In a Word

In a Word: Yes (1969–)
Box set by Yes
Released	30 July 2002
Recorded	1969–2001
Genre	Progressive rock, pop rock
Length	399:27
Label	Rhino
Producer	Yes, Paul Clay, Tony Colton, Eddy Offord, Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, Paul De Villiers, Jonathan Elias, Billy Sherwood, Bruce Fairbairn and Tim Weidner
Yes chronology
Symphonic Live (2002) In a Word: Yes (1969–) (2002) The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection (2003)

In a Word: Yes (1969–) is the second box set by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in July 2002 by Rhino Records. The five-CD set includes tracks from the band's entire career between the years 1969 to 2001, including material by Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe and previously unreleased tracks.

Background

The set includes a 100-page booklet contains a comprehensive history of the band by journalist Chris Welch and an essay by philosopher Bill Martin. It also includes a foreword from filmmaker Cameron Crowe and testimonials from King's X frontman/bassist Doug Pinnick, Primus frontman/bassist Les Claypool, Tool drummer Danny Carey, and Phish drummer Jon Fishman.

In October 2003, figures from Nielsen SoundScan showed that 14,000 copies of the box set had been sold in the United States.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly	B+
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic gave the box set 4.5 stars out of five, pointing out that "the sound is better than YesYears" and that In a Word tells the story better. Therefore, he concluded that "if all you want is one comprehensive Yes album in your collection, this suits the bill". The editorial staff of Entertainment Weekly gave In a Word a B+, noting that "the MTV hits hold up, but nostalgists will prefer dusting off the old bong and settling in with the early epics".

Track listing

Disc one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Every Little Thing"	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	5:42
2.	"Sweetness"	Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Clive Bayley	4:33
3.	"Survival"	Anderson	6:19
4.	"Then"	Anderson	5:46
5.	"Sweet Dreams"	Anderson, David Foster	3:50
6.	"Astral Traveller"	Anderson	5:53
7.	"Time and a Word"	Anderson, Foster	4:32
8.	"Dear Father"	Anderson, Squire	4:21
9.	"Yours Is No Disgrace"	Anderson, Squire, Steve Howe, Tony Kaye, Bill Bruford	9:41
10.	"Clap"	Howe	3:17
11.	"Perpetual Change"	Anderson, Squire	8:52
12.	"Starship Trooper a. "Life Seeker" b. "Disillusion" c. "Würm"	Anderson, Squire, Howe	9:28
13.	"I've Seen All Good People a. "Your Move" b. "All Good People"	Anderson, Squire	6:55

Disc two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Roundabout"	Anderson, Howe	8:33
2.	"South Side of the Sky"	Anderson, Squire	7:58
3.	"Heart of the Sunrise"	Anderson, Squire, Bruford	10:35
4.	"America"	Paul Simon	10:30
5.	"Close to the Edge" I. "The Solid Time of Change" II. "Total Mass Retain" III. "I Get Up I Get Down" IV. "Seasons of Man""	Anderson, Howe	18:36
6.	"The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)"	Anderson, Squire, Howe, Rick Wakeman, Alan White	22:22

Disc three

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Siberian Khatru"	Anderson, themes by Anderson, Howe, Wakeman	8:55
2.	"Long Distance Runaround"	Anderson	3:31
3.	"The Gates of Delirium"	Anderson, Squire, Howe, White, Patrick Moraz	21:50
4.	"To Be Over"	Anderson, Squire, Howe, White, Moraz	9:06
5.	"Going for the One"	Anderson	5:32
6.	"Turn of the Century"	Anderson, Howe, White	7:41
7.	"Wonderous Stories"	Anderson	3:49
8.	"Don't Kill the Whale"	Anderson, Squire	3:56
9.	"Release, Release"	Anderson, White, Squire	5:44
10.	"Arriving UFO"	Anderson, Howe, Wakeman	6:07
11.	"Richard" (previously unissued)	Anderson, Howe, Squire, Wakeman, White	3:33

Disc four

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Tango" (previously unissued)	Anderson, Squire, Howe, Wakeman, White	3:48
2.	"Never Done Before" (previously unissued)	Anderson, Squire, Howe, Wakeman, White	2:10
3.	"Crossfire" (previously unissued)	Howe, Squire	2:42
4.	"Machine Messiah"	Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn, Howe, Squire, White	10:27
5.	"Tempus Fugit"	Downes, Horn, Howe, Squire, White	5:15
6.	"Owner of a Lonely Heart"	Trevor Rabin, Anderson, Squire, Horn	4:29
7.	"It Can Happen"	Squire, Anderson, Rabin	5:29
8.	"Leave It"	Squire, Rabin, Horn	4:14
9.	"Hold On"	Rabin, Anderson, Squire	5:16
10.	"Rhythm of Love"	Anderson, Kaye, Rabin, Squire	4:47
11.	"Love Will Find a Way"	Rabin	4:50
12.	"Holy Lamb (Song for Harmonic Convergence)"	Anderson	3:19
13.	"Brother of Mine" (Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe) a. "The Big Dream" b. "Nothing Can Come Between Us" c. "Long Lost Brother of Mine""	Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Bruford, Downes	10:18
14.	"Fist of Fire (Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe)" (Alternate Version)	Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Bruford	3:27
15.	"I Would Have Waited Forever" (Full Uncut Version; edited version appears on Union)	Anderson, Jonathan Elias, Howe	7:02

Disc five

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Lift Me Up"	Rabin, Squire	6:30
2.	"The Calling"	Anderson, Squire, Rabin	6:55
3.	"I Am Waiting"	Anderson, Rabin	7:24
4.	"Mind Drive"	Anderson, Squire, White, Howe, Wakeman	18:37
5.	"Open Your Eyes"	Anderson, Squire, White, Howe, Billy Sherwood	5:14
6.	"Universal Garden"	Anderson, Squire, White, Howe, Sherwood	6:17
7.	"Homeworld (The Ladder)"	Anderson, Squire, White, Howe, Sherwood, Igor Khoroshev	9:32
8.	"The Messenger"	Anderson, Squire, White, Howe, Sherwood, Khoroshev	5:13
9.	"Last Train" (previously unissued)	Anderson, Squire, Howe, White	2:23
10.	"In the Presence Of" I. "Deeper" II. "Death of Ego" III. "True Beginner" IV. "Turn Around and Remember""	Anderson, Squire, Howe, White	10:24

Personnel

• Jon Anderson – lead vocals (all except 4.4 – 4.5)
• Peter Banks – guitar, backing vocals (1.1 – 1.8)
• Bill Bruford – drums (1.1 – 2.5, 3.1 – 3.2, 4.13 – 4.15)
• Tony Kaye – keyboards (1.1 – 1.13, 4.6 – 4.12, 5.1 – 5.3)
• Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals (all except 4.13 – 4.14)
• Steve Howe – guitar, backing vocals (1.9 – 4.5, 4.13 – 4.15, 5.4 – 5.10)
• Rick Wakeman – keyboards (2.1 – 3.2, 3.5 – 4.3, 4.13 – 4.15, 5.4)
• Alan White – drums (2.6, 3.3 – 4.12, 5.1 – 5.10)
• Patrick Moraz – keyboards (3.3 – 3.4)
• Geoff Downes – keyboards (4.4 – 4.5)
• Trevor Horn – lead vocals (4.4 – 4.5)
• Trevor Rabin – guitar, backing vocals (4.6 – 4.12, 5.1 – 5.3)
• Billy Sherwood – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals (5.5 – 5.8)
• Igor Khoroshev – keyboards (5.7 – 5.8)