THE LADDER

After their let down of an album, Open Your Eyes, I feel like Yes ironically did just that with this album. It may not be a groundbreaking album like the albums in the 70s, but this time, it feels like they are straying away a bit from the sound they had in the 80s and early 90s and came through with something that combined the symphonic sounds of the 70s, the accessibility of the 80s, and the hard rocking guitars of the 90s. A sorta best of both worlds sorta thing. The first song, Homworld (The Ladder) is basically a grand opening of what this album will be. Something great, but not grand. Yes probably knew they could never do something as grand as their early work, but they at least tried to create a good time, and I think that's what matters here. The song, New Language basically showcases this feeling in full force. This is just Yes wanting to make something fun for them and for their fans. I won't call this an amazing album, but I can never hate it. It's a great album, and definitely one people, no matter what decade of Yes they like, should listen to.