"Yesterdays" is a 1975 compilation album by the British progressive rock band Yes. Released as the band were about to explore their own solo projects, it consists mostly of material from their first two albums.
After three years of unparalleled international success, Yes were at a crossroads in late 1974. Star keyboard player Rick Wakeman had exited the lineup in mid-year, to be succeeded by Patrick Moraz, and the reconstituted band had released the "Relayer" album which reached the Top Five in America late that year. But despite that success and an impending tour, there was some doubt about the group's continued viability all five members were planning on releasing their own solo albums as soon as time and a break in touring allowed, and there was some question as to whether the absence of Wakeman would have a long-term impact. In those circumstances, Atlantic Records saw both a need and an opportunity to exploit parts of the group's catalog, and the result was "Yesterdays". The first compilation of the group's work, the album was assembled from parts of the band's first two LPs, "Yes" (1969) and "Time and a Word" (1970), which had never sold in large numbers. Some of the material in question, such as "Astral Traveler," fit the bill without explanation (the latter's title alone being perfect), and original Yes keyboard player Tony Kaye's heavy use of Hammond organ was a strong selling point on the latter, as well as on "Looking Around," "Then," and "Survival," while Chris Squire's bass work on "Time and a Word" coupled with its gorgeous chorus sold the latter song as being of a piece with their established sound; and Bill Bruford's timpani-like playing on the most dramatic moments of this material showed just how advanced these guys were even before they decided on full-out assault on progressive rock. And "Dear Father," with its undercurrent of teen angst, showed an alternate direction into that sound, in almost rock opera terms, that the band might have taken. Of course, most serious fans already owned the two original albums, but many of them were glad to pick this up just to get the band's soaring, prog rock adaptation of Paul Simon's "America," a one-off cut with the classic lineup featuring Wakeman and guitarist Steve Howe, which had previously shown up exclusively on an Atlantic sampler; so in its way, Yesterdays was brilliant from an A&R and marketing standpoint. The album also gave newer fans their first opportunity to appreciate the angular playing of original guitarist Peter Banks, who was well-represented on these tracks. He'd left before the band's breakthrough, but "Yesterdays" became his biggest commercial showcase to date.
Tracklist
1. America (Paul Simon) - 10:30
2. Looking Around (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire) - 4:00
3. Time and a Word (Jon Anderson, David Foster) - 4:32
4. Sweet Dreams (Jon Anderson, David Foster) - 3:50
5. Then (Jon Anderson) - 5:45
6. Survival (Jon Anderson) - 6:20
7. Astral Traveller (Jon Anderson) - 5:53
8. Dear Father (Jon Anderson, Chris Squire) - 4:21
Released: 28 February 1975
Genre: Progressive rock
Length: 45:36
Label: Atlantic
Producer: Paul Clay, Tony Colton, Eddie Offord, Yes
Personnel
Jon Anderson - vocals
Chris Squire - bass guitar, vocals
Peter Banks - guitar
Steve Howe - guitar
Tony Kaye - keyboards
Rick Wakeman - keyboards
Bill Bruford - drums, keyboards
No comments:
Post a Comment