RELAYER

After three years on the crest of the wave, and due to Rick Wakeman's solo career, Yes came to an impasse and had to turn to the talents of a outsider keyboard player and that, like it or not, affected the sound we were used to after four studio albums and a huge live one. The music style gave a twist, too, and Yes sounded, in spite of Eddie Oxford's production, different: more metallic, harsher and with more cutting edges than before.

Relayer is an album that grows and grows with listening. Anyway, I think it doesn't come up to previous levels of quality but for moments here and there. The writing resents, in my opinion, the absence of Rick Wakeman.

The longest piece is a good one but not to compare to Close to the Edge, The Revealing... or Awaken. Side two is more uneven, in my view.

The only thing it doesn't appear to lessen in quality is Roger Dean's art cover. Magistral, as usual.

Three and half stars really.