BIG GENERATOR

I hoped that 90215 was as low as Yes got. Nope, instead the faithful are hit with Big Generator. Whereas 90215 had Owner of a Lonely Heart, a hopelesy commercial yet ever so slightly catchy little number, Big Generator creates, nay generates, a black hole where the band's immense talent is stretched and warped before being sucked through to the great unknown. Only Jon Anderson manages to grab a pipe or something as his band mates are pulled into this gaping maw. His vocal arrangements hint at the glory of yesteryear, but they are placed on some of the worst songs from a once great band since Abacab (Genesis would respond to this challenge to authority when they released Invisible Touch, an album that inspires a brief fit of depression coupled with an eating disorder).

"Rythm of Love" and "Big Generator" open the album with banal dance beats. "Shoot High, Aim Low" is a fitting description of this album's effect on me, as after finishing I felt a throbbing pain below the belt and tasted blood for about a week. This song is FAR too long. Yes has crafted much longer numbers, but they were musically innovative and interesting. This sounds like someone's ABBA record started skipping. If the "Holy Lamb" on this disc is the same from Genesis' controversial concept album, then the lamb must have committed suicide on Broadway. Anderson does some very weird vocalization ("singing" is a stretch).

The rest of the songs offer no standout lyrics, vocals, or musicianship. Trevor Rabin, an underrated guitarist in my mind, gets no chance to shine here, and neither does any other member of the band. Anderson's lyrics, usually thoughtful and metaphorical, now are trite pop that are even less good the predominant crap pop of the day. His vocals are also a disappointment. I hesitate to even call this an album. An album contains music; this is a very portable toilet. In a parallel universe, this would be Yes' greatest work. Perhaps then it is appropriate that it forms a black hole of music; it created its own portal to the bizarro world where it will be loved (or hated, however it works there). I would continue talking about this failure of a disc, but the area between the right and left halves of my brain has threatened to take us both out if I keep hurting him with the memory of this.

Grade: F