On Yes' offset 2 albums, Yes (1969) as well as Time as well as a Word (1970), the quintet was to a greater extent than oft than non searching for a audio on which they could build, losing ane of their master copy members -- guitarist Peter Banks -- inward the process. Their 3rd fourth dimension out proved the charm -- The Yes Album constituted a de facto 2nd debut, introducing the audio that would bear them frontward across the adjacent decade or more.
Gone are whatsoever covers of exterior material, the grouping straight off working off of its ain music from the dry soil up. H5N1 lot of the novel cloth was genuinely simpler -- inward linear structure, at to the lowest degree -- than unopen to of what had appeared on their previous albums, merely the internal dynamics of their playing had likewise altered radically, as well as much of the empty infinite that had been acquaint inward their before recordings was likewise filled upward hither -- suddenly, betwixt novel fellow member Steve Howe's strange mix of country- as well as folk-based progressive guitar as well as the all of a abrupt liberated bass operate as well as drumming of Chris Squire as well as Bill Bruford, respectively, the group's music became extremely busy. And Pb vocalizer Jon Anderson, supported yesteryear Squire as well as Howe, filled whatever was left almost to overflowing.
Anderson's soaring falsetto as well as the accompanying harmonies, attached to haunting melodies drawn from folk tunes every bit oft every bit rock, applied to words seemingly derived from scientific discipline fiction, as well as all delivered with the bravura of an operatic surgical operation -- yesteryear the band every bit good every bit the vocalizer -- proved a compelling mix. What's more, despite the busy-ness of their novel sound, the grouping wasn't afraid to testify that less could sometimes live on more: iii of the high points were the acoustic-driven "Your Move" as well as "The Clap" (a superb showcase for Howe on solo acoustic guitar), as well as the relatively low-key "A Venture" (oddly enough, the latter was the ane cutting hither that didn't concluding inward the group's repertory; most of the rest, despite the contest from their subsequent work, remained inward their concert fix for years to come).
The Yes Album did what it had to do, outselling the group's offset 2 long-players as well as making the grouping an established presence inward America where, for the offset time, they began getting regular exposure on FM radio. Sad to say, the solely aspect of The Yes Album that didn't concluding much longer was Tony Kaye on keyboards: his Hammond organ holds its ain inward the group's newly energized sound, as well as is augmented yesteryear pianoforte as well as other instruments when needed, merely he resisted the persuasion of adding the Moog synthesizer, that hot musical instrument of the moment, to his repertory. The band was looking for a bolder audio than the Hammond could generate, as well as after unopen to initial rehearsals of cloth that ended upward on their adjacent album, he was dropped from the lineup, to live on replaced yesteryear Rick Wakeman.
Yes released 2 studio projects before The Yes Album came out inward Feb 1971. But nobody merely the band's most dedicated fans genuinely know well-nigh or e'er brain to those duet of records. As far every bit most stone 'n' coil fans are concerned, Yes started on The Yes Album.
It was the offset grouping LP to include all master copy songs. More importantly, it was likewise the band's offset album with novel guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced Peter Banks the previous year. Both elements lifted the cloth as well as the means it was presented. The template for almost every bully Yes song, as well as nearly every album they made from hither on, begins on these 6 tracks.
H5N1 fundamental factor to this novel era found the band exploring to a greater extent than corners as well as areas exterior of its commons boundaries. On their offset 2 albums, no vocal runs longer than 6 minutes; here, one-half of the LP's tracks achieve the nine-minute mark. Keyboardist Tony Kaye, who joined the grouping non long after vocalizer Jon Anderson as well as bassist Chris Squire formed it inward 1968, expanded his role, powering the album with his mighty organ, pianoforte as well as synth fills. (He'd live on gone before Yes' adjacent album, Fragile, which was released nine months later, replaced yesteryear Rick Wakeman.)
The most pregnant musical advancement was the add-on of Howe, whose classical- as well as jazz-influenced playing gives The Yes Album a defining heft that was missing on the group's offset 2 records. He's fifty-fifty given a solo acoustic showcase, "Clap," which is the album's shortest vocal as well as the solely ane recorded exterior of the London studio where the residue of the LP was made. (It was recorded onstage at the Lyceum Theatre.)
Howe anchors the album's best songs -- opener "Yours Is No Disgrace," "Starship Trooper" as well as "I've Seen All Good People," whose offset business office (titled "Your Move") became Yes' offset Top xl unmarried inward the the U.S. But, really, the whole grouping comes together hither for the offset time. There's a tighter feel of camaraderie amid the musicians, every bit instruments weave inward as well as out of each other, as well as Anderson glides amongst it all with unopen to of his most graceful performances.
In a way, it's Yes' most cohesive album every bit a band. As the '70s dragged on, the records started to reverberate the private members', rather than the group's, aesthetics.The band likewise started experimenting to a greater extent than with its songs, developing deeper layers of harmonies as well as structures, and, notably at times, using the studio every bit a type of playground, working with backing tracks as well as tape loops at diverse points during the sessions.
It all paid off, every bit The Yes Album climbed to No. four inward Yes' native United Kingdom as well as reached No. xl inward the the U.S. (The offset 2 Yes projects had failed to chart.) The bigger breakthrough would become far inside the adjacent year, when Fragile soared into the Top 5. But The Yes Album paved the way, chipping away at a proto-prog audio that would expand, before eventually caving inward nether its ain weight, inward the years to come. But hither the plain is broad open.
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Track Listing:
1. Yours Is No Disgrace (9:36)
2. Clap (Live) (3:07) *
3. Starship Trooper: Life Seeker / Disillusion / Wurm (9:23)
4. I've Seen All Good People: Your Move / All Good People (6:47)
5. H5N1 Venture (3:13)
6. Perpetual Change (8:50)
* Recorded Live at the Lyceum, London
Total Time: 41:56
Personnel:
- Jon Anderson / Pb vocals, percussion
- Steve Howe / acoustic & electrical guitars, Portuguese 12-string guitar (4), vocals
- Tony Kaye / Hammond organ, piano, Moog synthesizer
- Chris Squire / bass, vocals
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion
With:
- Colin Goldring / recorders (4)
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