*. YES .* (SACD Remaster 2013)

Album: Drama (1980)(SACD Remaster 2013)
Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic Prog)  /  UK

CD 13 - High Vibration: SACD Box (Japanese Box Set 2013)

Drama is Yes' 10th album and is one of the few albums by this legendary band that doesn't feature iconic vocalist Jon Anderson. For a lot of fans, this is a major flaw, as Anderson was seen as the soul of Yes. I would agree in saying that Jon Anderson contributed greatly to the sound of Yes, but this album is fantastic, so I wouldn't at all say that Yes cannot be Yes without Anderson. Anyway, the vocals of Trevor Horn (the one replacing Anderson) aren't too different from Anderson's iconic sound. We have a large glimpse on this album of the technicality of the Yes members, as there are several technical riffs that are featured on the songs. The solos are exceptional, especially in the opening track Machine Messiah (which also features one of the heaviest and most metal-sounding riffs that Yes has ever produced). The songwriting is great, with plenty of catchy melodies and beautiful sections that Yes are known for. This album is unique as it gives an indication of where the style Yes would end up going, while not completely employing the style. There are a few parts in Drama which feature the synth sound that everyone knows from the 80s. But the album is still very much true to Yes' traditional Symphonic Prog sound, just in a more conventional and accessible way. The lyrics aren't amazing on this album, as one of the main lyricists of Yes (Jon Anderson) left the group. Still, they aren't dreadful enough to make you cringe. The album is very consistent, with each particular track offering a slightly different sound than the rest. There are no obviously weak tracks; it's up to opinion really to decide which songs are the best. My personal favourites are Machine Messiah and Into the Lens. The album has quite a happy sound, which is not different to mostly everything else that Yes has done, so there's no real surprises in the mood of the music. I will sum up the album with a sentence that I used earlier: The album is still very much true to Yes' traditional Symphonic Prog sound, just in a more conventional and accessible way. 
Review by "zeqexes" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  9.0 / 10

.