Yes: A Visual Biography is another biography from Martin Popoff, a Canadian music journalist, critic, and author generally regarded as the preeminent heavy metal writer. Here, he leverages his acute reporting skills for this tome on the progressive stalwart Yes.
Taking his long out-of-print Time And A Word bookand repurposing it here, this scrumptious hardcover tells the story of Yes from their formation all the way up to their Drama album and tour in 1980.
Each chapter covers each album, offering lots of insights. What makes this visual biography all that much more stunning (and the high-water mark of what Popoff usually publishes) is the way he has set the facts in specific chronological order, littered with quotes from the band, former and current players, and the people closest to them during their career.
And of course, there are plenty of rarely seen photos. Popoff combines his words with some incredible shots — onstage, in the studio, and elsewhere. Popoff also expounds on the solo work milestones from the players and includes history-making turns by other prog bands running right alongside Yes during their heyday in the 70s.
Allow yourself a nice, languid read of Martin Popoff’s Yes: A Visual Biography. You’ll be glad of what you are reminded of, what you learn, and what you see.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
