THE LADDER

'The Ladder' is not that bad. Not as artificial as 'Talk' and not as commercial as '90125'. This in my opinion is the best Yes album since 'Drama'. 'Homeworld(The Ladder)' has some Middle-Eastern undertones. I love this song. I like Jon Anderson's almost sing-shouting. Not too far in is a great Steve Howe guitar solo. All nine minutes are full of pure Yes extract, like the band had been holding on to a little jar of it for a few years. The ending is beautiful. 'It Will Be A God Day(The River)' starts a little dumb (gives me way too many 'Talk' PTSD flashbacks), but it's not terrible. 'Lightning Strikes' has a great intro; I compare it to 'Wish You Were Here'. It sounds quite unlike Yes, but for some reason, I love the childish feeling this song gives me. 'Can I?' is the long-awaited sequel to 'We Have Heaven'. I like this just about as much as the original. It is pretty, short, and this time is tainted with Middle-Eastern sounds, like a good portion of this album is. 'Face to Face' relies on electronics a little too much ('Talk'!) but it is not bad at all. Five minutes of modern Yes isn't that bad. 'If You Only Knew' sounds pretty, but I don't want to be thinking about 80's proms for six minutes straight, so it's okay. 'To Be Alive(Hep Yadda)' has a nice simple beat and lyrics. Fun and easy to listen to. I like the ending. 'Finally' is amazing. About halfway through the song the melody completely changes into this lilting string-carried lullaby. There is strong bass and guitar. 'The Messenger' sounds a little cliche, like it replicated every song technique used in the '80s, but is okay, I guess. It has its powerful moments. 'New Language' gives me strong Starcastle vibes. I love this song. Every little note is wonderful, from the hard beginning to the very end. One of my favorite Yes songs. The last track on this album is 'Nine Voices(Longwalker)'. This song isn't bad. It is actually pretty good. A nice little closing track to a nice long album. Prog on, Yes fans.

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