------------------------------------------------------- APRIL 30, 1991 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: Progrography http://www.connollyco.com/discography/yes/union.html Review: Union By Dave Connolly Union Produced by Jonathan Elias / Associate Producer: Jon Anderson Except produced by Steve Howe (3), Trevor Rabin (4,6), Trevor Rabin with Mark Mancina & Eddy Offord (7), Eddy Offord & Billy Sherwood (9)  Initially released on April 30, 1991. In a fascinating twist, members of Yes past and present combined their efforts under a single banner for Union. Made up of material slated for a second ABWH album and new songs from the existing Yes outfit of Rabin, Squire, White and Kaye, the collective work of both factions yield a tour de force. Only the most jaded critics could have found Union a disappointment; these fourteen songs far exceed anything that the individuals involved, solo or otherwise, have recorded since 90125. The record has something for everyone: arena-scale rockers that outperform anything on Big Generator, complex arrangements that succeed where the first ABWH album failed, and individual contributions that ooze with atmosphere. Producer Jonathan Elias proves to be as invaluable as Trevor Horn once was, cowriting much of the material and adding state-of-the-art production that matches Peter Gabriel’s Us in its environmental ambience. But the real story is Yes; Steve Howe’s inspired guitar licks (including another acoustic solo piece, “Masquerade”), Bill Bruford’s off-kilter drumming, the decision to allow Tony Levin’s bass to fill the same space as Chris Squire once did, Trevor Rabin’s dead-on hooks, and Jon Anderson’s voice paired once again with Squire. Union really does represent the best of both worlds. Where Big Generator sounded mechanical, Union feels organic; where the ABWH experiment lacked direction, here it is focused like a high-powered laser. Each of the fourteen tracks is a miniature treasure for fans, but even so some moments rise to the top: “Lift Me Up,” “Saving My Heart,” “Miracle of Life,” “Silent Talking,” “I Would Have Waited Forever,” “Shock to the System” and “Dangerous (Look in the Light of What You’re Searching For)” belong with their best tracks from the ‘80s and ‘90s. If Yes seemed to take its heritage lightly with Drama, Union settles the score with fans. As a further treat, the entire lineup supported the album with a live tour. Union remains the perfect postscript to the Yes story. Note that the CD and cassette add “Angkor Wat,” a tribute to the Cambodian landmark similar to Vangelis’ “The Little Fete,” and the Jon Anderson composition, “Take the Water to the Mountain.” TRACK LISTING 1. I WOULD HAVE WAITED FOREVER (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe/Jonathan Elias) 2. SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe/Jonathan Elias) 3. MASQUERADE (Steve Howe) 4. LIFT ME UP (Trevor Rabin/Chris Squire) 5. WITHOUT HOPE YOU CANNOT START THE DAY (Jon Anderson/Jonathan Elias) 6. SAVING MY HEART (Trevor Rabin) 7. MIRACLE OF LIFE (Trevor Rabin/Mark Mancina) 8. SILENT TALKING (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe/Rick Wakeman/Bill Bruford/Jonathan Elias) 9. THE MORE WE LIVE - LET GO (Chris Squire/Billy Sherwood) 10. *ANGKOR WAT (Jon Anderson/Rick Wakeman/Jonathan Elias) 11. DANGEROUS (LOOK IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT YOU'RE SEARCHING FOR) (Jon Anderson/Jonathan Elias) 12. HOLDING ON (Jon Anderson/Jonathan Elias/Steve Howe) 13. EVENSONG (Tony Levin/Bill Bruford) 14. *TAKE THE WATER TO THE MOUNTAIN (Jon Anderson) CREDITS JON ANDERSON -- vocals BILL BRUFORD -- drums STEVE HOWE -- guitars, vocals, engineer TONY KAYE -- keyboards TONY LEVIN -- bass TREVOR RABIN -- guitar, vocals, engineer CHRIS SQUIRE -- bass, vocals RICK WAKEMAN -- keyboards ALAN WHITE -- drums Deborah Anderson -- additional vocals Richard Baker -- synthesizer Gary Barlough -- synthesizer Jerry Bennett -- percussion, synthesizer Pauline Cheng -- Cambodian poetry Jim Crichton -- keyboards, synthesizer Jonathan Elias -- keyboards, synthesizer, additional vocals Gary Falcone -- additional vocals Sherman Foote -- synthesizer Tommy Funderbunk -- additional vocals Jimmy Haun -- guitar Rory Kaplan -- synthesizer Alex Lasarenko -- keyboards, synthesizer Ian Lloyd -- additional vocals Mark Mancina -- programming Steve Porcaro -- synthesizer Allan Schwartzberg -- percussion Michael Sherwood -- additional vocals Danny Vaughn -- additional vocals Brian Foraker -- engineer, mixing, synthesizer Paul Fox -- mixing Buzz Burrowes -- additional engineering Chris Fosdick -- additional engineering, mixing, synthesizer Stan Katayama -- engineer Eddy Offord -- engineer, mixing Billy Sherwood -- engineer Mike Shipley -- mixing Ed Thacker -- mixing Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, inquiries, corrections, or additions, contact yitp@yesservices.com