MAGNIFICATION

Yes lost their direction after Union. What followed was a string of poor studio albums: Talk in 1994, Open Your Eyes in 1997, and The Ladder in 1999 perhaps the best of the three, but still part of a musically weak period. The band seemed to realize that reviving their 1970s classics was far more profitable. There was little genuine interest in creating anything truly good. This was the era of Igor Khoroshev, and it marked one of the most uninspired chapters in Yes's history. Rick Wakeman made occasional appearances, managing to rescue the band from total collapse.

Despite the lack of inspiration, Yes released Keys to Ascension in 1996?1997, featuring Wakeman once again. It turned out to be a profitable move and served as a kind of truce with their frustrated and disillusioned fans.

Then came The Ladder. Wakeman was no longer in the band, and the album felt like a small effort to do something better but that would be explored later. The bigger question remained: how would Yes face the coming decade, the 2000s. Would they simply continue celebrating their past, or take a stand and release something newly inspired?

Khoroshev's departure opened up the possibility of Rick Wakeman's return to the studio but not without controversy. Khoroshev was involved in a backstage incident in which he made repeated unwanted advances toward two female security guards. He was later charged with assault and battery and sexual battery, both misdemeanors. There were also reports of him being loud and verbally abusive at his hotel. Despite the scandal, Yes emerged publicly unscathed, but Wakeman did not return, and the band once again found itself without a keyboardist.

Although The Ladder showed some signs of renewed focus, the band still lacked the spark of old. That spark would finally ignite during a bold shift in vision one that traded keyboards for a full symphony orchestra.

Yes then took a break to reflect, and it was during this pause that Jon Anderson and Steve Howe proposed an idea that would mark a sharp turn away from the synthetic sound of the 1990s: a symphonic album with entirely new material. It was something Yes hadn't attempted since Time and a Word in 1970. Everyone agreed it would be a return to their roots with a bold and unexpected twist.

The band began work on demos and initial recordings. Initially, they approached Trevor Horn to produce the album, but he declined due to a backlog of unfinished projects. Instead, Horn recommended Tim Weidner. For the orchestral arrangements, Yes chose Larry Groupe, a lifelong fan of the band. The collaboration was creative and relaxed, with Groupe bringing in the San Diego Symphony Orchestra to handle the orchestral parts.

Steve Howe entered the project with enthusiasm, though that soon gave way to caution. He later revealed that the album had been difficult to complete, describing it as a "problematic one to make," and credited the "relentless efforts" of executive producer Jordan Berliant, Weidner, and himself for getting it over the finish line. Despite saying the album contained "too much music" on one disc, Howe admitted that the band "did get it right" in the end.

Magnification was released on 10 September 2001. It was originally scheduled for release in North America on 11 September 2001. However, plans were disrupted by the terrorist attacks that occurred in New York City on the same day. As a result, the release was postponed to 4 December 2001. The album's chances of success were further damaged when Beyond Music went out of business just one month after its release. Musically, Magnification is sweeping and cinematic, blending Yes's signature progressive structures with lush orchestral arrangements. The band embraced a more organic, spiritual tone, with introspective lyrics and broad dynamics that gave the album a sense of both grandeur and intimacy.

The album is well worked and songs sounds great, "Can You Imagine," features Chris Squire on lead vocals with Anderson on backing vocals. It was originally recorded as a demo in 1981 for the proposed supergroup XYZ (featuring Squire, White, and Jimmy Page), and the session was remembered by Alan White as particularly fun.

The album is the best thing Yes had done on studio in a long time. The band finally gave free rein to their creativity and achieved something that, while not unforgettable, is quite good and it would also be Yes's last studio work with Jon Anderson. Though overlooked at the time due to unfortunate timing and poor label support, Magnification has aged well and is now regarded by many fans.

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