RELAYER

This is one of the two or three best YES albums and one of the best albums in the ambit of Prog Rock. The playing, particularly Steve Howe's work, has a bite and a sharpness that was missing from much of "Topographic Oceans." His electric-Spanish-guitar solo on "Sound Chaser" is a miracle and one of his best moments on record. Squire shines throughout, and he and Alan White lock-in on this album at or near the levels of Chris's earlier rhythm section collaborations with Bill Bruford. The bass and drum parts on the beginning of "Sound Chaser" represent some of the finest work of these two musicians. "Gates of Delirium" is a fantastic arrangement that tells more of a story than their earlier side-long epics. The "Soon" section at the end of "Gates" is one of the most beautiful YES pieces of music, with a sublime vocal by Anderson. I am in the minority among YES fans in that I prefer Patrick Moraz's keyboard work to Rick Wakeman's. I feel that his soloing was more varied and he had a jazz/fusion element in his playing that added a new dimension to the band. (I wish that he had recorded more studio albums with YES.) This album is a not-to-be-missed masterpiece for a YES fan. It's not the one to start with (I would recommend "The Yes Album" or "Fragile" for YES neophytes) but once acclimated to the unique YES sound, this album will provide years of enjoyment.