Music / Yes (Album)

Now that you're gone, the summer's too long and it seems like the end of my life.

"She brings the sunshine to a rainy afternoon
She puts the sweetness in and stirs it with a spoon
She watches for my moods and never brings me down
She puts the sweetness in all around"

—"Sweetness"

Yes is the debut album of the English Progressive Rock band of the same name, released on 25 July 1969 through Atlantic Records. Psychedelic band Mabel Greer's Toyshop was changed to Yes shortly after Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford and Tony Kaye joined the band in 1968, and after successfully auditioning at a gig for Ahmet Ertegun was signed to Atlantic on March the following year. The album failed to chart and was seen as a commercial flop.

Supported by the singles "Sweetness" and "Looking Around".

Tracklist

Side one

1. "Beyond and Before" (4:51)
2. "I See You" (6:48)
3. "Yesterday and Today" (2:53)
4. "Looking Around" (3:59)

Side two

1. "Harold Land" (5:39)
2. "Every Little Thing" (5:39)
3. "Sweetness" (4:30)
4. "Survival" (6:18)

Principal members:

• Jon Anderson: lead vocals
• Peter Banks: guitars, backing vocals
• Bill Bruford: drums, vibraphone
• Tony Kaye: organ, piano
• Chris Squire: bass, backing vocals

Troping around me, there's not so much in life I miss:

• Alternate Album Cover: The original US cover was the band photo taken at Fulham's architectural centre.
• Cover Version: Of The Byrds' "I See You" and The Beatles' "Every Little Thing", the latter of which also incorporates the riff of "Day Tripper" from the same band. The 2003 rerelease also includes the cover of West Side Story's "Something's Coming"
• Early-Installment Weirdness: While the elements that have been associated with Yes are present in the album (eg Squire's basslines, close harmonies), this album is more firmly in the Psychedelic Rock category, a product of being veterans of the Psychedelic scene. Jon Anderson is also credited as "John Anderson", which is his real name, but it was only a year later that he dropped the "h" in his professional name.
• Epic Rocking: Although the Epic Rocking is subdued compared to what Yes would perform down the line, there are two tracks that exceed six minutes: their cover of "I See You" and their original song "Survival".
• Minimalistic Cover Art: The UK release is a simplistic illustration of a speech bubble saying "YES" against a black backdrop.

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