Produced by: Tony Colton UK release date: July 1970 US release date: 2 November 1970 Atlantic 8273 CD Track Listings 1. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (4:47) 2. Then (5:42) 3. Everydays (6:06) 4. Sweet Dreams (3:48) 5. The Prophet (6:32) 6. Clear Days (2:04) 7. Astral Traveller (5:50) 8. Time and a Word (4:31) Personnel Jon Anderson (vocals) Peter Banks (guitars and vocals) Chris Squire (bass guitar and vocals) Tony Kaye (piano, organ) Bill Bruford (drums and percussion) Background This is probably the least-known YES album (aside from Talk anyway). Generally considered a weaker album than the debut, there are nonetheless some excellent moments. The album is hurt overall by the use of an orchestra, due not simply to the presence of the orchestra, but rather to the shoddy way in which the orchestral tracks were slapped onto the band's material. (A close examination with headphones reveals some poorly executed stereophonic trickery.) Peter Banks, disillusioned by the use of the orchestra and by the band's direction in general, left the group shortly after the completion of this album. The Songs No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed The first of a pair of cover tunes on this album, this was originally a Richie Havens number. As with "Every Little Thing" on the debut, the band experiments a bit with the arrangement, even throwing in bits of cowboy TV themes (Bill Bruford, on reflection, was particularly amused by this). Then This piece typifies the characteristics of early YES music which would disappear by the following album. There's a certain jazzy quality which, I think, was only able to flourish with both Bill Bruford and Peter Banks in the band. The BBC version on YESyears is vastly superior to this one (mainly because there's no orchestra). Everydays The jazzy style continues. This one's another cover (a Stephen Stills tune). Sweet Dreams This is one of YES's best straight-forward rocking tunes. I'd like to hear an early live version of this... it's better suited to Tony Kaye's greasy-sounding rock organ than Rick Wakeman's neo-classical noodling. (See Yesshows for the only official live release.) The Prophet Like "Harold Land" from the debut, this is another effort at a story-telling song, with moderate success. The grand-scale arrangements YES would become known for are beginning to make their presence known, but in their current state and amongst the other songs on this album, the arrangements seem a bit out of place. Also, the lyrics are too straightforward and comprehensible to truly qualify as "classic YES." Clear Days Once described (quite accurately, I might add) as Jon Anderson's response to "Eleanor Rigby." Not a bad tune, but the string quartet sound just doesn't seem right for YES. Astral Traveller One of the best early YES songs, and the first to use an outer-space theme. The only hindrance is Peter Banks's trouble with his odd-time riff near the end of the song. Time and a Word I don't know what to make of this song. It's dated, its message is trite, it's repetitive, and yet it's somehow catchy. At least on this album it's followed by peaceful silence rather than by a jarring cut into the opening riff of "Going for the One." (See Yesshows if you don't know what I mean.) The Artwork At first, I was quite upset by the notion that once again the damned American Puritan ethic stifled free expression and caused Atlantic to replace this album's original UK cover (which contained nudity) with a lame picture of the band (one that didn't even show the right guitarist!). When, upon the release of the remastered CD, I finally saw that original cover, however, I quickly changed my tune. That original UK cover is ugly. Though I admit it was a waste of resources, I have to confess that I miss the CD longbox. It was the original longbox of this CD, the back side of which included the five member shots sprinkled throughout this page, that inspired me to buy this on CD. I already had the meagerly-packaged cassette, but I thought those photos were so funny that I had to own them. As usual with the remastered CDs, we are treated to an extra "previously unreleased" band photo on the insert booklet as well. I thought this one was pretty funny, too.