America

The Zoo Crew is spinning the epic track America by Yes, from the 1972 compilation The New Age of Atlantic, and the Zoo Freaks are surely vibing to its progressive rock grandeur. This 10.5-minute cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s 1968 folk classic is a bold reimagination, transforming the introspective road-trip ballad into a sprawling prog-rock masterpiece. In a 2014 interview with Songfacts, Yes bassist Chris Squire revealed that both he and vocalist Jon Anderson were huge Simon & Garfunkel fans, inspiring the cover. Squire noted the strategic choice of reworking a familiar tune to showcase Yes’s unique style, saying, “If you took somebody else’s material, and then put your own treatment to it, then the audience would recognize more what you did.” The band’s arrangement, with its dynamic tempo shifts and extended instrumental jams, highlights their virtuosity, particularly Squire’s thunderous bass and Steve Howe’s intricate guitar work.

Interestingly, the song’s bassline contains a subtle nod to Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, as Squire weaves in the melody from the musical’s America during an instrumental section. Fans on Reddit have praised this clever Easter egg, with one user noting how Squire “seamlessly” blends the reference, while guitarist Steve Howe teases the rhythm earlier in the track. The full-length version, first released on The New Age of Atlantic, is considered a standalone gem, though the 4-minute single edit, which cuts the intro and jam, feels “clumsy” to some fans, as noted in a ProgArchives review. The track’s arrangement may have been influenced by a 1967 performance of America by the Scottish band 1-2-3, whose keyboardist Billy Ritchie inspired Rick Wakeman, as mentioned in a blog post. Released as a single in July 1972, Yes’s version outperformed Simon & Garfunkel’s own single release, reaching #46 on the Billboard Hot 100 compared to #97 for the original.

Yes formed in London in 1968, emerging from the psychedelic rock scene with a vision to blend rock, jazz, and classical influences into a new progressive sound. Founded by vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford, the band grew out of the ashes of Mabel Greer’s Toyshop, a psychedelic outfit Squire and Banks joined in 1967. Their early gigs at London’s Marquee Club caught the attention of club owner Jack Barrie, leading to a deal with Atlantic Records. Yes’s 1969 self-titled debut featured covers like The Beatles’ Every Little Thing, but it was their shift to original, complex compositions on albums like The Yes Album (1971) and Fragile (1972) that cemented their status as prog-rock pioneers. The band’s encounter with King Crimson in 1969 spurred them to hone their technical skills, as noted in their Wikipedia bio, setting the stage for their ambitious sound.

Over their 50-year career, Yes has released 23 studio albums, sold over 30 million records worldwide, and earned a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance in 1985 for Cinema. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, the band has seen numerous lineup changes, with Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Billy Sherwood, Jon Davison, and Jay Schellen comprising the current roster. Fans can stay connected through the band’s official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts, where they share tour updates and archival releases like the Close to the Edge (Super Deluxe Edition). Dedicated fan communities thrive on platforms like ProgArchives and the Yes Fans Facebook group, where Zoo Freaks can dive into discussions about America and the band’s storied legacy.