Atlantic Records/Rhino
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of Yes‘ breakthrough third studio effort, The Yes Album, which reached #40 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the U.K. albums chart.
The Yes Album was the British prog-rock legends’ first record to feature longtime guitarist Steve Howe, who replaced founding member Peter Banks, and the last in many years to feature original keyboardist Tony Kaye.
The album includes two songs that became rock radio staples, “Yours Is No Disgrace” and “I’ve Seen All Good People.” The first part of “I’ve Seen All Good People,” the chess-themed “Your Move,” was issued as a single and became Yes’ first charting hit, reaching #40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Yes Album also features the epic three-part “Starship Trooper,” and Howe’s instrumental acoustic showcase “Clap,” which was recorded live at London’s Lyceum Theatre in July 1970.
The album, which was the band’s first to feature all-original material, has sold more than a million copies in the U.S.
In a recent Rolling Stone interview, Kaye discussed the change in the band’s sound compared to its previous record, 1970’s Time and a Word.
“It just kind of happened. It had a lot to do with Steve,” Tony notes. “And we were stuck [working on the material] in this little cottage down in Devon, [U.K.,] which is still Steve’s house, by the way.”
You can check out an in-depth feature on The Yes Album at the band’s official website, YesWorld.com.
Here’s the album’s track list:
“Yours Is No Disgrace”
“Clap” (Instrumental)
“Starship Trooper”
a. “Life Seeker”
b. “Disillusion”
c. “Würm”
“I’ve Seen All Good People”
a. “Your Move”
b. “All Good People”
“A Venture”
“Perpetual Change”
By Matt Friedlander
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