Stream of Consciousness & Music Reviews

    The Yes Album is Yes' third album, the predecessor to Fragile, and where the band found their footing and took off. It's pretty good, sharing some of Fragile's DNA while still being an obvious stepping stone for the band to get there. The sound is a little more blues-y overall and more traditionally prog and I think that the band does it really well. Composition is great, melody and harmonies are still excellent, and the performance is fully realized. I don't like comparing it to Fragile so much but it's my only point of reference for Yes' other work, but the encapsulating totality-ish feeling that I got from Fragile isn't here, if you get what I mean. Where Fragile was able to grab onto my brain with it's music and melody and complexities, The Yes Album merely pokes my brain, encourages that engagement and then leaves. Still very good but not as gripping as its follow up would prove to be. Additionally I think that the structure of the album is a go...

      This album has "it"; no clue what "it" is, but Fragile has got it. One of prog rock band Yes' most well known albums really earns its reputation, with its rich sound and inventive style that present a remarkable listening experience. The creativity shown throughout each track is astounding, with each song seemingly having its own completely unique identity while all still remaining a cohesive unit. Although I described Yes as prog rock earlier (as they are most known and classified as) the music is able to really break away from the title through its eclectic mix of styles and timbres while still maintaining everything together in a satisfying track progression (which somehow is pretty emblematic of prog, huh?). The main unifying factor is the composition, which I think every member had a hand in somewhere, and it is amazing. The overall atmosphere of the album is incredible, with it being one of the best examples of auditory storytelling I've heard, b...