KEYSTUDIO

Why The Ladder is somewhat loathed and this album so highly regarded is something I don't understand. Certainly the compositions are robust, but they are unremarkable in almost every respect. No particular track stands out, which is really troublesome. The worst aspect is, however, those "are you kidding me?" lyrics. Jon Anderson uses some of the corniest clichés about love and power and Heaven. Each line just overflow with nebulous ideas that go nowhere (except one noteworthy exception, where the lyrics are so concrete they make me want to hit my head against a wall made of the same substance, so to speak). Chris Squire is the most remarkable member on this album, because, while his trebly bass is not here, he still manages to dominate the album with a somewhat similar sound he had on The Ladder. Alan White is solid as always- with exception of a few places here and there throughout his career with the band, I've rarely found reason to fault him. Rick Wakeman is on board, and in terms of soloing, he's the star- he far outshines Steve Howe, but Howe takes a role as a rhythm man, lending the album the benefit of his various styles, from classical to gritty rock and roll.

"Foot Prints" The album begins promisingly enough, with this step in the right direction (no pun intended). After an a cappella introduction, the music gets going, led by Squire's full bass. He is largely responsible for the main section in 5/4. Wakeman and Howe enjoy a couple of solos, both of which are some of the best moments on the album. The vocal harmonies are as thick as Chris Squire's bass tone. There's a guitar, mandolin and harmonica during an acoustic reprise that comes in at the conclusion of the song proper.

"Be the One" While the music is very good and moving, the lyrics are typical latter-day Jon Anderson cheese, and some of his worst at that. It gradually becomes a heavier piece of music that jumps back into the chorus and eventually fizzles out.

"Mind Drive" A gentle classical guitar with soft synthesizer, eventually accompanied by bass, begins one of the two most enterprising pieces. The bass begins a staccato riff that becomes a more menacing creation with each added layer. Abruptly the music becomes acoustic and frivolous, and without much of a transition. In almost every moment, the vocals just seem sloppily pasted onto the music- much of the singing just doesn't fit what's going on. Ultimately, this is a failure for several reasons, most notably the lack of coherent transitions- "Mind Drive" doesn't exist as a unified piece, but as a bunch of seemingly unconnected segments. That doesn't mean this extended track is without merit. One of the greatest moments is buried in this unnecessarily lengthy track: Wakeman's various keyboard solos over killer bits of bass from Squire.

"Bring Me to the Power" A dynamic song full of several different musical moments (for better or worse), this song has goofy verses but excellent instrumental sections. The "tough rock" section is a throwback to the 1980s, which sounds painfully silly.

"Sign Language" This is a lovely keyboard and guitar instrumental that does sound like it belongs on a Howe solo album (since the band really isn't involved).

"That, That Is" What begins as a promising epic, starting out with Howe's impassioned classical guitar playing, degenerates into a pop-infused mess with some of the goofiest lyrics I've ever heard from Yes. The good news is, halfway through, the song becomes enjoyable again, even if it does sound like something from Open Your Eyes. After thirteen minutes, the best part of the track, features Anderson's lovely uplifting vocal melody. It's a track that rewards patience, but as a whole track within itself, it shouldn't need patience, especially from such a brilliant band. Much of this is unfortunate.

"Children of the Light" After a cheesy "grand" symphonic opening, some equally cheesy music occurs. The lyrics are a monotonous chant of apparently ACLU-inspired lyrics, and the vocals don't sound blended as they usually do. The ending is a last minute shot for Howe to cut up on his steel guitar, but it sounds excellent anyway, and, in my opinion, is a clear preview of some very similar sounding material on Magnification.