YES

Anthemic, catchy prog rock with pop sensibility - this is what Yes was all about during the 1980s, and yes, Jon Anderson is a necessary prerequisite for a successful Yes album. '90125' is, of course, the iconic and divisive 1983 Yes release, one of the band's commercial successes, and an album packed with universal radio hits that are still in rotation nowadays. Beloved for its sing-along choruses, great melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies, and despised by angry prog snobs who are only willing to pay attention to an eighteen-minute-long flute solo or concept albums about spaceships and dragons, this recording remains definitive of its age, exemplary of musical fads and above all a very strong studio exercise that had ultimately produced an excellent collection of accessible songs that are sufficiently intricate to keep even the most pretentious listeners attentive for all the playful, quirky little details sprinkled all over.

This is the album where Trevor Rabin jumped on board and completely "shattered" the Yes world, in a good sense that is, while Trevor Horn took up all production duties, chiseling the excellent ideas of Anderson, Squire and Kaye, resulting in an album that is equally impressive, enjoyable and memorable, packed with great playing and generous, vivid musical ideas, equal amounts rock and pop tropes and having just the right amount of that prog pomp, definitive of all previous releases by the band. Needless to mention the influence and scope of great songs like 'Owner of a Lonely Heart', 'Changes', 'Leave It' or 'It Can Happen' as these songs have been firmly embedded into the collective memory of the extravagant and unpredictable history of pop music during the eighties. Less popular but no less interesting offerings like the instrumental 'Cinema' or the epic 'Hearts' grace the second side of the LP, and we could only conclude that the then-new pop-oriented direction of Yes only expanded their vocabulary and affirmed that this group of musicians are among the masters of songwriting, production and melodic gutsiness.

One of the many characteristics I love about Yes' music is that it blended classical elements into the rock format. It did take a while for Yes to catch on, as its first two albums were commercial failures and it was their third that basically ensured their lengthy career. The band's fourth, "Fragile" is one of their best for many groundbreaking reasons. It was the first to feature keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman (one of prog's best keyboardists ) and the first to introduce Roger Dean's surrealistic otherworldly artwork (after all, the two go hand-in-hand). A brave record, "Fragile" contained individual pieces that gave each member a chance to shine, as well as the group efforts such as "Roundabout" and "Heart of the Sunrise". The instrumentation was superb; I especially like Chris Squire's distorted bass on "The Fish" and Steve Howe is an exceptional guitarist whose instrumental showcases never cease to awe. "Mood For A Day" is a notable successor to the previous set's "Clap". "Fragile" deserves a place in every prog rock fan's collection and keep tabs on that splintering planet. for a fitting conclusion I say this, In the movie "School of Rock" a parent furious with the teacher (Jack Black) holds up a CD copy of Fragile and says "How is this homework". I would say because its a classic prog album that children around the world should hear. 4.5

I'll keep this short and sweet. Tormato contains some magnificent material (Onward), some very good material (On The Silent Wings Of Freedom) and some really decent material (all the rest of the album). However, it all suffers from a serious lack of competent production. I understand that the band probably felt that they were experienced enough at this stage and that they were up to the task of producing the album themselves but lets face it, they just weren't. Tormato really suffers from a lack of a good knowledgeable producer with a good head for sound. I'm a fan of the band in all its incarnations and I have all their albums as well as many of their live releases. Tormato is only for the likes of me, a fan. To others I would suggest, its not necessary that you hear this album. There are better things in life.

Haven't reviewed Yes yet... this felt needed. In 1973 Yes released their most pompous, overblown, and over-the-top effort ever, Tales From Topographic Oceans. Although fans were now somewhat used to longer songs by Yes, four 20 minute songs was not what they had in mind. After the commercial disappointment and mixed reactions from fans, Rick Wakeman decided to leave the band in order to pursue his solo career. This left a large void in Yes, as Wakeman's lead keyboard work was a huge part of the band as we had been shown in such masterpieces like Close to the Edge and Siberian Khatru. The man to replace him was an entirely different type of player, one that would take Yes's sound to a new level that they had not seen before. Coming from a jazz background, Patrick Moraz was not as much of a lead player as Wakeman was, but he was perfect at completing everything that was going on.

By the time Moraz had joined the band, most of the material for the album had been written, so much of his influence is not shown with the exception of the frantic jazz-fusion bazed Sound Chaser. One huge characteristic of this album is that the guitar takes a very leading role along with the drumming, making Relayer the "Steve Howe/Alan White" show. Many of the sounds on Relayer are far more aggressive than previous albums with the guitar at center stage, which is by no means a bad thing. From the get go with The Gates of Delirium, Steve Howe shows us that his leadership can produce great tracks and a great Yes album in general.

This opening track is based off of War And Peace, and is divided into three (or four if you'd like) large sections. Kicking things off we instantly notice a more raw sound to this cd, with Steve Howe's guitar dibbling over a small Patrick Moraz background does a great job of emulating a buildup of some sort. Jon Anderson kicks in with his classic vocals, this time dealing directly with the topics war. Throughout this whole song, there is always a lot going on. Even at slower points, Steve Howe's guitar can run at a frantic pace, and Alan White's drumming is always at a top notch level. Moraz throws in his lead keyboard lines from time to time to continue driving the song forward. Then at 4:30 we see a repeat of keyboard line, but Moraz's genuious shines and we see an awesome intro to this line. After one more round of classic Jon Anderson, we begin to enter into the "battle" section. Starting with a guitar line that we have heard already, it becomes perfect when Moraz repeats the D minor chord from the behind and Steve Howe adds just a little bit more to put it over the top. The battle section is an intense fury of music, Chris Squire finally shines in this part putting in his best bass work, and Alan White comes in full force with perfect drumming alongside some quick Patrick Moraz keyboard work. Throughout this part quick changes come along as Steve Howe will go off on the guitar with a fantastic flurry of notes that is quickly succeeded by Moraz with more lines of keyboard goodness. Eventually this all explodes into one final burst that brings up an ascending keyboard line that just keeps climbing higher and higher until it finally shifts to Steve Howe, who puts it over the edge and sends into the section named "Soon". This section is a large departure from the earlier parts of the song in that it is entire soft, but it is also entirely beautiful. Jon Anderson's vocals shine here and round off this song, making The Gates of Delirium one of the greatest progressive rock tracks ever written. This song makes the album in my opinion.

It is incredibly hard to follow up a song like that, and the only track that could possibly follow it up is Sound Chaser. This extremely jazzy piece contains most of Moraz's influence on the album, and it obviously shows. We see some small improvising at the beginning before Steve Howe kicks in with a speedy guitar line, which then goes into the most frantic part of a song that I have ever heard. Between Jon Anderson's vocals, Steve's guitar, Alan White's drumming, Squire's bass and Moraz's keys, I cannot understand what the hell is going on in the verse, but I definitely love and think that it is amazing. Howe once again shows us his guitar flair with a solid solo in the middle, and the whole band shows their technical prowess in this track. Sure, the "cha cha cha's"

To Be Over is a much softer track with a lovely intro and some great pedal steel guitar all the way through. Not one member of the band really shines here until the Steve Howe show comes to town, although the vocal melodies really put a nice calm touch on the song, settling down the chaotic mood that was summoned from the previous two tracks. Steve Howe comes in with another guitar solo over top of a very atmospheric backing and keeps the guitar going until some more beautiful Jon Anderson melodies come back set up some Patrick Moraz noodling, and then the song finally ends on some light lead guitar work with some almost Christmas-like vocals coming about to bring a very wintry feel to the end of a classic album.

Any fan of progressive rock should pick this album up, as it is one of the two strongest Yes albums along with 1972's Close To The Edge, and is also one of the best progressive rock albums. The jazzy feel makes it unlike any other prog album and puts it above more generic sounding bands and works by Yes. Unfortuantely, this lineup would only last for this one album, as Rick Wakeman soon rejoined the band, and they began an effort to phase Patrick Moraz out of the band. On 1977's Going For The One, all that Patrick Moraz saw for his work with the band was being at the top of the "thank's to..." list. But many prog and Yes fans will never forget his great contribution to a great band. Also thank you Brufordfreak for reminding to review Yes.

I am a Korean who likes progressive rock.

두 번째 트랙, Sound Chaser으로 Yes의 7집을 시작합니다. 처음은 약간 기괴한, 전형화되지 않은 박자와 즉흥으로 연주하여 정신없이 지나갑니다. 마지막 세 번째 트랙, To Be Over는 마치 긴 여행을 끝낸 편안한 사운드를 제공해요. 서정적이에요. 이전과는 다른 사운드가 들리는 거 같습니다. 뭔가 표지와 비슷한 차가운 색이 보여요. 마지막 1-2분에 들리는 사운드로 분위기는 절정에 도달합니다. 두 번째 트랙과 전혀 다른 분위기로 대조시켜 더 분위기가 사는 거 같습니다. Yes의 음반이 좋은 이유 중 하나는 긴 시간의 곡이라도 멜로디 라인을 정말 잘 가지고 간다는 점이에요. 즉흥 연주도 절묘하게 붙이고요. 곡을 잘 나눕니다. 페달 스틸 기타가 굉장히 매력적입니다. 언젠가 인생의 마침표를 찍을 때, 이 곡을 듣고 싶어요. 이 음반은 과소평가 된 면이 없지 않아 있어요. 이 음반을 좋아합니다. 감사합니다.

I am a Korean who likes progressive rock.

프로그레시브 록의 특징 중 하나인 긴 시간의 곡이 가끔 지치게 할 때가 있어요. 첫 트랙, Close to the Edge는 그 긴 시간이 짧게 느껴졌습니다. 왜 그런지 생각해 봤어요. 곡의 구성이 미쳤습니다. 멜로디 라인은 그대로 살리되, 거기에 즉흥으로 연주를 붙이고 분위기가 점점 고조되며 절정에 이르러 변주가 기가 막힙니다. 곡을 정말 잘 나누었어요. 그리고 전체적인 음향이 듣기에 날 것 느낌이 나지만, 조화롭고 밝고 편안했어요. Jon Anderson의 목소리가 사실 처음에는 제 취향은 아니었지만 듣다 보니 좋아졌답니다. 프로그레시브 록 중 가장 좋아하는 곡이에요. 매일 들어요. 몇몇 곡들은 귀에 익숙하기까지 시간이 꽤 걸립니다. 하지만, 이 곡은 달라요. 처음 듣자마자 좋았어요. 왜 이 음반이 이 커뮤니티에서 가장 많은 사랑을 받는지 깨달았어요. 감사합니다.

I am a Korean who likes progressive rock.

첫 번째 트랙, Roundabout은 처음 완급 조절로 마음을 뺏고 시작하는 베이스 라인이 굉장히 좋습니다. 다이내믹해요. 일본 애니메이션 죠죠의 기묘한 모험 엔딩으로 유명한 곡이죠. 아마 Yes의 곡 중 가장 대중성이 있는 곡이 아닐지 생각됩니다. 이어서 두 번째 트랙, Cans and Brahms로 심포닉 록의 진수를 보여줍니다. 건반 연주가 좋아요. 세 번째 트랙, We Have Heaven은 무언가 실험적인 보컬 시도가 보입니다. 처음에는 조금 난해하였지만 제 취향에 잘 맞습니다. 마지막 네 번째 트랙, South Side of the Sky로 다시 록 사운드로 기강을 잡죠. 사운드가 단단합니다. 하지만, 사운드들이 서로 대조적인 면이 있어요. 합주가 좋아요. 특히 Yes는 음반 표지가 마음에 들어요. 프로그레시브 록에 입문한다고 하면 이 음반을 가장 먼저 추천할 것 같습니다. 쉽지만 들을수록 깊이가 있어요. 감사합니다.

I've been into Yes for years but until recently when I was convalescing,never got past Heaven & Earth. To be honest I didn't mind that at all in fact I like it as much as other people hated it. Moving on to The Quest which I bought on vinyl with the CDs , I liked that even more apart from maybe the bonus tracks which were a little too poppy for my liking. I think you have to understand that Yes are moving on from the Anderson, Wakeman style era and now have new guys bringing their own take on the Yes sound. All the tracks on the main album stand up as good strong songs providing you don't keep comparing them with other songs that are now over 50 years old.

At the end of November of 1983, I found myself in my car at the nexus of the old Jefferson Davis Parkway and Washington Avenue in New Orleans. Turning on my radio, I was greeted by an unexpected, but very welcome voice of Jon Anderson. I wondered, "Could this be a re-birth of sorts?"

Yes, it was.

Soon, thereafter, I learned from my friend Eldon Wood that Yes, with Jon Anderson returning, had just released an album, "90125." Besides Anderson, Chris Squire, Alan White, Tony Kaye, and a "newcomer," Trevor Rabin, comprised the new lineup of the band.

As we know, the most successful, commercial period in Yes' history was at hand. Through collective "wisdom," "90125" somehow does not measure up to "Close to the Edge," "Relayer," or "The Yes Album." And, yet, this album, utilizing its Atco catalogue number for a title, would not just usher in a "resurrection" of the band, but also expose it to an even more extended, global following.

Of course, for the lion's share of us, quality and commercial success are not synonymous. Nevertheless, the innate, realized energy of "90125" places it in the echelon of all Yes albums. Through the prism of forty-one years, "90125" takes on the character of one of its proposed, alternate titles: "The New Yes Album . . . . " Facetiously, one might also assert the title could have been, "Yes Makes Known the Music of Trevor Rabin . . . ?"

In 1982, following the cessation of the Yes that brought about and toured "Drama," Chris Squire and Alan White persevered, seeking new musical endeavors. One "evolutionary shoot" that ended in its early stages then was the XYZ Band with Jimmy Page. Through the Atlantic Records executive, Phil Carson, Squire and White met the South African guitarist, vocalist, and composer, Trevor Rabin. This "ascension" would prove to be abiding.

Seeking a keyboardist, Squire re-established contact with Tony Kaye, Yes' original Hammond organist and pianist. To Squire, Kaye's performances on the first three Yes albums typified his conception of what would complete the "quaternity" of players soon to be known as "Cinema."

As "90125" made its notable entrance in November of 1983, little was known upfront of the events, which led up to its release. The only indication of the lineage of the entity responsible for the album is the instrumental, "Cinema."

One direct element of continuity within the membership of Yes is Trevor Horn's production of "90125." By November of 1983, fans of the band were well familiar with Horn from his contributions to "Drama" as lead vocalist and bassist on "Run Though the Light." The success of "Owner of the Lonely Heart" reflects not only the songwriting skills of Rabin, but also the production "chops" of Horn. And, later, I believe it was Rick Wakeman, who stated that Rabin had given Yes a "Roundabout" for the Eighties.

This success came at a "cost:" on the final release of "90125," the direct contributions of Tony Kaye were limited to "Cinema" and "Hearts." The historical "knock" against Tony Kaye has been his supposed reticence to utilize current, keyboard technology. I would like to point out that, soon after his first stint with Yes, Kaye appeared on the album, "One Live Badger." Here, he employed a full 1972 "arsenal" of keyboards.

Through subsequent interviews,Trevor Rabin has described the events of the genesis and recording of "90125."

At a juncture following the final instrumental takes of "Cinema" and "Hearts," Kaye left the studio. Somehow, producer Horn and keyboardist Kaye simply couldn't "work it out." Because Trevor Rabin is a multi-instrumentalist, he supplied the keyboards for the remainder of "90125." If one listens to the performances of "Hold On" and "Changes" on "9012Live," Kaye's initial studio work in 1982 with Squire, White, and Rabin is apparent.

Also apparent is the economy of the execution of the songs. Throughout "90125," complexities characteristic of the Yes of the Seventies appear in microcosm: In "Hold On," 3:26-3:40;in "It Can Happen," 3:11-3:37; in "Changes," the entire first minute, which exemplifies a succession of syncopated tuned percussion, piano, bass, guitar, and synthesized pipe organ . . . .

And, in this connection, the all too brief "Cinema" stands out. In October of 1999, while touring "The Ladder," Yes performed at the House of Blues in New Orleans. With Billy Sherwood and Igor Khoroshev, Chris Squire and Alan White convincingly performed "Cinema." Finally, in its entirety, "Hearts" is a microcosm of the earlier Yes . . . .

Thus, for this "Yes-Freak," "90125" also holds an enduring place in my musical memory. I would like to submit that this 1983 offering is a watershed from which the Yes of the latter stages of the 20th and first decades of the 21st centuries flows.

Of all of the Yes albums, with the possible exception of "Tales from Topographic Oceans," "Union" has sown the most discord since its release. As Bill Bruford has famously noted, in effect, "Union" is the worst album upon which he has ever performed. The legendary percussionist has astutely pointed out that it is also inappropriately titled. The final product is more of an uneasy "truce" between the Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Squire, White, Rabin, and Kaye incarnations of Yes.

The record company, Arista, served as the enforcer of this "truce." When Bill Bruford and Tony Levin laid down the rhythm section to the tracks scheduled to be the next ABWH album, an entity, "Union," had not yet entered the picture. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman were only able to record initial contributions to this incipient ABWH second album.

Somewhere along the line, typically, in accordance with past communications, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, and Jon Anderson established contact, and the concept of a "union" of the two different versions of Yes was born. This notion piqued the interest of the record company, which, of course, perceived more monetary potential from a Yes rather than a second Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe album . . . .

Consequently, a timetable was set into motion for release. Now, Jon Anderson and co-producer, Jonathan Elias, were between the proverbial "rock and a hard place." Howe and Wakeman had only recorded early versions of their parts, and, through previous commitments, they were not able to return to the studio to complete their contributions within the schedule of Arista.

What emerged was an "original sin" of Anderson and Elias: studio musicians were hired to flesh out and augment Howe and Wakeman's initial work. Upon first hearing the finished "Union," Wakeman renamed it "Onion," because it made him cry: he could not identify his work in the final product. Howe's solo piece, "Masquerade" is his one, unequivocal contribution to the album.

In the judgment of subsequent criticism, the four offerings from Squire and company have fared better. The vocals of Squire and Anderson are the only, true unifying aspect of "Union."Anderson added his co-lead vocals (with Trevor Rabin, Billy Sherwood, and Chris Squire)to "Lift Me Up," "Saving My Heart," "The Miracle of Life," and ""The More We Live, Let Go;" Squire contributed backing vocals to "I Would Have Waited Forever," "Without Hope, You Cannot Start the Day," and "Dangerous."

What emerged in the Spring of 1991 was a somewhat contrived album, which I welcomed as a new Yes album, but felt was artificial. Yet, the tour launched by this album was a successful amalgamation of the eight members involved, serving as the basis of the selection of these gentlemen as inductees into the 2017 the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The documentary interviewing the eight members readying themselves for the upcoming tour is also memorable. Chris Squire reveals that the dismissal of Tony Kaye in the Summer of 1971 was not the "most justified." In his inimitable and supercilious manner, Bill Bruford relates the origins of "Yours is No Disgrace," and his assertion that the members of Yes have been known to react to the "whims of Maestro Anderson . . . ."

Perhaps the most enduring criticism of "Union" must be that of Steve Howe. Unlike Wakeman who has ostensibly taken the "unnatural" path that led to "Onion" in stride, Howe has nursed a bruise since 1991. This discomfort fully emerged following the 2008 removal of Jon Anderson from the band by Squire, Howe, and White. Since this regrettable period in the history of Yes, the team responsible for the concept and lyrics of "Tales From Topographic Oceans" has, in a de facto sense, been divorced.

However, we now have two albums that, in a sense, provide a re-union of Howe and Anderson: "Mirror to the Sky" and "True." Both Howe and Anderson have presided over the production of two pieces worthy of inclusion on an up to date version of "Tales from Topographic Oceans:" "Mirror to the Sky" and "Once Upon a Dream . . . . "

Based on the strength of "Lift Me Up," "Miracle of Life," "Angkor Wat," "Dangerous," "Without Hope You Canno Start the Day," "Evensong," and "Masquerade,"I give "Union" four stars. I do believe lovers of the music of Yes are right in feeling negatively about this album based on its irregular conception, execution, and clumsy interference by Arista. However, making allowances for the "Frankenstein-like" production of this album, one can find merit in it. If even on parallel paths, let's welcome this century's music of Yes.