GOING FOR THE ONE

When the music press announced that Rick WAKEMAN returned to YES in '76, I was delighted, what a pleasant surprise! 'Could YES handle the very high expectations?' was the ultimate question in those days. Well, very positive!! That was the clear answer after the release of the new album "Going For The One" in '77 and my keyboard hero WAKEMAN, 'the caped crusader', sounded as reborn. His play was so sparkling, varied and inspired on his Grand piano (great intro on the 'magnum opus' "Awaken"), Minimoogs, Hammond organ and the Swiss church organ in the bombastic "Parallels". Mighty close to WAKEMAN's 'number one role' on this album came Steve HOWE with his exciting steel guitar play on the title track, the beautiful and warm acoustic guitars on "Turn Of The Century" and "Wonderous Stories" and all those moving and compelling runs on his wide range of electric guitars in "Parallels" and "Awaken" (the best track since "Close To The Edge"). The rhythm-section Chris SQUIRE and Alan WHITE was superb and singer Jon ANDERSON his contribution reached a very high level though his high-pitched vocals didn't please everybody. I'm eagerly waiting for a DVD release from the "Going For The One tour" so I can enjoy Chris SQUIRE with his amazing triple-neck, Steve HOWE with his 'guitar-museum' and Rick WAKEMAN with his keyboards collection, placed on three levels! YES, it was the era that 'symphonic rock dinosaurs' ruled, .... a few years before their extinction.