HEAVEN & EARTH

Whereas I do resent those one-star reviews that had been posted even before the album was released, I must concur with the folks who think the Heaven and Earth is "for the Yes fans only" and contributes very little to the prog's legacy.

But then again, should we expect Yes to churn out a new CTTE or Fragile every couple of years, without repeating themselves?

How about cutting Yes a little slack and judging this album on its own merits, without obsessively comparing it to the band's masterpieces from 40 years ago?

There are pleasant melody lines, matched by the sound quality. I wish the album had more of the old-style Chris Squire "fat" bass guitar sound, but I wish for so many things these days. It is what it is, and it's a nice album to listen to. The artwork is great as well, which is always a plus.

Overall, I'd assign the Heaven and Earth 3.5 stars, rounding up to 4 ..