Yes are the archetypal 1970s progressive rock group. Playing powerful and adventurous music when it was briefly part of the mainstream, the band thrilled millions with their iconic albums and epic live shows. Records like Fragile and Close To The Edge helped define an era and although the band dissolved at the end of the decade, Yes emerged once again with 90125, a streamlined, modern sound in the 1980s and a US number one hit single in ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’. Now in their sixth decade, the band continues to release albums and play live into the new millennium, despite numerous, sometimes controversial, lineup changes.
This book examines each one of Yes’s studio albums, highlighting the many high points, and the rarer missteps, as well as focussing on the changes in band dynamics which led to some varied – but always interesting – music. This new, expanded edition celebrates a flurry of recent Yes activity, including new albums The Quest and Mirror To The Sky as well as a detailed examination of the band’s live recordings, making this the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the band’s music yet written It is essential reading for Yes' legions of fans worldwide.
Stephen Lambe is an author, publisher and festival promoter. He is an acknowledged expert on progressive rock, having written the best-selling Citizens Of Hope And Glory – The History Of Progressive Rock for Amberley in 2011 – and has discussed the subject on BBC Radio. He has co-hosted the Summer's End Progressive Rock Festival since 2006 and is a former Chairman of the Classic Rock Society. His first live concert – of many hundreds – was Yes at Wembley Arena in 1978. He lives in Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, UK.