FLASH

After leaving (or getting kicked out of) Yes, guitarist Peter Banks and keyboardist Tony Kaye formed this band. Not surprisingly, Flash sounds quite a bit like early Yes. The opening track Small Beginnings appears to have been written after numerous listens to Roundabout. The two songs have a very similar structure. And copying Yes' hit did Flash well. A single edit of Small Beginnings managed to get a reasonable amount of airplay back then.

Unfortunately, the rest of the album doesn't fare as well. While the tracks all still have a fair amount of that early Yes sound, the songs are all quite forgettable. And the recording quality is very rough.

But still, if you are a big Yes fan, this is a must.

2.5 stars, rounded up.