----------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER 31, 2002 ----------------------------------------------------- Source: All Music Guide AMG Revises its Review of YES: Talk -- Favorably By Steven McDonald The tenth lineup of Yes features Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye, Chris Squire, and Alan White. Talk makes some effort to get away from the group's indulgent art rock pretensions, at least to the extent of using a spare, spacious production full of closely miked drums and sharp guitars. (No wonder, since guitarist Trevor Rabin produced the record.) Rabin and Anderson are the main composers, and they fail to come up with really distinctive songs, which may help explain why this album had a lower chart peak than any new Yes album since 1972 and a shorter chart run than any Yes album except the compilation album Classic Yes. In other words, a disaster. — William Ruhlmann After Yes returned to the 90125 lineup of Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Tony Kaye and Alan White, they recorded Talk, the first new Yes album since the debacle of Union. There's a new label (yet again) and a new logo (a colorfully blobby thing by Peter Max.) The nice thing is that there's a new attitude powering the band, and a few surprises hidden away in the songs. This is definitely Yes, and a Yes with a history, but there's no sense of either trying to overcome the past or recreate it. Everything's nicely blended in, in fact, giving the album a great deal of muscle. There are moments on this album strongly reminiscent of Yes music all the way back to the first album -- "I Am Waiting," particularly. That Tony Kaye sticks entirely to Hammond organ helps immensely with that impression; that Jon Anderson is singing better than he has in years also fits into that. This album is fun and extremely well done, it does a good job of balancing the urge for a bit of bum-shaking with instrumental pyrotechnics, and it sounds as though everyone had a good time making it. It also has some really nifty songs that stick in the mind, from the opening "The Calling" to the closing 16-minute "Endless Dream." Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com