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Rating: Dream of a Midsummer Night… The music gently rocks me. The stereo speakers emit the soothing sound of the second CD by Yes: 'Time and a Word'.
From the window, you can see a cloudy sky and cars passing by. Meanwhile, the walls around me start to transform, and sleep begins to take over… In the dream, I find myself in a surreal painting. A barren and desolate land. Sprouts emerge from the ground. They quickly become first small trees, then enormous ancient oaks. Creation.
The soundtrack to this event is “No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed,” a cover of Richie Havens, adapted in Yes style. This is a transition album between the beat of the first album and the progressive of 'The Yes Album'. I could define it as symphonic beat. In these tracks, you can hear the symphonic orchestra used by them for the first time to emphasize the most dramatic moments. I'm astonished. I start to have a claustrophobic attack in the midst of those large trees. Moreover, eyes have sprouted on the bark and are staring at me. I feel suffocated. I run away. Faster and faster. Fast. Fast.
I look around to see if there’s a place where I can breathe normally again and meanwhile, I tear away or dodge everything that blocks my path. But, the deeper I go, the denser and darker the forest becomes. “Then” plays, increasing in tension as I move forward. The chorus feels like false nonchalance, making everything more desolate. As if to indicate that my run will lead to nothing. It is followed by neurotic instrumental digressions. But everything stops suddenly. And even I, in the dream, stop and lie down on the ground. Kaye’s Hammond organ sketches an accompaniment to Anderson’s voice (always so clear and expressive), this time calm and resigned. The track ends.
I am lying down and can’t find the strength to get up. It's heavenly: no more worries, no frenzy, just me and the trees. A purple mist begins to cover me on the first notes of “Everydays,” a cover of Stephen Stills. Tranquillity. That’s what the song conveys at the start, aided by the orchestra's violins, which make the landscape even more idyllic. But then everything fades into another instrumental digression, even more aggressive than the previous one. At that moment, I violently tear myself away from the fog that seems to want to bind me there on the ground forever, only then to kill me. Now I'm standing and look disdainfully at my deceptive old bed. The music returns to what it was at the beginning.
They want me to go back there, but I turn and start walking. I don’t know where to go. I have no purpose. There’s no one to keep me company. I am alone. “Sweet Dreams.” The song already hints at the glorious future of Yes within progressive. The track vaguely resembles “Roundabout.” Inner insecurity and selfishness are the theme of the next song “The Prophet.” To an almost church-like introductory organ, violins are added. We all seek a truth, a certainty in our lives. Something to hold on to. And when we find a “new meaning,” we see things from a different point of view. And we realize that, in taking what we need, we must not forget what we need to give to others.
“Clear Days” begins, and in front of me, where there used to be trees, a grassy clearing forms. The song, so subtle, lulls me to sleep in the grass where I've fallen, full of joy for the newfound freedom. But with “Astral Traveller,” I return to reality. The rhythm is livelier. I see a house in the middle of the green clearing. Something pushes me to visit it. “Time And A Word.” In the only room of the house, the furniture is sparse. A man in a nineteenth-century frock coat with a bowler hat on his head stands with his back to me. I ask him if he can give me something to drink because all that running has made me thirsty. But he doesn’t answer, he pretends I’m not there. He remains still and motionless. I repeat the question, but nothing comes from the man’s mouth. Then I go behind him and force him to turn around. But I discover he has no face: no mouth, no eyes, no ears. Just a uniform mass of flesh. I let out a terrifying scream. But there’s something wrong.
From the man seem to come murmurs. That’s what it is! It’s a song: …There's a time and the time is now and it's right for me, It's right for me, and the time is now. There's a word and the word is love and it's right for me, It's right for me, and the word is love. There's a time and the time is now and it's right for me, It's right for me, and the time is now. There's a word and the word is love and it's right for me, It's right for me, and the word is love… I’m going mad. I don’t understand what it means. And I shout again: “Enough! This doesn’t make any sense! Enough!” But he keeps singing… I wake up drenched in sweat. The CD has ended. I can’t find a logical meaning to that dream. It doesn’t have one. Maybe it’s just a way my subconscious wanted me to appreciate this wonderful album, too often underestimated due to comparisons with the masterpieces and the subsequent lineup.
Sure, Peter Banks on guitar is rather mediocre, and at the time, they still had the typical innocence of hippies. But I wouldn’t replace that innocence with anything else. One question remains: what the hell did I smoke to have a dream like this?
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed (04:50)
(Richie Havens)
Step out in the night
When you*re lonely
Listening for the sounds
That your ears don*t hear
I know your cross is heavier
With every step
Every step
But I know a man
And he*d walk miles for you
Stop, you stay where you are
Take a look at yourself
Take a good look at yourself
*Can tell your momma
She*d only tell ya
That she told you so
The life you*re leading
She won*t believe
The riches of life
We all know
Dawn turns to day
And the dawning
Daytime, nighttime
And we still can*t see
Why must we wait until the morning light
To wake up and be
Wake up and be
Wake up and be
Step out in the night
When you*re lonely
Listen for the sounds
That your ears don*t hear
I know your cross is heavier
With every step
Every step
But I know a man
Who*d walk miles for you
Stop, you stay where you are
Take a look at yourself
Take a good look at yourself
*Can tell your momma
She*d only tell ya
That she told you so
The life you*re leading
She won*t believe
The riches of life
We all know
*Can tell your momma
She*d only tell ya
That she told you so
The life you*re leading
She won*t believe
The riches of life
We all know
03 Everydays (06:09)
(Stephen Stills)
Look at the sad goodbyes
Everydays are killing time
Sun coming up outside
No men are born this time
Saturday*s child stays home
Nothing to say So long
Well, well, well,
Another day
Well, well, well,
Another day ...day ...day
Grocery store
Ten bucks
Just making change for plastic cherries
Up in a tree, jaybird
Looking at me, no word
Everyone looks
We can*t see
We can't be ignored easily
Well, well, well,
Another day
Well, well, well,
Another day
Soft within the wayward things
Like ecstacy
The sound of trees
Most anything
What a baby sees
Beautiful face, alright
Many a place, outta sight
Old woman there with red shoes
One million balloons, all used
Drive over hills, forget your fear
Getting it out of second gear
Well, well, well,
Another day
Well, well, well,
Another day
04 Sweet Dreams (03:52)
(Anderson/Foster)
Sweet dreams can solve the future,
Sweet dreams provide the past.
Sweet things within your makeup;
These things will always last,
These things will make
Sweet dreams of conversation,
Sweet dreams of love affection.
Sweet words within your makeup;
Sweet words of things to
Come on and write your letter,
You know it will be better anyhow.
You're gonna laugh again,
You're gonna smile again,
You're gonna love again.
Sweet dreams are born inside you,
Sweet dreams are born to last.
Sweet thoughts within your makeup;
These thoughts will always last,
These thoughts will always last.
Come on and write your letter,
You know it will be better anyhow.
You're gonna laugh again,
You're gonna smile again,
You're gonna love again.
Sweet dreams can solve the future,
Sweet dreams provide the past.
Sweet dreams can solve the future,
Sweet dreams provide the past.
05 The Prophet (06:37)
(Anderson/Squire)
Long ago a tall man told a tale of yesterday,
Searching for the truth to life and not for just a way.
Finding pleasure from this house his ears, they did obey;
In his life a moment's pleasure, never to delay.
He was lost and in his trust he found a new meaning;
Seeing the things in diff'rent lights his life was redeemed.
Words of peace will fill his mind and change his way of life;
Peaceful meetings with his heart have made him more alive.
Meeting wise old women on the cliffs of life itself;
Asking not for pers'nal meaning, more for just himself.
Soon we'll be as he proclaimed in a new way of living;
Take the things you need in life but remember the giving.
Prophesy within your mind and you will work it out;
Prophesy that some will die but only those who doubt.
Then you'll never worry as somtimes you used to do;
Just remember when you're gone there's someone after you, you.
07 Astral Traveller (05:55)
And in the ruins of the balloon
Stood a man with glasses held high
Wondering when to do it again
Have another fly into the sky
Somewhere flying high
Astral traveller
Leaving without her
Wondering where lights go
Leave out the body load
Once in the air, people who dare
Get a great respect in the end (astral traveller)
Heavenly flight, wonderous night
And all the sights worth seeing
Just believe in
Astral traveller
Leaving without her
Wondering where lights go
Leave out the body load
Once in the air, people who dare
Get a great respect in the end (astral traveller)
Heavenly flight, wonderous night
And all the sights worth seeing
Just believe in
Astral traveller
Leaving without her
Wondering where lights go
Leave out the body load
08 Time and a Word (04:30)
In the morning when you rise,
Do you open up your eyes, see what I see?
Do you see the same things ev'ry day?
Do you think of a way to start the day
Getting things in proportion?
Spread the news and help the world go 'round.
Have you heard of a time that will help us get it together again?
Have you heard of the word that will stop us going wrong?
Well, the time is near and the word you'll hear
When you get things in perspective.
Spread the news and help the word go round.
There's a time and the time is now and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the time is now.
There's a word and the word is love and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the word is love.
Have you heard of a time that will help get it together again?
Have you heard of the word that will stop us going wrong?
Well, the time is near and the word you'll hear
When you get things in perspective.
Spread the news and help the word go round.
There's a time and the time is now and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the time is now.
There's a word and the word is love and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the word is love.
There's a time and the time is now and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the time is now.
There's a word and the word is love and it's right for me,
It's right for me, and the word is love.
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