DRAMA

Yes's Drama is definitely their most controversial LP. How could Yes be Yes without Jon Anderson (or Rick Wakeman, for that matter)?! Without these two core members, it surely couldn't be anything other than Maybe. Right? Yes. No. Wrong. I picked this album up at a local record store for seven dollars on vinyl, not even aware of the absence of Jon and Rick (shame on me), and on the drive home observed the line-up. I remember thinking 'who the hell is Trevor Horn?!' and reluctantly placing that needle on it. I was pleasantly surprised. Even without Anderson and Wakeman, this album refuses to disappoint. 'Machine Messiah', a three-part hard prog track, starts off the album. The perfect blend of experimental and commercial. Jon's voice is missed, but Squire and Horn sure did a good job of trying to hide it wasn't there. This is one of my top Yes tracks of all time. 'Man in a White Car', a one-and-a-half minute song, encapsulates the oncoming decade's musical style quite well for such a short track. I have no idea why it is in this album, but I do not mind its addition. 'Does it Really Happen' could fit nicely into '90125'. I'm glad it's in this album, though. This track is the perfect example of the expansion of Yes into a new sound that fit the current decade. There is an odd one-minute intro to 'Into the Lens', even though it is on the next side. And oh boy, 'Into the Lens'. Do not ask me why Yes decided to cover a song from the people who made 'Video Killed the Radio Star' (it was probably Horn's idea, the bastard). It is definitely better than the original, but I always found the chorus of this track dumb. 'I am a camera' is constantly repeated to the point where you'll wish for a guillotine to cut your head off with. This track is way too repetitive but has some great Squire bass. 'Run Through The Light' is one of the better tracks on this album, but is almost ruined by the vocals ('she-he-he-he-helter'). Fantastic bass, like in the previous track. The final track, 'Tempus Fugit', is as eighties as prog can get. This track is almost flawless. I don't like the robotic 'yes, yes', that's all. This is a great Yes album, paving the way for Yes and other prog bands, like prog-metal acts. And although I have some minor problems with this album, the pros outweigh the cons. Truly an essential addition to every prog music collection.

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