TIME AND A WORD

This is not as good as their first album. As Chris Squire said in the "Yesyears" video, Peter Banks "was very against the idea" of using an orchestra in this album, and sometimes I agree with Banks. The mixing buries Banks`guitar under the sound of the orchestra in some places. Tony Kaye`s organ is the main instrument in this album, and it sounds very good, but the album lacks balance for the guitar. Squire and Bruford played very well. And this album has predominantly Jon Anderson`s songs, apart from an Anderson/Squire song, two songs written by Anderson/Foster, and two covers. The best songs are "Sweet Dreams" (recorded without the orchestra), "The Prophet", "Clear Days" (played only with piano, orchestra and vocals, and it is the best use of the orchestra in the album), and "Time and a word". Peter Banks was fired or left the band, but his style was similar in some things as Steve Howe`s. Maybe a new mixing could do better things for this album.