GOING FOR THE ONE

I really waited a long time to listen to this album. I was very familiar to Yes previous works, heard everything countless times. Even before finally listening to Going for the One, I already considered Yes to be my 2nd favorite band of all time, behind Genesis. A combination of reasons made me so willing to give it time. To be honest, I think the cover threw me off a bit, a stupid reason I know, but it did. The other reason being I was just afraid of a letdown. I couldn't have been more wrong!! This album from Yes may be their best album, defiantly their most complete album, there's a difference. It took me about three close listens to absorb the whole album, the third time, I was blown away. After the first listen the opening song and title track, Going for the One stuck with me, I was into it right away. Starts off a bit different, but soon gets right into Yes fashion. Turn of the Century is a beautiful song, the guitar and Jon Anderson's vocals are amazing. Parallels, the third track is the highlight of side one. A very bombast song all around, Howe's guitar, returning Wakeman's keyboards and Anderson's vocals all brilliant and at full force. Wondrous Stories is the only song I had heard before, I think on Classic Yes or some other hits album. Another beautiful song here, at only 3:50 it's the shortest track on the album, but made possible for a single. Defiantly not a weak point at all thou.

Awaken - a masterpiece of godly proportions, Yes's most brilliant piece of work ever!! Epic songwriting and musicianship. It sits at 15:38 but you'd never know it, there's no sense of time when sucked into Awaken. I had my eyes closed and was just taken away in a trance. After hearing Roundabout, Close to the Edge, The Gates of Delirium, Starship Trooper, there was no way they could top any of those AGAIN but they did, I was floored.

5 Stars, the easiest 5 stars I ever given, so far.