This past August was great month for concerts! Two of the better shows that I've seen in a long time were Barenaked Ladies, and the Yes Symphonic Concert. I didn't really know what to expect when we went to this show, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the music of Yes fit in very well with a full orchestra. Classic Yes songs like "And You and I" and "Long Distance Runaround" were enhanced in a special way with full orchestration. The challenge for a band that's been around for over 30 years is to record new music that is relevant and good. Yes has struggled with this on a few occasions over the last ten years, but "Magnification" combines the broad sound orchestration with the art rock talents of the core members hits the mark most of the time.
My favorite period of Yes was the early 1980's. With the addition of guitarist Trevor Rabin, the reunited yes scored big with "90125" and "Big Generator". Yes gave up their "dinosour rock" image for an edgier and more agressive sound. Since the departure of Rabin, Yes has occasionally tried to recapture this particular style with limited success. "Don't Go" is one of the exceptions. This light pop tune, combined with orchestral strings, makes for a very contemporary sound. Where "Don't Go" recalls the 80's success of the band, "Can You Imagine" captures what made the band appealing in the 70's. I always thought that Chris Squire was underrated as a bassist and vocalist. Here Squire lends his vocal talents as a lead singer with Jon Anderson in the background. Only strings, piano, and occasional guitar accompanies the vocals here. Although "Soft as a Dove" sounds pretty sappy after repeated listens, the next track, "Dreamtime" makes more of an impression. Vocalist Jon Anderson churns out plenty of new age cd's these days, and this influence can be heard on these particular songs. Tribal drumming from Alan White along with some amazing flamenco style guitar from Steve Howe makes this one of the stronger songs on the release. Another strong track would be "Spirit of Survival". Here is where Steve Howe really shows off his unique guitar style. The album finishes off with the mellow "Time is Time". Cello and acoustic guitar backs up Jon Anderson's vocals on this brief love song. "Take the time to know how you will fill my life, revolving in my heart.". Anderson has always been a little "cosmic" when it comes to writing love songs, but he gladly wears his heart on his sleeve here. Most of the better Yes albums contain a brief Anderson penned love song, and this is no exception.
If you have been following the career of Yes over the last decade, this is their best effort since 1994's "Talk". I'm glad to finally see a solid release since Steve Howe rejoined the band. The band obviously took their time in trying to blend the orchestration in with their own instrumentation. It's probably not an easy thing to accomplish, but they pulled it off pretty well here. In a way, I truly believe the orchestra fills in the void left by departed keyboardist Rick Wakeman. It's still the signiture Yes sound, and it's very natural for them to record this way. "Magnification" is an almost must for die-hard Yes fans.
