21.b Yes, "Heart of the Sunrise" (1971)
I always intended to take two songs from my favorite band, one from their "classic" incarnation and one from their "modern" era, and looks like I've managed to do that in what - in a really nice surprise for me - will be the third track drafted from its album. This amazing progressive rocker clocks in at 10:37, beginning with an awesome show of righthanded dexterity by guitarist Steve Howe and the late (sniff) legendary bassist Chris Squire, backed by organ and harpsichord sounds from Rick Wakeman and a drumming clinic from Bill Bruford, who wrote some of this one in a rare compositional credit. Then there's an extended Squire bass solo, followed by the development of the main lyrical theme. Jon Anderson has never sung better in my opinion. The various musical themes all circle back in at one point or another before the end, including many iterations of the opening riff. The song is supposedly about being lost in a large, unfamiliar city, probably New York. Interestingly for a Yes song, there are no three-part vocal harmonies, and indeed Squire contributes his distinct harmonies to only two lines. It doesn't matter; this is a beauty.