Their audience remained huge because they had always attracted younger listeners drawn to their mix of daunting virtuosity, cosmic (often mystical) lyrics, complex musical textures, and powerful yet delicate lead vocals. Although the rhythm guitars have a biting distortion and buzz of hard rock, his leads are clean, thick and jazzy. After taking a break in activity in 1975 for each member to release a solo album and their 1976 North American tour, the band relocated to Montreux, Switzerland to record their next studio album. No. The stark contrast between this and the title track feels a little odd in terms of album flow, but both stand out individually. You often hear people discussing progressive epics as the centrepiece or highlight of an album. Two included covers (of The Beatles‘ “Every Little Thing”, and the Byrds‘ “I See You”) reinforce the idea that Yes were still at a stage of emulation over innovation. As if Yes are intentionally trying to balance out the miasma of “The Gates of Delirium” here, “To Be Over” sounds like resolution and tranquility manifest in a song; really pretty sounding stuff, even if it doesn’t serve to match the genius of the album’s epic. Like a classic painting placed underneath blacklight, Yes took their masterpiece formula and put a frightening, alien and penetrating spin on it. If Yes‘ classic material was that brilliant madman, Heaven and Earth has seen the dreaded lobotomy come to pass. My top three favorites also and in that order probably. That’s fine, simply look just beneath the surface and there’s an equal depth to the sophisticated bass grooves and drumwork. “Sound Chaser” does get back on its feet in time, but there are a few minutes there that feel too aimless for their own good. Yes: The Yes Album (Album, MiniAlbum) 229 versions : Atlantic, Atlantic: 2400 101, 2400101: UK: 1971: Sell This Version: 229 versions Yes lyrics - 183 song lyrics sorted by album, including "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", "Roundabout". While “To Be Over” is one of the most aesthetically beautiful things Yes have ever composed, “Sound Chaser” is sporadic chaos incarnate, in performance and especially in its composition. Like the proggy-mellow dichotomy enjoyed between “Siberian Khatru” and “And You And I” respectively on Close to the Edge, these two pieces contrast each other, this time to an even greater degree. After forming in mid-1968, the band toured extensively across the United Kingdom with sets formed of original material and rearranged cover versions. Sure enough, I don’t think a song penned under the Yes name was so concise and effective since “Roundabout.” Cheesy electronic embellishments and lyrics are easily offset by the song’s perfect melodic writing and indomitable hook factor. I hear that seeing King Crimson perform compelled Yes to brush up their skills and push the envelope; whatever the case, it worked to their benefit. What we’re left with is the semblance of a potentially great record; “Machine Messiah” and “Tempus Fugit” have rightfully gone down in history as two of Yes‘ better pieces, but everything in between falls miles short of expectations. Style isn’t the issue on the album, ultimately. No. Yes‘ transition on 90125 has made it the most polarizing album among fans after Tales from Topographic Oceans. Someone with no idea what a mellotron or moog is will almost surely be cognizant of their hit “Owner of a Lonely Heart”, and it’s unlikely they would be able to hum out the first few lines. Like Yes‘ first two albums, Tormato seems to have flown under the radar, even for many otherwise-hardcore Yes fans. Genres: Progressive Rock, Symphonic Prog, Pop Rock. Yes and Time and a Word were solid records to be certain, but they weren’t enough to keep Atlantic records happy. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! No. Like the album’s title, Tormato is itself an awkward portmanteau, pairing Yes‘ flashy progressive style with the then-nascent ‘80s pop kitsch they would deliver in the decade that followed. Both as an epic and as an album, Close to the Edge did not so much avert these conventions as it put a new spin on them, and took them to new heights of sophistication. The album was the first by the group comprised solely of original material. Tracks 1 to 6 are the vinyl LP "The Yes Album" - released March 1971 in the UK on Atlantic 2400 101 and Atlantic SD 8283 in the USA BONUS TRACKS: 7. The Yes Album Lyrics Yours Is No Disgrace Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face. Stream ad-free or purchase CD's and MP3s now on Amazon. Everybody starts somewhere. Where rivals such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer withered away commercially after the mid-’70s, and Genesis and King Crimson altered their sounds so radically as to become unrecognizable to their original fans, Yes retained the same sound, and performed much of the same repertoire that they were doing in 1971, and for their trouble, they found themselves being taken seriously a quarter of a century later. Shop Yes Album by Yes. Or £8.99 to buy MP3 album. 4.7 out of 5 stars 855. Yes - Yessongs (Full Album - 1973) Live - Remastered CD1 + CD201. Yes‘ sound is usually padded with symphonic warmth, but here, the instrumentation is cutting and sharp. He has proved his ear for production and mastering countless times before, and Close to the Edge is no different. Part of me would like to see Union in a positive light. Sure, the lyrics at times might be interpreted as less-than-cheery but even then, the only possible outcome for the subject matter is one where all is resolved and humanity flourishes with the power of love. Some rose-tinted listeners went as far to say it ranked up there with the band’s classic material. Even if Jon Anderson‘s performance here retains its trademark optimism, the mood is instantly tense; the tempo is fed with a drive and expedience far removed from the leisurely pace of Tales from Topographic Oceans, as if the music has been spurned forth on a forced military march into battle. 90125 pleasantly evades the stereotype of the pop album as being shallow or inconsistent; from a point of songwriting it was the most consistent record they had produced since Going for the One or even before that. If anything, it’s that quality that makes the album (among) the best this band has ever done. Although they’re both among the most gorgeous women you have come across in your travels however, as time goes on, you find yourself slowly gravitating towards one over the other. In any case, Larry Groupë orchestral arrangements here proved to be a wonderful surprise. Even if that album’s long since lost its favour with me, I couldn’t help but feel the same sense of excitement when Heaven and Earth was announced. While the collective amnesia towards Yes and Time and a Word struck me as being criminally unfair, it’s quite understandable why Tormato hasn’t received much attention in hindsight. In any case, their conscious fusion of pop and prog on Union resulted in their first truly bad record, and even the fully progressive studio material on Keys to Ascension felt far less exciting than new Yes epics rightly should have been. Yes seemed to get the message, and decided to turn their sound around for the better. It’s really unfortunate that the song doesn’t serve to ultimately do something with that momentum; before long, the chaos has died down, leaving Howe to noodle away at an extended solo with no accompaniment, somewhere along the lines of what Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page may have done live during a twenty minute instrumental break. I’ve heard that Yes felt the urge to polish their technical skills once they heard King Crimson perform; even when compared to the relatively capable debut, it’s clear that they took that challenge to heart with Time and a Word. “We Have Heaven” is a soaring ode to Jon Anderson‘s vocal beauty, as well as his signature psychedelic optimism. What was it someone said about absence making the heart grow fonder? The introduction to “Sound Chaser” is pretty mind-blowing and surprising, especially upon first hearing it. The intensity and catharsis of a battle is a fertile ground for respectively intense music, but there aren’t all that many pieces of music that truly capture a battle’s chaos and rupture. The Yes Album (Expanded) by Yes | 2003. It reached #4 in the U.K. and the Top 40 in the United States. What’s more, to hear a band releasing solid material across six decades is a rare sight. Steve Howe‘s guitarwork is light and almost certainly classically influenced; the acoustic motif is mysterious, and as it’s played again, the listener is begged to wonder where the band is planning on ultimately going with it. The band had been through a number of lineup changes in the past, but so much of the band’s atmosphere and personality came through in his voice, equal parts angelic, innocent and lively. Yes obviously want to harken back to a proggier sound, but they lack the drive or ambition to push themselves past predictable songwriting. Before “Roundabout,” before Fragile or Relayer or any of the band’s notable achievements, Yes were a psychedelic prog act with a pair of commercially unsuccessful albums. Compared to the more institutionally recognized of Yes‘ masterpieces, Tales from Topographic Oceans still stands as a matter of contention for listeners, even today, four-plus decades after its recording and release. The Yes Album negates darkness entirely with its atmosphere. Even without the full orchestral treatment, I think Magnification could have held its own against anything the band had released in over twenty years. There’s no knowing whether The Yes Album would have come together the way it did had the band not had that weight of expectation on their shoulders, but it marks the first memorable and style-defining classic of their illustrious career. This is a discography of the English progressive rock band Yes. Beloved by many, Yes are considered to be one of the greatest progressive rock bands of all time. Yes' Steve Howe Still Loves the Guitar, Won't Be Sunbathing on the Yes Cruise ; Album … Unlike their more timeless prog classics, Yes feels very much a work of its time. I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a song that’s so unrepentantly rose-tinted about human nature as “I’ve Seen All Good People”. When the band brings the chaos down to earth a couple of minutes in and goes for a more typical sort of focus, the melodies and symphonic warmth are refreshing, thanks in large part to the jarring contrast. Since the underwhelming mess Union at the start of the decade, the band had been suffering through a crisis of identity—it wasn’t altogether clear where they could go now that the refined pop rock of 90125 and Big Generator had gone out of style. Listening to “Then” or “The Prophet,” one gets the impression of a band making an effort to push themselves wherever possible. But, before you know it, the acoustic guitar has picked up the pace and ushers in a tight rhythm from Bruford and one of the most immortal grooves Chris Squire ever dictated with the bass guitar. It’s granted there are none of the sonic highlights that past records offered (including my much-loathed Drama) but there’s a sense of purpose to each of the songs that Yes had struggled with on their best days. I think it would be unfair to call Heaven and Earth a “terrible” album—it’s melodic, appropriately performed and doesn’t turn its back on the band’s prog rock history like the worst of their discography did. There was no doubt Close to the Edge enjoyed sophistication and depth that made most rock music look neanderthal by comparison, but I couldn’t help but feel that the album feel far short of its reputation as a masterpiece to trump all others. It has not aged as well as the masterpieces to come, but Yes‘ fusion of pop-infused cheer with prog rock sophistication set a strong foundation for the band’s golden era. by Yes 4.5 out of 5 stars 408. Whether they’re attempting to bring out the proggy side of their sound or opting for lighter fluid pop anthems, the music sounds like it was out of a compromise. Yes may have been doing exciting things in 1971 with The Yes Album and Fragile, but the following year and Close to the Edge finally saw them explore the sort of ambitious quasi-perfection usually reserved for erudite composers and traditional “art music.”. If you can find any redemptive worth in that album beyond the title track, you’re probably a Saint and have a blessed place waiting for you in AOR heaven. As far as the title track is concerned, Yes manage to make this backscaling of their sound really work. Much like Tormato though, Big Generator has some strong moments. Was I right? 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