Music Monday: Yes/The Yes Album (Side One)

Time for another weekly installment of Yes music. At this point we have moved forward to their third album, The Yes Album, which is their first to go platinum. To me, this is their first "modern" sounding music and basically every song is included on most greatest hits compilations. The main difference in sound can be attributed to Steve Howe and his outstanding guitar talents. Yes did a tour where they played this album in its entirety. This also started their tendency of fewer, but longer compositions with multiple sections. Side One has only three songs, but three classics.

The album cover is kinda weird, though it was 1971.

Notice the cast on Tony Kaye from a car accident.

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1) Yours is No Disgrace - Here they start their trend of longer songs. This is just classic.

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2) Clap - This is a solo piece by Steve Howe. On the album they use a live recording, even though there is also a studio version (more on that later). Yes concerts usually have breaks in them where one member will perform solos. The Steve Howe solos are usually a treat. From what I've read, he intended this piece to be ever changing with different parts added in the middle. You can kinda tell in this video at the 2:13 mark where he goes into some classical music. This isn't in the album version.

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3) Starship Trooper - This is the first song of theirs to contain different "movements":

a) Life Seeker - Jon singing at his best

b) Disillusion - Starts at the acoustic guitar part. Lyrics taken from an unused early Yes song For Everyone

c) Wurm - The Steve Howe guitar finale

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Bonus tracks:

Clap (Studio version) - This is a gem of a bonus track from the re-mastered CD. At the 2:09 mark he goes into what will become Mood For a Day on the next album, Fragile.

For Everyone - This track is so rare they're not even sure where or when it was recorded. If you listen you can eventually hear some of the lyrics that appears in "Disillusion" above.

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