RELAYER

I think this, along with Close to the Edge, is one of Yes's masterpieces. Comprised of only three tracks, like Close to the Edge, with the first one being the longest and the other two being relatively the same length. However, musically, it is very different. I think this is Yes at their most intense, and they make use of much more dissonance than usual. Patrick Moraz does a fine job replacing Rick Wakeman, and he brings a different feel to this album. The classic Yes elements are all here, but I think here they just take it to another level with experimentation and a rougher sound. My favourite track here is the opener, the epic Gates of Delerium, clocking in at about 22 minutes. It's an intense track dealing with the issues of war. For the first seventeen minutes or so we are treated to all the technical prowess we have come to love about Yes, and then they close it off with the section entitled Soon, which has a ballad like form. Sound Chaser is another intense piece, with some jazz and some more avant garde elements thrown in, and is overall a great track. Relayer closes with To Be Over, which mellows things out a bit, which is a nice contrast to the intensity displayed in the first two tracks.