MAGNIFICATION

Magnification is the seventeenth (or eightteenth if you count Keystudio as a studio album)studio album by the British symphonic progressive rock legends Yes. The artwork is rather simplisctic, clearly only the band's logo was done by Roger Dean. The album has 10 tracks it has about 60 minutes of playing time.It is their last album recorded with singer Jon Anderson in the band, and their only one recorded as a four-piece and without a proper keyboardist. Drummer Alan White plays some piano parts , we can hear Jon Anderson's MIDI guitar, and a full symphonic orchestra, which is actually not credited in the bookle, only Larry Groupé for orchestral composition, arrangements and as conductor. The orchestrations are excellent and keyboards are mostly not really missed. The performance of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire (RIP) and Alan White is outstanding as usual. The music is more simple as it was in the glory days between 1971 and 1977, but basically this is the beautiful, complex, uplifting smyhonic progressive music, which made Yes famous. I only have some problems with Don't go, which drifts seriously in "silly pop" territory, and they could finish the album with a more memorable track than Time is time. My favourite is probably Dreamtime, Give love each day, We agree, and the opening title track. Magnification may be not a rival for Fragile or Relayer, but a very nice offering of this legendary band towards the twilight of their career. Four solid stars, in my opinion.