In retrospect, the Stephen Stills song “Everydays” — found midway through side one of Yes’ 1970 sophomore release Time and a Word — just wasn’t a good fit for the world’s greatest rock progressive band.
Lyrically, Stills’ style does present imagery similar to that which Jon Anderson may have dreamed up, but “Everydays” is burdened by an obtrusive string arrangement. The high-hat/snare work by Bill Bruford and some off-the-rails guitar by Peter Banks do a commendable job of attempting to rescue the song; however, the sleepy opening is hard to overcome. Additionally, the strings come back in to dampen the fun of a moving Tony Kaye organ work. Talk about a buzz kill.
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The live take on “Everydays” from Something’s Coming: The BBC Recordings 1969–1970 shows what could have been, as Yes was able to bring out a more progressive feel without the string section. As it is, “Everydays” ranks as one of the more unfortunate Yes songs of all time.
Luckily, it’s followed by one of the strongest Yes songs of the pre-classic line-up period, “Sweet Dreams.”
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