Bang The Drum All Day: The YES Album - 50 years old and still sounding great

Friday 26 February 2021

The YES Album - 50 years old and still sounding great

Advert in Melody Maker, February 1971

The February 6th 1971 edition of the UK music paper Melody Maker carried a rather enigmatic full page advert, mostly in black, with a small photo at the top and "The Yes Album - Available tomorrow" at the foot of the page.

For such a momentous album, Yes's third but destined to be their first success sales-wise, it was a strange bit of promotion.

And since The Yes Album celebrates its 50th birthday this month, fans are recalling the effect it had on them.

Many regard it as their best - with good reason. There's something about the musical virtuosity, their sheer power as a band and the melodic and climactic nature of the music that make this record such a classic.

Every band member contributes strongly, whether it's the thunderous bass of Chris Squire - that jumps out of the speakers on my vintage vinyl copy - or Tony Kaye's anthemic Hammond organ playing, or Bill Bruford's distinctively snappy drumming.

Notably, The Yes Album was the first to feature guitarist Steve Howe, who had replaced original guitarist Peter Banks the previous year. Howe gave the band a shot in the arm and it's that freshness and vitality - of a band relaunched that comes across on this record.

Howe had been introduced in July 1970, just as Yes were releasing their previous album Time And A Word, though he didn't play on it. They started recording in the Autumn of that year.

An interview in Melody Maker at the time indicated there had been rumours of a split. MM was one of the music papers that had predicted big things for Yes way back in 1969, but a hit record had so far eluded them. They took a break and parted ways with Banks.

"Steve is a fine guitarist and very cooperative," said Bill Bruford. "Peter was a player who never said anything. Steve talks about it, so we know where we stand."

Bruford also mentioned that Steve Howe's singing allowed them to do three part harmonies. "We are also doing Simon & Garfunkel's America, which has been given a great Yes arrangement." This recording was not used on The Yes Album. It was subsequently included on the Yesterdays collection of the best tracks from their first two albums.

Yes were expected to break big in 1970

I didn't buy The Yes Album on release - I was still listening to Mungo Jerry and Slade in 1971. But I can still remember the first time I heard it. I was struck by Howe's guitar playing above all. He obviously wanted to make an impression as the new guy, and the rest of the band must have been happy to give him the chance, because he absolutely dominates side one of the vinyl record.

Not only did he have a whole track to himself, The Clap, showing off his Chet Atkins influences. His guitar breaks in the opener, Yours Is No Disgrace, and the climactic Starship Trooper, took each song into the stratosphere.

Howe's arrival was the beginning of the musical chairs that have been a constant feature of Yes ever since. After The Yes Album, organist Tony Kaye was shunted in favour of the more versatile Rick Wakeman.

A couple of years later Bill Bruford left to join King Crimson and was replaced by Alan White. Wakeman left the following year and Patrick Moraz joined for one album. Perpetual Change indeed.

There's some excellent film footage available of early Yes, particularly around the time of The Yes Album. Here is a film of them made in 1970 to promote songs from Time & A Word.

By the end of 1971, Rick Wakeman had joined, as shown in this footage from October that year.

I also have a bootleg CD of them playing at The Roundhouse in London, on this day in February 1971, just after the release of The Yes Album.