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DECEMBER 10, 2001
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Source: Progfreaks
http://www.progfreaks.com/Reviews/Reviewed/Yes-Magnification.htm
Yes - Magnification
By Marcelo Silveyra
One of the main reasons why Yes seemed to be stuck somewhat in limbo regarding the undivided attention of
the progressive rock world was that many felt that the band was quite past its prime and had no chance of
ever recording anything remotely as good as it had during its halcyon days. Add to that the fact that
orchestras seem to enjoy desecrating progressive rock classics (Remember Us and Them: Symphonic Pink Floyd?
First time I nearly got a heart attack.), and the release of Magnification didn't seem too auspicious for
this legendary symphonic rock act. In fact, it looked as if a disaster waiting to happen was just on the
verge of coming to realization, and I, being the usual idiot that I am, thought that I was going to dismiss
the album on first listen. Big mistake.
Magnification is the album that Yes fans have been waiting for years; a glorious recollection of every
element that once made this band an absolute progressive rock monster, and a step up in the evolutionary
ladder of ages, all at the same time and conveniently packaged in an hour of symphonic rock splendor.
This is the kind of record that critics will quickly attack as being pretentious and contrived, while one
smirks and plays it even louder so that they shut up. Alright, Jon Anderson's lyrics have never really been
something to measure poets by, playing with a philharmonic orchestra is indeed a bit pretentious, and the
band's focus is undeniably bombastic, but dammit! That's the way Yes is supposed to be!
Yes indeed, be glad that these pioneers of progressive rock aren't curtsying to the processions of popular
entertainment, because the world would be left without some of the most gorgeous and emotionally arranged
music of the year (and, anyway, Anderson would sound quite funny singing in
Limp Bizkit). As usual, Messieurs Howe, Squire, and White conjure a synergetic chemistry that conducts the
band's music through various movements and moods while allowing for the tricky move of having every single
instrument appear in the spotlight, but this time around, what we have instead of a keyboard maestro is an
entire orchestra willing to interact with a rock four-piece.
That's right, I-N-T-E-R-A-C-T. This is not a cheap attempt to swindle fans out of some more cash by
placing a visually impressive and sonically inconspicuous orchestra somewhere on a record, or by allowing
it to ridicule its own dramatic potential by playing kitschy versions of the
band's classics. This is working together so that what the listener gets is the true beauty of meshing
symphonic rock with a philharmonic orchestra; a stunning thing indeed. Sweeping string crescendos, subtle
orchestral harmony, and precise philharmonic arrangements all appear at perfectly timed moments, while the
band develops each passage with superb gusto and explores a rich plethora of contrasts.
An often-recurring cause of orchestral misuse is the fact that rock bands, or philharmonic arrangers who
work with them, often forget that the rich and numerous variety of chamber instruments is not designed to
concentrate on reproducing what a limited number of rock instruments does. The mere idea of doing only that
with the myriad possibilities that using an actual orchestra offers is actually disheartening, to say the
least. But when a band uses an orchestra as an actual orchestra, instead of as an additional band member,
the end result is better than anyone can expect, so that a mere listen to "Magnification" or "Spirit of
Survival" demonstrates the heightened richness of contrasts and moods that can be brought to reality with
the approach. Magnificent indeed.
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