TORMATO

In advance to its time. Unfortunately Tormato represents a jump in the 80s even being released in 1978. In general I forget this album, only Don't Kill the Whale, sometimes played live, is able to make me remember its existence.

I see lack of ideas on big part of the album. Release, release is an exception. A song in line with at least Going for the One with some interesting parts and with these non-trivial passages and changes in the signature typical of the best YES.

What happened to Wakeman actually? While Howe, Squire and partially White play on their usual high standards, Wakeman seems lost somewhere else and Anderson sounds just high-pitched. Let's forget "Arriving UFO": If aliens listen to this song they'll likely go back home.

The old YES can be heard on the closer "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom", but also this is just a good track, not a masterpiece.

This is one of the few albums in the YES discography that I can easily do without. However it's not too poor. Good for fans.