ANDERSON BRUFORD WAKEMAN HOWE

This is well known album by YES in all, but name. I am not a big YES fan even in their classic works, but their releases from late 70-s - 80-s were mostly terrible. This one , even with a bit different line up (and Tony Levin on bass) is really one of the best from that period. Or, in other words, this album is a almost the only one from all decade I can listen and enjoy!

Anderson's voice is in great form (and I really hate his solo new age albums from few last decades!), and the album's cover is Roger Dean's work. Mostly Wakeman keyboards-based, music has some connections with YES music from mid 70-s. For sure, the year is 1989, and Wakeman recorded a bunch of new-age/synth-rock albums from his early-YES years, and for sure you can feel it in his playing on this album. But he is great musician, and he really shows it when playing classic YES -influenced music in modern manner.

Rhythm section is competent, but hardly innovative, or even important. Steve Howe role is quite limited as well. But in whole, music is melodic, well played and arranged and not boring. In some places you can hear open flirt with pop-rock there, but - it's understandable thinking about time of release.

Far not one from the best YES recordings, but possible the best one in last two decades of last century.

My rating is 3+.