992 Yes - 90125 (1983)

992 Yes - 90125 (1983)

Studio Album - Art Rock




About the Act:

Yes followed the “How to be Prog” leaflet pretty closely - formed in 1968, had a lot of success in the early 70s, lost their way a bit at the end of the 70s, broke up in 1981, but reformed in 1983 with a more commercial sound, and have been active in some form ever since. They have had a good number of personnel changes, with particular emphasis on keyboard players. Their most famous member probably was Rick Wakeman, although the singer Jon Anderson (who has come and gone several times) has a very recognisable voice.

The distinctive Yes sound has an emphasis on the high frequency range, strong, strident bass, complex arrangements with high, strong vocals, and a rather positive attitude to life, in a vaguely New-Agey kind of way. Oh, and a lot of their classic albums had covers drawn by fantasy artist Roger Dean.

About the Album:

So, Jon Anderson left Yes for the first time in 1980, and they took on a new singer, Trevor Horn. This new arrangement only lasted a year before they split up. Some of you will know immediately who Trevor
Horn is, and some might be thinking "I've heard that name before". Trevor became a hugely successful record producer, having bought an early sampler, the Fairlight CMI (for £18,000), and pioneered a new sound, notably producing Frankie Goes To Hollywood and Propaganda, and being a member of, and producer of The Art of Noise which showcased using samples to make music. So Trevor, and a couple of ex-members of Yes got together to form a new band called Cinema, they wrote some stuff and started recording, but after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, ended up with Jon Anderson singing, and eventually decided to resurrect the name Yes. After all, most of them were actually ex-Yes members.

My History with this Album:

None of this was known to me when I arrived as a Fresher at Salford Uni. Nor did I find out this history when the album was released that
November. All I knew was that "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was being played on the radio, that it was Yes (I had one, much earlier Yes album on vinyl), and that I loved it wholeheartedly. I bought a copy of the album on cassette, and a 12" Single of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and played it a lot. And still play it sometimes, it is one of those familiar feelgood albums for me.

Review:

This is not Yes as they were, and opinion on this album is divided. I am mildly a fan of Yes, but I am a major fan of this album. It's Rock, it's radio-friendly with hook lines, singable tunes and recognisable structures, and yet it still has intelligent complexity and twists and turns. It emerged into a world where prog rock had died, and where large stadium sounds were emerging.  It opens with the barnstorming "Owner of a Lonely Heart" which takes a bass riff (and an excellent one at that) and builds a song on top of it.  There is a lot of tempos and feels, and over it all Jon Anderson gives some of the most assured vocal performances of his career. Trevor Horn produced the album, and it was fraught with setbacks and changes along the way, yet the final outcome is coherent, confident and competent. Of all of the early 80s albums in which 70s Prog bands attempt to reinvent themselves, this, to my mind is the most successful.

Yes, I love it. Its big, it's singable, it's rocky, it's accessible, it's intelligent, it has complexity, it's musically effective and the production is crisp, bitey, and to die for.  My favourite track is "Leave It", for the complex vocal harmonies, but there is not a single weak song on this album. It's a frequent play for me, part of my nostalgia for my Uni days, and still sounds great.

9/10




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