably not. While they didn't descend into the depths of self mockery that some other prog bands did, the constant in-fighting and personnel changes did have an impact on the sound, and there are definite periods that can be overlooked without loss.
But, towards the beginning, this band had probably one of the best run of albums that anyone did. The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge forever cemented this band into the basic foundations of post British Invasion rock music. And while any of these three albums would be a solid choice for taking a look at Yes, I consider The Yes Album to be such a sweeping away of "old thinking" that it is a must have for any complete collection.
In the history of the changes that music underwent from the simplistic days of three minute singles like She Loves You to pieces that challenged and intrigued listeners, Yes is a cornerstone, and this album stands as one of their finest moments. That, in thirty years, this maintains its relevance and focus, is a testament to the quality of the music.
Very highly recommended.
