90125

In my opinion, to fully understand 90125, one has to consider the time and the environment in which this album came out. I guess many progheads know about the 'dark 80's' and the 'progressive rock decline', but for those who have been around those years, it is much more realistic. Due to this negative relation to prog music, releasing a true prog-rock album became an impossible act, at least for the major bands of the genre, who left experimentals to much lesser known bands and artists. The 'dinosaurs', as they where called, tried to survive and suit their music for the ever changing realm.

Due to these circumstances, YES did a great job. The entire album suggests, among other things, excellent musicianship, beautiful vocals and vocal harmonies, and great sound and production, fitted to that time, in shorter, simpler forms.

There where always line up changes in YES, and this album makes no exception. The new prominent acquisition here is guitarist, vocalist and composer Trevor Rabin. An excellent musician, albeit being more commercial than the other mates. His guitar riffs remind me of Steve Howe sometimes, and when participating in vocal harmonies, and even doing some lead vocals, it seems that he always has been an organic part of YES.

THE song that could not be overlooked here by any means would be 'Owner of a lonely heart'. Personally I don't have any problem with that song, especially the power opener riff, and I don't remember myself suffering while listening to it, back than.

Overall, great intros are all over the place here: for instance, the twinkling piano and tuned percussion which opening 'Changes' , 'Leave it', featuring a-capella singing, with that groovy 'dum ch - tu du dum' at the beginning, or the sitar notes, hint for BEATLES 'Love you to' from the Revolver album, that starts 'It Can Happen', before the Bass and some kind of talking drum join in, in one or the production tricks done by the other Trevor in this project - Trevor Horn. Whom I assume there is no need to introduce.

Rating this album is not an easy task: IMO this album belongs to the vast and vague range between 3 and 4 stars. In all, this is a very good and enjoyable album, and though I wouldn't say you have to peek it up as one of the prog highlights, I do recommend it as a representative of an era in which making progressive album seemed a harder mission than ever before. YES managed to bring here something fresh, a bit commercial and simpler than in their previous albums, but still, rooted in progressive rock and in YES music particularly.