BIG GENERATOR

In 1987, with the same lineup as on 90125, Yes released a further development of their new sound, and I always found it to be more rewarding musically. The opener, "Rhythm of Love", has an enthralling mix of catchy poppiness with the fresh and somewhat aggressive production from the 90125 album, with beautifully arranged harmonies, and I enjoy it a little bit more than the hits from that album. There are couple numbers ("Big Generator" and "Almost Like Love") where they seem to be more focused on the sound than the actual song, but for the most part, the album is more consistant and has more substance, as good as the previous album already was. That makes for a highly listenable experience full of excellently produced pop/rock like "Love Will Find a Way" along with intruiging pop/rock/prog hybrids like "Shoot High, Aim Low" and "I'm Running," not to mention Anderson's spacious, "Song For Harmonic Convergeance (Holy Lamb)." Those last two sport some of Yes' best lyrics for a long time, and the other song I haven't mentioned yet, "Final Eyes" may be my favorite from the album, mainly because the melody is so good, and the production is effectively dynamic. I don't own a copy of Big Generator currently, but I used to, and I would like to get it again. Another 4.5 album, and a very strong one that I would never want to piss off.