KEYSTUDIO

Yes shocked the world by releasing an album that was very reminiscent of the classic sound. Even though the music was recorded in the 90s, released in 2001, it definitely had that 70s aura to it. But despite all that, I feel that there is something missing in the music on this album. Unfortunately, I can't really put my finger on what it is.

"Footprints" is the opening track and is rather mediocre, especially for being the first song on the album. Anderson carries the song with his trademark vocals. Howe delivers a nice sound with the acoustic guitar, but the melody seems forced while the lyrics are especially cheesy (even by Yes' standard).

"Be the One" is a big improvement over "Footprints", in my opinion. Some nice sounds from the drums start things off before Anderson's vocals take over. There is a nice balance of guitar and keyboards which sustain this song. The song builds in intensity and speed from the beginning to the end. The cheesy lyrics don't bother me on this track for some reason.

"Mind Drive" is a vintage Yes epic which spans 18 minutes and is able to keep my attention for the duration. "Bring Me to the Power" is next and it is fairly forgettable as far as I'm concerned. The instrumental "Sign Language" has some beauty to it. It starts with solitary notes from the piano, then Howe enters with some nice guitar playing.

"That, That Is" is another epic, clocking in at over 19 minutes. It's decent, but seems to lag at times. I think of this as a song that could have been on Topographic Oceans, but wasn't able to make the cut.

"Children of the Light" is the closing track and is actually pretty good. Howe has some really nice emotive solos in this song.

Overall, this is a good album. It would never be mistaken for one of Yes' best, but for the time period that it was released, it was a pleasant surprise.