Yes (1st Album) (remastered) (CD) (Remaster)

Originally released on Atlantic (8243).

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Though Yes's name quickly became synonymous with '70s prog rock, their 1969 debut is a far cry from the epic vistas they would later explore. Like many '60s bands, they covered the Byrds (the metaphysical "I See You") and the Beatles ("Every Little Thing"). Inspired by the likes of Vanilla Fudge and Rotary Connection, they turned these songs inside out, radically changing the tempos and creating their own elaborate arrangements. The end results often bore little similarity to the songs' original versions.

Guitarist Peter Banks (who eventually formed the very Yes-like aggregation Flash with Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye) has a much less cerebral approach than his successor Steve Howe. Though not as facile, Banks is alternately subtle and jazzy ("I See You") and electrifyingly riff-oriented ("Looking Around"). All the elements that would soon make Yes a household name were already in place, but YES is the sound of a great band gearing up for greater things. It's nevertheless an ultimately substantive and satisfying debut.