CAN'T LOOK AWAY

For what it's worth, this album holds a special place to me, since I had a wonderful time at the release party held in Boston. I was at the party, and Trevor Rabin noticed that I was the only one there actually listening to the album. So, over continuous glasses of champagne, we had a nice discussion about the album, Yes, and prog rock in general.

I honestly didn't think much of the album at the time, as I was listening to bands like Doctor Nerve and Univers Zero mostly in those days, and didn't have much appreciation for this pop-ish style of music. But since Rabin's addition to the archives, I've taken a fresh look at the disk.

If you like the 80's Yes, then you may just enjoy this album. It definitely displays Rabin's influence, and points to him as the leader of Yes during that period. The song styling is similar in many ways, and quite often sounds like tracks that could have been on "Big Generator". It has a similar, clear production, with Rabin's rich harmonization of guitars, keyboards and vocals.

Much of it also sounds like classic Foreigner, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Rabin's undoing comes in his sometimes too schmaltzy lyrics, hitting the depths on "Hold On To Me". But those points don't totally overwhelm the fact that Rabin is a truly gifted guitarist. His solos throughout lift even the sappy love songs to a listenable level.

The album revs up a bit at the end. "Sludge" is the best, and most progressive and aggressive track. It's an instrumental that becomes an almost metal fusion piece. "I Miss You Now" displays some nice bass work from Rabin, and "The Cape" provides a nice ending over an almost new-age backing track.

Does this album justify Rabin's inclusion here? Not quite, but "Jacaranda" certainly does. But as a slightly prog, but mostly rock album, it's pretty good.