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57 of 61 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb in Every Respect, February 25, 2004
This is one of the truly great YES CDs, and perhaps their last true masterpiece. Every note, every measure every nuance is positively creative, compelling and inspiring. All of their strengths are on display. This album sounded warm, full, layered and intricate when it first arrived. Its initial transition to CD was similarly amazing, but this remaster is astonishing!
The story is that YES had folded its tent after DRAMA. Squire and White had released a single and were contemplating their next move when they discovered Rabin. Tony Kaye re-surfaced and a quartet was born, CINEMA. It was Rabin who suggested a different singer and front man than he, and so Anderson walked back in, and YES reinvented itself. It was a heady trip from there on. The concerts had an energy and dynamic they never had before. They had managed to set themselves on a mission that would carry them through BIG GENERATOR, UNION, TALK before fizzling out again. Here, the music is just so terrific, the harmony and choir work so spot on, and the energy so undeniable that this is the benchmark for recreating yourself. Every single track, especially the a capella "Leave It" is thrilling.
It is remasterings like these that justify the entire process. If you know the msuic, you'll be stunned by how good this is. If you are curious about YES, well, it doesn't get any better than this. A Superb Recording in Every Respect.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enter Trevir Rabin... and a new sound for YES in the 80's, December 6, 2006
THE BAND: Jon Anderson (vocals), Trevor Rabin (guitar, keyboards), Chris Squire (bass), Tony Kaye (keyboards), Alan White (drums & percussion).
THE DISC: (1983) Originally 9 tracks clocking in at approximately 45 minutes, this new (2004) digitally remastered edition has 6 bonus tracks bringing the total listen to just over 77 total minutes. Included with the disc is a 15-page booklet containing song titles/credits, song lyrics, numerous band photos and a 6-page intro regarding "90125" and how the album came together. The title of the album refers to its original Atlantic/Atco Records catalogue number. This is the band's 11th album. Recorded at Sarm Studios, London. Originally released on Elektra/Atco's label, this new 2004 edition released by Rhino.
COMMENTS: After "Drama" (1980) fell on deaf ears, Yes was all but disbanded. Enter guitarist Trevor Rabin. Also enter ex-Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye (replaced by Rick Wakeman in 1971 due to management and creative differences). The sound on "90125" was easily more rock and pop than progressive. I loved this album when it first came out. The sound was so amazingly fresh, yet so familiar. A distinct new sound for the 80's with Anderson's trademark vocals. Also different was the album cover - no Roger Dean landscape. "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" would be the band's only #1 charting Billboard hit. The album itself would reach #5 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200 chart (surprisingly only #16 in their own U.K.) on the strength of other hits - "It Can Happen", "Leave It", "Changes", and "Hold On". "90125" is Yes' best selling album by far. Rabin, not wanting to be known as Steve Howe's replacement, wanted to put his own signature sound on the album. His guitar work is brilliant here - rock, pop and always in rhythm... not to mention some shredding solos. The non-hits are very listenable - the live track "Cinema" is a wonderful trademark Yes instrumental that highlights Alan White's drum skills; "Our Song" is melodic and uplifting; "City Of Love" is a slow and heavy methodical mover; and "Hearts" is more or less a 7+ minute rock ballad. An incredibly strong album with no filler. With that being said however, I feel the bonus tracks take away from the original album experience. I've listened to the bonus tracks a few times - and at this point I don't care if I ever hear them again. The unreleased tracks ("It's Over" and "Make It Easy") are filler at best... and perhaps this is why they haven't been released up until this point. The extended 7-minute disco remix of "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" is absolute Hell to get through - and it's the 2nd longest track on the disc. By itself, the nine tracks making up "90125" rate an easy 5-stars. But for me, the bonus tracks seem to muddy the brilliance of such a great album.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Yes Are Re-Born, November 4, 2004
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.
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