YES

The birth of Yes, already showcases their skills and versatility with vocal harmonies, prominent basslines and adventurous songwriting. Yes is clearly a product of that era, bluessy rock, with psychedelic influences. Yes deliveres a mighty powerfull debut.

1. Beyond and Before (4:50) A mighty bass kicks in, great vocal harmonies in a thrilling exciting song. 2. I See You (6:33) A Jazzy tune carried by great guitarplay and syncopating drum&bass. Awsome song. 3. Yesterday and Today (2:37) A quieter ballad, with some nice moments. 4. Looking Around (3:49) A great song, Heavy symphonic music, with great keyboard melodies, accompagnied by powerbassplaying and rhytmic guitarplay. Good singing.

5. Harold Land (5:26) Again a great song, beautifully sung, with Jon's distinct voice, fragile and strong at the same time. Just beatifull. 6. Every Little Thing (5:24) The beatles song played with raw-power, some bluesy Floydian frenetics and great guitarplay throughout. 7. Sweetness (4:19) A beatifull slow mesmerising well sung ballad. 8. Survival (6:01) It kicks in with a great typical Squire bass, with the keyboard of Tony melting in to a great opening of this wonderous track. After the grand opening a soft melodic accoustic guitar takes over, with one of the best vocal-lines from Jon, singing of the birth of spring and the circle of life to accompagnie it. A great marvelous track, and one of the reasons I got interested in Yes's music.

This album is one of the cornerstones of early progressive rock music. On occasion it may sound dated and the production may appear to be lacking at points, but it is a great powerfull statement of an emerging rockband, with raw-power, excelent musicianship, a treasure to behold.

I only give it 4 stars, because there are better albums to come from Yes, but for any other band from this time, it would have been a solid 5 star album. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED