YES

Yes' debut album is not essential in any way. On some of its tracks the band sound undisciplined and immature. Nevertheless I find it a highly enjoyable album. The main melody and wintry imagery of "Beyond and Before", the opening track, has always appealed to me. "Looking Around" is based on a gorgeously rousing, march-like Hammond organ tune. "Every Little Thing" packs far more punch than the original version by the Beatles and opens with an exciting, two-minute jazzy jam which provides the first evidence of Bill Bruford's incomparable talent.

The most recent re-mix of the album (as of June, 2007) also contains, among other things, the original studio version of Leonard Bernstein's "Something's Coming", which was recorded during the same sessions. It's perhaps the most convincing performance of the lot. The band sound incredibly together, and the piece foreshadows the cinematic scope of later Yes cover versions, especially "America", which is similar in mood.