DRAMA

No band should remain ever the same, and Yes were always innovators, never sticking to the same formula, which is ideal. However, this album leaves a sour taste in the mouth, not (only) because of the change of singer, but because of the compositions. On the one hand, this album has some positive things going for it - a harder edge, new blood, and Eddie Offord back in the producer seat. There is some vitality here, particularly expressed on "Machine Messiah" and "Tempus Fugit", the two best tracks (the other decent-listenable track is "Into the Lens"). On the other hand, there is something missing. While one might be tempted to say it is simply Jon Anderson (and indeed, Trevor Horn's vocals leave a lot to be desired, even without comparing them to Jon), I think there is something else - one can feel that this album wasn't made for the right reasons - The truth is that the band were broke, and needed to cobble together an album and do a tour to pay back their debt. The songs, as a result, feel both lighter/fluffier (ie meaningless, with concocted lyrics) but also heavier (one can sense the baggage). While the latter adds an edge, it is not enough to make one want to listen to this multiple times. There just doesn't seem to be enough weight or musicality to the tunes. Even Tempus Fugit, which is great musically, is dumbed down by the lyrics. With only half the songs being listenable, and with even those overly light, I would not recommend this album except to true fans (or, those who like Yes but not Jon Anderson). I give this album 4.3 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to 2 PA stars.

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