The Yes Album

Lame

More self indulgent, Prog Rock wank. Not today! No thanks.

Not for me

This felt like the prog rock equivalent of a jazz master. Endless noodling on instruments, songs longer than they needed to be, and nothing you can really dance or jam to. Some of it sounded like prog background music. I only recognized one song, and it's not one I'll stick in regular rotation. Sorry guys.

Broadcaster and John Peel collaborator John Walters once said he wanted to review a Yes album with the single word No. I feel pretty much the same. This right here is exactly where music went right off the rails in the early 1970s. You know what to expect and it delivers. Tight and musically competent but pretentious, though heaven knows the worst was yet to come. Most disturbingly you can hear in places where the execrable Rush got their sound from.

No

Prog rock, symphonic rock — what can go wrong – quintessence of self-indulgent noodling, overblown theatrics, and ten-minute songs that go absolutely nowhere.

Just say NO to Yes's "The Yes Album". Favorite Track: "Yours Is No Disgrace"(but the album is).

Not for me. 1/5

I should have realized sooner that this project is going to be hell for people that don’t like prog rock. GET ON WITH IT ALREADY.

Huit mois après avoir enduré le supplice cosmique de "Close to the Edge", voilà que le destin, dans son infinie cruauté, me remet le couvert. Le même groupe, le même genre, la même décennie maudite. Yes et "The Yes Album". Le titre sonne comme une affirmation, une évidence. Pour moi, il sonne comme une menace. Je me suis donc assis, résigné, tel un condamné acceptant son sort. J'ai appuyé sur "play" et pendant 41 interminables minutes, j'ai supporté. Le mot est faible... J'ai subi un assaut en règle de tout ce qui a pu un jour me faire détester la musique. Soyons clairs, et allons droit au but comme un bon vieux single punk de 2 minutes 30 (ah, si seulement...). "The Yes Album" est l'archétype parfait de la branlette musicale. C'est l'album qui a probablement convaincu des milliers de musiciens en herbe qu'il était plus important de savoir faire 48 notes à la seconde sur une guitare acoustique que de transmettre la moindre once d'émotion brute. C'est le triomphe de la technique sur l'âme, de la complexité sur le coeur, de la virtuosité sur la tripe. Pour le gamin des années 80 que j'étais, qui découvrait la rage glaciale de Joy Division et la mélancolie poisseuse de The Cure, ce genre de disque était l'ennemi. C'était la musique de nos parents, celle qu'ils écoutaient en fumant la pipe et en parlant de trucs chiants. C'était l'opulence, la prétention, cette espèce de rock de salon pour intellos qui se tripotent sur des changements de rythme alambiqués et des solos de basse qui durent le temps d'un trajet en train. Et putain, le son ! Ce son des années 70... Je sais bien qu'on me dira "oui mais la production, la chaleur de l'analogique...". Foutaises, c'est le son du formica, du papier peint orange, des pantalons à pattes d'éléphant. L'orgue Hammond de Tony Kaye, omniprésent, dégouline de bons sentiments et de notes inutiles. On dirait la musique d'attente d'un coiffeur pour hippies sur le retour. La guitare de Steve Howe, qui fait ici son entrée fracassante dans le groupe, est un catalogue de tout ce qui m'exaspère : ça file dans tous les sens, ça explore des gammes dont on se fout, ça passe de l'acoustique folkisant à des envolées électriques sans crier gare, mais ça ne raconte jamais rien. C'est une démonstration. Une putain de démo technique pour un magasin de guitares. Et le chant... Ah, le chant de Jon Anderson. Cette voix éthérée, quasi angélique, qui plane au-dessus de la mêlée instrumentale avec une candeur insupportable. Le mec te chante des trucs sur la nature, la spiritualité, la société moderne (dixit les exégètes du groupe), avec le même ton qu'un animateur de centre aéré qui essaie de te faire croire qu'une balade en forêt est une aventure mystique. C'est tellement naïf, tellement premier degré, que ça en devient presque vulgaire. J'avais l'impression d'écouter la bande-son d'une communauté new age du Larzac. Donne-moi le cynisme crasseux de The The ou la rage désespérée de Godflesh, mais pitié, épargne-moi cette pureté de pacotille. Je pourrais essayer de vous parler des morceaux, mais à quoi bon ? Ils se ressemblent tous dans leur structure boursouflée. Ça commence doucement, puis ça s'énerve, puis ça se calme, puis un solo, puis un choeur, puis un autre solo, puis ça s'énerve à nouveau... C'est épuisant. "Yours Is No Disgrace", "Starship Trooper"... des épopées de près de dix minutes qui semblent en durer quarante. On est à des années-lumière de la tension d'un "Sister Ray" du Velvet Underground qui, lui aussi, s'étirait en longueur, mais pour une bonne raison : te traîner dans la fange, te faire ressentir le malaise. Ici, on te traîne dans un magasin de tapisseries. Pendant mon service au magasin de disques, on avait une section "Rock Progressif". C'était une sorte de zone de quarantaine. Les clients qui s'y aventuraient avaient un profil bien particulier. Souvent des mecs seuls, un peu plus âgés, avec des cheveux longs mais clairsemés, qui te parlaient de la pureté du son de leur chaîne hi-fi pendant des plombes. Ils achetaient du Yes, du Genesis, du King Crimson. Ils n'achetaient jamais du Sonic Youth ou du Nirvana. Ils ne comprenaient pas et pour eux, la musique, c'était ça : une partition complexe, une exécution parfaite. Pour moi, la musique, c'était un cri. Alors oui, je sais, cet album est un "classique". C'est le disque qui a fait de Yes des stars. Il a probablement posé les bases de tout un pan du rock. Mais le IIIème Reich aussi a posé les bases de l'architecture totalitaire, et ce n'est pas pour ça que je trouve ça beau. Le pire, c'est que je ne peux même pas dire que c'est mal fait. Les mecs savent jouer, c'est indéniable. Chris Squire a probablement plus de doigts que moi et s'en sert avec une agilité déconcertante. Mais c'est une coquille vide, un exercice de style vain. C'est l'ennui poli, l'ennui tiré à quatre épingles et bien peigné. Au final, ces 41 minutes ont confirmé ce que je savais déjà. Mon panthéon musical est peuplé de prophètes du chaos, de poètes de la rouille, de saints du larsen. Eux, les membres de Yes, sont les comptables de la musique. Ils alignent les notes, font des additions complexes, vérifient que tout est bien en ordre. Le résultat est peut-être juste, mais il est chiant à mourir. Quand le dernier accord s'est éteint, j'ai ressenti le même soulagement qu'en sortant de chez le dentiste après un détartrage. C'est fait, on n'en parle plus. Jusqu'à la prochaine fois et en regardant cette liste maudite des 1001 albums, je sais qu'il y aura une prochaine fois... Putain de projet. 1/5 pour la pochette, qui a le mérite de ne pas être trop laide.

I am not and have never been a fan of prog. I just don’t get it, it doesn’t just bore me, it makes me feel ill, I do get why it led to punk - if I had been around when this was the thing, 10 minutes of going nowhere, why can’t they be concise just once. Then I would have wanted to smash the system too. Someone else uses the term noodling and I can’t better that, they do just noodle for many minutes on end and never get anywhere. Noodle noodle noodle. They aren’t shit at what they do but I hate listening to it. If you listen to what people refer to as classical music , its just not dynamic in any form, this goes nowhere slowly, yes they just noodle. It’s like reading a 400 page book to find nothing actually happens, we just have little trips down cul-de-sac’s, an acoustic guitar cul-de-sac here, a keyboard 1 here. I’m going on because I need to do something while listening, the multi track vocals, like always arrr. Musically I should probably say 2 stars just for their actual ability, but my irrational dislike for this type of music and the reaction it actually causes me. 1 Star. Unfortunately I have the bad feeling there will be many more prog lows in this list for me. Again if it’s your thing fine.

the no album by no

Prog rock isn’t for me

ugh, prog

Nicht so groovig, 0

Just feels completely devoid of any personality to me. We get it, you're all talented at your instruments, but there wasn't a thing about the playing of any of them that hooked me at all. None of the ideas in these songs feel worthy enough to warrant a 9 minute runtime for half the tracks. The only song that was half redeemable in my opinion was A Venture. The rest I would be happy never hearing again. I can already barely remember what any of them sounded like and I haven't even finished listening to it. A big thank you to them for giving me my first 1 star. Wanky Nonsense. The album cover is shit as well.

green colour is cool

No. Seriously though, I can hear YES here, but it says no to me.

It’s fine, but I’m not a huge fan. Skilled musicians, playing poppy 70s rock, but it doesn’t do much to excite me.

You know what, not sure I know much of anything about Yes -- maybe a little proggy? Let's see..... 1st song --- um are we sure this isn't Mannheim Steam roller, oh no can't be there are lyrics.... No thanks. 2nd: Oh, this is different and pretty ok. 3- through the end.......No thanks.

Esto es el equivalente de los 70 al aburrimiento que me provocan cosas más recientes como The Dirty Projectors o uno de esos grupos con nombre de Panda.

-nicht wirklich etwas hängen geblieben

Not available on spotify in my region, which is no loss. The youtube version was pretty underwhelming. Quite a few duds these past few days.

Ohh god not fucking Yes. Can't we just pretend prog rock never happened! One moderately decent track. I'm gonna start skipping albums if this continues. Life's too short. I started this to discover new exciting music, it appears so far that I'd already found it. Cos so far nearly 100 in everything apart from the ones I already knew has been more than underwhelming.

I struggle with this & any other types of this genre which I would box as “pop rock” I’m sure that this has been hugely influential for many future prog rock bands but all I get is Jeremy Clarkson dad dancing to west end musical tunes trying to do rock n roll. Sorry.

I really dislike Yes. Always have. Gave it a fresh listen, nothing has changed

Completely forgettable.

Shit

Jeez lol, 46 mins for 6 songs. Yeah it was rough..

No

I only really knew Yes from Owner of a Lonely Heart and Rick Wakeman's capes. Unfortunately, as someone who often enjoys a bit of prog, this album feels like a list of reasons why people don't like the genre. There are occasions where you start to feel that something good is about to happen, but then there's a crappy bit of, very dated, synth (not Wakeman's) or a twatty folk track with some random clapping that kills any momentum that was building. To add insult to aural injury, the only versions available are wanky deluxe editions - shit off with your demos, single versions and remixes. Utter guff.

Garbage

At first I thought, 'Jesus these songs all sound the same', until I realised the first song was nigh on 10 minutes long. I'm only three songs in and it feels like I've been listening to it for three days. 22 minutes of three very similar repetitive prog rock songs. Playing the same thing over and over only serves a purpose if it's to transport you somewhere. The only place this took me to was mediocrity. Forgettable noodling of shallow depth. The sort of thing you'd hear being played on the radio in a mechanics shop, but no one is singing along. I skipped the Single Versions at the end of the album. I couldn't make it through.

Perpetual change is good. Otherwise its not really my style.

No

Progrock, daar gaat m'n goede humeur. Te weinig zin om Yes echt goed door te wroeten. Paar nummertjes aangehad maar geen potten kunnen breken. Eindeloze solo's en de progrock sfeer brengt mij nergens anders dan met beide benen op de grond. Helaas.

I like some prog bands, but just not Yes

No.

Maybe somewhere out there is a prog rock album that isn't utterly stupidly ridiculous. However, "The Yes Album" ain't it.

first listen. hated it couldn't even go through the whole thing

Do I really have to give this a rating?

Nope

Yes? Nooooo!

Twaddle. Everything I don't like in music.

Nej! Lyssnade inte på hela. Den var astråkig

Not a good album

I actually hated this too slow

I hope this is the last of Yes 'cause I don't like this band

Boring

Teatralsk, prætentiøst ligegyldigt

not my cup of tea

Yours Is No Disgrace - It's alright, but it doesn't pull me into the album. Not a huge fan of the vocals, they're just kinda there. I'm not really into the vocal harmonies or noodly guitars. The Clap - Acoustic noodling Starship Trooper - 1st 1/3rd isn't bad, not feeling the acoustic bit in the middle. I've Seen All Good People - is this about chess? A Venture - Again with the harmonies and noodly guitars. Perpetual Change - first 4 minutes weren't bad, then the noodling came back. I'm just not meshing with this album at all.

Dull.

I got what I expected which was prog rock that noodled on for ages without the redeeming feature of Rick Wakeman wearing a cloak. Least interminable track: The Venture.

pal PICO WEON

Not another bloody Yes album

“And that was the last and only time I listen to that album. More like The No.”

Oh dear, definitely not a Yes from me. Not my cup of tea. Not to be unkind but in my opinion the album was Gash…

I have no strong feelings one way or the other. I’ve listened to the album all the way through twice now, and no parts have stuck out to me at all. This music just does not move me. It’s marginally better than listening to nothing at all. It’s background music. If you get something from this then more power to you. But I really cannot different any separate bits of the album, because it all sounds the same to me. And all the positive reviews seem to say the same. ‘No thoughts, head empty, just vibes’ is a direct quote from a review I just read. That isn’t what I want from my music, I don’t want the audio equivalent of a Fast and Furious film. I want something that engages me. I want more than just, oh this sounds pleasant. The best song on the album is an instrumental Portuguese folk guitar show piece. And it’s the best song because it actually sounds passionate, it feels like there was an actual idea that the writer wanted to explore. The idea may just have been, ‘I’ve just bought a Portuguese guitar, let’s write a Portuguese folk song’ but at least it’s an idea. God I hate Prog Rock

"How about no?" - Dr. Evil Little Britain CSNY. Psychedelic folk prog with lots of ideas - few of them good.The bass sounds like farts, pretty cool! Nice acoustic instrumental on The Clap in a virtuoso folk style. The guitar and bass interplay on Starship Troopers is great throughout, especially the spacey ending. But the vocals are irritating, flutes have no place in rock music, and there're too many parts all jammed together into each song, you're just getting into a groove then here comes a tempo/key/instrumental change. Very taxing to listen to and the whole thing reeks of cider. Oh, 'All Good People' is by Yes? Hadn't realized. I hate that song. I gather this was a very influential album, unfortunate.

Pretentious wankery.

Yes are a bit too proggy for me, and with the psychedelia that most people wisely left in the 60s there's not a lot here to like. Not sure we get to a 2 here.

Nah

Garbage

Hated it

Ei tää oikein lähtenyt, vaikka eka biisi oli lupaava. Vähän sekava kokonaisuus, kuin kaks vahvaa tyyppiä tappelis tilasta ja kumpikaan ei oikein saa sitä.

Sain tästä keskittymishäiriön.

I liken Yes to cooking with seitan - it could be done with genius-level artistic mastery but I’m not fucking eating it.

Yes was a big No. Nothing about this album I enjoyed.

No

not really my jam 😕 → 1. your move 2. a venture 3. i’ve seen all good people - 2003 remastered

Indulgent nonsense.

Utterly, totally, completely dreadful. Prog Rock Wankery at its finest. In summary. Fucking awful.

Meh

Nah

Yes? Not today. As ashamed as I ought to be my peak in interest was for 90125 and Trevor Horn.

As bad as I thought it would be.

Wanky shite

Everything that was wrong with prog. Self-indulgent, uninteresting toss.

No to Yes. I think it will come as no surprise that this album did nothing for me. The lack of concrete lyrics, the long stretches of instrumentation, the memories of being forced to listen to such works on the classic rock station 103.5 the Fox, where this shit was all the rage in the mid 90s, as I was driven to a baseball practice that I very much did not want to go to by a father who was insistent and may be too drunk to remember to pick me up in 90 minutes. So I have my biases.

Nope.

no

No.

total shite - lasted 4 songs. There's something really rubbish about self indulgent 9 min jams

I couldn't even make it through the first track

pls stop

1.5

I have listened to this album dozens of times. I love the funky guitar breaks on yours is no disgrace, the dizzying playing in the clap, and the outro on starship trooper is indelible in my memory. This might even have been the first progressive rock album I listened to. The instrumentals here are consistently impressive, I just don’t alway vibe the compositions, or the vocals.

Great album. Loved it. So amazing for only 6 songs