MAGNIFICATION

Yes

Symphonic Prog

3.73 | 1296 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Thirty years after making 'Time and a Word', Yes returned to making an orchestral album. Magnification features orchestral arrangements by the American film score composer Larry Groupe. While there was a total disconnect between the orchestra and the electronic instrumentation on 'Time and a Word' (understandable it being only their second album) here the two are perfectly integrated in an album of mostly songs about love.

The more one plays the album the more gems one discovers. From the solo oboe on 'We Agree', Chris Squire's singing on 'Can You Imagine', Howe's flamenco guitar on 'Dreamtime' and solo violin on the same song, it transgresses Yes's usual edgy progressive rock roots to a lighter more romantic side of the band that was last touched on with their 'Going for the One' album. After the bright opener of the album title song the band really gets going with a beautiful acoustic passage on 'Spirit of Survival' which transforms into a heavy guitar riff and a rhythmic dance beat with Chris Squire adding harmonies to Jon Anderson's voice. 'Don't Go' offers Music Hall relief before 'Give Love Each Day' starts up with a short interlude on strings followed by a prominent bass line which introduces the main verse from Jon Anderson. Howe's electric guitar sails over the top of the orchestra and then the catchy chorus takes over. 'Dreamtime' takes several listenings to appreciate. Larry Groupe's orchestral arrangements are subtle and the band inputs are minimal, mostly just Howe's flamenco guitar/ soft electric and Alan White's drums.

The piece de resistance is 'In the Presence Of', a masterful Yes composition which has rising arpeggios stretching Anderson's high octave voice, all harmonizing with the chorus of voices, a superb Howe electric/ slide guitar solo and Alan White's neat piano introduction. This is one of the great Yes epics from their later period ranking equally with 'Awaken' and comparing favorably against their other classics like 'Close to the Edge'.

Magnification may not reflect the palette of most Yes fans as it presents a more romantic side of Yes, with the added orchestra minus the electronic keyboards, it ventures between the acoustic and the electric. This is the next great Yes album after Drama. While it is adventurous, particularly in use of the orchestra on 'Dreamtime' the album is more of a soft rock than a prog rock album and as this is a prog rock site it gets marked down a little, from five stars to four stars. Still highly recommended if you don't mind a less hard edged Yes, this is an essential addition to anyone's rock collection.

iluvmarillion | 4/5 | 2020-6-24

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