MIRROR TO THE SKY

In a nutshell, Mirror to the Sky is a very intelligent composition. The whole album that is. Frankly it's better than it ought to be.

As a unit, Yes are challenging themselves more here than on The Quest and certainly more than Heaven and Earth. It's almost like the band as a unit were biding their time releasing some of these ideas to the public. It is hard to argue they sound most cohesive here.

With Mirror to the Sky there are Yes tropes activated once again, but that's not a bad thing. The band sound particularly inspired, like they have something to prove. In a sense perhaps they do. But when you're heralding one of the most, if not THE most important progressive rock bands of any generation, the pressure is on.

To start, get the deluxe edition. You would be doing yourself a favor and will honor it more. And let's be honest, if you are a Yes fan, you want a good album. Well here it is. Side one is immaculate, and the title track, well, you need to find out for yourself. Believe me I want to talk more about it, but it's something you need to experience first hand.

Comparisons to Magnification and Going for the One have been tossed about, and are well fitting. But honestly this is one of the more original Yes recordings I've heard in a while. The closest match would be the splendid Oliver Wakeman recordings ("From a Page") that were released as outtakes from Fly From Here.

The whole album is upbeat and downright catchy. One track even has an AOR feeling to it, which is most welcome on a band that produces material that is as serious as it is. Howe is more subdued, but also a lot more intelligent in what he's placing on this album. Sure, hearing a ripping solo ala Siberian Khatru live would be most welcome, but let's be honest he's older than most of us. I'm cutting him some slack. Not unlike an aging major league pitcher on the mound, one cannot throw the fastball they once had, so they get more creative and still maintain their relevancy in the game.

Particular attention was made by me to the drummer Jay Schellen for obvious reasons. He's very good, tasteful, and suits the mood of the album. Personally, this reviewer did not hear much on the order of time signature changes, but the tempo changes were most welcome. Some very creative chord progressions can also be found.

For my money, Sherwood never sounded better on the bass. On a Yes album at least. And again being honest: Davison may be the most scrutinized, but he has improved demonstrably here. There are times where he sounds like he's really putting in the effort, which is welcome for any frontman singer in a rock outfit. Accusations as an Anderson rip-off abound, but there are more comparisons to be made that he sounds more like he did on Glass Hammer. And there's a real treat in one of the songs where he sings lower than his usual tenor throughout.

Concerns that this outing was going to be the Steve Howe show cannot be entirely dismissed. That said Howe should get props for the production quality, right down to mic placement. And if you pay attention to Geoff Downes he has selectively chosen some wonderful textures and voices from his keyboards, something that even our good friend Rick Wakeman was sometimes amiss in doing with real consistency. Downes really does provide a good backdrop for everyone's contributions.

The orchestrations are very well placed, very smart, particularly the title track. At times it feels like the listener is being treated to a Wobbler exposition. Realizing that is a strange compliment, Cut From the Stars is reminiscent of Starcastle. Again, not a bad thing.

Honestly, this release has something for most everyone. It is better than The Quest and much better than Heaven and Earth. A very close cousin to Fly From Here.

Criticisms? Some of the lyrics are banal, but that's not the first thing this reviewer looks for in prog rock holistically. In addition, Billy Sherwood could have been employed more with backing vocals. Yes started off as a vocal operation, they would revisit that. With that, the bonus tracks have Howe singing at the fore which, most would admit as dubious, makes for a nice contrast.

With this release Yes has truly mastered the transition from one idea to another. Yes is known for doing this; clearly they haven't lost the touch. And of course the entire listening experience is an optimistic one. At times delightful without ever being vapid. We all could use a little bit more of this nowadays...

And even the bonus tracks are good! At the very least interesting and stronger than those from The Quest.

So as a whole: Mirror to the Sky, certainly the title track, is downright emotional. Go get it. This reviewer is urged to express this is their best release since Going for the One... such commitment won't be made until it is heard several times. But Mirror to the Sky is certainly strong enough to attract long time fans and maybe even generate some new ones.

As an addon, the deluxe edition is a gorgeous ensemble. It is worth the extra money. The interview book is an interesting read, and the sketches are beautiful. The Rolling Stone quality photo-portraits make even Steve Howe look handsome.

The 5.1 surround is a nice touch and sounded very... personal, if that makes sense. Almost intimate. Howe did a nice job producing it but I'll always feel the guitars deserve to be turned down a little. I would have enjoyed hearing more Downes (when he's up front he sounds great) and even Davison's vocals were surprisingly in the back at times. That said when he is in the spotlight he does not disappoint. And the vinyl playback is superb.

Overall a four star release for the most important prog rock dynasty we have.

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