GOING FOR THE ONE

The title track with its "rock and roll" kick-off seems to indicate that the YES are becoming more pop-oriented. This is easy to say today, of course now that we can see the (few) similarities with 90125. However Going For The One is a great song and even if easier than the previous masterpieces it's still progressive.

The album flows very well. There are less virtuosisms than usual, end this makes the music less pretentious and more approachable.

The guitar-and-voice on "Turn Of The Century" is one of the most melodic things of this band. "Parallels" with its church organ and the uptime tempo is a rock track, one of those the new musical style of Yes is coming from.

"Wonderous Stories" seems to be built for Jon's voice. An echo of this song can be heard in the whole "Short Stories" the first album from Jon and Vangelis.

"Turn Of The Century", "Parallels" and "Wonderous Stories" are great songs, but it's with "Awaken" that the album reaches its peak: One of the best performances ever of Rick Wakeman, a great ensemble work and the voice of Jon not always in foreground contribute in creating a dreamy environment.

So, not a masterpiece like Close to the Edge, or Fragile. Just a different kind of masterpiece.