 Yes OK, you're in a rock band who has had a good run of gold and platinum albums, when all of a sudden you release the biggest bomb of your career (1978's Tormato), and the world-famous keyboardist (Rick Wakeman), and lead singer whose distinctive voice has shaped the sound of the band for a decade (Jon Anderson) have both departed for less-greener pastures … what do you do? Bassist Chris Squire had an offbeat idea to merge Yes with a European pop group called the Buggles (the "Video Killed the Radio Star" people) in order to keep the band going. What is most crazy about this situation is that it works brilliantly. The members of Yes, so prone to bloated extended solos, actually come down off their respective clouds and play like a team. Just one more time, Yes prove why they earned our respect to begin with. It's too easy to rip on a dinosaur band like Yes without giving this album a fair listen. Trevor Horn, already a gifted producer, takes over from longtime knob-turner Eddie Offord, and the new Yes rumbles thru 36 minutes, 50 seconds of pure fiery prog-pop. "Machine Messiah" continues in their prog rock tradition, delivering a 10 minute musical wallop, as the instruments lumber along to represent the behemoth described in the lyrics. "White Car" is a gentle Buggles-esque interlude that sets up Chris Squire's fleet-fingered showcase in "Does It Really Happen." "Into the Lens," which the Buggles themselves later remade as "I Am A Camera," inspires the vision of the listener to interpret the functions of the human mind. "Run Through The Light", while easily the weakest track on the album, would be the strongest track on most of their late 80s releases, especially Talk. Steve Howe again proves why he is the premier guitarist of his era, galloping thru "Tempus Fugit" with reckless abandon. As the lyrics taunt Squire for always being late for band practices, the music pushes all five players to the limits of their respective talents. With apologies to Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman, let the purists champion Close to the Edge, Going for the One, or Fragile … to me, the best Yes CD for your money is Drama.
Review by Casey Blick |