yes (90125)

AFlowerKingCrimson wrote: As a pop rock record or mainstream aor record(ie Asia, Styx, Boston, Foreigner, Journey etc)it's fantastic. As a Yes record it's middle of the pack at best. As a prog record it's not even invited to the dinner party.

In Yes terms it's very progressive, because it's such a departure and progression from what they had done before. The contrast between Trevor Horns crisp, almost electronic pop production including the use of sampling, and the heavy rock guitar makes it both distinctly rock and prog. It's far more 'progressive' than Drama IMO, and vastly superior in quality to Tormato.

Rick Wakemen once said he wished he'd been involved with it.

It was also my introduction to Yes, so I guess it's quite special to me for that reason.

Edited by Blacksword - October 02 2017 at 03:49

I've always loved it, heard it for the first time in its entirety back in '95. Obviously heard Owner of a Lonely Heart before. 

You gotta' be kidding me.

i agree big generator and talk were very worthy yes albums, although really did not care for shoot high aim low, a very clunky track i feel .

Edited by grantman - May 15 2017 at 09:45

It was not meant to be a Yes album when most of the tracks were first demoed. The band was first known as Cinema before Jon Anderson was invited. Chris played Jon some of the tracks, Jon liked them and agreed to sing on much of them while adding some lyrics and maybe changing things a little bit. Apparently Jon said something like "well, if I sing on these songs it will  sound like Yes." Chris Squire's response was something like "well, that's the  idea." :) 

Count me as a fan of "Owner." Yeah, 90125 is much different, because it began life as a different album by a band that wasn't even going to be called Yes.

Crisp production, but I like to think of it only as a bump in the road for the Yes boys. Naturally, I wish they had expended their talents working on something a little more proggier at the time.

Great Album!

I think it's one of their best albums. Certainly in their top 5. I also think it's one of the best albums of the 80's of any genre.

Edited by Blacksword - May 11 2017 at 03:07

Yes is possibly the only prog band that I really like at their commercial peak, the album is still full of moments not alien to their older work. There are minimalist elements, pseudo-Police sounding parts, guitar solos and still a lot of heart in the songwriting. Of course it has a real 80s sound, but it seems to have aged well! 

Edited by Thatfabulousalien - May 11 2017 at 00:45