50 years ago: Yes’ debut album released

Yes Yes

Released: July 25, 1969 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, 38 AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: progressive rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Beyond and Before (Squire, Clive Bailey) [4:52] I See You (Jim McGuinn, David Crosby) [6:47] Yesterday and Today (Anderson) [2:49] Looking Around (Anderson, Squire) [3:58] (11/3/69, --) Harold Land (Anderson, Squire, Bruford) [5:40] Every Little Thing (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) [5:41] Sweetness (Anderson, Squire, Bailey) [4:31] (9/29/69, --) Survival (Anderson) [6:18] Total Running Time: 40:36 The Players: Jon Anderson (vocals, percussion) Peter Banks (guitar, backing vocals) Chris Squire (bass, backing vocals) Tony Kaye (keyboards) Bill Bruford (drums, vibraphone)

Rating: 2.242 out of 5.00 (average of 8 ratings)

About the Album: Yes formed in mid-1968 and released this, their first album, a year later. Among the tracks are two covers (The Beatles Every Little Thing and The Byrds’ I See You). The lead singer Jon Anderson wrote or co-wrote five of the other six songs. Bassist Chris Squire was a co-writer on four songs. The opening cut, Beyond and Before, was written by Squire and Clive Bailey, who were in the psychedelic rock group Mabel Greer’s Toyshop. The group, active from 1966 to 1968, also included Peter Banks and later Jon Anderson, making it a precursor to Yes. Squire described the song as “one of those acide rock ind of songs.” WK Sweetness marked the first time Anderson and Squire collaborated on a song together. That song and Looking Around were both released as singles, but failed to chart. The Post-Crescent’s David Wagner described Yes as a “very promising” group. WK Rolling Stone’s Lester Bang said it was “the kind of album that sometimes insinuates itself into your routine with a totally unexpected thrust of musical power.” WK Notes: The 2003 remastered edition of the album added two versions each of “Everydays,” “Dear Father,” and “Something’s Coming.” The latter, the B-side to “Sweetness,” was from West Side Story. “Dear Father” was a B-side to the 1970 single “Sweet Dreams.”

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 7/25/2021.

Yes Time and a Word released

Time and a Word Yes

Released: July 24, 1970 Peak: -- US, -- UK, -- CN, 22 AU Sales (in millions): -- Genre: progressive rock

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Richie Havens, Jerome Moross) [4:45] Then (Anderson) [5:42] Everydays (Stephen Stills) [6:05] Sweet Dreams (Anderson, David Foster) [3:46] (6/19/70, --) The Prophet (Anderson, Squire) [6:31] (3/27/70, B-side of “Time and a Word”) Clear Days (Anderson) [2:03] Astral Traveller (Anderson) [5:47] Time and a Word (Anderson, Foster) [4:29] (3/27/70, --) Total Running Time: 39:08 The Players: Jon Anderson (vocals, percussion) Peter Banks (guitar, backing vocals) Chris Squire (bass, backing vocals) Tony Kaye (keyboards) Bill Bruford (drums, percussion)

Rating: 2.398 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)

About the Album: The same lineup which appeared on the debut album from Yes in 1969 returned to make Time and a Word. This would be guitarist Peter Banks last album with the band. He objected to the addition of orchestra to songs on the album, complaining that rock bands such as Deep Purple and the Nice had already done it. WK He was fired before the release of the album. Steve Howe, who has since probably become the name most associated with Yes after singer Jon Anderson, came on board for the tour. A photo including Howe, even though he didn’t play on the album, is used for the U.S. album cover. The album covered much of the same territory as the debut, mixing original material and covers by pop, jazz, and folk artists. The covers included No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed by Richie Havens and Buffalo Springfield’s Everydays, written by Stephen Stills. Of the six originals on the album, all are written or co-written by Anderson. Some include credits to David Foster, Anderson’s bandmate in The Warriors. Lyrically, Anderson was moving away from simple love themes to topics of greater scale, described by band biographer Dan Hedges as “life, oneness and the future.” WK The Prophet was one such song. Anderson wrote it about a man followed my many who tells them to find themselves and not follow like sheep. It also showed Anderson’s interest in incorporating classical music by borrowing a theme from Gustav Holst’s The Planets. WK The album didn’t sell any better than the debut, although it did chart. Atlantic considered dropping the band. A review from New Musical Express hailed the album as one of the year’s best releases, citing the group’s ability “to perform intricate and highly complex ensemble passages with meticulous dexterity and precision.” WK Notes: The 2003 remastered version of the album added alternate mixes of “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed,” “Sweet Dreams,” and “The Prophet” as well as “Dear Father,” which was the B-side of “Sweet Dreams.”

Resources and Related Links: WK Wikipedia First posted 7/25/2021.