Yes Relayer (1974) – Yes’ Relayer in their own words

From louersound.com

Relayer is one of Yes’ most daring albums, and became one of their most acclaimed. Sid Smith hears the inside story of how it was created, and how it could have all been so different…

From The Yes Album through to Tales From Topographic Oceans, Yes’ capacity to assimilate and harness differing ideas and influences gives the impression of the albums being incremental, each one building upon the successes and lessons learnt from its predecessors.

By contrast, 1974’s Relayer is perhaps the most radical departure in the group’s 1970s catalogue. Startlingly different to anything preceding it, the record incorporated adventurous time signatures and other harmonic elements more usually associated with jazz-rock acts such as Return To Forever or Bundles-era Soft Machine. Never content to rest upon their laurels, Yes required their listeners to take a leap of faith as they enthusiastically dived into uncharted waters. Though significantly shorter than its predecessor, Relayer is just as multifaceted and, in its own way, just as challenging as Tales. Although possessing many recognisable features, including Roger Dean’s striking cover artwork, it also included some of their most angular and dissonant music up to that point. Despite the ambitious and sometimes difficult musical terrain it mapped out, upon its release in the winter of 1974, it hit the Top 5 in the album charts on both sides of the Atlantic. In the ensuing 40 years, Relayer’s reputation and stature has continued to grow. Yet at the end of May 1974, following Rick Wakeman’s decision to quit the band, such outcomes were by no means certain, and the members of Yes settled down in their rehearsal room to consider their next move. 

Alan White: “Morale was low and obviously people were disappointed he’d gone because Rick was an important part of the band. I think we’d started working on some of the Relayer material before Rick left, but he had a bad taste in his mouth after playing and touring Tales From Topographic Oceans, and I guess he just wanted to carry on with his own music. We all got a grip and obviously started looking for a new person and started working as a four-piece to get the flow going. We spent a long time rehearsing, getting the basic ideas for Relayer together.” 

Steve Howe: “We’d tried working with ex-Aphrodite’s Child keyboard player Vangelis Papathanassiou. Musically it would have been fantastic with Vangelis – he had a fantastically strong direction – but the reason it didn’t work out with him was that when we said, ‘Let’s play that again,’ he’d say, ‘Well, it won’t be the same.’ We were kind of improvising but were learning parts as we went along, and I think that’s when we realised he was such a spontaneous player that Yes was going to be a problem for him. We were really about working out a solid arrangement and relying on him at any given point to play something that we’d recognise. Vangelis felt he didn’t really need to. He was always going to play off the cuff which would have been wonderful, but we’re not a jazz group!” 

Alan White: “It took a while before we found the right keyboard player. I used to joke, ‘Whoever turns up next week is recording the next album!’” 

Steve Howe: “Well, there was somebody before Patrick Moraz and I called him and made the offer but he said, ‘Why do I need to join Yes when I’ve got ELP?’ Musically, it would have been amazing to work with Keith Emerson, but whether or not the personalities would have blended, I just don’t know. We were starting to realise that the personalities in the group is a very important thing and it doesn’t matter how much the music seems to be the goal, it won’t work unless you all get on.” **Alan White: **“The first time Patrick played with us, he had this jazzy, prog kind of intro that became the opening of Sound Chaser. It didn’t really have a fixed time to it but rather it was something that was felt between the keyboards and drums. I come in with the drum pattern that’s in fives and sevens. I got to know the lick real well and played it note for note on the drums around the kit. I don’t think we took that many times to nail it. It was one of the real early takes and we used one of them. It was pretty off the cuff.” 

Steve Howe: “I think the confidence of the band really comes from the union of the five people, and once we had Patrick there, we were up and running. Patrick, with his flamboyance, brought something like fresh blood to the thing, like I had and like Rick did. Patrick was brilliant and more than capable of holding the fort, so to speak.” 

Alan White: “The Gates Of Delirium was one of the hardest numbers we ever did. It demands a hell of a lot of energy and precision and, of course, if it’s played sloppily, it just doesn’t work. I look back on it and I think, ‘Oh my God, we were really crazy!’ It’s certainly out there.” 

Steve Howe: “For me, every Yes album was always a journey to find better sounds and ways of interpreting the music on guitars that excited me. When it came to Relayer, I decided I was going to go Fender, but not a Stratocaster because the sound was so common at that time. The Telecaster’s one of the greatest guitars ever designed and I was so excited to have a great 1955 model. It just felt right for the album. The guitar on Gates rarely stands still. I move from being sweet and the next minute I’m scratching at the melody.” 

Alan White: “We were very prog-minded and experimental in those days. We were looking for anything that sounded different. From a percussion point of view, it extended to Jon and myself going to a scrap yard and banging pieces of metal in the morning for about an hour to see what sounded good. We actually built a frame in the studio made out of springs and car parts which, of course, ended up on the album in the battle section of Gates – it was pretty crazy stuff.” 

Steve Howe: “Jon wrote most of Gates, though we get credited in a very discrete kind of way that Yes invented. There was a balance in the way that members of the group contributed to each other’s music – that was the whole key to what we did in Yes. None of us could stand up and say we wrote that whole thing because it was all a collaborative process. The way we operated from Topographic onwards was to give everybody more credit. Some guys did a lot and some did very little, but it was a way of involving the whole band.” 

Alan White: “I came up with the theme that comes out of the battle on Gates. I used a rhythmic technique and my basic knowledge of chords and wrote the changes between chords in seven. Patrick liked that progression and Steve took it and developed it.” 

Steve Howe: “The other highlight of the album is definitely Soon. To end Gates with what is in effect another song entirely really is such a cool thing to do. We were trying so many things. Patrick added quite a flair to the album generally, but it was very noticeable on Sound Chaser. That was the most crazy, OTT number where we all had to think on our feet every single second of the track. In the middle there’s what’s in effect a cadenza for electric guitar, synth and percussion. We’d got to that point and said, ‘What’s going to happen now?’ I had this idea, which was a kind of rock flamenco. I was using flamenco guitar technique with a plectrum. There was a diminished chord which we used to refer to as the ‘Hammer Horror’ chord and I used that a lot in that section.” 

Alan White: “The whole thing about Yes is we would work things out melodically and do all the technical side, working out parts. When it comes to putting it down, then you add the feeling on top and that’s what makes a difference with Yes. It’s very complex, technical stuff with feeling.” 

Steve Howe: “The other instrument I use on To Be Over is the pedal steel, which is a complicated instrument. I cite this track as one of the most beautiful things we did that wasn’t actually a slow song. It’s mellow, soft and gentle, but it’s also quite bouncy, and I like that quality. Overall, it’s a pretty important album without too many comfort zones.” 

Alan White: “Relayer is in the top three albums Yes ever did, the other two being Tales and 90125. We were all totally into it. We were in the studio and coming up with new ideas on a daily basis. An album doesn’t sound good unless you’re having fun and that’s what you hear when you put that record on: Yes having fun.” 

Yes Fragile (1971)

From progarchives.com

Review by frenchie

Beyond and before this album, Yes managed to build up their unique progressive sound and continue to evolve that sound in every album they released. The Yes Album, saw the band settling down to their prog rock soundscape, but Fragile took a leap in a better direction by improving the sound they had created. Fragile begins where The Yes Album left off, as it began with the simplistic “Yours Is No Disgrace” but ended with the more complicated and experimental “Perpetual Change”. That sound pushed the limits of music and continued to do so on this excellent follow up album.

Fragile was acutally claimed to be a patchwork album, so it is remarkable that this turned to be one of the all time classic rock masterpieces! One reason for this was the addition of the piano and organ wizard, Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye for this album. With Bill Bruford still in the band, this was the best Yes lineup of their whole career (Bill Bruford left after Close to the Edge and joined King Crimson. His replacement, Alan White, was luckily a great drummer too). Fragile showed off a new definition of sound. A good thing about this album what is missing from most others is that it was a mixture of proggresive rock songs and standard structured songs. This managed to attract more people into liking their sound.

The first short piece on this album is an exerpt from a classic piece. “Cans and Brahms” is a silly filler piece by Rick Wakeman, showing off his immense skill for about a minute or two. This song somehow feels comfortably placed being slotted inbetween “Roundabout” and “We Have Heaven”, it manages to link the two together perfectly and keeps the flow of the album going. “We Have Heaven” is a crazy experiment in multi layered sound, experimental effects of doors slamming, footsteps and lots of different vocal parts being sang at the same time. This song can be mentally challenging or stimulating but it serves as another great short. “Five Percent For Nothing” is an awkward instrumental that lasts just over half a minute. This song enters rather rudely and i cant explain what it is i am hearing exactly, but it sounds damn good. “Mood for a Day” is a brilliant, emotional and dull acoustic piece but serves an excellent song that leads well into the frantic “Heart of the Sunrise”. “Mood for a Day” certainly lives up to its title and shows a fragile, heartfilled side to the band, reminding us that modern life has always been rubbish.

The trademark lengthy pieces are still on this album and even more brilliant than the short tracks. “Roundabout” is the best song on the album, and one of the bands best ever efforts. A nine minute epic adventure involving acoustic guitars that lead into thundering basslines and a brilliant keyboard solo in the middle, ending with a mirror effect of the acoustic intro. Chris Squire’s bass is magnificent on this track, the way it changes from the mellow intro to the rushing middle section is pefect. Jon’s vocals are incredible as always but he really proves himself as an incredible and unique singer here more than anywhere else. “South Side of the Sky” is one of Yes’ most beautiful pieces, crafted to perfection full of flowing structural change and the whole band playing to their best abilities. Rick Wakeman once again shines through here. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman deliver their first major instrument battle in the frantic “Heart of the Sunrise”, which leaves the album on a darker and frantic note. This reminds me a lot of “21st Century Schizoid Man” in the way of the speedy guitar riffage and the structure which has a slower middle section. This is excellent stuff.

Fragile is an amazing bridge between “The Yes Album” and “Close to the Edge” and is a favourite for any Yes fan, but also a great starting point. Also any prog fans who aren’t into Yes will love it. The album that introduced the world to Rick Wakeman. I’m bloody grateful.

Yes Relayer (1974)

From progarchives.com

Review by Gatot

I’ve just got the expanded CD of this album and I think it’s time to review this seminal work of Yes with new keyboard player Patrick Moraz replacing Rick Wakeman. If there is only one track “The Gates of Delirium” plus any other lousy tracks to fill-up the rest of 25 minutes gap of a 45-minute LP, this album is still worth buying. But this is not the case as you are very fortunate that this album also offers you two other excellent tracks “Sound Chaser” and “To Be Over”. So, needless to say that this album must be in your prog collection. (With the expanded edition, there are 3 bonus tracks).

Well, I grew with rock music as my spirit to forward in life. I first listened to “Relayer” after I was familiar with “Fragile” sometime dated back in the mid seventies. It’s much more complex, I would say, as it has many “unfamiliar” melodies which were not easy listening at all the first time I listened to it. As comparison, try “Roundabout” on “Fragile” (Yes’ previous album), you would definitely like it the first time you listen to it. But, it’s not the case with “The Gates of Delirium”. I think, it took me 5 spins to get “hooked” with it. But it lasted forever, until now.

“The Gates of Delirium” intro part comprising “strange” keyboard sound by Moraz followed by lead guitar with relatively slow tempo. If I may refer, the intro music sounds like a boiling water. It’s really nice. The intro itself has made an impression of a complex composition. This bit flows naturally with tight bass playing by Chris until minutes “2:10” when Jon’s voice enters the scene. The basic melody remains intact when voice part enters forward until couple of minutes. The bass playing creates another nuance and lets you follow the tune nicely. Drum section is composed to accentuate the musical context as it helps to lay a solid foundation for lead guitar and keyboard sounds come into play. It’s a very nice segment of music. At around minute “8:00” the beat starts to go up with dynamic solo guitar and keyboard. This goes nicely until it reaches minutes “10:19” where the music piece is dominated by dazzling bass sound excellently played by Chris followed by noisy keyboard sound. It’s really cool .. This part for me is the part that makes me orgasm about this track until it ends at minutes “15:00 ” when the music goes silent. Wow! What a wonderful piece here! The next is a slow keyboard solo that sets the tone for Jon to perform the legendary “Soon”. Yeah my friend . I’m really delighted by this amazing music composition! It’s so relaxing that the track ends nicely with a mellow “Soon”. This track is my forever favourite song from the band.

The next is a heart beating track “Sound Chaser” where you would enjoy the dynamic drum sounds coupled with solo bass and keyboard, and punching voices. It’s very uplifting tune. The roughly one minute musical introduction brings the music to vocals part performed by Jon backed by Chris and Steve. It’s a very nice vocal part. The next is a solo bass guitar and guitar with energetic sound. The music then gives Steve to perform solo by himself with other instruments relatively “off” the music, except some punch of keyboard sound by Moraz to contextualize the track, I think. It’s a brilliant solo guitar man! You would love it, for sure! The solo guitar is then ended with Jon enters the scene slowly with his damn clear voice! If you have this CD already, try spin this CD yourself. You will definitely agree with my statement. This is not an exaggeration after all.

The last track is a slow but heavy track. It’s not definitely a pop music as I believe that the chords used in this track are complex. Opened with guitar with tiny keyboard sound at background this track brings you to rather an easy listening melody when Jon voice enters. It’s cool, melody-wise. The tempo would then increase and all instruments were played dynamically during instrumental piece. When the vocal is back, the track is back to its origin of slow music. It’s an excellent track.

So, my rating goes this way: **** for sound, ****** for musicianship, ***** for music composition, and ***** for performance. It sums up to FIVE STAR rating. Additional note is on composition. The album is structured tightly in term of composition. Various piece of melody and sound are blend together with smooth transitions between melodies. It’s masterpiece album that must be in your collection. What do you think? – Gatot Widayanto, Indonesia.

Yes The Yes Album (1971)

From progarchives.com

Review by frenchie

Brilliant, brilliant album. “The Yes Album” saw Yes evolving from their rather patchy previous albums and settling down to their unique progressive sound. This album is a real wonder as it follows its own concept. The albums from “Fragile” up to “Relayer” had similar concepts and progressive suites and sidelength tracks but “The Yes Album” is more original and spellbounding.

This album perhaps doesn’t have as much vast exploration in sound and progression as the albums that would follow it but the songs here are gold. Perhaps the lyrics and musicianship are still evolving as they sound a bit toned down and simplistic compared to the epic “Close to the Edge”.

“Yours Is No Disgrace” is a brilliant opening track. It is one of the easiest prog rock tracks to get into because the song isn’t too overly produced. The lyrics are pretty simplistic (not their best lyrical work) and the cool bass and keyboards are pretty simplistic but they really manage to pull in the listener. This album doesn’t seem 9 minutes as it moves pretty swiftly. I love the progressing guitar parts and the way Jon’s voice seems to get better and better as it goes along.

“The Clap” is a dinky little tag along song. Even tho its a nice little acoustic piece it is the worst track on the album. However, its is silly, funny and entertaining! Why not add this song onto the album.

“Starship Trooper” is the first suite by yes and it is bloody amazing. This one is just as captivating as some of their 20 minute long songs but its probably good for beginners because it isn’t as lengthy. Includes a great intro section which leads into impressive acoustic work. I love the outro with the trademark guitar solo’s that weave in and out of the rest of the bands musical inputs.

“I’ve Seen All Good People” is another great effort from the lads. The vocal intro is very over the top but you shouldn’t let it put you off because what lies after is pure gold. Includes a great acoustic background and it’s nice to hear the recorder seeping through. This sound was definetly unique to this album as afterwards they explored much vaster musical paths. When the song progresses into a more rocking reprise of the intro the song shows a great balance from the mellow and emotional first part of the song that leads into the uplifting second half. Brilliant!

Apart from “The Clap”, the shortest song on the album is “A Venture”. This song is an excellent bouncy feast of vocal and piano work. This song has the most simplistic structure on the album as they are no vast progressive adventures. The “choruses” show brilliant vocal work and this couldn’t be pulled off by anyone other than Jon Anderson.

The album closes with another 9 minute journey. “Perpetual Change” starts off with the perculiar keyboard and guitar jam that leads into a smooth and relaxing guitar solo. The song starts off quietly and gradually goes up and down to create suspense as the song builds up. Jon’s “inside out, outside in” is just beautiful to hear. All the yes players do so well on this album and they succeed in making the album easy to get into before they went of exploring vast progressive songs on the following albums. This song progresses marvellously as Jon pours his heart out as he sings “whos sees perpetual change?”.

The Yes Album is probably the most relaxed album and although the albums that followed this one are produced better and show much more experimentation and epic musicianship, the toned down, simplistic songs here are solid gold. This is one of the best Yes albums of all time, probably the first masterpiece they created which serves as a great starting point for newcomers. This was my first yes album i listened to and i have never put it down since. Another great thing to note is how the album starts off simply yet by the end of the record you are listening to much more complicated and directional music. A great way to lead into “Fragile”. Yes never stopped progressing, which is why they are probably the best band in the field. Top stuff.

Yes Close To The Edge (1972)

From progarchives.com

Review by penguindf12

 After thinking awhile, I decided to scrap my old review in favor of a newer one. My nievety really plagues me when I read my old material, especially if it shows up in a review of one of the greatest prog rock albums ever (or for that matter, one of the best albums of any genre). It’s greatness is such that a non-progger can appreciate it, and proggers alike. It is not commercial in the least, at 18 minutes, however, and is just one of those rare great songs that anyone can enjoy.

It opens with silence, building with a sparkling keyboard run and sounds of nature, then flying headfirst into an intense, fast, insane, driving and building instrumental introduction. The guitar is flying everywhere, held down only by a repeated bass and keyboard run with the drums along for the ride. Utter musical chaos, flying straight upwards. Three times everything stops and pauses for a heavenly chorus of “aaaaaaa”s, then it’s turned loose once more. At the third “aaaaaa,” it tumbles into a second introduction theme, a more melodic and mid-tempo peaceful joyous victory-over-all-earthly-troubles anthem. We have just witnessed the peaceful sounds of nature, contrasted with the intense struggle of life, with both toppled by the third part. And that’s just the unlisted introductory movement.

Everything quiets down, and we are set back at square one for “The Solid Time of Change”. The electric sitar of Howe starts up over Squire’s odd slide beat, and the vocals begin. It becomes clear through Anderson’s lyrics that the protagonist of the song is spiritually bankrupt, and that it would take “a seasoned witch” to restore his grace. This song is based on the book “Siddharta,” and is heavily based on Christian and Buddhist imagery. The movement goes through a few verses, then a chorus in which the protagonist is called to begin a spiritual quest, but at first resists, saying “not right away.” After some more verses, the hero finally accepts and begins his journey for “Total Mass Retain.” More verses follow over the same musical background, with some key changes such as the fact that Chris’s bass now plays an uneven, chaotic hammer-on riff and we have changed key. The hero climbs through the strange world of his inner mind, a land I imagine to be like the fantastic world on the inner sleeve of the album, painted by Roger Dean. He (or she, really, you never know) battles his way up, learning as he goes, but he can only take so much at once, retaining all he can. He is now lost once more, and the only way to go further is to take what he now knows and reflect on it, so the music descends into a quiet movement.

“I Get Up, I Get Down,” begins with no heralding, only a soft, beautiful cavernous and aural, ambient keyboard and some tweaks on the sitar and some other small additions, such as water dropping occasionally to put us into the darkness completely. The protagonist makes some profound observations and wonders what to do. A simple keyboard beat emerges silently, with reflective, pondering three-part vocal harmonies appearing soon after. Then it all builds up into a majestic organ crescendo, stopped only once for a reprise of the movement’s chorus, then restarted once more. Then Wakeman does a sharp, triumphant herald on his Moog, and we are plunged into the most chaotic section yet. The music is a reprise of the third theme of the intro, but distorted, twisted, and unbalanced. My favourite part of the whole thing.

Wakeman follows with a keyboard solo, then we re-enter the verse section and hear some of the music last heard in the first two movements. The protagonist has reached spiritual heights, a journey ended and knowledge found. Peace. Simply beautiful. The whole thing builds up with a final chorus, then silently fades into the sounds of nature heard in the beginning, reversed.

“And You and I” is a more acoustically oriented song, starting with the sound of Steve Howe tuning his 12-string, and saying “okay” to a faintly heard “we’re rolling now” from the guy recording. It starts us off firmly on the ground, in a studio, but soon the rest of the band joins and we are yanked from reality and into a warm world. The lyrics could be interpreted in many ways, as a simple love song, as praise to God, as a song of friendship with others, all centred on “you,” which could be any of these. Soon we are pulled further as the keyboards come to prominence for “Eclipse,” then utter silence. Then we hear Howe re-starting the song, differently this time, again in an acoustic setting for “The Preacher the Teacher.” This is my favorite part of the song, it seems very nostalgic for me for some unknown reason. It slowly builds back up to the heights of “Eclipse,” then falls into another simple epilogue, ending beautifully.

The oddly named “Siberian Khatru” follows, much more hard-rocking but another grade-A song. The lyrics seem more oriented towards evoking images rather than telling a story, and the instruments are very varied. Between the traditional drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards, you’ll hear some harpsichord and electric sitar as well. Toward the end is a traditional YES vocal harmony section, without which it just wouldn’t be a Yes album.

The greatest album ever. Go buy it right now. NOW!

Yes The Quest (2021)

From rockandbluesmuse.com

Definitive prog rockers Yes are speeding into the future once again on the band’s new album The Quest. Released by InsideOutMusic/Sony Music, the set is a stunning achievement that’s full of the kind of complex structures, grand gestures, and soaring melodies that first created the Yes legend. Those gestures are as powerful as they always were and make The Quest an amazing listen for anyone who can feel progressive rock flowing through their souls.

Produced by Yes guitarist and eternal rock legend Steve Howe, the set is expressive, fleet, and muscular and doesn’t sound anything like a band with 50 years of history behind it. Howe did a commendable job of pulling top-drawer performances out of himself and his band mates and everyone involved sounds like they’ve got another 50 years left in them. It’s obvious that the band has recaptured the fire and brilliance that marked their most successful periods and are still technically and creatively amazing. The 11-song effort is available in a variety of formats, including a Limited Edition Deluxe 2LP and 2CD plus Blu-ray Box-set, a Limited Edition 2CD and Blu-ray Artbook, a gatefold 2LP and 2CD plus LP and booklet set, and a 2CD Digipak.

Yes set the prog rock bar high in the band’s 1970s heyday. Epic compositions including “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Long Distance Runaround,” and “Yours Is No Disgrace” showed the world what rock musicians could do and remain incredibly influential to this day. In the 1980s, Yes reinvented itself into a tighter, more modern outfit and scored big with the album 90125 and unforgettable tracks like “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” Leave It,” and “It Can Happen.” The present version of Yes includes Steve Howe, Alan White, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, and Billy Sherwood and has carried the group’s tradition of making smart, beautiful music into the 21st Century.

From Geoff Downes’ first synth notes of the opening cut “The Ice Bridge,” Yes delivers on all expectations. The entire band hits the track hard and uses their considerable skills to pluck melody, grooves, and energy out of the air and make them rock. Vocalist Jon Davison has the perfect pipes for this gig and gives the group the texture it needs out front. Bassist Billy Sherwood does fine work filling the gap left by the passing of iconic Yes bass player Chris Squier and contributes low-end lines that emphasize both brains and brawn. It’s a magnificent, regal track that you’ll want to hear again and again.

“Dare To Know” shifts into a lush, expansive gear that spotlights Howe’s guitar ideas and Davison’s high-range vocals. A gorgeous orchestration for strings adds a soothing and serene interlude before the band continues its gentle, mid-tempo performance. The song’s tone is profound and hopeful, giving listeners an easy way to rise above the mud of daily life. “The Western Edge” brings out more chilled-out strategies at first but evolves into more of a rock song as it evolves. Downes’ keyboards are especially effective here and his filter sweeps and portamento work are ideal for this selection.

The utopian “A Living Island” is smooth, beautiful, and full of love, fear, and reality. Davison truly sparkles here and comes across like he’s singing for the good of the world. It’s a sublime track that’s all about musical humanity and peaceful vibrations. Other bright moments on The Quest include “Leave Well Alone” and “Mystery Tour.” Yes is one of rock’s greatest bands and still has the chops and heart needed to continually write new chapters in its never-ending story. Get The Quest into your headphones and prepare yourself for another adventure.

Yes Keystudio (2001)

From sputnikmusic.com

Review Summary: Although technically a compilation album, this LP serves as the de facto last studio album by the classic Yes lineup of Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Squire and White.

There’s no question that Yes has one of the more interesting histories in the annals of rock music. The band has had a plethora of excellent musicians over the years, and has generated various spin-off bands as well. After the band’s highly acclaimed Union tour in 1991, which merged Yes’s most popular offshoot band, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe with Chris Squire’s version of Yes (which included guitarist Trevor Rabin, keyboard player Tony Kaye and drummer Alan White), Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford once again left the band. The remaining members released the poorly received Talk LP in 1994. At the conclusion of the Talk tour, Rabin and Kaye departed to pursue other projects, so not surprisingly, the remaining members of Yes invited Howe and Wakeman to rejoin the band.

This led to two of the stranger albums in Yes history, Keys to Ascension in 1996, and Keys to Ascension 2 in 1997. Both were double albums, and both consisted of a blend of brand new studio tracks and live versions of vintage 1970s Yes songs. This ticked off Wakeman, who felt that the band had basically wasted a perfectly good new studio album’s worth of material, so he left the band again. In 2001, however, he won the point in retrospect, when Yes took the two studio tracks from Keys to Ascension and the five studio tracks from Keys to Ascension 2, and belatedly released them together on a compilation album called Keystudio. Of course, by that time, any possible excitement that a brand new original studio album by the classic Yes lineup might have generated was long gone, so Keystudio didn’t chart at all (nor was it especially strongly promoted). However, what this means to Yes fans is that not only is Keystudio a de facto Yes studio album, it is, in fact, the last studio work that the lineup of Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, Squier and White ever recorded.

So how is it? It’s pretty good. In fact, it’s arguably the best album of original Yes material released after 1980’s Drama LP, other than 1989’s Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (which isn’t an official Yes album). There are only seven songs here, but in typical Yes fashion, the album still clocks in at an impressive hour and fifteen minutes, with two of the tracks (“Mind Drive” and “That, That Is”) surpassing 18 minutes each. I find the sound to be somewhere between that of the 1978 Tormato album (but don’t worry, it’s definitely better than Tormato) and Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. It’s a pretty dense work, although it’s not nearly as impenetrable as 1970’s Tales of Topographic Oceans. And as you might expect, each of the five band members gets plenty of time to show off his virtuosity.

My strongest criticism is this: there are seven good tracks here, but not necessarily any great ones. For this reason, opinions vary as to which are the strongest songs on the album. The track that most stood out for me when I first heard the two Key to the Ascension CDs was “Children of Light”. And although Keystudio offers a slightly different version of the song with an extended Wakeman intro, it’s still my favorite number, followed by “Footprints” and a beautiful instrumental track called “Sign Language”. However, a quick poll of two other Yes fans found that for one, “That, That Is”, “Be the One” and “Mind Drive” were the top tracks while another cited “Mind Drive”, “Footprints” and “Sign Language” as his favorites. So clearly, there is no consensus as to which is Keystudio‘s best song.

One thing of note here is that several tracks on the LP find Anderson’s lyrics veering away from his usual mysticism to more socially conscious subjects. “That, That Is” in particular starts with lyrics about inner city gang violence, crack addicts and dead children. Anderson being Anderson, however, the lyrics become more abstract and spiritual as the song goes on, finally ending with “Live for the breaking free/Live for the breaking freedom/Just let it come through come through”. So even in this song, we’re not exactly dealing with Lou Reed’s “Dirty Blvd”.

Keystudio isn’t really an album for making new Yes fans. It’s one of their more obscure releases. It wasn’t highly acclaimed when it was released (although to be fair, both Keys to Ascension and Keys to Ascension 2, the two albums from which it draws its tracks, were both received positively upon their respective releases), and it actually went out of print in 2010. Nevertheless, it’s a solid album of original Yes songs by one of the band’s best-loved lineups. If it had been released in lieu of the two live/studio hybrids that drove Wakeman out of the band in 1997, it would probably have received the adulation of Yes fans everywhere. It would certainly be better known than it is today. Like I said, it won’t make Yes any new fans. For those like myself who are already fans, though, it’s certainly a fine addition to your collection.

Yes Union (1991)

From progarchives.com

Review by SouthSideoftheSky

While Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire and Alan White was working on a follow-up to Big Generator, Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Rick Wakeman and Steve Howe was working on a follow-up to their latest album (that was released under the name ‘Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe’, since the Squire/White/Rabin camp owned the rights to the name ‘Yes’ at the time).

The idea that came about was that of a Union between these two versions of Yes. And what a great idea it was! It features eight people! The material is a mix between the two camps and this seems to have spurred them all to write better songs. Great rock songs like Shock To The System, Lift Me Up and Miracle Of Life, great pop melodies like I Would Have Waited Forever and Saving My Heart, instrumentals like the beautiful Steve Howe solo piece Masquerade.

The most surprising for me are the Trevor Rabin songs. I did not like those Yes albums that Rabin worked on before very much, but here even Rabin’s songs are great. Especially Lift Me Up, which rocks harder than anything from 90125 or Big Generator. Rabin also does a lot of vocals which gives the album more strengh and diversity than usual.

The tracks Angkor Wat, Dangerous (Look In The Light Of What You’re Searching For), Holding On, Evensong and Take The Water To The Mountain are perhaps not too interesting in their own right. But since the running time is so long it is ok. The closing track Give & Take, on the other hand, is again a great song, tying the album together in a nice way.

It is really strange that so many tend to dislike this album so much. I agree that it has some weak moments and it probably could have been better if they recorded it more as a unit instead of sending tapes to each other around the globe. However, Union is a very good and very underrated album (much, much better than 90125 and Big Generator and almost as good as the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album) and a must for all serious Yes fans!

Review by Easy Livin

Rick Wakeman famously prefers to call this “Onion”, because it makes him cry. I reckon that’s a bit harsh, but it is really two shorter albums by different bands, rather clumsily melded together to form a whole.

“Union” was made by the two Yes factions which existed at the time, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe on the one hand, and Squire Rabin Kaye etc. on the other. While Anderson provides lead vocals throughout, the only other person who crosses over between the two is Chris Squire, who adds vocals (but not bass) to some of the ABWH songs. It is therefore easy enough to spot which track are by which combination but for the record the ABWH tracks are 1,2,3,5,8,10,11,13, 14, and 15, the Rabin/Squire Yes tracks being 4,6,7,9. The bassist on the ABWH tracks is Tony Levin, although he is playing in a session capacity only and not as official band member.

As can be seen, this is therefore a Union largely in name only. In retrospect, the album may have been afforded a better continuity if the tracks by each of the bands had been kept together, instead of the rather haphazard mishmash we have here. In terms of quantity, the balance is very much in favour of ABWH whose work constitutes about two thirds of the total time.

All that said, the first two tracks, “I would have waited forever” and “Shock to the system” may be by ABWH, but they have much more in common with the style of music Yes created with Trevor Rabin. Only the slight lengthening of the instrumental passages differentiates these songs from those on “Big Generator”. Steve Howe slips in a brief solo acoustic spot with ” Masquerade” which serves as a pleasant intro to the first Squire/Rabin Yes track, “Lift me up”. If you enjoyed the sound of the aforementioned “Big generator”, this will appeal too, indeed this track is similar to the title track of that album.

“Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day” sees ABWH reverting to the type of music which dominated their sole album in that name, the music remaining pretty straightforward and largely devoid of the true prog sounds we hoped for.

In all, and I know that it may be considered sacrilege to say it, I prefer the Rabin/Squire Yes tracks to the ABWH songs. There is a vitality to the New Yes numbers which is lacking in the AWBH ones. It appears to me that ABWH are running pretty much on empty, hence the “Union” of the albums. The music by the two factions actually fits together reasonably well here, the bands perhaps sub-consciously moving towards each other. While this is far from being a classic album by any form of Yes, I do feel it is often subject to too much criticism. As Yes albums go, this one is best described as adequate.

The tour to promote Union appears to have been much more successful than the album, with even Wakeman proclaiming it to be on of the most enjoyable he has participated in. The YesYears DVD which was recorded around that time gives an excellent insight into that period.

Review by Gator

 This album was supposed to be the second album for ABWH (Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe that turned out to be the new album for YES. It’s a memorable album as all members and ex members of two bands (YES and ABWH) reunited here forming this excellent album. Yes, I go with Dave Connolly’s rating that this is an excellent addition to any prog rock collection. Unfortunately Geoffrey Downes, Trevor Horn, Patrick Moraz and Peter Bank did not contribute here; so it’s basically not a total reunion album. But it’s okay, what matters is the spirit for “union” and also the quality of music created.

Composition-wise, this is not exactly any style of old Yes as the music is a blend of Trevor Rabin era, ABWH style also classic Yes style. But for me it’s an excellent album. The album opener “I Would Have Waited Forever” (6:32) is an energetic music with dynamic performance by contributing musicians. “Shock to the System” (5:09) is my favorite that has a musical style similar with the opening track. “Masquerade” (2:18) demonstrates Steve Howe’s acoustic guitar virtuosity that reminds me to the glory days when he performed “Mood for A Day”. “Lift Me Up ” (6:30) which features Trevor Rabin on guitar and vocals characterizes the music of Yes “Talk” and it’s excellently composed.

The powerful lyric “Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day” (5:18) is one of my all-time favorite Yes track to start my day which usually I followed with hard driving rhythm music like Tom Sawyer (Rush) or Humble Stance (Saga) etc. to cheer up my day. “Miracle of Life” (7:30) is a track a bit complex with great combination of guitar and organ / keyboard. The other track that also inspires me is “Angkor Wat” (5:24) – so tasty and so melodic. I usually repeat this track whenever I listen to the album.

Overall, it’s an excellent addition to any prog collection.

Yes Drama (1980)

From loudersound.com

Many Yes fans gave their grudging approval to 1980’s highly consistent Drama, even though the introduction to the lineup of Buggles hitmakers Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes caused consternation in such a tribalistic era. 

“Obviously when we first joined Yes there was a huge outcry from the diehard Yes fans,” Downes told us. “The idea of a couple of interlopers from the pop world suddenly stepping into this revered band. But in hindsight, both myself and Trevor were musicians, not pop guys. We were very much into Yes and progressive music. It’s just that our opportunity came to make pop music and we took it.”

“It was full of dramas, engineer Hugh Padgam said. “There was so much tension around. I’d done a Buggles session, and it was Trevor Horn who roped me into the Yes camp to help out. Eddy Offord [who produced the album with the band] was mad, but a genius. I got on well with Steve Howe and Alan White. But it was not easy!”

It wasn’t. By the following year Yes had cracked and splintered. Geoff Downes and Steve Howe became founding members of Asia and enjoyed huge success in their own right. Vocalist Trevor Horn was on an upward trajectory as a producer. And that left bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White trying to figure out what do do next. They succeeded – and how! – but that’s another story. 

Every week, Album of the Week Club listens to and discusses the album in question, votes on how good it is, and publishes our findings, with the aim of giving people reliable reviews and the wider rock community the chance to contribute. 

What they said…

“Drama exceeded all expectations and doesn’t become on a true drama. Drama is the best studio album without one of their classic lines up. Drama has the different but beautiful voice of Horn and the new keyboard sound of Downes. Both brought a new sound to Yes. Besides, Howe, Squire and White demonstrated that Yes could survive without Anderson. They turned Drama in an essential work and in one of the best prog albums of the 80s.” (Sputnik Music)

“A newly emboldened Chris Squire lays down aggressive rhythms with Alan White, and Steve Howe eschews his usual acoustic rags and flamenco licks for a more metallic approach, opting for sheets of electric sound. Prime cuts include the doom-laden Machine Messiah and the manic ska inflections of Tempus Fugit. (AllMusic)

“Why this album was panned in 1980, I’ll never know. The music was exciting, the playing was spot on, and it did still have some prog elements. Trevor Horn does not sound that different from Jon Anderson. Why was Genesis able to continue (and get more popular) after the loss of their original singer? Sure, there were pop elements mixed in with the progressive stuff but back in 1980, this was unique and exciting.” (Music Street Journal) 

What you said…

Nigel Lancashire: When the Buggles boys (who contrary to popular belief, aren’t three dog-faced crooks constantly trying to rob Scrooge McDuck) were drafted in to replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, rather than being appalled, I was intrigued. Having previously been a Yes tolerator rather than a fan may have had something to do with this, but I was quite fascinated how the very synthetic, glossy pop sounds the chart-topping Buggles were pedalling would sit next to the epitome of non-commercial Yes’ more natural, rambling 1970s approach.

It being 1980s England though, I certainly wasn’t going to get to hear this record on the radio, and my few Yes-loving friends had all outright refused to buy this sacrilege. Fortunately (or not) the release date was around my 17th birthday and two mates offered me the choice of the new Yes or Tygers of Pan Tang. I chose… the Tygers.

Unsurprisingly, my friends being dicks, I got Yes.

Imagine my surprise when the new record wasn’t anywhere near the unlistenable tosh that Tormato was, or the overblown rambling of… every other Yes record ( I have somewhat softened in my feelings about Yes in subsequent years, don’t hate me). 

Not having to listen to Anderson’s weird East Lancs rolled ‘r’ pronunciation was a blessing for a start, but what was a real shock was how much I liked this new version of Yes’s brevity. It was like they’d stopped reading Thomas Hardy and suddenly got into Raymond Chandler. Short, punchy songs. Dynamic guitar. Sparkling production. Holy Hammond organ Batman, listen to those keyboards – it is a new decade!

Of course, it couldn’t last. A disastrous tour (whether it was Trevor Horn’s lack of range, confidence and charisma or a hostile Yes audience is a debate to be had, I’m guessing) and it was over. Horn contributed production, songwriting and even chart success to the next version of Yes, Downes went on to co-create Asia and John “Bluto” Blutarsky married Mandy Pepperidge and became a US senator.

Drama remains the only Yes album I’ve ever loved.

Mike Knoop: I didn’t listen to this album until twenty years after it was released, so all the *ahem* drama regarding personnel changes was long over. Heck, I didn’t even know who the Buggles were until MTV used Video Killed the Radio Star as its call to action a couple of years after the song came out.

Listening to Drama now, it sounds like what a lot of prog bands (Rush, Genesis, the Moody Blues come to mind) were doing at the time; mainly, incorporating more new wave and pop elements into their music to stay relevant in the increasingly flashy and commercial 1980s.

The epic (Machine Messiah) is still there but it has a very sleek and metallic sound. Not sure what to make of Man in a White Car, with its Wire-like song length, except to wish it were longer and to think that it makes perfect sense that Trevor Horn went into music production full-time (Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome being my favourite). 

Then come three pop whoppers in a row, reminding me more than anything of the Police (which is fine by me) both in Sting-like vocal delivery and Andy Sumners-like guitar playing. Run Through The Light is my favourite of the three, but Into the Lens is nipping at its heels. Original closer Tempus Fugit sounds the most like traditional Yes to me and it’s terrific, one of these weaving galloping tunes they can apparently knock out in any incarnation.

Drama is an enjoyable album. And although it was derided at the time, it ultimately helped the individual band members reach greater commercial success (90125, Asia, scads of Horn-produced records). Apparently, they just weren’t meant to do it together.

John Edgar: This one came as quite a surprise when first released. I was completely unaware that changes had taken place in the band, yet being a fan of Yes, I bought it right away when it was released. This was definitely a ‘different’ sound for the band, but it was still unmistakably Yes. After all these years it falls into a category of being one of my top three favourite Yes albums.

Chris Burkill: I struggled with Yes until this album. I found it much more accessible. I still enjoy listening to it, and even after trying all the others, it’s still the Yes album I turn to. Yes weren’t for me, but this, for me, is a beaut. Ain’t music ace?

Graham Tarry: Love this album. Got it when it came out 40 years ago, and it doesn’t disappoint. Temps Fugit rocks! Check out the original Buggles version of I Am A Camera.

Mike Hayes: I really like this album! Machine Messiah rocks hard, and Tempus Fugit is one of my favourite Yes songs. It is an interesting “transitional” album—pointing the way to both Asia and (IMHO) the much better Yes of 90125.

Scott Spalding: I love this album! I’m shocked I’ve never heard the expression Yeggles before. It’s quite funny and clever, and not an insult at all. In the great spectrum of Yes-sy stuff, it’s an outlier, but it adds a lot to the overall tapestry of all things Yes, or am I mixing metaphors?

Iain Macaulay: In the interests of a having a balanced set of comments here. I have to say I’ve never liked Yes. But, I listened to this album all the same, as I do all the albums here, just to see. Because you never know. I may be converted.

But, yes, you’re right, it didn’t happen. I still don’t like Yes. Tempis Fugit was great, I’ll give you that, but the rest, as they say up here in Scotland, was ‘keech.’ And before anyone goes on about the musical prowess and technicality of the arrangements, which is in no doubt, I would much rather listen to Weather Report, John McLaughlin and Zappa before I listen to Yes again. Sorry guys, not a classic to me.

Carl Black: My automatic default setting is Rush when it comes to prog. I do like prog but Rush are the only band I’m really passionate about. Yes are always mentioned. I’ve reviewed a Yes record before for this club, and I found it a bit over elaborate.

But this album hits a nice sweet Spot. Machine Messiah has an opening riff that Black Sabbath would be proud of. They skip between commercial and rock and you’re never far from either. I prefer it when Yes go long and the lengthier songs are the highlights here. A bit of Police influence (Sting has got a lot to answer for) on some of the shorter songs, I get the feeling they always had an eye on the charts. Elaborate as it is complex, commercial as it is heavy. I’m not a connoisseur of Prog or indeed Yes, but as a stand alone album, it stands up

Adam Ranger: Not heard this for so long. Not at all sure that the “Yeggles” tag is  fair: this is definitely a Yes Album. Sounds quite dated in aces, definitely has that 80s feel to it, but not at all as bad as I remember it.

Some tracks are reminiscent of what Rush were to become in the mid 80s. That’s either good or bad depending on your view if that period of Rush. But the classic Yes feel is still there. Machine Messiah is the standout track for me.

Pontus Norshammar: I love this albums. It’s far heavier than other Yes albums. Machine Messiah, Into The Lens, Does It Really Happen and Tempus Fugit are all faves in my Yes book. 9/10

John Davidson: After the relatively disappointing Tormato, it wasn’t a surprise to discover that Rick Wakeman had once again left the band, but the absence of their iconic singer Jon Anderson was surely going to shake things up.

Enter, The Buggles. hot off their successful hit pop single and with a modern synth pop sensibility they did not seem like a natural match for the ethereal, jazzy musical ponderings of Yes.

In the absence of Wakeman, and with Downes providing a more simple keyboard/synth sound, Howe and Squire dominate the music. Howe provides some of the heaviest guitar parts of his career and Squire romps across the mix with a frenzy of loping bass runs.

Trevor Horn could never match the ethereal tones of Jon Anderson, but he did bring a pop sensibility that Yes had lost along the way.

The end result is still very much a Yes album (much more recognisably so than the AOR of 90125) and while the production has some of that 80s sound, it is closer in spirit to the longform pop rock of their early albums than the bloated indulgence of Tales…..

Listening to the album today it still works pretty well. Tempus Fugit is the standout track, but Machine Messiah and Does It Really Happen are better than I remember. Once the very proggy intro is done, Into the Lens is closer to pure pop but it least it’s good pop, embellished occasionally by Steve Howe and Chris Squire.

And that’s what Yes were at their best (as on most of Going for the One): Melodic, catchy, pop songs with bells on.

The line up only produced one album (until the recent Fly From Here: Return Trip) – after which Howe and Downes left to perform AOR as Asia, while Jon Anderson returned (alongside Tony Kaye on keyboards), joined by Trevor Rabin, to produce a full on AOR Yes album in 90125.

So there is an argument that Drama is the last ‘proper’ prog album from Yes. And if so it’s not a bad one to draw a line under. Decent songs, played well and with more guitar than normal. It’s classic rock. 7/10.

Shane Reho: Is this album underrated or what? When you listen to the sound on this album, it’s practically a bridge between their early epics and the pop to follow. Take the classic Yes sound, and update it for the new wave era, this is what you get. And damn is it good. 

Machine Messiah holds its own in the realm of Yes epics, with the most guitar dominance on one since Yours Is No Disgrace. White Car isn’t much of anything, but it doesn’t hurt anything either. Does It Really Happen may be the hidden gem on an album full of them, probably the album’s defining track. Into the Lens probably could’ve been a little shorter, but it works. Run Through the Light hardly sounds like Yes, but it’s good. Tempus Fugit rounds up almost everything heard on the album, all in 5 minutes, which was almost unheard of on a Yes album. 

I wouldn’t rank this album up with masterworks like The Yes Album, Fragile, Close To The Edge and Going For The One, but it’s worth giving listens to every now and then. Would be more interesting if this lineup had stuck together, who knows what could’ve happened. 

I’m amazed that this album is more controversial than 90125 though, you’d figure prog purists would have had more issues with that? Or maybe this primed them for it. Also need to give a shout out to the always great Roger Dean’s cover art. 8/10.

Jonathan Novajosky: I love Yes and think Close To The Edge is a masterpiece, but even I can admit they were starting to lose some of their magic in the late 70s. Listening to all those heavy prog albums in a row can be a little exhausting. It was time for a new sound, and Drama delivers. Whether that is for the better or worse depends on your view, but I think this is mostly a good album. One thing that really stands out to me here (and in 90125) is how great the production is. It’s so clear and completely avoids sound outdated or “80s overload.”

But now to the actual songs. I think Drama suffers a little bit from being a part of the odd transition period into a new sound. It’s still a good balance between the new direction and their old days of prog, but I think it still feels a little lost in direction. Machine Messiah starts out heavy and impresses me… at first. I grow weary of it halfway through. Maybe the more accessible sound of the band tricks me into thinking Drama doesn’t need a ten minute epic. Man In A White Car is a nice little interlude, but there really isn’t much to be said about it. Who is this man? Oh well.

Does It Really Happen is my favourite. The bassline is so killer and groovy when matched with that catchy synth melody. I think Trevor Horn sounds great here, and it’s the first time throughout Drama where I don’t ever think of Jon Anderson. I get that the band didn’t want to just completely abandon their prog roots so quickly, but this album really shines when it just tries to be a solid rock album. This song really proves that to me. Unfortunately, the following track, Into The Lens is really quite bad. It’s actually pretty irritating – the lyrics in particular are so bland. Run Through The Light isn’t much better. Tempus Fugit is a pretty good rocker with nice guitar riffs and synths.

Perhaps the best compliment I can give Drama is that it’s a breath of fresh air. Even if all of the songs are not too great, I still think it’s a successful album. When things are kept simple, such as in Does It Really Happen, it really works. Yes would eventually follow Drama with 90125, which I think is one of the most underrated albums ever and certainly a better collection of songs than this one. But, for the time, Drama took big risks, and I can appreciate that. 7.5/10.

Bill Griffin: Excellent album. It was well after this one (around the time of Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe) that I begin having issues with Yes albums. This one is as good as any of them up to that point to my ear.

Billy Master: At the time of release, I was very much in the “No Anderson, No Yes” camp, and refused to even listen to it. Despite this, a friend coerced me into going to see them live, which I did. They were awful. Trevor Horn’s unease was palpable.

That was that for 20 years. Then after the farce of the 80s years, I gave it a try and realised what a dick I had been. This was Yes reinvented but still sounding like Yes. The sound of a band with something to prove and they accomplished this with ease. An easy 10/10.

Ian Kingston: The last great Yes album. Like everyone else, I remember the shock when it was announced that Horn and Downes (Buggles!) were replacing Anderson and Wakeman, but the change really worked. Chris Squire and Steve Howe upped their game in response to the new arrivals and the whole album sounded fresh (and still does). Absolutely brilliant.

Marco LG: I like Drama a lot, it’s an album I have been familiar with for many years now. Yet two things struck me this week for maybe the first time: the first is how much it was influenced by the new wave and The Police in particular, the second is how much simpler it sounds compared with the previous albums. I noticed the latter after listening to the live album Yesshows, which was released after Drama but recorded on previous tours, before the lineup changes. 

On Yesshows, the old joke about a prog band releasing 20 minutes songs so that each member could have his solo moment, seems to come alive – albeit in a good way. Maybe that is evidence that a change in a simpler direction was needed, but what’s striking is how perfectly balanced Drama is between the simplicity of pop and the refinement of prog.

The general acknowledgment is that Yes became a pop band with 90125, but Drama is really where the transformation started, with much better results in my opinion. As noted elsewhere Steve Howe and Geoff Downes would later go on to form Asia, and although all of the songs on that incredible debut album were cowritten by a John Wetton in the form of his life, one can appreciate the seed for the development of that type of sound already in Drama. And honestly, my mind has been wondering a lot this week on what could have been if only this album sold a bit better and this lineup continued to release another album.

Especially because the guitar work of Steve Howe on Drama is so majestic it makes me forget (and forgive in fact) all the keyboard sounds that didn’t age well and the early synthesiser effects which were about to become so prominent in 90125. Keyboards became an easy picking to direct blame at for all the bad music produced in the 80s, but it is a fact their introduction and evolution led to a lot of those sounds ageing very badly very quickly. Thank goodness for people like John Sinclair!

In conclusion, Drama is a transition album for both Yes and prog rock in general. It displays a lot of the same influences and aspirations of other great prog albums released at the time, and contains some of the best guitar and bass lines Steve Howe and Chris Squire ever recorded. It’s not perfect, but it will get a 9/10 from me.

Yes Fly From Here: Return Trip (2019)

From progarchy.com

When I first saw the notice that Yes would be re-releasing its 2011 album, Fly From Here, with a remaster and remix by Trevor Horn and with all main vocals provided by  the very same Trevor Horn, I was surprised and a bit sceptical.  Fake news?  Well, there seems to be a lot of that going around these days in the western world.

And, it turned out. . . it was real news.  After I realized this thing was real, I immediately jumped onto Pledgemusic and, well, pledged.

I’ve never hidden my love of Yes’s 1980 prog new-wave masterpiece, Drama.  Kevin McCormick (also a fine citizen of progarchy) and I used to talk late into the night about the virtues of DRAMA back in our college days.  How many hours were devoted to Drama?  I have no idea, but they were considerable and meaningful.

The only persons who could rival Horn as master of the rare and very temporally specific prog new-wave movement of 1980-1982 would probably be Rupert Hine or Terry Brown.

But, it’s not just prog new wave.

Horn makes everything just a bit more magical.  Think Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, Art of Noise, or even his cinematic work with Hans Zimmer.  The guy is an out-and out-audiophilic genius.

After receiving a review copy of Fly From Here-Return Trip, I’ve done very little but listen to the album–over and over again–as I grade midterms and papers.  Believe me, it’s far better for the students that I grade listening to Yes.  Imagine what I’m like when I grade listening to Pink Floyd.  Anyway, I’ve listened to the new Yes album at least six or seven times over the past two days.

I can’t quite express what this new version of the album means to me, but it means a great deal.  When the album first came out in 2011, I was disappointed.  It seemed tinny and a bit rinky-dink.  Drama had so much heft and gravitas to it that I thought a follow-up – even several decades later–had to have as much heft.  Given what Big Big Train, Glass Hammer, and The Tangent were producing in the first years of this past decade, FLY FROM HERE seemed unimpressive.  I know that our very own beloved Alison almost broke with Yes over the album.  Though I’m not quite the Yeshead that she is, I understand her frustrations.

Fly From Here-Return Trip feels like an altogether different album from that original, seven years ago.  This feel fresh, and it has certainly wrapped itself around my soul.

Side one–the “Fly From Here” side–just seems right.  I can hear elements of Drama, but, more importantly, I can hear the art that still resides in every member of Yes as of this decade.  Howe, Downes, White, and Squire were in top form in 2011, but the album–at least with Benoit’s voice (nothing against Benoit!)–seemed flat.

Horn’s new vocals make all the difference.  They make this truly a Yes album, a work of art in its best and highest sense.

C.S. Lewis once argued the real friendship is the least jealous of loves.  Person A can bring something out in Person B that Person C cannot.  But, Person C can bring out things from Person A that Person B cannot.  After hearing Horn’s vocals, I believe what Lewis said about friendship allies to Yes as a group.  This new version is really spectacular and really coherent and cohesive.

The best track of side one is Fly From Here: Part III: Madman at the Screen.  Horn’s vocals are everything one would expect from Horn–the oddly precise and percussive high tones of the Buggles–perfectly presented in prog glory.

Horn’s vocals on this track mix so perfectly with every instrument and member of Yes.  Yes, right her and right now.  This is truly perfected Yes.

I don’t want to suggest the album is perfect, but it’s certainly moved in that direction.  The copy I have has a very distorted track 5–Howe’s bizarre “bumpy ride.”  I can’t judge it completely because this version is so choppy, but I suspect that this track will always be cold and alien to me.  I understand that Howe is trying to give us a flight gone wrong, with turbulence, and bugs bombarding the plane, but it still seems too forced, especially with how organic the newly redone overture and parts I-IV are.

Track 7, “The Man You Always Wanted Me to Be,” still feels a bit too AORish for my tastes, but it’s certainly not a bad song.

“Life on a Film Set,” Track 8, works wonderfully, though.  “All the poems of my neighbours. . .” A timeless song loaded with meaning and purpose.

Though most reviewers will understandably be most interested in the “Fly From Here” side of the album, the ninth song, “Hour of Need,” is one of the best Yes has ever written, and almost completely redone for this Fly From Here-Return Trip.  Think “Changes” from 90125–a song wrapped in a song.  This version is infinitely better than the original which really lacked originality.  No longer.

“Solitaire,” track 10, is a nice Howe song.  Nothing grand, but nice.

The added track, “Don’t Take No For An Answer,” does little for me, but mostly because I don’t really like the vocal work.  I’m not sure who is singing on this one.  It’s not a terrible track, and it has a good 90125 feel to it.  I’ll need to give this one more time before judging it at any great length.

The final track, “Into the Storm,” ends the album on a peppy and high note.  It has a bit of a Big Generator feel, but far more restrained and tasteful.  Indeed, if I had to compare it to one previous Yes track, I would compare it to “The Silent Wings of Freedom” in its expression and grace.  The Yes vocal harmonies really shine on this track, as do the interplay of Howe’s guitar(s) and Squire’s bass.  The title as well as the lyrics allow this concluding track to end the album faithfully and true to its theme of flight and adventure.  Dare, I write, not just an adventure, but a Drama.  This is actually one of the best tracks of the album, and one of the best Yes tracks of all time.

And, if you’re counting–that makes two stunning Yes tracks on this album: “Fly From Here Part III: Madman at the Screen” and “Into the Storm.”

And, when Howe and Squire play their hearts out for the last two minutes of the track with Horn quietly singing “And we can fly from here. . . ” well, my soul soars.

For what it’s worth, I’ve not been this excited about Yes since I first heard the stunning segue on tracks 1 and 2 of Magnification, a decade and a half ago.

Fly From Here-Return Trip is not just a good Yes album, it’s a great album and an excellent addition to the prog world of 2018.

Yes, mythic and Yes-ish enough for me.  No doubt.

Once again, Trevor Horn brings excellence and class to our little corner of the rock world.  Amen, Mr. Horn.  Amen.