Time and a Word is the second studio album by English rock band Yes, first released in the UK on 24 July 1970 and later in the US on 2 November 1970 by Atlantic Records. It was put together several months after the release of the band's 1969 eponymous debut, during which they continued to tour heavily and recorded Time and a Word between shows. Yes continued to follow their early musical direction of performing original material and cover versions of songs by pop, jazz, and folk artists. A small orchestra of brass and string session musicians was used on most of the album's songs.

Guitarist Peter Banks did not support the idea of adding an orchestra to the album, resulting in increased tensions between him and the rest of the group. During their UK tour in April 1970, and before the album's release, Banks was fired by the band and replaced by Steve Howe. The UK album cover was considered inappropriate for the American market, so a photograph of the band was used; due to the lineup change, this put Howe on the cover of an album on which he did not perform.

Time and a Word received mixed reviews from critics, but became the band's first release to enter the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number 45. It did not chart in the United States. In 2003 the album was remastered with several previously unreleased tracks.

Background and recording

After the release of their debut album Yes in July 1969 for Atlantic Records, Yes resumed extensive touring across the UK. The line-up of the group at this time included lead vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Peter Banks, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Bill Bruford, and organist Tony Kaye. Towards the end of 1969, they booked time at Advision Studios in London during gaps between shows to record Time and a Word. In a November 1969 interview during a tour of Switzerland, Bruford talked about the album, saying Anderson was "pouring out new numbers for us to play ... Usually he writes a tune and we listen to the tape and take it from there". At Advision, Yes were joined by producer Tony Colton, a friend of Anderson's who was also the singer of the rock band Heads Hands & Feet. Phil Carson, the European managing director of Atlantic and a fan of the band, brought in audio engineer Eddy Offord to assist Colton in the album's production because of his skills and hard work.

Anderson, who was still musically naïve, presented the basic theme of “Time and a Word to the group on a guitar, using only two or three chords, leaving the other band members trying to discern what he was playing. The song was recorded with Foster on acoustic guitar. Again, Banks didn't agree and claimed it was not meant to be part of the final mix, having been intended only as a guide track. On the final version, Banks played his parts over Foster's.

Yes also recorded "Dear Father" at Advision Studios, but decided not to include the track on the album. It was released as the B-side of the "Sweet Dreams" single, but only received an album release when it was included on the 1975 compilation Yesterdays.

Cover

The sleeve for the album's original UK pressing was designed and photographed by Laurence Sackman and co-ordinated by Graphreaks.

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| rev3 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

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Yes premiered most of Time and a Word during their two solo concerts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, on 21 and 22 March 1970. For the second half, they played songs from the album with a twenty-piece orchestra led by Tony Cox. Its US release followed in November 1970.

In an October interview with Beat Instrumental, Bruford expressed his approval of Time and a Word, believing that it was an improvement over their self-titled debut. He described the album as more cohesive and felt that the songs "rock[ed] more".

Reissues

  • 1989 – Atlantic – CD
  • 1994 – Atlantic – CD (remastered)
  • 2003 – Rhino – CD (remastered, with bonus tracks)

Track listing

Note: Tracks 9–11 first appeared on early German LP issues of Time and a Word.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's 1970 and 2003 liner notes.