Tweet

Album Details

• Artist: Yes
• Album: Yes
• Label: Atlantic
• Year of Release: 1969
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2012-11-20

Yes broke into the mainstream with their album The Yes Album. Sometimes people confuse that disc with this self-titled debut. There are a number of reasons for that. One reason is that The Yes Album featured Steve Howe on guitar, while this one (and the follow-up) had original Yes guitarist Peter Banks. Of course, similarities in title and the fact that the first two discs were kind of left to fade into the background by the label also contribute to the confusion. Still, both this disc, and its successor (Time and a Word) had some strong material and gave indications of the direction in which Yes was headed.

The debut disc really had a lot of guitar at its heart. Peter Banks had a style that merged psychedelia with jazz and mainstream rock. That, in many ways, is at the heart of progressive rock in general and specifically Yes. While the sound here wasn’t quintessential Yes, it was recognizable.

The first of two covers was The Byrds’ “I See You” and Yes created a great psychedelic rendition. Interestingly enough, like other points on the disc, Jon Anderson didn’t play the dominating vocal role that he would later. Vocally, this was much more of an ensemble work.

This was the late 1960s and The Beatles really ruled the ‘60s. Everyone covered Beatles songs and Yes was no exception. Here they took on “Every Little Thing.” The song managed to preserve a lot of the pop sensibility while exploring new territory. It got a little weird at times and they even threw in a little “Day Tripper” in the process.

The original tracks on the set were kind of a mixed bag. The opener “Beyond and Before” was a great slab of psychedelic based rock that did a great job of starting it all. “Harold Land” was a snapshot of things to come from Yes. It really wasn’t all that far removed from the kind of music the group would later do, contrasting nicely between heavier and softer sounds. On the other end of the spectrum, “Yesterday and Today” was a forgettable ballad.

Ultimately, the central audience for the debut Yes album is hardcore fans. The music was different enough and dated enough to not really stand out next to the rest of the catalog. Of course, it would also be worthwhile for anyone with an interest in the development of progressive rock, because it really is a nice snapshot of where prog started.

User Reviews and Comments

Log In or Register to Rate Albums