Five Mid ‘70s Solo Turns from the Members of Yes

In 1975, progressive rock heroes Yes were on top of the world. Buoyed by the critical and commercial runaway success of a succession of albums – 1971’s Fragile, 1972’s Close to the Edge and the 3LP live set Yessongs from 1973 – the British group found itself on what must have seemed like an endless world tour. Their 1973 double LP Tales from Topographic Oceans seemed to slow things down a bit, but Relayer (1974) was another smash success requiring yet another tour. The group clearly needed – and deserved – a bit of a break.

That break manifested itself as a kind of busman’s holiday. Each of Yes’ five members – singer Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, new keyboardist Patrick Moraz and bassist Chris Squire – set about making a solo album. Those creative excursions afforded each musician the opportunity to make music outside the context of Yes. The most critically-acclaimed releases of the bunch would be Patrick Moraz’s conceptual The Story of I and Squire’s Fish Out of Water.

In mid 1976, Yes regrouped to begin their Solo Albums tour, a 56-date schedule of shows in North America; those shows would feature selections from each of the members’ solo records. And nearly as soon as the tour ended, the band commenced work on Going for the One, which would be released in 1977 (with yet another tour to follow).

In celebration of the recent 50th anniversary of the release of Chris Squire’s Fish Out of Water, here – in chronological order – are five highlights from Yes’ mid ‘70s solo albums.

Steve Howe – “Doors of Sleep” from Beginnings (October 1975)
The first of the group to release an album during the break, guitarist Steve Howe played a wide variety of instruments on Beginnings. He also brought in an assortment of friends to play on various tracks, including band mates Patrick Moraz and Alan White, and White’s predecessor on the Yes drum throne, Bill Bruford. The album’s most popular track, “Doors of Sleep” is also its first.

Chris Squire – “Lucky Seven” from Fish Out of Water (November 1975)
Generally regarded among the best of the band’s mid ‘70s solo efforts, Fish Out of Water reminded Yes fans – if they didn’t already know – that Chris Squire’s vocals were an integral component of Yes’ appeal. His muscular and exemplary bass work is showcased on Fish Out of Water, too. With its funk and jazz flourishes and saxophone breaks, “Lucky Seven” might have sounded out of place on a Yes LP, but it’s a high point of Squire’s work.

Alan White – “One Way Rag” from Ramshackled (March 1976)
As fine a drummer (and keyboardist) as Alan White was, when it came time to make a solo record, he didn’t compose any material for his own Ramshackled. Instead, he enlisted the help of musician and songwriter Kenny Craddock and others. “One Way Rag” is a breezy, catchy tune, but it won’t remind many listeners of the trademark Yes sound. For his part, White didn’t sing on any of the album’s tracks either, content to simply play drums.

Patrick Moraz – “Cachaça (Baião)” from The Story of I (April 1976)
An ambitious, conceptually-oriented album, The Story of I is a single piece of music built around Patrick Moraz’s romantic fable. The record reflected both Moraz’s love of Brazilian and African musical traditions (especially percussion) as well as his fascination with music technology. Dr. Robert A. Moog’s new Polymoog synthesizer is featured prominently on the album, and Moog himself was a key figure in the album’s creation. The spirited “Cachaça (Baião)” is a centerpiece of the record.

Jon Anderson – “Ocean Song” from Olias of Sunhillow (July 1976)
Yes lead vocalist Jon Anderson had big ideas on his mind as well when he created his solo debut, the concept album Olias of Sunhillow. Listeners who had held the mistaken impression that Anderson was a non-instrumentalist would have been impressed to learn that on this record, he played each and every instrument himself. The record’s majestic featured track, “Ocean Song” was featured on Yes’ Solo Albums tour.