YES — Yes (1969-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Yes' debut album is surprisingly strong, given the inexperience of all those involved at the time. In an era when psychedelic meanderings were the order of the day, Yes delivered a surprisingly focused and exciting record that covered lots of bases (perhaps too many) in presenting their sound. The album opens boldly, with the fervor of a metal band of the era playing full tilt on "Beyond and Before," but it is with the second number, a cover of the Byrds' "I See You," that they show some of their real range. The song is highlighted by an extraordinary jazz workout from lead guitarist Peter Banks and drummer Bill Bruford that runs circles around the original by Roger McGuinn and company. "Harold Land" was the first song on which Chris Squire's bass playing could be heard in anything resembling the prominence it would eventually assume in their sound and anticipates in its structure the multi-part suites the group would later record, with its extended introduction and its myriad shifts in texture, timbre, and volume. And then there is "Every Little Thing," the most daring Beatles cover ever to appear on an English record, with an apocalyptic introduction and extraordinary shifts in tempo and dynamics, Banks' guitar and Bruford's drums so animated that they seem to be playing several songs at once. This song also hosts an astonishingly charismatic performance by Jon Anderson. There were numerous problems in recording this album, owing to the inexperience of the group, the producer, and the engineer, in addition to the unusual nature of their sound. Many of the numbers give unusual prominence to the guitar and drums, thus making it the most uncharacteristic of all the group's albums. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     Beyond And Before (Squire / Bailey) (4:56)

2.     I See You (McGuinn / Crosby) (6:53)

3.     Yesterday And Today (Anderson) (2:52)

4.     Looking Around (Anderson / Squire) (4:20)

5.     Harold Land (Anderson / Squire / Bruford) (5:47)

6.     Every Little Thing (Lennon / McCartney) (5:47)

7.     Sweetness (Anderson / Squire / Bailey) (4:35)

8.     Survival (Anderson) (6:23)
– BONUS TRACKS –

9.     Everydays (Single Version) (Stills) (6:24)

10.     Dear Father (Early Version #2) (Anderson / Squire) (5:52)

11.     Something's Coming (Bernstein / Sondheim) (7:10)

12.     Everydays (Early Version) (Stills) (5:19)

13.     Dear Father (Early Version #1) (Anderson / Squire) (5:32)

14.     Something's Coming (Early Version) (Bernstein / Sondheim) (8:03)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Bill Bruford - Drums, Vibraphone

Peter Banks - Guitar, Vocals

Tony Kaye - Organ, Piano 

YES — Time And A Word (1970-2009) RM | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Yes' second (and least successful) album was a transitional effort; the group trying for a more produced and sophisticated sound through the use of an orchestra. Even so, the results weren't conventional, because the group didn't tone down or turn down its sound. Much of Time and a Word relies on bold, highly animated performances by Bill Bruford, Chris Squire, and Tony Kaye. Additionally, by this time the group was developing a much tauter ensemble than was evident on their first LP, so there's no lack of visceral excitement. "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" was a bold opening, a highly amplified, frenzied adaptation of the Richie Havens song, melded with Jerome Moross's title music from the movie The Big Country. Somewhat more successful musically is "Then," which keeps the orchestral accompaniment to a minimum and allows Kaye and Banks to stretch out on organ and guitar. "Everydays" is highlighted by Anderson's ethereal vocals and Kaye's dueting with the orchestra. A surprising amount of the material here seems rather tuneless, but the group was solidifying its sound and, in the process, forcing Banks out of the lineup, despite some beautiful moments for him (and Tony Kaye) on the prettiest parts of "The Prophet," a piece that also contains fragments of music that anticipate Yes' work right up through Tales from Topographic Oceans. "Astral Traveller," as a title, anticipates the themes of future group work, though they still don't have the dexterity to pull off the tempo changes they're trying for. By the time the record was completed, Banks was out of the band, which is why Steve Howe, his successor, ended up pictured on the cover of most editions. Bruce Eder  

Tracklist :

1.     No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Havens) (4:53)

2.     Then (Anderson) (5:50)

3.     Everydays (Stills) (6:12)

4.     Sweet Dreams (Anderson / Foster) (3:52)

5.     The Prophet (Anderson / Squire) (6:39)

6.     Clear Days (Anderson) (2:09)

7.     Astral Traveller (Anderson) (5:57)

8.     Time And A Word (Anderson / Foster) (4:40)
– BONUS TRACKS –

9.     Dear Father (Anderson / Squire) (4:15)

10.     No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix) (Havens) (4:46)

11.     Sweet Dreams (Original Mix) (Anderson / Foster) (4:21)

12.     The Prophet (Single Version) (Anderson / Squire) (6:36)

Musicians :

Jon Anderson - Vocals, Percussion

Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals

Peter Banks - Electric and Acoustic Guitars, Vocal

Tony Kaye - Piano, Organ

Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion