Music Monday (Yes/Yes, Side Two)

This is my second installment of early Yes music that I want to share with everyone. Even if nobody reads it, it's fun for me to go through these albums. Their debut album is simply called YES and the first part dealing with Side A is located here. Now on to Side B.

Alternate US cover

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5) Harold Land. This is a song about a guy going off to war and what happens when he comes back. Funny thing is, when I started getting into Yes' music it was before CD's, and this song actually came first on the cassette. It always kinda throws me off to hear it 5th on a CD now.

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6) Every Little Thing. Yes this is the Beatles song of the same name, just expanded and "Yesified" to a point to where it's barely recognizable. As a matter of fact, there's even a piece of Day Tripper thrown in there as well around the 1:55 mark.

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7) Sweetness. This is definitely a lazy, rainy day song. Every time I hear this it takes me back to my college days living in that small little shack that leaked every time it rained. If you've ever seen the movie Buffalo '66, this song is played at the end credits.

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8) Survival. The last song is probably THE song to take away from this album and it's a great one. You will find it on most of their Greatest Hits compilations. This album came out in 1969 and they still play it live on tour from time to time today, over 40 years later. As a bonus, here's the lyrics.

Sunshine is creeping in and somewhere in a field a life begins,

An egg too proud to rape the beginning of a shape of things to come,

That starts the run, life has begun, fly fast the gun.

The Mother flew too late and life within the egg was left to fate,

Not really knowing how the world outside would take it when it came,

And life's the same for things we aim, are we to blame?

Don't doubt the fact that there's life within you,

Yesterday's endings will tomorrow's life give you,

All that dies, dies for a reason, to put its strength into the Season,

Survival, Survival,

They take away as we give, the livings right to live, the livings right to know.

The egg breaks all is out, the crawling bird begins to scream and shout,

Where is the parent bird, a loneliness arose and heard its name-

Ring in for life begins, survival win, survivals sin.

So soon the evening comes with it runs the aching fear of hate 

Could someone still remain who thinks he still could gain by escaping fate? 

It's much too late, don't underrate, appreciate.

Don't doubt the fact that there's life within you,

Yesterday's endings will tomorrow's life give you,

All that dies, dies for a reason, to put its strength into the Season,

Survival, Survival,

They take away as we give, the livings right to live, the livings right to know.

And we're all going

And we're all going

And we're all going somewhere!

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Well that will finish up the first album. You can read more about the whole thing here if you want. In 2003, this album (and all the other early ones) were re-mastered and re-issued and included different versions of some of the songs. There were also some bonus tracks of songs that didn't make it on the album at all. One of these is called "Something's Coming", and is from the Broadway play/movie West Side Story of all places. Like they did with "Every Little Thing" earlier, this song is expanded and Yesified. And I like it very much.

Next week: Time and a Word

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