RELAYER

I think the jazz/fusion sound here is great, and Patrick Moraz is a welcome addition. Wakeman clearly didn't like the direction of Tales, and his absence brings out the very best in Steve Howe. This is his finest hour, without question. "Gates" is YES's best musical composition. Absolutely brilliant! The songs on side 2 are also quite strong and beautiful in their own way. "Soundchaser" in particular is powerful and glorious; I wish they would perform this live from time to time.

All that said, what keeps this from being a true 5 stars is the sound quality. It is perhaps the worst sounding YES album, which is tragic since its music is the strongest of any album. As I noted in my Tales review, I wish they would rerecord Tales, trimming away the fluff and fat on the album. I wish they would remix and remaster this album because the music deserves better.

4.75 stars