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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Progressive Rock Album Made Even Better!, May 22, 2003
"Time And A Word" (released in 1970) was The Yes' second album and in my opinion was a better album then their debut. It clearly shows the group experimenting with different sounds. Just listen to "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" and "Clear Days" which utilize an orchestra. There are some great songs on this cd beginning with the above mentioned song "No Opportunity Needed...", "Then", "Sweet Dreams", and "Astral Traveller". Granted this album isn't as great as "Fragile" or "Close To The Edge", but then again they didn't have Steve Howe or Rick Wakeman. Interestingly, Howe appears on the cover of the U.S. release of "Time And A Word" but doesn't play on it. It wasn't until the next album "The Yes Album" (released in 1971) , that Howe replaced Peter Banks as guitarist. And Tony Kaye was later replaced by keyboard wizard extroardinaire, Wakeman. There are four bonus tracks included in this newly remastered cd. 1) Dear Father, 2) No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix), 3) Sweet Dreams (Original Mix), 4) The Prophet (Single Version), all of which are a nice addition to the regular album song listing. The sound quality of this cd is much better than the previous Joe Gastwirt remasters which had no punch. This version has more bottom end, increased midrange and pumped up output level. There's also an eight page booklet included that has some colorful pictures of the group and lyrics to the songs. This is a must for all Yes fans or those who enjoy listening to seventies progressive rock such as Emerson, Lake & palmer, King Crimson, or Genesis.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes And A Word, June 16, 2005
The 2nd Yes album, 1970's "Time And A Word," saw the band add some orchestral arrangements to some of their songs. Some fans were turned off by it, and even Yes themselves now say they don't think the orchestral touches on the album worked completely (and the band would not take on orchestral accompanyment again until 2001's "Magnification"). Personally, I'm not bothered one bit by the orchestral flourishes. They don't *bury* the band, for heaven's sake, and I think they enhance the songs that they're used on very well. Yes themselves are still the main attraction throughout "Time And A Word," and the album is excellent. It features several of my personal favorite Yes songs, such as the amazing cover of Richie Havens' "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed," the captivating sounds of "Then," the perfect pop-rock of "Sweet Dreams," the supremely powerful rock of "Astral Traveller" (with a killer guitar riff from Peter Banks), and the great beauty of the closing title track. The band are in top form on "Time And A Word," as they also say goodbye to guitarist Banks, who would be replaced by longtime guitarist Steve Howe shortly after the album's release (SO shortly, in fact, that the original US album cover features a group photo with Howe, even though Banks is the guitarist on the album!). I've always loved "Time And A Word." It's a very strong Yes album, and I highly recommend it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very solid 2nd album, February 20, 2003
I always considered this to be one of Yes's most underrated efforts. The title track is a great song that is still on the band's playlist at concerts. The upbeat "Sweet Dreams" is my personal favorite. "The Prophet", "Then" and "Astral Traveller" are also excellent tracks. The new Rhino release with extra tracks is noteworthy for the bonus track "Dear Father" (formerly only available on the "Yesterdays" compilation) and the original UK only cover. This was the last album with Peter Banks, who was of course replaced by the great Steve Howe.
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