(Review from vintageprog.com, wikipedia)

Rather than stay with the same successful formula of the first album, Yes dipped their toes into unknown waters by adding an orchestra to their compositions. Their second album (and the last with original guitarist Peter Banks) was the first where the band began to move into a more symphonic direction. The sound on the album is dominated a lot by the tasty Hammond-work and the orchestral arrangements from Tony Kaye.

Just as with the first album, “Time and a Word” also included two cover-versions.

‘No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed’, is a superb opening salvo and arguably sounds more confident than anything on their debut album. The band and the orchestra are fully integrated here, blasting out the theme tune for the famed Western ‘The Big Country’ with gusto. The main song itself is a re-interpretation of a Richie Havens song, and Jon Anderson makes the song his own, with some superb shifting bass from Chris Squire. Tony Kaye’s Hammond organ adds gravitas and guts to proceedings, too.

‘Everydays’ is a cover of a Buffalo Springfield song, but the band make it their own yet again. It switches from a loping, jazzy groove to a full-on Vanilla Fudge style stop-start instrumental assault with Peter Banks and Bill Bruford on particularly strong form.

Some tracks here hint at their loftier, more ambitious later works. ‘Then’ has complex instrumental sections with lots of intricacies. ‘Astral Traveller’ is swirling with Lesley-speaker enhanced vocal and languid guitar groove.

With the ambitious decision to use string arrangements on most of the album’s songs, Peter Banks’ role as a guitarist was diminished. Tensions within the band increased, and just after the album’s recording was completed in early 1970, Banks was asked to leave, which he reluctantly did.

Line-up:
- Jon Anderson / vocals, percussion
- Chris Squire / bass, vocals
- Peter Banks / guitars, vocals
- Tony Kaye / piano, organ
- Bill Bruford / drums, percussion

Track List:
01. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (4:47)
02. Then (5:42)
03. Everydays (6:05)
04. Sweet Dreams (3:48)
05. The Prophet (6:32)
06. Clear Days (2:04)
07. Astral Traveller (5:50)
08. Time and a Word (4:31)

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