TORMATO

Tormato is definitely Yes' weirdest album, a headscratching deviation from pretty much all the directions it could have seemed they would have taken next at the time, but it's still very high in quality, and a near great album. I'm all for weirdness in music, so the strangenesses in the music do appeal to me, "Arriving UFO" being the most affected by this change, with very loud, effects laden guitars almost talking over lyrics about extraterrestrials with another truly creative arrangement all set to a very spirited, joyous melody. Pretty much all the rest of the songs are something different for Yes as well: "Future Times/Rejoice" also bears the same snappy, upbeat spirit, with a great catchy rhythm and arrangement, "Don't Kill the Whale" is a great enviromnetalist anthem who's music is somewhat up with the times, but with a little touch of psychedelia, and the closer, "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" is one of the most layered tracks they'd done up to that point. (A very good bass sound on that song, by the way.) The only thing that slightly mars the album is that some of the perfomances seem uncharactaristically messy for Yes. Some people complain about that synth sound that Wakeman uses - it may not be the best he's ever used, but I was more thrown off by them being slightly off with the drums, and the band sounding kinda rushed in general, but maybe that's the sound they were going for. I still have a feeling there are probably better (probably live) recordings of the aforementioned track, as well as "Release, Release" (what is up with those backing vocals at the end of that one?) out there. Oh well, the songs are all good, (with possibly the exception of "Circus of Heaven", one of the few Yes songs I've never really been able to get into), and the all of the lyrics have taken on a new level of importance and conciousness this time around. There are some very intruiging sounds throughout the album, and a good amount of energy that's easy to connect to. Tormato also posseses Squire's "Onward", one of the most beautiful love songs ever written.