In 1983, Yes pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in rock history. The group had officially disbanded in 1981, after the 1980 album "Drama" and it's subsequent tour, with the various members of the "Drama" line-up moving on to other projects. "Drama" vocalist Trevor Horn became a music producer, guitarist Steve Howe & keyboardist Geoff Downes went on to form the supergroup Asia, and bassist Chris Squire & drummer Alan White hooked up with South African guitarist Trevor Rabin to form a band that *was* to have been called Cinema, with Horn onboard to produce their debut album....But something happened to Cinema's album-in-progress. Chris Squire got a phonecall one day from his good friend---and former Yes vocalist---Jon Anderson, who was curious to hear the new music that Squire, White, & Rabin were working on. After hearing the tape that Squire sent him, Anderson was excited about the material, and asked Squire if he could sing on the new album. He did, and, for the coup-de-grace, original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye was also reeled in to help out on the keyboards...and Yes was re-born. The new album, entitled "90125" (named after the barcode number on the back of the album), became Yes' biggest-selling album ever, hitting #5 on the U.S. album chart, and also giving the band a surprise #1 hit single, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart," and even a Grammy award for the instrumental track, "Cinema" (hint hint!).Although a huge smash for the band, "90125" also divided the Yes fanbase in the same way that the Genesis fanbase was divided by the group's "Invisible Touch" album, with many fans complaining that the band had sold out and lost touch with it's progressive-rock roots. "90125" presented Yes with a glossier, streamlined rock sound, with certain elements of pop thrown into the mix, and no traces whatsoever of the group's prog-rock epics of the past. Still, there were certainly enough Yes fans out there who were excited by the group's new sound (myself included), and besides, it was just great to have Yes back in action at all, regardless of what their new music sounded like. And, as far as *this* Yes fan is concerned, "90125" is a definitive Yes classic. The band may not be so "proggish" on this one, but make no mistake, they still know how to rock. Even with a new musical approach, the heart & soul of Yes still remains firmly intact on "90125.""Owner Of A Lonely Heart," the catchy #1 hit song from the album, sets the tone right away with a killer guitar riff from Trevor Rabin, a groovy beat, tight musical interplay from the group, awesome radio-friendly production, and a terrific lead vocal from Jon Anderson. It's a classic Yes song. Other great Yes rockers follow it: "Hold On," "It Can Happen," and "Changes"---and that's only the first half of the disc! The band literally come *charging* in for the second-half with the blazing instrumental, "Cinema," followed by the glorious vocal workout, "Leave It" (a Top 40 hit). "Our Song" is the closest that Yes get to pop music on the album, but it's still a fine song. "City Of Love" is another great rocker, with a booming "thud-thud" groove from Squire and Rabin, and the final tune, "Hearts," is simply a beautiful Yes number, ending the album on a very memorable note. The band sound totally refreshed on "90125," with Anderson's perfect falsetto voice, Squire's big basslines, White's killer drumming, Kaye's cool keyboard work, and Trevor Horn's expert production. And let's give credit to guitarist Trevor Rabin where credit is due---he's a fantastic guitar player, and an excellent singer & songwriter as well. He definitely played an important role in Yes' comeback, and any Yes purist who criticizes him about "ruining" the band should be tossed out on their heads. With "90125," Yes re-invented themselves in a huge, HUGE way. It's an awesome album, one of the group's very best, and an instant Yes classic. To quote a line from "Owner Of A Lonely Heart," it will excite, it will delight.