01	No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed						04:52
	02	Then						05:49
	03	Everydays						06:12
	04	Sweet Dreams						03:51
	05	The Prophet						06:38
	06	Clear Days						02:09
	07	Astral Traveler						05:56
	08	Time And A Word						04:39
	09	Dear Father						04:14
	10	No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix)						04:46
	11	Sweet Dreams (Original Mix)						04:20
	12	The Prophet (Single Version)						06:33

Yes - Time and a Word

Atlantic (8273-2)
UK 1970

Jon Anderson, vocals;
Chris Squire, bass, vocals;
Peter Banks, guitar;
Bill Bruford, drums;
Tony Kaye, keyboards

Tracklist:
1. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed — 4:50
2. Then — 5:45
3. Everydays — 6:09
4. Sweet Dreams — 3:51
5. The Prophet — 6:36
6. Clear Days — 2:07
7. Astral Traveller — 5:54
8. Time and a Word — 4:30

total time 39:49


bob

Although this was only the band's second album, it would be their last with guitarist Peter Banks, who was unceremoniously dumped shortly after this disc's release. To add insult to injury, the band photo on the album cover features Steve Howe despite his not playing a lick of the music.

Listening to the album, the writing was pretty much on the wall for Banks; his guitar parts are few and far between, and when they do appear they're usually buried in the mix and overwhelmed by Squire's thunderous bass or the orchestral backing tracks that the band experimented with on this album. The orchestration works well on some tracks, such as the grand, sweeping majesty of "No Opportunity Necessary." But there are some songs that it just can't save, such as Anderson's sappy little ditty "Clear Days."

Apart from the orchestration, this album sounds much closer to the band's first effort than to their later prog masterpieces, although they were making strides in the right direction. "Then" and "The Prophet" are fairly solid numbers, and I consider "Astral Traveller" to be the band's first really proggy song. One would think from the title (and the era it was released) that "Traveller" would be pure psychedelia, but it has a lot of progressive rock touches to it — sudden changes of style, a long instrumental section, a complex arrangement (even a couple fugue-like bits), the rhythm section playing tight little runs, flashy solos, etc. The highlight song of the "Peter Banks era" as far as I'm concerned.

If you're one of those Yes fans whose collection starts with The Yes Album, you might want to consider giving those first two "lost" Yes albums a try. You might be surprised.

review by Bob Eichler — 3-16-08







Time and a Word
Studio album by Yes
Released July 24, 1970
Recorded November 1969–January 1970 at Advision Studios, London, England
Genre Progressive rock, symphonic rock
Length 40:06
Label Atlantic
Producer Tony Colton
Professional reviews

* Allmusic 2/5 stars link
* Robert Christgau (C) link


Time and a Word is the second album by progressive rock band Yes, released in mid-1970 in the UK and November 1970 in the US. This was the last Yes album to feature the group's original line-up, as Peter Banks was fired before the album's release.

Time and a Word (Atlantic 2400 006) reached #45 in the UK. It never charted in the US.
Contents

The album

With the ambitious decision to use string arrangements on most of the album's songs, Peter's role as a guitarist was diminished. Tensions within the band increased, and just after the album's recording was completed in early 1970, Peter was asked to leave, which he reluctantly did. Steve Howe would join the line-up that March, replacing Banks. The album also includes three songs Jon Anderson wrote with David Foster, a former band mate in The Warriors.

Time and a Word's use of heavy strings seemed intrusive to some critics, and while the album was received in a lukewarm fashion upon its release (UK #45, Yes' first chart entry at home), it is more warmly remembered today.

With the acquisition of Steve Howe, the band would start to compose, rehearse, and record the music for The Yes Album over the summer and autumn of 1970. The album, released the following spring, would finally earn the band their success. In effect, Time and a Word marks the end of Yes's formative, yet musically significant[weasel words], period.

Album cover

The US and UK releases had different album artwork; the UK version had black-and-white drawing of a nude woman, but this was deemed inappropriate in the US, so the cover there showed a picture of the band. Despite appearing on the US cover, Steve Howe does not play on the album. The back cover of both versions features photographs of the band members, including Peter Banks.

Track listing
Side one

1. "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed" (Richie Havens) – 4:48
2. "Then" (Anderson)* – 5:46
3. "Everydays" (Stephen Stills) – 6:08
4. "Sweet Dreams" (Anderson, David Foster) – 3:50

Side two

5. "The Prophet" (Anderson, Squire) – 6:34
6. "Clear Days" (Anderson) – 2:06
7. "Astral Traveller" (Anderson) – 5:53
8. "Time and a Word" (Anderson, David Foster) – 4:32

Remastered Tracks

Time and a Word was remastered and reissued in 2003 with several bonus tracks:

9. "Dear Father" (Anderson, Squire) – 4:14
10. "No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (Original Mix)" (Havens) – 4:46
11. "Sweet Dreams (Original Mix)" (Anderson, Foster) – 4:20
12. "The Prophet (Single Version)" (Anderson, Squire) – 6:33

Tracks 9–11 first appeared on early West German pressing of Time and a Word, Atlantic (GE) (4/42/70).


Personnel

* Jon Anderson (Written as "John Anderson" on the original LP): Vocals, percussion
* Peter Banks: Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
* Chris Squire: Bass, vocals
* Tony Kaye: Piano, organ
* Bill Bruford: Drums, percussion


with

* David Foster: acoustic guitars "Time and a Word"

Reissues

1989 - Atlantic - CD
1994 - Atlantic - CD (Remastered )
2003 - Rhino - CD (Remastered with Bonus Tracks )