----------------------------------------------------- NOVEMBER 20, 2001 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: Shenanigans http://www.shenanigans-pattaya.com/mott/011119Yes_mag.htm Yes: Magnification By Mott The Dog Like an old ex-heavy weight boxing champion brought out of retirement for one last fight, “Yes” have dusted down the lumbering body with its flabby limbs for one more go. Don’t get me wrong, “Yes” used to be one of the greats with a sharp jab that could keep all opposition away over a double album (“Tales From Topographic Oceans”) or a thundering left hook that could floor anything and redeem even some of their more mundane albums (“Roundabout” from "Fragile"). However, all you “Yes” fans that were disappointed with "Yes’s" last two albums, “Open Your Eyes” and “The Ladder”, will be tearing your hearts out at this feeble display. How this group of musicians can still carry themselves under the moniker of “Yes” is beyond this mutt anyway. Chris Squire, the bass player, has been with the band since their transition from “Mabel Greers Toy Shop” in 1968, but he is the only continuous original member. Jon Anderson was an original member but left due to musical differences in 1980, scuttling back after several years when solo success never followed. Drummer Alan White only joined the band after their initial success, and is in constant danger of being kicked out if original drummer Bill Bruford ever wishes to rejoin. Steve Howe joined the band in 1970 replacing original guitarist Peter Banks, and has been copying his licks ever since. He, too, was not in the band during the eighties as he went on to form “Asia” with John Wetton and Carl Palmer. As for the keyboard position, here we really delve into Spinal Tap territory. The keyboard position has been held by a roll call of Ivory twinkles that reads like a who’s who of the rock world’s classical inclined keyboardists; Tony Kaye, (twice) Rick Wakeman, (three times and still waiting in the wings) Patrick Moraz, Billy Sherwood, Geoff Downes, (he of “Bugles” fame and also in “Asia”), and Igor Khorosev. To solve this problem “Yes” have not bothered with a keyboard player this time out, but employed a whole orchestra to fill the role and employed the services of Emmy-Awarding-Winning television and movie score composer Larry Groupe (apparently his real name). Hereby lies the most obvious problem with these songs, Groupe’s cinematic orchestrations, dancing flutes, rubbing cellos, James Bond style theme brass, tsunami-like strings lend the whole thing the sound of a very boring Russian movie score. Not one song stands out and they range from the ho-hum “Dreamtime”, an over long attempt at a prog-rock epic, to the plainly awful “Don’t Go”, “We Agree”, and “In The Presence Of”. They go on for over 10 minutes each, aimlessly plodding away without even a guitar solo or obviously a keyboard solo to lighten up the monotony. Such is Howe’s small contribution to this album, one wonders how many of the recording sessions he actually turned up to. I could only find one ten second solo on the whole collection. Being a dutiful little reviewer I did make myself listen to this album from start to finish, but kept on having to check that I hadn’t accidentally pushed the repeat button by accident. The tracks sound pretty much the same, making it difficult to tell one from the other, and it seems to go on for ever. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com