After a strong start with their self-titled debut, fans of Yes might have picked up Time And A Word, dropped the needle on the first track, and said, “Uh oh.”
What was this additional orchestration that they were using? How radical of a change was this going to pose to Yes? Would the follow-up be any good as a result?
Well... change was certainly in the air for Yes, as this disc marked the end of guitarist Peter Banks’ time with the group, the first of what would become a revolving door over the course of 55 years. Musically, though, the only “radical change” would be growth in songwriting and performing—leaving this one an unheralded classic.
The introduction of some orchestration, honestly, was a sign of the times in 1970. The Moody Blues and Deep Purple had successfully done it, after all—and, to Yes's credit, they use the additional instrumentation to help shape the sound, not define it.
You need proof? Simply listen to the two cover songs, “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed” and “Everydays.” There is not a single wasted note among these tracks, and the attention is never pulled away from Banks, vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, keyboardist Tony Kaye or drummer Bill Bruford. If anything, Yes’s sound is bolstered by the assistance of additional musicians.
In fact, you could argue that Time And A Word—even just featuring the core band—doesn’t waste a single second or note. Tracks like “Astral Traveller,” “The Prophet” and “Then” showcase a band who were ready to ascend to the big time. Yes, there are cosmic moments to be found—it is a Yes album, after all—but this is leaps and bounds ahead of their debut (which was a good album to begin with), and it makes one wonder where this particular iteration of Yes might have gone had they stayed together. Instead, in would step one Steve Howe... and Yes would begin on an amazing ride for a good portion of the ’70s.
Time And A Word is likely not a common album among the collections of casual Yes fans... but, dammit, it should be.