TORMATO

Strange cover art, strange title and no more long suites. Is this the end of YES as we know it? Looks like it... One of the torment of this album are Rick Wakeman's keyboards, much too present and dated. Steve Howe's guitar interventions remain quite rare. To be honest, the guitar dominated songs seem to be the best passages here. However, more important, the compositions are pompous without providing the enchantment and evasion of the previous records.

The opener "Future Times / Rejoice" is a good illustration of the synthesizers problem of "Tormato". A little irritating, this song is barely listenable and hard to follow. On the contrary, "Don't Kill The Whale" is the best track of the disc. Essentially guitar-driven, this groovy melancholic rock contains beautiful Howe and Wakeman soli. Lifely and nice. Back to boredom with the baroque "Madrigal", which could have been included on an annoying solo album of Rick Wakeman. In contrast, the most surprising moment is the punchy "Release, Release", an energetic hard blues-rock! YES' response to the punk explosion? Maybe, however it does not necessarily result in a good song...

"Arriving UFO" sounds cheesy with its falsely futuristic sonorities, whereas "Circus Of Heaven" and "Onward" are more delicate, but unfortunately rather average. Nonetheless, the second half of the record is saved by the other good track, "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom". Also guitar dominated, this ender is sort of a cool spacey jazz/rock improvisation, the YES way.

"Tormato" is clearly YES' weakest studio release of the 70's. The magic and the ambition that could be found on "Relayer", "Close to the Edge" and even "Going for the One" is now gone. The music does not transport you to Roger Dean's world enough this time. Listen to "Don't Kill The Whale" and "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" though.

After the first recording sessions of the next album, "Drama", Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman will left the band, and another decade will begin...