THE YES ALBUM

This was the album that changed my life. I was 17, hadn't really listened to ANY music with any real attention; dismissed it as an irrelevance. i just couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. The Beatles? Catchy, irritating nonsense. The Stones? Better, but still just - well - pop! The music charts were full of simplistic, trashy There was no depth to any of it, so I quite happily ignored it all.

And then I heard "Yours Is No Disgrace" on a friend's stereo... It was the most astounding music I had ever heard. A track that didn't confine itself to one simple tune or time signature, that felt as if it was a carefully thought-out composition, yet was performed with such exuberance by such incredible musicians...

"The Clap" - astonishing acoustic guitar the like of which I'd never heard... "Starship Trooper," with its three movements ending with the slow-building "Würm" which burst into electric guitar splendour...

. "I've Seen All Good People" - a crowd-pleaser with a simple repetitive refrain but still holding your attention because the musicianship...

. " A Venture" - okay, probably the weakest track on the album as most other reviewers point out, but still far and away superior to most of the other pap on the radio...

. And ending with "Perpetual Change" - such energy and power!

In the space of 41' 56" I became a fan, not only of Yes, or Progressive Rock, but it allowed me finally to open my ears and realise that music, whether progressive rock, classical, or even (occasionally) pop had a place in my life - so thank you Yes!