1001 Albums Summary

Nice enough blues rock, but it lacks the insane amount of aura the Black Sabbath self-titled has to be coined the origin of heavy metal. The songs are quirky and memorable considering this is blues rock we are speaking of, but it doesn't immediately demand a relisten. Just fun jams for your summer if you ask me.

Upon seeing The Yes Album on my screen I wasn't particularly excited. I have never been a huge fan of prog rock except for Rush and In The Court Of The Crimson King (which, yes, I should listen to more King Crimson). But I cannot let my hatred for Pink Floyd get in the way of other bands' shine, and so here I am giving this a shot. And WOW, what a great time this was. Upon the first few notes I was greeted with that same nostalgic & epic goodness that I get from 2112's Overture. Yours Is No Disgrace feels like the opening of an awesome space cartoon, and despite its long runtime is so diverse and interesting that it just simply doesn't get boring. The Clap was also a very nice time, I am a sucker for these kinds of acoustic songs, even though the decision to include a live version is a bit odd. Then we get Starship Trooper, which also did not disappoint. Especially the last bit where it basically turns into proto-shoegaze was so incredibly enjoyable. Like Yours Is No Disgrace, it felt like a travel through space. I've Seen All Good People had that Beach Boys-esque charm to it in the first half, with really strong lyricism and satisfying songwriting, and the second half was just another nice prog rock passage. Both these songs never overstay their welcome and fly by before you know it. If anything, I wish these were longer. A Venture indeed felt like a venture, a pocket sized but a fun venture. Perpetual Change did kinda drag on around the end, but the first half was definitely memorable, and the guitar/piano rhythm motif that they repeat is so catchy and captivating. An incredibly solid prog rock record, one that I will happily add to my rather limited prog rock pallette.