The Yes Album (Expanded) [Original recording remastered]

By the time 1971 first rolled around, Yes had released two albums - Their self-titled 1969 debut, and their 1970 sophomore effort Time And A Word. Although the two albums were great, they also showed that the band hadn't truly found a sound yet. Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and all the others had serious potential, but hadn't yet discovered the best way to use it. But in 1971, the band received a new member who would prove to be vital to the band's success - guitarist Steve Howe. With the arrival of the new guitarist, the band recorded and released their third album 1971's The Yes Album, in 1971 (TO ALL YOU NEW YES FANS - "YES" AND "THE YES ALBUM" ARE TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ALBUMS.) How does the band's third studio effort measure up? Read on and see.

The first two Yes albums were great albums, no questions asked, but it's on The Yes Album that the band truly found its sound. With this release, the band's progressive style of rock truly came of age. Steve Howe proved almost instantly that he was a guitar genius, and the guitarist that would take the band to new heights (not to say his predecessor was bad, though.) I've Seen All Good People, one of the band's biggest hits, comes from this album. The song is mostly a melodic piece, but it features a straight-up classic rock outro that is priceless. And it, of course, is not the only worthwhile song on this album. Every song that is featured here is excellent in its own way - no two songs sound alike. Interestingly, one of the songs featured on the album, Clap, is a live version (the band put the live version on the album because they felt it was superior to the studio version they had recorded.) In the end, The Yes Album is one of the progressive rock act's finest hours.

In 2003, Rhino Records remastered and reissued the Yes catalogue - and I'm glad they did. The new versions of the albums have better sound, expanded liner notes, and even bonus tracks. Most of the bonus tracks on this album are alternative versions of songs that are from the album. They are in mono and don't sound as good as the "classic" versions, but they're a nice extra for any Yes fan. One bonus track of interest is the studio version of Clap. Finally, you can compare the live version that the band decided to put on the album to the studio version they deemed inferior! These bonus tracks are a good extra.

The Yes Album is where Yes truly found their sound, but it would be their next album, 1972's Fragile, on which they'd truly perfect it (that's when keyboarding legend Rick Wakeman would join the band.) If you're a fan of Yes and you're seeking an intro to the band, and you don't want a hits compilation, this or Fragile would be a very good bet for your first Yes purchase.