Talk [Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Yes | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 19, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: Spitfire
• ASIN: B00005R8CH
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (98 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #284,212 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Calling

2. I Am Waiting

3. Real Love

4. State of Play

5. Walls

6. Where Will You Be

7. Endless Dream: Silent Spring/Talk/Endless Dream [Instrumental]

8. The Calling [*]

Editorial Reviews

From Spitfire Records, the 10th 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. This Collector's Edition includes the bonus track 'The Calling' (special version) and new in-depth sleevenotes. 2002.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their Best Album? YES!, March 7, 2009

By 

Ryle Shermatz (Cedar Rapids, IA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Talk (Audio CD)

I know I will rile other Yes fans sorely with this assertion in my headline, but I stand by my position; "TALK" is my favorite Yes album, and as a Yes fan for decades, I have no problem recommending "Talk" as the ONE Yes recording to purchase if you want the best of this pioneering and underappreciated band.

By all means, let's give their early work its due. "Close to the Edge", "Fragile", "The Yes Album" and yes, "Relayer" and "Tales of Topographic Oceans" defined the band and the emergent genre of Progressive Rock and deserve their historical stature as milestones of the era. I don't want to recount all the backstory that led to "Talk's" creation--so many other reviewers provide that--but let me just note that this was the third and final recording by the "West Coast Yes" band that spearheaded their late '80's-early '90's revival with guitarist/singer Trevor Rabin in the drivers' seat as unofficial bandleader.

To my ears, "Talk" is the ultimate statement of what the band was capable of; this is their masterpiece. My guess is that the commercial viability Rabin helped to bring to the band with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"--their first and only #1 hit--banked him a great deal of sway when the time came to record "Talk", and eager to build on their early success, the rest of the band was willing to cede much creative power to Rabin in the creation of this project.

Creatively they certainly made the right choice. Every track of "Talk" bristles with lyrical and instrumental power that the preceding two West Coast Yes records (90125 & Big Generator) hinted at but couldn't sustain. EVERYTHING converged in "Talk", and for me certainly, its force still shimmers like the background radiance of the big bang.

I infrequently revisit "Talk", and every time I do I just can't help but be reminded of just what an incredible piece of work this turned out to be. Produced by Trevor Rabin, the CD credits read "caution-extreme digital dynamic range", and indeed, "Talk" will give your speakers a workout with some wild audio fireworks. Of course most of us prog-rock "propellerheads" expect that, and enjoy the tricky panning between speakers that is so much part of its fun, but that would be for nought if the songs weren't worthy of all this high-gloss production fairy dust.

All the songs are SUPERIOR both musically and lyrically, showcasing as usual the instrumental prowess of the band AND revealing some uniquely empathic and insightful lyrics. I know many fans of the "classic" Yes lineup (Squire, Howe, Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford) will denounce me for saying this, but I confess little patience with the twittering word-salad lyrics of Jon Anderson. GREAT singer, yes, but I would guess that much of the problems the band suffered creatively as time wore on are largely due to their dependence on Jon's shaky words and music. Having Rabin on board as producer & composing partner to Anderson, I think, reined in many of Jon's worst excesses and allowed him to shine brightly (apparently for the last time) as a singer and the legend of prog rock that he was.

Many have lumped the "West Coast Yes" output as exhibit "A" in 1990's "hair metal/power ballad" narcissm. I can see where they're coming from, but I also say "so what"? The songs and performances have so much muscle, sinew & urgency they easily transcend any detractors' sniping. From the very opening track, "The Calling" it's clear the band is in their prime, storming through a brash, tough opener still fully bejeweled with the trademark Yes vocal harmonies and Jon Anderson's voice at its angelic best. Can anyone tell me why "Owner of a Lonely Heart" got to be a hit and "The Calling" was completely ignored? I was especially taken with the slippery, heavily-processed guitar solo by Rabin midway through. What a display of virtuousity! Steve Howe was and is a great guitarist, but Trevor in his own way, was every bit as good (as demonstrated over and over again throughout "Talk").

Let's all take a second to praise the great Alan White and his armor plated drumming not only on "Talk" (where he deservedly gets a high profile in the mix) but throughout his years with Yes. White's take-no-prisoners authority as a drummer reminds me of Led Zep's John Bonham, and also perhaps Ringo Starr. Alan definitely infused Yes with a pulse and urgency the more mannered and (dare I say) effete drumming of predecessor Bill Bruford couldn't provide. (Let me hasten to add that Bill was indeed a GREAT drummer in his own right, but tell me there's not a HUGE difference between his and Alan Whites' styles.)

Let me quickly praise in passing the enduring excellence of all of "Talk", truly a CD with only one weak track--"Where Will You Be", which, while credited as co-written by Rabin/Anderson seems to bear so much more of the Jon Anderson imprint. It is NOT a bad song-it's just such a departure from the crunch and frontal assault of the preceding tracks that it seems a little weak by contrast. I suspect, however, this was intentional & meant to serve as a meditative time-out before the band raised the curtain on the closer, to my ears the band's highest prog rock pinnacle, the closing suite "Endless Dream".

"Endless Dream" will always be unshakably locked in my personal all-time Top 10 as a work of extraordinary compositional, lyrical and emotional vibrance. It is such a tour de force of instrumental & vocal skill that it still moves me after hundreds of listenings. Lyrically and instrumentally I interpret "Endless Dream" as a musical journey into the substance of being. The swirling electronics represent the atomic aether from which larger structures of life and consciousness arise (as represented by the band), bubbling up through the underlying fog of churning subatomic matter. The lyrics are somber, slightly opaque, but not annoyingly so (as was routinely true for most of Jon's lyrics in times past). "It's the last time, telling myself everything, call me over and bring me back again..." Never before (or since)has Jon sang more beautifully and meaningfully as he does on "Endless Dream". Cycling through life and returning to attempt again to wring meaning from it with senses inadequate to the task is the message of "Endless Dream". Yeah, it's big, and ponderous, and surely it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I greatly admire their ambition and still stand in awe of the artistry they brought to the task throughout "Talk".

Well, who said life was fair? "Talk" arrived and sank immediately commercially, spelling the end of West Coast Yes and (apparently permanently) exiling Trevor Rabin from the Yes family. The band continues to soldier on, and Jon Anderson gamely asserts that they can still make another album equal to "Close to the Edge" or "Fragile"--I'd like to believe that's possible, but I must reluctantly state that most Yes post-"Talk" has been middling to poor. Nevertheless a band that has scaled such heights as Yes can surely be forgiven a long coast into the sunset. Few bands have accomplished so much artistically and NONE have created such a thrilling, ambitious, arresting and poignant work as Yes did with "Talk". What a shame this landmark CD is currently out of print; the good news is that it is easily available used, and I encourage all with even a casual interest to invest $5 or so for one of the most enriching listening experiences of your life with "Talk". YES--it is that good.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Rabin-era Yes Album, April 3, 2002

By 

Kevin Caffrey (Fredericksburg, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talk (Audio CD)

As a fan of Yes for over ten years now, I'm more partial to Yes' output in the 70s than I am to their output in the 80s. However, _Talk_ (their last album with guitarist Trevor Rabin holding the reigns), was a fitting way to end this phase of Yes' career.

Probably a deliberate attempt to be a little more progressive than their previous studio albums (_90125_, _Big Generator_, and the Rabin tracks on _Union_), Yes harkens back to the long/short mix of songs found on _The Yes Album_ and _Fragile_. While nothing on _Talk_ matches the progressive punch of songs like "Starship Trooper" or "South Side of the Sky", "Endless Dream" comes pretty damn close. A sprawling epic, it combines the guitar rock of 80s Yes with the emotions of Yes' best work in the 70s. Elsewhere, "The Calling" features some excellent Hammond licks by Tony Kaye, a vibrant guitar sound, and great harmonies. "I Am Waiting" features a guitar lead that could probably pass for a Steve Howe-written piece. "State of Play" is also a good example of Yes when they merge their natural sense of harmony with heavy guitars and quasi-dance beats. Even the lesser tracks such as "Walls" (kinda generic) and "Real Love" (goes on a tad too long) are salvaged by excellent performances and production.

_Talk_ is a great album. It was the first time that Jon Anderson and Trevor Rabin sat down and wrote together and you can truly hear the energy and love the two have for this material. Notably, _Talk_ contains some of Anderson's best vocals. It also is simply a fun album. It sounds like the members of Yes are having fun - and it's contagious. It's great that it has been re-released because sadly it has been out of print for the last few years. Don't pass this one up - you'll probably be pleasantly surprised.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes Talk, And I Listen, April 10, 2008

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Talk (Audio CD)

After Yes' 8-man "football team" line-up finished their successful tour for their 1991 hastily glued-together album, "Union," Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford once again left Yes, leaving the "90125" quintet of singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Trevor Rabin, keyboardist Tony Kaye & drummer Alan White. With Rabin once again taking the helm of the group (as he did on "Big Generator"), this Yes line-up recorded 1994's "Talk," which these days is a rather overlooked Yes album, as it didn't sell all that well (and is currently out-of-print). But "Talk" is an incredible album---very powerful & upbeat, with first-rate performances from the band, and boasting great production values too. I think "Talk" also rivals "90125" as the best Yes album from the Trevor Rabin era, it really is that good. Whatever creative differences existed between Rabin & singer Jon Anderson (which really came to a head on "Big Generator"), the two men were able to put their working problems aside for one more album, as "Talk" from start to finish is co-written by Rabin & Anderson, with a couple of contributions from Squire, and even a co-writing credit from former Supertramp singer Roger Hodgson! "The Calling" and "I Am Waiting" are both terrific, uplifting songs. And don't let the title "Real Love" fool you---this ain't no ballad! It's a sinister-sounding rocker, and one of Yes' most distinctive-sounding songs ever, a real gem. "State Of Play" is a solid tune. "Walls", co-written by Roger Hodgson, is a fine song (with obvious shades of Supertramp in it). "Where Will You Be" is very lovely-sounding, and the epic-piece, "Endless Dream," is a stunner, a fine finale to a fine album. "Talk" would be the last Yes album with Rabin & Kaye, but I think both men left the band on a very high note (even if Kaye, admittedly, wasn't allowed to contribute all that much in the keyboard department---Rabin played most of the keyboard parts on this album). I sincerely hope that "Talk" will eventually get a proper re-release, along with a couple of other great latter-day Yes albums that are also currently out-of-print, "Open Your Eyes" and "Magnification". Like those albums, "Talk" is another great buried treasure from Yes. So go ahead and buy a used copy from Amazon! "Talk" is a fine addition to your Yes music collection.