THE YES ALBUM

As others have said, this is the first "full-power" Yes album, where the Anderson/Squire core acquire their primary gun who is of course guitarist Steve Howe. Not barely a minute into the first track, Howe's impeccable style and glorious tone boldly announce the arrival of arguably the greatest progressive guitar player; and at the same time, the full arrival of the now unstoppable musical force which is Yes. Although the band would certainly evolve throughout their career and tackle increasingly ambitious projects, the music on this album is not diminished the slightest bit in the shadow of their later, more far-reaching masterworks -- in fact, "Starship Trooper" contains one of my favorite musical moments of all time: a little over 4 minutes into the song (4:14) begins one of the most transcendent and beautiful vocal harmony arrangements one could ever hope to hear. The opening track, "Yours Is No Disgrace," is one of those timeless classic songs that for me has the feeling of heralding in the heart of the progressive era; especially check out the thumping bass and organ fireworks beginning around 5:00. Bottom line, this album is a masterpiece by one of the greatest bands and no lover of music should be without it.