BIG GENERATOR

After the grueling 90125 tour, Yes was about to take a break. However, the album's sales surpassed one million copies in the United States alone, encouraging the band to search for another hit. A few months later, they began rehearsing what would become Big Generator.

Trevor Rabin was under pressure when his label, Atco Records, insisted on producing another hit like "Owner of a Lonely Heart." But Rabin wanted to leave the band's past behind and create something different, regardless of commercial success. Produced once again by Trevor Horn, Big Generator marked Yes' first album since Tormato to feature the same lineup.

Big Generator isn't as bad as one might expect, nor as bland as 90125, which only had three or four good songs. This album is much more consistent and leans toward a kind of heavy progressive rock. In fact, it sounds more like a futuristic version of Yes compared to its predecessor, which seemed more like a laboratory experiment designed to turn Yes into a hit-making machine.

The album produced two hits, "Love Will Find a Way" and "Rhythm of Love," and its sales were quite similar to those of 90125. It was also nominated for a Grammy, like its predecessor. That said, it includes one of the worst songs ever written and produced by Yes: "Almost Like Love."

Big Generator was a flop for Atlantic Records, but a small victory for hardcore Yes fans. On songs like "Final Eyes," "Holy Lamb," and "I'm Running," the band came surprisingly close to recapturing the spirit of classic Yes. It's still a completely forgettable album, but it leaves a different taste when you listen to it.

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