TORMATO

I am in the minority around here, because I wasn't really all that impressed by "Going for the One." So the best thing I can say about its follow-up, "Tormato," is that I wasn't especially disappointed by it. Of course, since it's a Yes, album, it will always have something going for it, and this album certainly has its share of solid performances, particularly in "On the Silent Wings of Freedom," which is as impressive a showcase for the talents of Squire and White as anyone could ask for. The main problem with this album, however, is the songwriting, in my opinion. There just isn't a single song that seems to have any sort of melodic focus --- "Onward" and "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" are the only songs on this album even approaching the level of songwriting we're accustomed to from these guys, and they would be throwaway tracks on any of their classic albums. This album also features what I believe are the two worst songs in Yes' 1970's repertoire, "Release, Release" and "Arriving UFO." The latter song in particular is an exercise in extreme irritation that in parts sounds like it would have made a good theme song for the television show "ALF." The fact that these two songs were included on the Rhino box set, but "And You And I" was left off, sort of makes me wonder who's making the decisions around there. Overall, if you're a Yes completist fanatic like I am, you'll probably get off on some aspects of it, but the casual fan should probably stay away.