Yes

by Yes

Overview

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

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2024
Label:	Atlantic
UPC:	0603497828074
Rank:	13724

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Yes   Primary Artist
Tony Kaye   Keyboards,Organ (Hammond),Organ,Piano
Jon Anderson   Vocals,Percussion
Bill Bruford   Drums,Percussion,Vibraphone
Chris Squire   Bass,Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Peter Banks   Guitar,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Royal College Of Music   Orchestra
Tony Cox   Conductor

Technical Credits

Steven P. Gorman   Photo Research
David Gahr   Photography
Daniel Hersch   Remastering,Remastering Engineer
April Milek   Project Assistant
Tony Kaye   Producer
Tony Colton   Producer
Paul Clay   Producer
Stephen Stills   Composer
Paul McCartney   Composer
Steven Chean   Project Assistant
Bill Inglot   Producer,Remastering,Reissue Producer,Remastering Engineer
Gerald Chevin   Engineer
Tim Scanlin   Liner Note Coordination
Leigh Hall   Project Assistant
Marc Salata   Product Manager
John Anthony   Engineer
John Lennon   Composer
Leonard Bernstein   Composer
Jon Anderson   Composer,Producer
Bill Bruford   Composer,Producer
Chris Squire   Composer,Producer
Tony Wilson   Liner Notes
Joe Gastwirt   Mastering
Steve Woolard   Reissue Supervisor
Peter Banks   Producer
Cory Frye   Editorial Supervision
Bryan Lasley   Design,Art Direction
David Crosby   Composer
Yes   Producer
Stephen Sondheim   Composer
Clive Bailey   Composer
Eddy Offord   Engineer,Producer
David McLees   Reissue Supervisor
Roger McGuinn   Composer
Haig Adishian   Cover Design
Tony Cox   Orchestral Arrangements
Mike Tiano   Liner Notes
Ginger Dettman   Project Assistant
Randy Perry   Project Assistant