This Day in Music History: Yes/The Yes Album (02/19)

Today is the 49th (holy crap!) anniversary of The Yes Album, the third studio album released by Yes in 1971. It was the first to feature Steve Howe on guitar, and the last for Tony Kaye on keyboards. This was basically the beginning of the Yes musical chairs.

I have covered this album previously and more in depth here (Side One) and here (Side Two).

Anyway, enjoy this song (hey, I actually heard this one before!)

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This Day in Music History: Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (06/20)

On this day, June 20th 1989, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe released their self titled album, using the Blue Desert painting by Roger Dean as the cover. This is a spin off from the group Yes, composed of all "former" members at the time.

This is also THE album. Yes, THAT one. My desert island CD. The Relationship Story soundtrack. And the precursor for the Union album "disaster". I wish everyone owned this and appreciated it the way I do. I guess it was just a special time, and a special place, and a special person...

I have covered this album in much more detail, giving my personal feelings about each song in previous posts here (Side One) and here (Side Two)

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Friday and the Random 10 (Homebrew Edition)

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Music Monday: Yes/Close to the Edge (Side One)

Well now we have reached the point where Yes is well established and start to expand their horizons. They have progressed to the point where some of their songs have gotten longer and longer (Heart of the Sunrise was over 10 minutes). This time, they created a piece of music that took up the entire length of side one. But first, the album cover:

Music Monday: Yes/Fragile (Side 2)

So now it's time to head on to Side 2 of Fragile. The back side of the album has even more artwork from Roger Dean, where the fragile planet is breaking apart and a ship (space ark?) is orbiting above it. This will come in to play on future album covers. The painting looks like this:

Music Monday: Yes/Fragile (Side One)

OMG! Fragile! I've been waiting to get to this one. This is one of my desert island albums. To me, this is when YES became YES. After upgrading guitar by Steve Howe on their last album, they upgraded keyboards a million times over with Rick Wakeman. Fragile is an album with four group efforts along with solo pieces from every member of the band. This is also the first time they used graphic artist Roger Dean to do their covers. I mean, look at it! (oh, that's what's on that t-shirt you wear all the time...) All the album covers from here on out tell a continuing story, beginning with the fragile planet here cracking up and exploding.



 He also did illustrations inside the album covers as well.

Now, on to Side 1 of the music. I was cruising some old country back roads in my old Plymouth Valiant, just enjoying some quiet weekend time when this first song came on the radio. I was captivated and had to find out who it was. This started my fascination with Yes.

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.

Music Monday: Yes/Time and a Word (Side Two)

Now it's time to get into Side Two of Yes' second album, Time and a Word. Side One can be checked out here. For some reason I just cant much get into this side. I mean the title song is good, but the rest I just seem to gloss over and forget about. When it was released in the USA they used an alternate cover, because a cartoon boob was deemed "inappropriate". Here's what it looks like:

Yeah that's Steve Howe in the red shirt, even though he didn't play on the album at all.

Music Monday: Yes/Time and a Word (Side One)

The second album released by Yes was called Time and a Word. A live orchestra was used on the recording of all of the tracks, giving it a kind of "eerie" feel in my book. This actually caused a lot of tension in the band, prompting one of the members, guitar player Peter Banks, to leave. So this is the last album to feature the original lineup, and unfortunately it started an almost continuous revolving door of personnel. Steve Howe joined the band (and what a major upgrade!) before this album was released, but he didn't play on it.

UK Front Cover

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And now, on to Side One.

Friday and the Random 10 (Outlawed Edition)

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Friday and the Random 10 (Black Friday Edition)

Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10! 

Here's a picture.

Friday and the Random 10 (Hello November Goodbye October Edition)

Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10! 

Here's a picture.

This Day in Music History (10/28): Yes/Keys to Ascension

Keys to Ascension is a double album by the British progressive rock group Yes and was released on this date in 1996. The last time Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White had worked together on officially released studio recordings was 1978's Tormato. It is the band's fourth live album and fifteenth studio album. Yes, it's one of those live albums with new studio material that they create to make you spend more money.

This Day in Music History: Yes/Magnification (09/10)

Magnification is the nineteenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes, released on this day in 2001 (December 4th in the US). It was the band's first album of the new century, and their second with a full orchestra (the first being Time and a Word from 1970 which I previously covered here and here). It marked the band's last studio album to date with vocalist Jon Anderson.

Before I go on with the history, I just want to point out that this is a fantastic album that should have gotten more attention. Unfortunately the release date of 09/10/01 did a lot of damage to any possible record sales as the world changed on that day.

Friday and the Random 10 (Rock Till You Drop Edition)

Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10! 

Here's a picture.

Friday and the Random 10 (Xanadu Edition)

Third time's the charm, right? Welcome to a new and improved, simplified and stripped down Random 10! However in my need to do more I may change the picture from week to week.

There, I feel better now.

This Day in Music History:Yes/Drama (08/22)

Released on this day in 1980, Drama is the tenth studio album by British progressive rock band Yes. It is also the first Yes album without vocalist Jon Anderson (gasp!).

Friday and the Random 10 (Fill in the Blank Edition)

Sometimes I have a preconceived idea for the Random 10, and other times I hope the music itself will reveal a theme. Today I'm just blah so I will let the music speak to you and you can leave comments on what it should be named. Yay for reader participation! #FutureInternetSensation #ShareThe Love

Now onto some music:

Friday and the Random 10 (The Force Awakens Edition)

Hey, guess what movie comes out today? Have you heard? I am not one of the lucky ones getting to see it today. Instead, all I have is music. Sounds like I got a bum deal on this one but here goes:

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Friday and the Random 10 (Higher Power Edition)

Well things are finally getting back to normal around here. I have been working a lot more (now that I have reliable transportation) and have even started training at a new area: ESPN Wide World of Sports. Don't worry though. I'm staying on trains. Somehow in the middle of all this I managed to finish reading another book. Well I actually couldn't put it down once I started and finished it in 24 hours. It was called The Martian by Andy Weir. Highly recommended and soon to be a major motion picture with Matt Damon. Looking forward to the movie, but for now how about some tunes instead? Oh yeah!