Cogent and eloquent summary. Subscribed 🙂. I for one have always been a Trevor Rabin fan and found that his thread running through the other elements of yes created something new and certainly different that was lacking in the musical landscape. I for one found it easy to love both eras of yes… Of course I also felt almost the same about big generator which followed and is generally more maligned, but Shoot High, Aim Low has always been a favorite, amongst others. Cheers!
@@ronaldbharvey - Which, by that logic, is more inspiration than Peter Gabriel could muster on his first four solo efforts. Are you sure that’s the argument you want to go with?
I’ve always held that 90125 and The Yes Album are proper entry points to the various styles of Yes. 90125 is a great 80s rock album stripped of its progginess and moving forward, or even back to Drama, and actually serves pretty well to lead in to the slow dip back into prog that would come in the 90s. The Yes Album has the longer songs but also keeps them tightly contained, giving a listener a good sampling of the adventurous side before launching full on into things like Close To The Edge or Topographic. So is 90125 a bad album? Hell no.
I was 13 when "90125" came out. I had never heard of Yes. I liked the videos I saw, and bought the album. When I was buying the album at the record store I only then discovered that Yes had a long history. The second Yes album I bought was "Drama," and the third was 'The Yes album," which I erroneously thought was their debut album. Without "90125" I never would have become a Yes fan.
In a sense, The Yes Album was their debut. Steve Howe's addition to the lineup changed the group dynamics to such a degree that it was like a whole new band.
@@Frank_nwobhm The first two albums exist in the ether in a way. Yes started as a kind of hippy jazz fusion band. But with The Yes Album, they became a pioneering prog rock band. I doubt that even they knew what was happening.
@@Nunavuter1 Correct. The first two albums are virtually unlistenable for me. There was no cohesivness to the music whatsoever. When Steve Howe joined, all of a sudden they became laser focused and started making music that is still blowing people away 50+ years later. It almost didn't happen as Howe was set to join The Nice as Davy O'List's replacement. The entire story of progressive rock would have played out much differently if that had happened. Potentially ELP would have never formed, although Emerson was certainly going to be looking for a real vocalist to replace Lee Jackson.
@@Frank_nwobhm I personally love their first two albums.Some of my favorite songs from YES are on the debut and "Time And A Word' but that's just my opinion.
"Changes" is my favorite track on this album as well. It's a good one bit probably that opinion is more shared by those who don't mind an 80's production and clean pop fun once in a while. Plenty of old school yes fans hate it, of course. Well, I'm the living proof that you can love Fragile, The Yes Album, Going For the One *and* 90125. That box set would be a great idea.
I was once told that I should hate this version of Yes. I, too, am an 80s child, only 15 when "Owner of a Lonely Heart" came out, and I liked it. I also liked "Roundabout", then too, but this was a song of my times. And then, in the 90s I became a snobbed up pretentious record sheep and began shunning and hating the works I, and the many cohorts pretended to hate because of change and things not being as they once were - Bee Gees gone disco, Yes gone radio pop, Pink Floyd gone Gilmor solo... the horror of me, being a pretentious butthole that told you a thing or two about the politics of Trevor Rabin joining Yes and how he destroyed the empire once known as Yes. I was a record store snob, standing at my favorite record store telling you about why Blonde on Blonde was a far superior record than say... Sgt. Pepper. Even if I didn't believe it myself. But in the back of my lying mind I could always catch a bit of that pop-sensed ear candy of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and told myself, "You pretentious jerk! You're missing out on the joy of what you love over what they tell you to love." And then bought myself a copy of 90210 on vinyl in the early 2000s when vinyl was unheard of. And to the shock and horror of my pretntious buttholes, I left my group to go solo and since then, I've been Ozzy Osbourne all the way. And if you ever get a chance, check out the Bee Gees remasters. They are heavenly to the ears and wonderful shot of the past to a simpler and more fntastic time of life. And to hell with any of the other sheep and their dying breed. ;)
@@annaclarafenyo8185 ... what's "selling out" got to do with guilty pleasure? Should I be angry over the fact that I enjoyed Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue" simply because it was used in a motorcycle commercial?
The acapella mix of "Leave It" confirms Yes was capable of vocal arrangements rivaling anything from Queen or the Beatles. Also, Chris Squire was one of the most underrated singers in all of rock music. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NGwZ_BSibBw.html
My goodness, that a cappella version. Not just the arrangement but just try to imagine getting that on tape or one of the early digital systems (I understand both were used on 90125).
It's ironic, though, that Leave It is the weakest track on the album in my opinion. Also, even though the harmonies are great on 90125, they are even better on Talk.
@@salsalzman2325 Thats true, Close is prog, 90125 is more commercial. So no point in comparing them at all. Except that 90125 FAR outsold Close to the Edge.
Personally I love the album. It's not what someone would have expected from them at the time, but it glorious. Jon Anderson's voice never sounded better. Changes is brilliant. Leave It still blows my mind to this day. the whole album is fantastic. Maybe Owner of A Lonely Heart was a little too poppy, but otherwise a great groundbreaking record. Lots of inventive sounds and styles. Lots of variety. What more could you want
My first YES album was Going For the One. I thought ok nothing to see here. Then I heard Owner Of A Lonely Heart on the radio several years later I ran out and got 90125!! For me a great album. 👍 🎸🎸🎸
Rabin and Horns contribution to Yes should never be underestimated. They revitalised the band and opened doors to their music that may well have remained shut.
It was a fantastic gateway drug. Beyond that, it’s so steeped in those production tropes that only a de-80fying remix would liberate it from my nostalgia bin. Until then... fond memories and gratitude remain.
I knew of Yes when this album came out, namely Roundabout, I've Seen All Good People and Starship Trooper. From knowing these songs I was quite excited to hear of a new es album coming out. I didn't have any expectations as the older tunes were just "radio" tunes to me and wasn't really considered a fan at that point. Enter the release of "Owner Of a Lonely Heart." This was played all over radio. It was on our top 40 station as well as our rock/classic rock station. When the full album came out I was blown away. From "Owner" to "Hearts" I quickly became a Yes fan, at least of the 80's version of Yes. I love every song on the album. At one time every song was my favorite. I must have listened to this album at least 2 or 3 times a day. It was a while after the album was released that I finally got to see Yes live for the first time. Boy was I entranced. Hearing most of 90125 was great, but the songs of the past were just as awesome. At that point I wanted to get the albums of the past. Mainly with the ones of the songs performed at the concert. This cemented me as Yes being my favorite band. Slowly I dug into their back catalog. The Yes Album, Fragile and Tormato were the first ones I listened to. Later on I got into Relayer and finally Talles From Topographic Oceans. Funny thing is I never got into Going For the One until the Union Tour. 90125 became the album that got me into Yes. I was excited when Big Generator came out and I equally loved that album as well as the tour. After the hype from all of that wore off I decided it was time for me to see Howe and Wakeman and the ABWH album/tour came together. That album took my attention away from everything else and I was focused on seeing ABWH live. After seeing them in concert I still listened to that album for another year and a half constantly. Then we had Union. The hype around that album was strong. All of our favorite Yes men playing together and releasing an album, at least that is what we thought. Though I loved Union as well I didn't like the mish mash that it was. It really wasn't a "true" union. The union tour was magical though. All 8 of them on stage playing away at all the new and classic Yes songs. For the set closer was a song I wasn't too familiar with. That song of course was Awaken. After this show I had to go out and buy Going for the One. I got it on cassette since I wasn't able to find it on vinyl at that time. The Union era was the most exciting thing for a long time. Following Union was Talk. This album gets more bad talk about it than 90125. It took me a while to get into it. It's different. The songs are good but the production value is amazing. "Endless Dream" is one of the most amazing Yes Songs. A lot will disagree it fares well against "Gates of Delirium" and actually playing thos two song back to back they really compliment each other. We had the SLO shows. The Keystudio tracks which are great, Open Your Eyes and the first time Revealing Science of God had been played live in a long time. Though this was a good period for Yes the excitement wasn't there as it had been in the past. Then enter the Magnification album. Yes with an orchestra was pretty exciting to me. Though not as great as past albums, Magnification was still solid in my eyes. Where the tracks shined though was in concert. The Yes Symphonic tour was amazing. Gates of Delirium with an orchestra was the most amazing thing I have ever heard. We will end this story here. So back to 90125. I know you said you didn't really like "Hearts" but I think this is the most prog sounding song on the album. To this day it is my favorite song off of 90125. I would love to hear you do a review like this on the "Talk" album.
Always loved this album and for that matter the early 80s offerings of many of the prog giants (Genesis' ABACAB, Rush's Signals, King Crimson's Discipline). It's amazing how well these bands met the cultural moment while staying true to their creative course.
@@mikearchibald744 I had all three of these albums, and, like you, also hated "Abacab"...at first. Somehow, I kept going back to relisten to it, and it grew on me. I also hated Steely Dan's "Gaucho"...at first. I think perhaps there's some reason, despite what we think on initially hearing an album, there's something to be said if it keeps us coming back to it again and again.
@@kevinnewsom3128 Good point, I think our brains like different things for different reasons. I understand why people get angry at the 'end of prog' and its hard to like music that is so different. I think Pink Floyd was the only band that never really gave it up, but they've always been in a class by themselves. I actually have a very narrow musical interest and have a hard time liking anything out of that narrow view, but 'it is what it is'. Genesis just got SO famous that it was almost like a kick in the head for some people. Because Peter Gabriel certainly sold out with "So', that and "Security" don't even sound like the same guy, but he doesn't get the bashing that Genesis and Phil Collins gets. But Phil was just SO everywhere that as he's said, he's almost become symbolic of the eighties. It was hysterical on that danish top 2000 documentary when they talked to people in the street and people got him mixed up with Elton John, it shows how everything changes.
Thank you, Barry- I enjoyed your analysis and appreciation of this Yes album, and I always like the humor you add to your presentations. I have been a fan of 90125 since its release. I remember when it came out that it was a bit of a relief, because I was worried that Trevor Horne would be the singer (I never quite got over the Drama tour and seeing the group without Jon Anderson). I love the song "Cinema," and wish, as you do, that I could hear the 20-minute version. It reminds me so much of the "Unquiet Slumber for the Sleepers" suite from Genesis' Wind and Wuthering, and I've always felt "Cinema" must have been inspired by that piece. I would add that I saw Yes on the 90125 tour without Wakeman and Howe, and they were surprisingly excellent, despite these two absences. I am a huge Wakeman fan, but I really did enjoy Tony Kaye- he acted onstage like a mad scientist and was a hoot to watch, although he doesn't have Wakeman's technical prowess. Many wonderful songs on 90125, and again great analysis and presentation!
I was a big fan of the classic 70s Yes stuff when this came out, but I liked it a lot anyway. I also really liked the eponymous Genesis album that came out the same year, 1983. And I still really like both albums, no matter how 80s-ish they are. And I really don't like much of anything that either of those two bands did after 1983, with the possible exception of Keys To Ascension. So I think of this as Yes' last stand, even though in some ways, it's a different band... my guess is they would have stuck with the name Cinema if it weren't for pressure from the record label. (They could have at least named the album Cinema, instead of using the catalog number as the title... not sure what kind of a statement is intended by that.) Anyway, music is music and if it gives you pleasure or otherwise engages you, it's good music, others' opinions be damned. Music might not save the world, but it makes going down with the ship a lot more tolerable! Peace.
It's head and shoulders my favorite YES album. Admittedly, I skip Owner of a Lonely Heart. It sounds like what it is; a Trevor Horn song. But the rest of the album is all-killer, I love every track.
Don't tell Trevor Rabin that LOL. It was primarly written by Rabin with contributions made by Anderson, Squire and Horn. But it's very much a Trevor Horn production, I'll give you that.
@@ralphus555 I saw Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe live, and then the Union tour live. I remember as a kid finally getting on UseNet, this was before the internet obviously, and being really exciting to have access to groups like alt.fan.yes so I could talk about the band I loved with like minded people. And then the disappointment of discovering it was just a bunch of people like you, who only wanted to argue. About which version of the band was 'real' and how bad the other albums were, and what bad fans people were for liking them. But I loved all of it. So I just felt more alone. So, good job. I don't know why people like you can only engage with the music by making it adversarial, but you can rest happy knowing your view is the common one. The popular one.
@@mcolville I agree with you, Matthew. Music taste is very subjective and unlike ralphus I think 90125 is far, far better than Big Generator. But that's just my opinion. I do believe it's an objective fact that The Beatles were better than Bee Gees but of course there are some who would disagree with that too. LOL
I'm with you. I really enjoy this album. It was also the intro to me finding all the older albums. It's similar to me with Rush. Moving Pictures was their first album I heard, and then I discovered their older stuff from that. And Audio Visions was the first Kansas album I heard, and I went backwards from there. I'm sure it's the same for many Yes fans. I can understand that it would disappoint the Yes fan who had followed them for years, but Tormato and Drama were already departures from the classic era.
Your introduction was hilarious 👏😆 As for the album in question.... it certainly has its moments, tis a good 80's pop album but it did knock another nail into the YES coffin.
To this day, I still listen to this album at least once a month. Every song is incredible. Wish some people would lose the condescinding smugness. So what if it's not like 70s prog Yes. Nothing else in the 80s was like this, either.
I was a huge Yes fan when this came out (I had just turned 17) and I loved the album. I'm also a life-long guitarist and a big fan of Steve Howe and even so, I loved Trevor's contributions to the album as a guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer. I will add a note regarding your comment about "It Can Happen" having a "synthesized sitar sound". In fact, that was a real sitar played by Dipak Khazanchi. Trevor Rabin wrote and taught him the part. Reports of it being an "electric sitar" or otherwise are false.
On the single release of "Leave It", the flip side had an au cappella of the song, which is absolutely worth hunting down to hear. I had a much deeper appreciation of the harmonies that went into the song after I first listened to it.
In 1983 I had just broken up with my partner and was driving home in tears when Owner of a lonely heart came on the radio. That song always takes me back to that day, hard to listen to it all these years later.
This was the album that initially got me into Yes. I had no preconceived notions as to what Yes was supposed to be. I think the album has lots of strong material on it and fits in well with their classic catalog. Without Howe, the band had a different dynamic with Rabin who didn't just play lead guitar but also composed complete demos and liked to have the final word on everything. At least for this moment in time, Yes had unexpectedly struck gold.
I really like this record. I saw them on this tour and as I recall the opening act… a big screen came down in front of the stage and they played Bugs Bunny cartoons. This show was also my first time to see them with Jon Anderson as the previous tour I saw was Drama. Its not classic yes but I too still really like it
90125 does need a comprehensive box set with the demos and remastered sound. Hearts would be my favorite song. This album could have a great debate for quite a few hours. Great video Barry
I was in 7th grade when this came out and I fell in love with it. "Owner" just reminded me of Every Breath You Take. "Changes" intrigued me with it's odd syncopation and open chords. The breakdown middle section of "Leave It" is my favorite part. "Hearts" is a gorgeous closer. Great, great album.
@@MrCranberran The guitar passage and the way the drums were recorded. Trevor Noah was going after the sound of Every Breath You Take at the time. There's an interview with him here on RU-vid describing this.
@@ConglomerationCat Interesting, I’ll check it out. I don’t see it - or should that be ‘hear’ it - but I will search it out. If you have the link can you post it please? Cheers.
@@MrCranberran I posted the link about 13 hours ago... Trevor starts to talk about Stewart Copeland from The Police around the 8:30 mark. In other videos Trevor said he liked how Every Breath You Take sounded at the time. So unless RU-vid won't allow me to upload the link, look up Trevor Horn Owner Of A Lonely Heart. For some dumb reason, spell check has it as Trevor Noah instead of Horn.
@@ConglomerationCat Okay, I've watched the video and I can see how, when the layers are broken down and you see how he laid the foundation of the high-hat cymbals and the staccato guitar there is an obvious connection. And there's the fact that he mentions Stewart Copeland specifically (although not 'Every breath ...'). Thanks again for the reference to the video.
I love the album, and still listen to it today. (Changes is my favorite Yes song, also in my all time top ten favorite songs.) I like their old stuff too. I’m a long term Rush fan, so I’m accustomed to musicians spreading out and experimenting.
It saved the band. Yes was never a tightly bonded group of individuals, all of them were more or less vagabonds. Once you grasp that, this album makes a lot of sense. It's not that they, omg, DID SOMETHING STRANGE, no no, Yes was always strange. They merely did exactly what they always did but with a freaky South African guy who had a hard on for hair spray rock of LA at the time and a producer that wasn't some pub crawling London 'bloke' stuck in the 1960s. If it weren't for 90125, prog would have certainly died. Yngwie would have still done that neo-classical thing and given all the nerds something to stroke to but the inventive side of eclectic rock would have soon been relegated to jazz and become more closely associated with acts more like Weather Report than ELP or early Genesis. Groups like Dream Theater owe more to 90125 than they do to Fragile because Fragile just told them WHAT they wanted to do, 90125 told them HOW to do it. Think about it, they obviously haven't ;)
I'm with you. I loved it when it came out and still do today. And it was my entry point to all the Yes that preceded it. Think I'll have a fix of it right now....
I was already in high school and a huge Yes fan when 90125 came out. I was at first very skeptical about how it was going to sound without Steve Howe, but he was in Asia at the time and so i guess I decided that if he can do other things that were great in their own right, perhaps this could be great too. I mean Jon Anderson was back and if you couldn't have Wakeman I thought Tony Kaye had enough original Yes cred to pass muster, so it was just really this new guy Trevor Rabin I was uncertain about. It took about 2 listenings and I was absolutely hooked! It had a fresh energy and I really liked the way Jon and Trevor shared the vocals together in a very new way for Yes. And any misgivings I had about Rabin's guitar playing were immediately put to rest as he is truly brilliant. To this day, I still love every track on 90125, especially It Can Happen, Hearts, and Our Song. It is a perfect 80's rock record in every way.
Sure it's an 80s album but it's one of the better 80s records. It's certainly far better than Genesis' "Invisible Touch." It was also my intro to Yes. So I like it.
The Sitar Player was Deepak Khazanchi. If I remember correctly, Trevor Rabin over -dubbed a "drone" effects guitar part that played in unison with the sitar because he was not totally satisfied with the recorded sitar. 90125 is not Close to the Edge, Fragile, Relayer or the Yes Album. Those are essential listening for any serious Prog fan, and represents that band's best recordings. Drama ( finally getting it's due as a very good album) is better than 90125. But, outside of the Yes Album, 90125 may be their most important. Bill Bruford said the Yes Album was their last chance at breaking through or Atlantic would drop them. Fortunately, the Yes Album did very well in the UK and got some attention in the US, eventually, following the release of Fragile which, broke the band internationally, became a big seller, achieving Platinum status in the US. If the Yes Album went nowhere, Yes would have been an asterisk in rock history. Yes was done at the end of 1980 and who knows what they would have been had it not been for 90125. Their 70s success ensured at least a moderate following. But, 90125 and it's worldwide success allowed them to play in large arenas and amphitheatres for another 20 years, instead of probably 3-5 thousand seat venues. My opinion of 90125 on whether it is a good album: Overall, it is a good album, not a great one. Changes, It Can Happen, Cinema and Owner (although if I never heard it again, I would be fine with that) are strong tracks. Leave it is good and broke new ground for Yes. The rest, Hearts, Hold On, City of Love and Our Song are mediocre. Personally, the best Rabin era Yes songs were Endless Dream and I'm Running. But, those were longer, complex tracks that were appealing to older Yes fans who wanted the Proggy Yes. Unfortunately, for many of the newer Yes fans who wanted a Owner of a Lonely Heart or Leave it hit song, nothing on Big Generator came close to that quality. The Calling from Talk would have worked on Big Generator as a potential hit. But, in the early -mid 90s no chance. Unless you were REM, U2 or Metallica, Grunge and to lesser extent Jam band music was the order of the day.
@@ciciusss There is no 'best' in music. 90125 is NOT 'prog' so it can't even be compared with those. There isn't a long song or multiple time change signature in all of them. So there is no real comparison as far as 'genre' is concerned. This was about whether its 'bad', which it most certainly isn't. But with Rabin replacing Howe and the music going into a commercial direction, again, no comparison. But there are LOTS of people who hate prog, and some with good reason. A genre isn't 'good' or 'bad' on its own, its appeal is simply based on different values. Prog was album rock, commercial is radio. Owner of a lonely heart to me is the weakest of the tracks. Unlike MOST of their albums, there isn't a track I skip on this for any reason. Drama I can hardly even listen to because of the vocals, which is saying something when you are used to Jon Anderson, not exactly a 'staff pick' for singers. I'm running wasn't a Rabin song, Rabins songs were all the ones with 'love' in the title because the recording company knew the others were not close to being 'hits'. Its actually the music company that kept the band going, and as you say, without this album they'd have been long forgotten.
Mike, You are correct that there is no "Best" in music. But, while I'm sure that Rush's Vapor Trails or Counterparts may rank to some as the best in the Rush discography, most Rush fans will rank Moving Pictures, 2112 or Farewell to the Kings as much better albums. Those top such lists. The Beatles Magical Mystery Tour is probably some Beatle fans fave, but I would bet Revolver, Sgt Peppers and Rubber Soul get far more love. That was my point about Close to the Edge, Fragile, etc vs 90125. Yes's 90125 is not a Prog album. There are only a few moments that have "Proggy" moments such as the intro into Changes or the instrumental Cinema. In fact, that album only became a Yes album when the record label thought once Anderson was in the fold, the album would generate far more interest as a new Yes release than a new band named Cinema. But, it is a Yes album and it will be compared to the rest of the discography. I said it is a good album and arguably the second most important album as far as their career is concerned. As far as I'm Running, it's credited to the whole band. The bass intro had been something that Squire had played around going back to Drama, I believe. The Rabin era reference was just to the albums he played on and I mentioned I'm Running and Endless Dream as the best ( IMHO) of that era. Not that he wrote all those songs, although he was primarily responsible for Endless Dream, which certainly qualified as Prog. As far as Anderson, I like his singing ( many do). Horn was fine on Drama, but it was the music that I thought was strong especially Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit. I don't care for the singing of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen or Thom Yorke. But, somebody obviously does as their bank accounts are pretty large. In the end, music and art is subjective.
i've been a yes fan since the yes album, when the single 'your move' made me think the singer was a woman. then i bought the single 'roundabout', and then bought the album, with its gatefold cover and little booklet. imagine my surprise! also-i think 'tales...' is their best album. so there. i liked '90125', or whatever, a lot when it came out. it certainly was much better than the genesis "genesis" album of the same time period. i even saw the tour near my little PA town. trevor rabin replacing steve howe was like alan white replacing bill bruford-just more rock'n'roll. i do prefer eddie offord over trevor horn, but those were different times. what came after (then 'til now) is a tad suspect, but hey, they live, and that's all that matters. thanks for listening.
I've probably listened to this album more than any other. I love EVERY song on it Owner of a Lonely Heart is the WEAKEST track in my opinion, but hte video was great, even horrifying in part.
Thanks. I was 18 when this came out. I knew a bit of older 70s Yes just from classic radio, but I'd never owned a Yes album. This record really got me into them. I even saw the 9012-Live tour in my town. Awesome! Now I own several Yes albums & CDs. They've almost always dared to put it way out there, & I respect that. Going for the One, I suppose. tavi.
I love this album and make ZERO apologies for it. Rabin was a great talent and it’s obvious Squire loved playing with him. Their onstage chemistry was clear to see.
It was one of my first Yes albums to really listen to - other than their hits - Roundabout - Seen all good people - I thought they were more in the Grateful Dead genre - my friend bought this album over and it blew me away - we immediately went to the record store and I bought a used copy of Yessongs and I was a convert
Assuming that such a set of studio material, live material, and all the audio/visual material were all cleaned up, compiled and then boxed up, I can only imagine to whom it should be dedicated, Chris Squire and Alan White. As for the production, it worked even if it was the audio equivalent of the band redesigned by IKEA in some new pop minimalism....
I've been a diehard Yes fan since early 1972 when I was 13. I like most of the songs on 90125 and bought it on cassette when it came out (so I could play it in my car and at home).
I was an old school Yes fan, my favorite albums were Relayer and Tales. 90125 came out and it was different to say the least. I for the most part liked it, but I hadn't fully bought in. Then I went to see the concert and it was excellent and watching them perform it brought it to life, so to speak. 90125 is one great classic rock album and it still sounds remarkably fresh. Hearts was great in concert much more grabbing than the album version. They really were two different bands with and without Steve Howe. Prefer the traditional progressive Yes, but 90125 is a good listen. Big Generator on the other hand.
I came to YES via ABWH - I'd heard of Anderson from his work with Vangelis and Wakeman's name rang a bell and then just after I'd learned about the existence of YES, along came 'Union' and when I bought that, I also bought 'Classic Yes' - and the rest is history. I came of musical age in the '80s and the '80s sound was 'my' sound, so '90125' was right up my street when I first heard it in about 1990. That said, I can understand why prog purists might dislike it, being so very unlike pre-1980 YES (being polite and not calling it the Wakeman Era...).. People can complain about Rabin all they like, but it took him in the '80s and Sherwood in the '90s to keep the YES flame burning while the old guys did their legacy politicking in the background. For me, Rabin's own stuff is pretty damned good and I say the same for Sherwood, so their involvement in YES was/is a boon. Of course, very few albums by any band are wall-to-wall perfection and 'Hearts' at the end of '90125' is a bit of a washout for me, but it's also a nod to the Classic YES era. Standouts for me on this album are 'Owner...' (I just love those guitar riffs - so very hard-edged) and the delicious anticipation of listening to 'Cinema' knowing that it's going to segue into the start of 'Leave It'. If there's one thing I like, it's vocal harmonies. 'Hold On' following ''Owner...' feels ponderous to me, but straight afterwards there's 'It Can Happen' and the big energy of 'Changes' - it's an album that delights and bores me in waves. As for the contrasts between the Classic line-up and what came in the '80s, there's enough room in the world for both. I adore the earlier stuff apart from the jazzy twaddle of 'Relayer', but that's the kind of thing that happens when the keyboard maestro goes off to be solo (after the debacle of recording '...Topographic...') and the band has to find a replacement at short notice. You might say I'm not a Moraz fan. When the same keyboard maestro decided that YES was dead in the water after 'Tormato', they had to look again for a replacement and serendipitously absorbed the Buggles (thus also solving the no-Anderson problem) and then in the '90s, when the same keyboard maestro again left them in the lurch after deciding that he just couldn't live under the same managerial roof as the rest of the band, they had to scramble again for a replacement. I love Wakeman - he really is impressive to watch and his compositions are amazing - but he's never had sticking power! His substitutes have all been very good in absolute terms, but still feel a bit 9-carat next to his bullion.
90125 was probably the first Yes album I heard in its entirety. I had a passing familiarity with the band prior to this album, having heard "Roundabout" a few times on the radio, but I never saw fit to buy this one. But several years down the line, once I'd developed a strong interest in progressive rock (thanks in large part to Rush), I decided to buy a Yes album - and it wasn't this one! Instead it was the compilation Classic Yes. Some time later I bought some proper albums, but again none of them were 90125. Instead I got all the releases from The Yes Album to Relayer. That said, maybe one day I'll get a copy of 90125.
That's a rather sensational title.... It does not have a rep for being "bad" per se. Just bad for those older fans that loved Yes before it came along. It defied their expectations, and considering the year it was made, it needed to. As an 80s pop/prog album it's one of the best.
90125 belongs to the best Yes Albums …period!! It’s Beautiful Solid Musical and adapted to the 80’s music’s heart!! One of the best, even if Steve Howe is Absent ! It’s an excellent following to Drama! They were at this kind of Music… but Jon was there! To keep it as Original Yes! Blessed be Jon, It was an absolute Dynamic Musical disc to me! From beginning to End!!
It’s a great album. I’m just getting into Yes and will buy every single album, I’ve bought all the 70s albums and this now. Obviously few bands from the 70s sounded great. It was a different era with different technology. Genesis managed to reinvent themselves incredibly well in the 80s. Many bands failed. Some great songs on this Yes album. The last two tracks are especially superb.
I already had Close to the Edge, Relayer, The Yes Album & Fragile, but this one was the first album by Yes that I bought when it was the current release. I still love it. Easily a top 5 Yes album for me. A good companion to "Asia" Discipline", and "Genesis" to see how the old proggies negotiated the '80s while Marillion, Pallas, IQ, and Twelfth Night kept the old-school Prog flame burning.
I think 90125 is a pop classic. Masterpiece. It set them up nicely in the 80s. A band reborn. They admittedly probably were trying to reinvent themselves with this album I suspect. But this album has so many good songs I mean Wow ! Nothing wrong with being or going commercial really. They followed that album with some other good songs too. Rhythm of love. Awesome. Love will find a way. Absolute classic YES sound I reckon. A group at the very height of their powers surely. Fine music !
This a fantastic album with incredible playing and incredible arrangements. This album opened the door for a lot of eighties kids like me to checkout 70s Yes.
That was very humerous.The 80,s and massive over production sat hand in hand in pubs with the new fangled video juke box.Dire Straights still stands out as the band that took overproduction too far.ZZ Top fell into that sound and even ACDC gave it a shot.But having said that in general the first half of the 80,s was a nest egg for music in general the likes of which will never happen again in terms of style and choice.Long live the mullet.
I really enjoyed this album since I first heard it back in the 80’s. For sure I was looking for a fresh prog offering , but without that expectation , it is full of pop delights. It still is. At the time I felt it was a class above the dross of the 80’s styles we were offered by the mainstream. Who cares if some music snobs thought it was not what yes should be doing. I for one love it for what it is-pop music.
90125 is a masterpiece. And yes, you can find some prog traces in some of the tracks, especially the appropriately titled "Changes". Thanks for the video!
This album got me into Yes and progressive rock. It’s a great album for the time, certainly not one of the best Yes albums, and not prog, but great nonetheless!
I like this album. I was already a fan of yes. Especially the first three albums with Steve Howe. This is very different but the songs are solid. Trevor Rabin was a fine addition. He is a monster guitar player and has a nice voice. For me the songs Heats and City of Love are the weakest. My favorites are Changes, Hold On and Our Song. Not my favorite Yes album but I still enjoy listening to it every now and then.
I absolutely love it and always have. From start to finish is always a great listen for me. It doesn't sound like the Yes of the early 70's and it was never meant to (the same goes for Drama).
90125 is DEF one of Yes greatest albums and most likely their last masterpiece - Big Generator and Talk were also good albums ( Union has aged well even though slated by band members) - the band has not returned to form since Open Your Eyes 95 and beyond - The biggest turn of events was Trevor Rabin and not "Horn" - Rabin injected an element of youth into a band that had lost its way - Squire and White even recording with Jimmy Page delivering no results - Rabin elevated the band with a classic rock edge - that can be heard on the 2016/17 ARW tour - for me, the best Yes have ever sounded -(no disrespect to Chris / Alan or Steve)
I am a YES fan. I prefer The Yes Album, Fragile and CTTE. But this incarnation is very good. 90125, Big Generator and Talk are good albums. Critique of this incarnation reminds me of the critique by "Gabriel only" fans of Genesis.
LOL. I understand why people that maybe were diehard fans would dislike it, but I personally love it and love all the rest (well, not Union and the last one, whose name I can't even remember). What I am laughing at is the number of people blaming the production for disliking it. Are you joking? So you think Tormato and even Relayer (one I love) have better production? The fact is 90125 is probably closer to today's standards than those that came before it. The problem with the most recent record is they are trying to recapture an outdated sound from the 70's that falls WAY flat. That and the songwriting is terrible and Jon Davison's voice has no raw emotion whatsoever.
Very good review & discussion of 90125. Agreed that Horn's production is very good and brings a discernable life to end product. I also that Our Song is the weakest track but I still love Hearts. Overall it's a great album for it being a necessary departure from the 70's era. I think that Drama is a fantastic album too.
I think the songs were quite well written and "Changes" for me is the best song on the album. Though this is not the Yes I know and love them for and it's another dust collector personally for me and an album I would not bother getting out to play today.
...was never a big Yes fan myself, I did enjoy their first 4 LP's ("I see you" is still on my mp3 player), but I lost interest when my taste in King Crimson resurrected after I saw them perform "Easy Money" on the Midnight Special. I did however purchase "Drama" and "90125" after I saw "Owner of a lonely Heart" on MTV. ...and to my surprise, it's one of those cassettes I never felt inclined to fast forward through it...or rewind for that matter. Excellent review!
90125 is a 'Crossover' album, for me. Techno-Funk with a veneer of Metal, and Soul harmonies - which, in itself is 'progressive', or a progression. The sound and feel is atmospheric and spectral. Bright and clear. Jazz Rock Fusion with the emphasis on songs rather than instrumental prowess.
The Sledgehammer gag...👌👌👌🤣🤣 From one fellow rock diehard/nerd...😮shhh to another 😎 Really love your vids mate, from all the way down here in Oz keep it up!👍👍🤘🤘😎
I will never forget my first listen when I bought this record right when it came out. Side two blew me away as Cinema gave way to Leave It. It sonically enveloped me and to this day I adore this record.
I could probably live without hearing Owner of a Lonely Heart ever again, but overall the 90125 album is a classic. I would actually rank this album in my Yes top 5, and no..I don't give a toss what Yes 'purists' think of that ;-) 90125 is an excellent collection of stylish, highly memorable, well crafted songs, and with a complete genius in the production chair. It's one of those classic and iconic 80's rock albums. It's sophisticated and intelligent and yet accessible enough to put the band well and truly back on the rock map. It's at least on par with Drama, and immeasurably superior to Tormato IMO.
90125 was killer. Great songs. Great production. The same people who wanted the “70s Yes” are the same people who wanted Rush to do 2112 for 5 more albums 🤣 Resulting in early death 😅 Grace Under Pressure was also a great record. But what Trevor Rabin brought to Yes was amazing. He’s one of the best guitarist and songwriters. The Don’t Look Away solo album was also killer… just a huge talent. No complaints…. No apologies… Trevor Rabin Yes was outstanding. Rock on 🤘😎🤘
I do like this album. I was 14 when it was released, and even though both my aunts were Yes fans, my parents were more conservative and I had yet to discover prog rock. 90125 was my gateway to older Yes, so I think it has its value for a new generation surrounded by the then-current M-TV favorites of Run DMC and Twisted Sister. Music changed in the early 80s, and many great 70s bands had to change their sound to stay relevant…and typically produced music that was polished, soulless, and of lesser integral quality. Yes wasn’t alone. But they planted seeds for the next generation to look to their roots. Some of us found our way because of them.
