YES - 90125 (1983)

90125: The Yes Album that's famously named after its catalogue number, and there's also an asteroid named 90125, in honour of the memory of YES bassist Chris Squire, who sadly ascended to prog heaven in 2015 at the age of 67. Following the Drama of recording and touring the previous YES album with Trevor Horn on vocal duties, Jon Anderson returned for 90125 with Trevor Horn now in the role of producer. 90125 was a more commercial and pop-orientated album than previous YES albums, and caused almost as much controversy amongst fans as the legendary Tales from Topographic Oceans album, but 90125 was also a Big Generator of album sales and climbed The Ladder of success to become their best-selling album, with over 3 million copies sold in the USA alone. Time and a Word has it that YES had been Close to the Edge of breaking up after the Drama tour, with several Fragile egos at stake and a Magnification of tensions within the band. In the revolving door Relayer race of YES line-ups, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White formed Cinema with South African guitarist Trevor Rabin and original YES keyboardist Tony Kaye. When Jon Anderson accepted the invitation to return to the YES line-up, Cinema became YES, and 90125 became something of a re-Union album. Heaven & Earth would have to be moved though to persuade Rick Wakeman to return to the YES fold in 1991. The first single from the 90125 album, Owner of a Lonely Heart, had great commercial potential and was clearly aimed at Going for the One spot at the top of the charts. It made it too, reaching No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and became the best-selling Yessong of all time, just like the album itself. There's been much Talk amongst YES fans that 90125 was a sell-out album that was too pop-orientated, but if you Open Your Eyes and ears, you'll gain the Keys to Ascension and realise that this album is pretty good by YES standards and far from being a rotten Tormato. The 90125 album features nine Yessongs and I'll post the YouTube videos from the album below before I Fly from Here.

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 16 2024 at 14:42

Jaketejas wrote: Nicely done! "... far from being a rotten Tormato" Ha!

Side One

You could see it as the perfect marriage of the sleek Eighties production and seventies prog. Yes to their credit were still trying to evolve but I've never really warmed much to it if I'm honest. However Cinema is one of the most kick ass instrumental tracks and makes you wonder what might have been if that prog supergroup line up with Eddie Jobson had ever come to fruition. I would really have liked more like that.

richardh wrote: You could see it as the perfect marriage of the sleek Eighties production and seventies prog. Yes to their credit were still trying to evolve but I've never really warmed much to it if I'm honest. However Cinema is one of the most kick ass instrumental tracks and makes you wonder what might have been if that prog supergroup line up with Eddie Jobson had ever come to fruition. I would really have liked more like that.

Ah, 90125 was the first vinyl that I bought. I think Tormato was the second one. And I love them both.

suitkees wrote: Ah, 90125 was the first vinyl that I bought. I think Tormato was the second one. And I love them both.

suitkees wrote: Before Big Generator came out I probably had all the previous albums added to my collection. Big Generator was a big deception to me, only two or three songs that appealed to me and the rest quite rubbish. That'll teach when you buy an album without listening to it first (but I did it again with Heaven and Earth - someone wants to buy it ?)

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - July 22 2020 at 04:22

Tom Ozric wrote: I prefer Heaven and Earth to 90125. Seriously. And 90125 is a good, solid 80’s Prog album, done the correct way. A re-invention of the Yes’ sound. But I really like Heaven and Earth. And I can’t explain why.

Psychedelic Paul wrote: Tom Ozric wrote: I prefer Heaven and Earth to 90125. Seriously. And 90125 is a good, solid 80’s Prog album, done the correct way. A re-invention of the Yes’ sound. But I really like Heaven and Earth. And I can’t explain why.   I'm looking forward to listening to the Heaven & Earth album for the first time if it's preferable to 90125.

Paul, I may be the only one who likes this ‘arm-chair’ Prog album by these elder statesmen. It’s just so dang pleasant.