Listening to Yes was something of a guilty pleasure in my student days, and when the Ultimate Yes compilation came out, I decided to relive my past. It's full of great melodic pop, you just have to find it amongst the masses of over-the-top instrumentation. Like a pig finding a truffle or something, work out your own metaphors.

I was surprised that I like it so much now - especially Heart of the Sunrise. Please don't tell anyone.

However the lyrics - where can I begin. Archaic grammar abounds, all in the name of poetic licence. One line from "Survival" stands out...

"Yesterday's endings will tomorrow life give you"

Quite tortuous really - surely "tomorrow will give you life". Or "will tomorrow give you life". I don't know.

It would be forgivable if they were trying to make an easier rhyme for themselves, so let's take a look at the lyric in its proper context:

Don't doubt the fact there's life within you
Yesterday's endings will tomorrow life give you
All that dies, dies for a reason
To put its strength into the Season

Hmm... they've rhymed "you" with... "you". Well that's well worth doing. It works for the theme tune to Jim'll Fix It, but less so here.

Anyway that's all part of Yes's charm. I think.

smugpie | 29/11/2003 18.08

I've just dug out "90125" on CD - I'll have to post the middle bit from "Hold On" because I just can't figure it out. Poor Yes. I like them really.