GOING FOR THE ONE

The maestro returns! Wakeman came back to the fold with this album, recorded in Switzerland. This was my first ever Yes album, and not only do I retain a great deal of affection for it for that reason, but I also regard it as being their finest album.

The opener, and title track, is untypical Yes, and moves along at a rate of knots. I do especially enjoy the Howe guitar at the end accompanying Anderson Talk about sending love sequence.

What follows, though, is a track of such breathtaking beauty that it is the single piece of music I want to be played at my funeral. Turn of the Century tells a simple story wonderfully - it is a tale of a love that is so intense and important that it transcends our ultimate test, that of death. You feel for Roan when his love passes away, following much suffering. Then Roan moulds a clay statue of his love which comes to life in a fantastic burst, dancing and singing in a celebration of life and love. Steve Howe's guitar solo in the interim still makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, it is that beautiful. This song is not a mere track, it is a whole experience, and I especially like the fact that Anderson is able to tell a story that we can all relate to and understand. Sheer perfection in music.

Parallels is a great track, and is the first to feature the Wakeman church organ. The maestro is on top form on this album, playing as if his life depended upon it.

Wondrous Stories, of course, attracts a fair bit of criticism because it's commercial and a pop song. As with much of the Collins era Genesis, this doesn't bother me at all - I think its a great pop song, and the best testimony you can write about it is the fact that it became a huge UK hit at a time when punk was raging across the country in a flurry of snot and filth.

The original album ends with what I regard as being the ultimate Yes epic, Awaken. The passage of church organ by Wakeman is his finest moment with the band, utterly majestic and alive. The track also contains some excellent Howe guitar bursts and Anderson is on great form. An incredible track, it is even better live in my opinion. Deservedly one of the greats in the band's extensive cannon.

I rate this LP as five stars without hesitation. For those people visiting this site who are looking to start purchasing Yes, I would recommend this as the ideal place to start your journey, before progressing to the earlier stuff. An incredible album and utterly indispensible as part of any prog collection.