DRAMA

I love Drama; I think it's one of Yes's best efforts. The greatest controversy surrounding this album seems to be the absence of Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. I think the rest of the band get along just fine without him, and I think Drama deserves 4 stars. I'll start with the newbies. I think Trevor Horn does just fine on this album. Granted, Jon Anderson 's voice is remarkable, and almost no one on Earth can sing like him. It seems apparent to me, at least, that Horn was hired because his voice bears a resemblance to Anderson's. However, Trevor Horn can sing. Yes definitely DOES NOT depend on Anderson. As for lyrics, Anderson's words, like those of most progressive rock bands, are fairly ridiculous. So, lyrics are not an issue here. Like my fellow reviewer Conor Fynes, I too think that Wakeman is overrated. Conor's review prompted me to listen to Drama again and post this review. I don't miss Wakeman; Geoff Downes does just fine. There isn't a bad song on Drama IMO. Like most fans, I love "Machine Messiah" and "Tempus Fugit". I also love the rhythms of "Does It Really Happen?", and "White Car" is a beautiful interlude. Howe and Squire continued writing great music without Anderson and Wakeman. I'm glad that Yes stopped recording songs that are 15 or 20 minutes long. I've never been able to sit through Tales of Topographic Oceans anyways. I'm glad that Yes changed things up with Drama. It's fully worthy of a 4 star rating.