FLY FROM HERE

Drama part 2. Fly From Here part 1 ' We Can Fly was the first song that Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes rehearsed with Yes before they became part of the band for the Drama album. They played the song live a few times (it can be found on 'The Word Is Live') but didn't make its way onto the final album. It has been expanded here into a 5 part 24 minute 'epic' (although the individual parts are quite distinct) with the addition of an overture, reprise, instrumental section and a couple of new songs using a similar motif to part 1.Unsurprisingly it sounds similar to Drama, although more on the poppy side as most of the music is from Horn and Downes and this is the Drama line up with new man Benoit David on lead vocals. Horn and Downes have added a more melodic feel to this album that was missing from some of the more recent Yes material. Whether this is to everyone's taste is debatable, especially if you were looking for a return to the progressive epic era of the early 70s.

Of the other material, we have a Squire lead vocal on his song 'The Man You Always Wanted To Be', another Horn/Downes number 'Life on a Film Set' (which is lyrically suspect but has a catchy vocal hook), an excellent Howe number 'Hour of Need' where David's vocals are impressive followed by a Howe guitar instrumental 'Solitaire' which is nice but perhaps a bit disjointed. Finally a band written number 'Into the Storm' is a great ending, with a vocal from the title track drifting in.

Of the band members, Howe and Squire are on good form, Howe in particular contributing some of his trademark soloing, David proves to be a fine vocalist, if perhaps lacking a little in character, and Downes' keyboards help to provide a great overall sound to the album. Only White is strangely subdued here, with very little in the way of drum fills.

Overall this is my favourite Yes album since Drama and a very pleasant surprise. After the recent upheavals and the loss of Anderson, I wasn't expecting much but now I can't wait for the next one.