FISH OUT OF WATER

When Yes took a break in the mid-seventies, and each member released their own solo album, it was Chris Sqire's that proved to be the best. While "Fish Out Of Water" retains much of the sound that we know of as Yes, he also imprints his own unique view over the entire album.

His vocals, up to that point only heard as background to Jon Anderson, are in a similar range as Anderson's but distinctly different in tone. A little less full, but still with the power to carry off these tunes.

The songs are all pure symphonic rock, with, of course, strong bass lines. And Squire gets some assistance from an all-star band, including Bill Bruford and Patrick Moraz, Mel Collins and Jimmy Hastings.

The best track is the longest. Safe (Canon Song) is an orchestral piece, that also allows Squire to perform a section with his bass playing multiple track simultaneously (as he did on a few classic Yes tracks) to great effect.

While not quite a masterpiece, this album belong in any serious prog collector's library.