yes (drama)

Great record favorite song machine messiah ,i am a camera and white car interesting thought ,i would hate this record but ended up loving it. just was happy with the original ,i dont usually listen to b-sides and demos on the cd reissue had the same problem with the re release of tormato liked just the original album ,my favorite re releases are the genesis collection no b-sides or demos that,s just fine by me. any thoughts ?

I like Drama a lot. I think Chris Squire does some if his best work here. It's always tricky when you bring in a different lead singer but over all I thought it was a very good album.  

Edited by Argo2112 - June 25 2019 at 11:15

Not my favourite, but it certainly counts as a full-fledged Yes album, not less than Going for the One or 90125, in spite of the absence of Jon Anderson. Most songs sound a bit hit-and-miss to my ears, but the distinctive Yes sound is still there and I agree that Chris Squire does a good job here.

also i put tempest fugit up there with roundabout.

Machinemessiah wrote: Like it a lot. Perhaps I'm a bit of a hardliner proghead (or for whatever reason) but at the end of the day Drama is the only Yes past 1974 I listen to regularly, with the exception of 'Wonderous Stories', that I listen through Classic Yes. Don't know if I'm necessarily a big fan of Trevor Horn on vocals, but he surely does a great job, and it adds to the different sound.

I agree Drama is their best post-1974 work, although Fly from Here is also very good. I also like 90125.

/\
Yeah, I’d probably love Return Trip if I’d never heard the original... instead it’s an interesting curio, at least to me.

Edited by patrickq - June 26 2019 at 20:34

I think what makes it great is that it's not a pastiche of prog or Yes in any way. This was a new line up and a new vision. I hear fresh creative dynamic and original music . Not an easy thing for them to pull off at this stage. Many fans had pre-conceived notions because of The Buggles connection and that unfortunately killed the possibility of it growing even further. Thankfully the album is now properly recognised as a classic.

patrickq wrote: TenYearsAfter wrote: A reviewer once wrote on PA: If you listen to the album without prejudice, you'll have to admit Drama is a very good progressive rock album even without the distinctive voice of Jon Anderson. Jon and Rick Wakeman left in 1979." Well, that is a nice thought, but how about this one (from above):"Drama is a stupendous record. It sounds unlike any other Yes album, thanks to those two guys. But it doesn't stop there. Howe is positively on fire. But wait! There's more! Chris Squire's tracks are a veritable bass clinic. It's essential Yes. People who pretend Drama doesn't count because of that line-up are weirdos." So after reading these two pretty authorative conclusions, is it still possible to consider Drama as not a good Yes album? Am I prejudiced, or a weirdo? Or should I take these reviewers less seriously …. just thoughts. I’ve made a similar complaint re: King Crimson’s Lizard. But to answer your question, probably weirdo.

 

Frenetic Zetetic wrote: Machinemessiah wrote: Like it a lot. Perhaps I'm a bit of a hardliner proghead (or for whatever reason) but at the end of the day Drama is the only Yes past 1974 I listen to regularly, with the exception of 'Wonderous Stories', that I listen through Classic Yes. Don't know if I'm necessarily a big fan of Trevor Horn on vocals, but he surely does a great job, and it adds to the different sound. I agree about it being their strongest post-1974 work. I'm one of the few weirdos that has mixed feelings about GFTO. I'm always up and down on that record. I personally think this is also Trevor Horn's best overall performance as a vocalist. I think his range is fantastic for what the band were doing, and he had that "eccentric mojo" the band were known for.