TALK

This is a great Yes album that I think gets bundled together with the lackluster music they were producing after the thankfully temporary departure of their guitarist. For the year it was made, it is great work from an amazing band.

"The Calling" Heavy vocal arrangements and instrumentation begin the album after some springy guitar work, and it's clear that in spite of not being a progressive rock masterpiece, Yes had a good thing going with this album. Trevor Rabin's country-tinged guitar licks and Tony Kaye's soulful organ make me forget for a while the glorious days of Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman.

"I am Waiting" Perhaps my favorite song is this fantastic interplay between Rabin's screaming electric guitar and Anderson's vocals. It has a gentle verse with sweet guitar and lovely vocals. This is easily one of my favorites on this album.

"Real Love" This song has an unconventional melody and some great music. The arrangement is full of shimmering guitar and keyboards, as well as some heavy-hitting bass and percussion.

"State of Play" Gritty, screaming guitar begins this throwback to the 1980s. The verses are fast-paced and over acoustic guitar. It becomes a more beautiful and palatable piece of music about halfway through though.

"Walls" A great pop song that I'd heard on the radio a few times (I remember hearing it on the album for the first time and going, that was Yes?), this song has an excellent verse melody and an even better chorus. Rabin's vocals are exceptionally good as Anderson pops in and out between lines. Rabin's sweet countrified guitar licks are also clear evidence that he is one of the best guitarists in music.

"Where Will You Be" Soft keyboards and hand percussion begin this pleasing but somewhat bland track. Once more, the guitar is tasteful and gorgeous.

"Endless Dream: Silent Spring" The beginning of this epic piece, which was allegedly leftover from a 1979 demo, has been compared to "Awaken" with its lovely piano introduction, but this is a darker work, with heavy guitar, thundering drums, an odd time signature and a complex arrangement.

"The Endless Dream: Talk" After the onslaught that came prior, there is a calm. Plinking piano introduces Rabin's distant and thin voice before the music gradually builds. There's definitely a 1980s groove to part of this amazing track, but not so much that the music becomes cringe-inducing. Anderson's vocals are absolutely gorgeous over the acoustic guitar and Squire backing him up. The dark instrumental section over halfway in is a tad on the experimental side, with haunting piano and explosive punctuations from the rest of the band. This is a lost masterpiece.

"Endless Dream: Endless Dream" In summary, had "Endless Dream" been recorded with the classic lineup in the 1970s, this would probably get the attention and praise is deserves but doesn't get from Yes fans. The last bit is a soft revisiting of one of the main melodies, and is such a serene way to end a sadly overlooked work.