I think Drama rates five stars. One of my favorite albums, and one of the best showcases for Squire, Howe, and White that exists. The vocals, both Horn and Squire are superb, and the melodies and lyrics are intelligent and surprising. And fantastic instrumenation. Complex, off-beat runs played to absolute effortless perfection.

I hadn't even heard it until earlier this year and was absolutely blown away by it. It's in a different class than CTTE, Fragile, Relayer, et al. but in its own way, it is a fiery, powerful experience.

Drama = very

Esp. with all the bonus tracks. Great CD. Deff. four stars.

"Drama" is far better than "Tormato" in terms of music, although Trevor Horn isn't a good singer. In a list of top 10 Yes albums, I would place it as the sixth better: 

Yes Album

Close to the Edge

Fragile

Relayer

Going for the One 

Drama

Tales from Topographic Oceans

Yes

Time and a Word

Magnification

Barbs, about the comparison between "Drama" and "Tormato": IMHO, the strongest tracks at the first are actually better than the strongest at the second, and "Tormato"'s weakest tracks are among the worst thing Yes have produced in all time (with the exception of Big Generator, Union and Open Your Eyes - these albums should be deleted of the Yes catalogue). But it's all subjective, as you pointed. We both will be happier listening to our favourites between these albums than discussing it.

I like Drama a lot. Jon Anderson singing on this would have made it an absolute classic, but hey, Trev didn't do too bad, did he.

Machine Messiah and Does it Really Happen are my favourites.

Drama is a good album... is rare to hear Yes without Jon ...

Trevor Horn is a good guy ... but i missed Jon in that album...

Into the lens

Wouldn't say it was a masterpiece to be honest- 'Man In A White Car' is one of the most inconsequential Yes songs ever and 'Run Through The Light' is just dull. However, 'Machine Messiah' and 'Does It Really Happen' are great tracks. 'Tempus Fugit' I always found slightly overrated to be honest, but it's still a good track.

Would get 3/5 from me...

M. B. Zapelini wrote: "Drama" is far better than "Tormato" in terms of music, although Trevor Horn isn't a good singer.  Barbs, about the comparison between "Drama" and "Tormato": IMHO, the strongest tracks at the first are actually better than the strongest at the second, and "Tormato"'s weakest tracks are among the worst thing Yes have produced in all time (with the exception of Big Generator, Union and Open Your Eyes - these albums should be deleted of the Yes catalogue). But it's all subjective, as you pointed. We both will be happier listening to our favourites between these albums than discussing it.

M. B., after you wrote that post I went back and listened to both albums over again and apart from Machine Messiah, which I think is a very strong track and probably quite influential, I still cannot see how anyone could rate the album above the other. In fact, Silent Wings of Freedom is probably one of the most underrated songs in the Yes catalogue. Release, Release which has been accused of being just a plain old rock song also has more value than that and Madrigal is really quite a beautiful short composition and certainly not mainstream.

The other thing about Tormato which needs to be noted is that even if you don't appreciate 'Don't kill the Whale', which is certainly not my fav song, it is historically an important composition because at the time of the writing of that song, Blue Whales had become depleted to the point of extinction (appx 1% of original stock) and that song certainly played its part in promoting the need to protest and promote change in the modus operandi of whaling nations such as Japan in order to prevent the complete extinction of the species. So even those who argue that Jon's words are too esoteric and incomprehensible should appreciate the  importance of the album and the song in terms of our ecological history. Vocally, even though Trevor Horn didn't do a bad job he just does not have the consistent quality in his voice that Jon does. Trevor is an excellent back up, harmony vocalist but Jon was and always will be the lead voice of Yes.

I understand that some of the songs on the album are (as some people put it) twee which applies to the first couple of songs on side 2, however, Drama has some pretty weak moments to. Personally after listening to them both, in my 'subjective' opinion, Tormato is a more interesting album; the last of the classic Yes lineup for a very long time. But I also agree with the wisdom of your final comment, "We both will be happier listening to our favourites beween these albums than discussing it."