Yes Albums - reviewed & ranked by emptysquares

I started listening to Yes when they were still considered pretty cool and their intricate music, strange lyrics and ethereal vocal harmonies sounded to me to be something new. With the coming of punk rock in the late 70’s, Yes quickly became super uncool and in the UK the gestapo-like music press would keep it that way for the next 25 years.
In the 80’s, Yes began chasing US commercialism but Trevor Rabins ‘boy band pop with added guitar shredding’ formula held little appeal for me and it seemed that a group that once strived for originality were now trading in clichés. And so it was that I lost interest in Yes for the next 35 years or so.
In 2020, when the Covid-19 lockdown gave me some enforced free time I thought it might be interesting to catch up on the 10 or so studio albums that passed me by. Listening to their catalogue I was struck by how much time and energy they spent trying to repeat their brief 1983 commercial success when it must have been pretty obvious to everyone that their shelf-life as chart popsters was always going to be fleeting - what manner of teenager wants a poster of fucking Yes on their wall?
It seems to me that while Yes may have started life as idealistic 60’s dreamers, these particular hippies became accustomed to expensive lifestyles… and an existence as cult musicians from a bygone era was never going to pay the bills. And so began the long & futile chase for radio-friendly songs aimed to please an audience that was no longer interested. Sadly, much of their later material is compromised to some degree due to this.
Despite all this, the Yes back catalogue has a lot to offer and the band created some truly unique moments in rock history – and who knows, there may still be life in the old dogs yet.

• Chart updated: 02/07/2024 17:45
• (Created: 06/12/2020 11:23).
• Chart size: 29 albums.

There is 1 comment for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Yes Albums - reviewed & ranked has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 2 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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1. (=)

Close To The Edge 

 Yes

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A thing of beauty, the songs were recorded in short sections which were then spliced together with a razor blade & sticky tape. I have read some smart-arse millennials complaining that they can hear the edit points, but this was recorded decades before Pro-Tools, cross-fades & undo buttons and in my opinion producing an album like this in 1972 was a feat akin to travelling to the Moon in a tin can equipped with even less processing power than Donald Trumps brain (but more than yours if you think it was faked).
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Rick Wakeman; d:Bill Bruford [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1972

Appears in:

1,134 charts

Rank Score:

14,428

Rank in 1972:

4

Rank in 1970s:

24

Overall Rank:

91

Average Rating:

 85 (1,419 votes)

Comments:

115

2. (=)

The Yes Album 

 Yes

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The first Yes album to feature guitarist Steve Howe who wasted no time in demonstrating his full range of tricks and tones. Chris Squires bass did things never done by a bass guitar before and Brufords intricate drumming gave the whole thing a unique feel. The songs, whilst relatively simple compared to what was to come, were melodic and uplifting and 'Yours Is No Disgrace'; 'I've Seen All Good People' and 'Starship Trooper' became permanent fixtures in the Yes setlist forever more.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Tony Kaye; d:Bill Bruford [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

478 charts

Rank Score:

3,863

Rank in 1971:

22

Rank in 1970s:

109

Overall Rank:

465

Average Rating:

 82 (686 votes)

Comments:

47

3. (=)

Going For The One 

 Yes

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Drenched in the then newly-invented digital reverb making it sound as if the whole thing was recorded in the worlds largest cathedral combined with Wakemans use of church organ and Anderson has never sounded more like the lead choirboy. In the UK the success of the single 'Wonderous Stories' helped to propel the album to the top of the charts while in the opinion of many fans, 'Awaken' was the latest (and for some final) addition to the canon of classic Yes works.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Rick Wakeman; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1977

Appears in:

226 charts

Rank Score:

1,449

Rank in 1977:

27

Rank in 1970s:

253

Overall Rank:

1,224

Average Rating:

 76 (359 votes)

Comments:

25

4. (=)

Fragile 

 Yes

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A solo track for each member of the band is a very 'prog' thing to do and Yes just about got away with it on Fragile - although Bruford could only muster a stream of musical spasms that is prematurely spent in 37 seconds flat (the song title 'Five per Cent for Nothing' was a bitter reference to the severance agreement struck with recently sacked manager Roy Flynn) and for contractual reasons Wakeman was limited to a tame rendition of a Brahms piece. Thankfully, the rest of the album was all jolly splendid and with Wakeman on board, the classic Yes sound was now fully formed.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Rick Wakeman; d:Bill Bruford [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1971

Appears in:

781 charts

Rank Score:

7,011

Rank in 1971:

11

Rank in 1970s:

60

Overall Rank:

248

Average Rating:

 84 (1,064 votes)

Comments:

56

5. (=)

Time And A Word 

 Yes

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Following their somewhat disappointing debut album, Yes decided to kick-off the follow-up with a mash-up of an obscure Richie Havens blues/soul number combined with the theme tune of a 1950's western movie complete with added strings performed by students from the local music college. Whilst this did somewhat expose the shoestring budget, somehow it worked and is great fun as is the rest of the record. Behind the scenes, the bands association with engineer / producer Eddie Offord started here and both the sound and the composition are a huge leap forward from the debut.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Peter Banks; b:Chris Squire; k:Tony Kaye; d:Bill Bruford; Royal College of Music Strings [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1970

Appears in:

92 charts

Rank Score:

327

Rank in 1970:

81

Rank in 1970s:

745

Overall Rank:

4,311

Average Rating:

 73 (167 votes)

Comments:

14

6. (=)

Relayer 

 Yes

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The 22 minute epic 'The Gates of Delirium' is supposedly based on 'War & Peace' although I think George R.R.Martins 'A Song of Ice & Fire' is closer to the spirit of this piece even if it was written 20 years later. The cold metallic production creates a suitably hostile effect and by the time you make it to the final 'Soon' section, you are left feeling as if you have been through something of an ordeal. Classic Yes. The two songs on the second half of the album are less convincing. 'Sound Chaser' finds them attempting a jazz-fusion 'Mahavishnu Orchestra' type thing (for me it doesn't quite work) while 'To Be Over' sounds like an offcut from 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' and overall, you're left with a feeling that the band was searching for a new direction.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Patrick Moraz; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1974

Appears in:

253 charts

Rank Score:

1,403

Rank in 1974:

26

Rank in 1970s:

259

Overall Rank:

1,257

Average Rating:

 78 (439 votes)

Comments:

32

9. (=)

Drama 

 Yes

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Yes began the 80s by having a huge row over money and consequently firing Jon Anderson, which then prompted Wakeman to also quit (2nd time). In an unexpected move they were replaced with the pop duo 'the Buggles' who were riding high with their worldwide hit 'Video Killed the Radio Star' and together they produced 'Drama' which at the time sounded to me like a great Yes sound for the new decade. Sadly, many fans were unconvinced and unspectacular album sales combined with a mixed reception during the following tour led to the lineup disintegrating. Long time manager Brian Lane was fired, Steve Howe left to form the supergroup Asia (taking Downes with him) while Trevor Horn went on to become a superstar producer. Drama indeed!
V:Trevor Horn; g:Steve Howe; b&v:Chris Squire; k:Geoff Downes; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

125 charts

Rank Score:

491

Rank in 1980:

62

Rank in 1980s:

469

Overall Rank:

3,060

Average Rating:

 75 (173 votes)

Comments:

8

10. (=)

Tales From Topographic Oceans 

 Yes

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Nothing could better epitomise the British prog rock scene than this sprawling double album entirely based upon a footnote (page 83 apparently) of a book given to the singer at the ex-drummers wedding reception. It’s not clear if Jon Anderson ever actually read Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi, but as the average prog rock fan thought a Yogi was to be found in Jellystone Park with his cousin Boo-Boo - it really didn't matter.
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Rick Wakeman; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1973

Appears in:

202 charts

Rank Score:

1,012

Rank in 1973:

36

Rank in 1970s:

336

Overall Rank:

1,685

Average Rating:

 74 (411 votes)

Comments:

27

11. (=)

Tormato 

 Yes

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Chronic overplaying, feeble synth tones and a murky sound are just some of the issues with Tormato - but most of all, the whole thing was screaming for a hard-nosed producer to get a grip. Long time producer Eddie Offord unavailable and Yes fatally decided to self-produce - great art is rarely created by committee. Despite this, there is a lot to like on Tormato as the band was bursting with ideas and striving to respond to new tastes bought about by the punk / new wave movement by adopting a less reverent and more spontaneous approach. Messy and incoherent for sure, but not as bad as some claim.....and nowhere near their worst!
V:Jon Anderson; g:Steve Howe; b:Chris Squire; k:Rick Wakeman; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

1978

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

204

Rank in 1978:

109

Rank in 1970s:

1,028

Overall Rank:

6,341

Average Rating:

 67 (171 votes)

Comments:

14

12. (=)

Fly From Here 

 Yes

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Essentially a re-hash of a song written by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downs during the 'Drama' period in 1980, it is re-imagined here as a 20+ minute suite. Its okay - even quite good in places, but like a Netflix TV series it is mercilessly stretched out and the repetition inevitably becomes somewhat waring. The second half of the album is a collection of short numbers which are also okay - albeit strictly non-essential. The album was originally released with Canadian vocalist Benoît David taking the lead - but was subsequently re-released in 2016 as 'Fly From Here - Return Trip' with David's efforts entirely replaced with Trevor Horn (a strange thing to do, although I do slightly prefer the Horn version).
V:Benoît David or Trevor Horn; g:Steve Howe; b&v:Chris Squire; k:Geoff Downes; d:Alan White [First added to this chart: 06/12/2020]

Year of Release:

2011

Appears in:

41 charts

Rank Score:

205

Rank in 2011:

141

Rank in 2010s:

1,220

Overall Rank:

6,322

Average Rating:

 71 (71 votes)

Comments:

2

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Total albums: 23. Page 1 of 3

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Yes Albums - reviewed & ranked composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	0	0%
1960s	1	3%
1970s	12	41%
1980s	4	14%
1990s	6	21%
2000s	2	7%
2010s	2	7%
2020s	2	7%

Artist	Albums	%
Yes	23	79%
Steve Howe	1	3%
Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe	1	3%
Bill Bruford's Earthworks	1	3%
Chris Squire	1	3%
Jon Anderson	1	3%
Rick Wakeman	1	3%

Country	Albums	%
	29	100%

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
100/100	05/02/2021 16:38	TheDude85	43	95/100
95/100	12/30/2020 14:54	matterhornrider	55	92/100

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100/100

From TheDude85 05/02/2021 16:52

Very descriptive analysis and sincere approach to evaluating the work of this group. Tip of The Cap!

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