I love "Yes" for a number of reasons. Firstly its release coincided with one of the happiest times in my life and hearing it brings back lots of great memories. The fact that this album was an unashamed celebration of pop and a return to form for the boys also adds to its appeal.
When the album was released in March 2009 a special box set containing eleven 12" singles was announced. There were to be only 300 copies with a promised delivery date of April 25th. I ordered it immediately.
When the delivery date came and went without a word I wrote a frustrated post on this blog and pondered when it might actually show up. As it turned out I didn't have to wait too long as my post was made on 25th of May and the box set was finally dispatched on 27th. You can read my verdict on it here. I also own two copies of the standard vinyl (which I seem to think was initially limited to 1000 copies) and the more recent remastered version from 2017.
The album begins with the lead single "Love etc." which was co-written by Pet Shop Boys with production team Xenomania. They chose Brian Higgins and Xenomania as they admired their work with Girls Aloud - which is as clear an indication of their intent to make a pop album as you can possibly get.
The first time I heard "Did You See Me Coming?" I was very impressed by it and the bassline in particular caught my attention. In fact, rich basslines are a consistent feature of this album with songs like "The Way It Used To Be" and "All Over The World" being especially impressive. Other favourites of mine are "Pandemonium" and "More Than A Dream" which are great pop songs with lush production. There are no duff tracks on this record but I have never been a big fan of "Building a Wall" or closing number "Legacy" and it is no coincidence that these are the least upbeat and positive songs on the album.
There's no doubt this album was a triumphant return and in my mind it was the final piece of the puzzle that qualified them for national treasure status and a Brit award for outstanding contribution to music. 4/5
