Yessongs Trivia Quiz

Answer: 'Firebird Suite'

'The Firebird' was a ballet written by Stravinsky in 1910. Yes frequently open live performances with their version of 'Excerpts from the Firebird Suite'.

Answer: 'Mood for a Day'

'Mood for a Day' first appeared on the fourth Yes album, 'Fragile' in 1971. This album was particularly notable as it was Rick Wakeman's first with the group. It also included numerous tracks that would become Yes standards, notably 'Roundabout', 'Long Distance Runaround' and 'Heart of the Sunrise'.
In addition to the classics, each band member contributed one solo track to 'Fragile', and Steve Howe's was 'Mood for a Day'.
Of the alternatives, all three were Howe/Anderson collaborations.

Answer: 'I've Seen All Good People'

'I've Seen All Good People' debuted on the third album, 'The Yes Album'. It is divided into two distinct sections, 'Your Move', written by Jon Anderson, which includes numerous chess references including those in the question, and 'All Good People' written by Chris Squire.

Answer: 'Close to the Edge'

Weighing in at 18 minutes 13 seconds, 'Close to the Edge' is the only track on 'Side 5' of the original album. The track is split into four movements, 'The Solid Time of Change', the very short 'Total Mass Retain', 'I Get Up I Get Down' and 'Seasons of Man'. All four sections were written by Jon Anderson, 'I Get Up I Get Down' with Chris Squire and the other three with Steve Howe. 'Close to the Edge' was the title track on the groups' fifth album, released in 1972.

It occupied the whole of Side 1 with two other tracks that also appear on 'Yessongs', 'And You and I' and 'Siberian Khatru' on Side 2.

Answer: 'Perpetual Change'/'Long Distance Runaround'

William Scott Bruford was the original drummer with Yes, when he shared a house with Anderson and Squire. He left in 1972 to join King Crimson and also toured as the drummer with Genesis.
Alan White joined Yes at the start of the 1972 'Close to the Edge Tour' on a three-month trial. He has featured on every Yes album since. Born in County Durham, he is a lifelong-member of Newcastle United's 'Toon Army.

Answer: 'Tales from Topographic Oceans'

'Yessongs' was released in May 1973. December 1973 saw the worldwide release of the 4-track double-album 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' (although this was not released in North America until January 1974). This was never the most popular of Yes albums in most quarters.

Indeed, Rick Wakeman famously once ate a curry during a live performance of one of the exceedingly long tracks from 'Tales', one of the events which ultimately led to his departure from the band, to be replaced by Patrick Moraz on the 'Relayer' album which followed. Of the alternatives, most of 'Yessongs' was recorded on the 1972 'Close to the Edge' tour and that album came out a year earlier. 'Relayer' followed in 1974 and 'Going for the One' appeared in 1977.

Answer: 'Starship Trooper'

This was 'Starship Trooper', the final track on the album and, for me, the best. It first appeared on 'The Yes Album' in 1971.
Jon Anderson apparently once claimed authorship of the first two sections of this track, although 'Disillusion' is usually credited to Chris Squire. 'Würm' is an awesome three-minute-plus guitar segment from the brilliant Steve Howe that evolved from a song he originally wrote for his earlier group, Bodcast.

Answer: 'And You and I'

'And You and I' originally made up half of Side 2 of the 'Close to the Edge' album. It is divided into four movements beginning with 'Cord of Life', which starts out as a Howe guitar solo and then introduces the vocal melody half way through. Then comes 'Eclipse' which has some superb synth work by Rick Wakeman, 'The Preacher The Teacher' and the short, haunting 'Apocalypse' to close. All in all, another brilliant composition.

Answer: 'Excerpts from The Six Wives of Henry VIII'

'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' was a Rick Wakeman solo album that was released in the same year as 'Yessongs', 1973. The six-and-a-half minute excerpt on 'Yessongs' is primarily an expansion of the 'Catherine of Aragon' track from the Wakeman album which allows the keyboard maestro to display his undoubted dexterity.

Answer: 'Roundabout'

Written by Jon Anderson and Steve Howe, 'Roundabout' is probably the most widely known of all Yes songs primarily because of its release as a single. It first appeared as the opening track on the 1971 'Fragile' album. The 1972 single had a shortened version of 'Long Distance Runaround' on the B-side.

Thanks for playing this quiz and, whatever your score, may I say in the words of Anderson, Bruford, Kay, Squire and Howe 'Yours is No Disgrace'.