Comments for Yes, Union

They may have thought that the most important thing were to see and hear them in so miraculous completeness rather than their new songs ....apart a few passable tracks (I would have waited forever, Shock to the system, The more we live...) the rest is quite disappointing for beeing a YES album. In spite of the quality of "Union" (only a little above "Big generator" ...) their live permormance, based almost exclusively on past songs, was really memorable. G.L.

INSPIRATION is what "YES" is all about, the great unique rock and roll is a bonus and one of the manifestations of that inspiration. Like "Yes", my primary source of inspiration is the GREAT SPIRIT potentially inside all of us. Among my finest influences in reaching some of that spiritual potential have been the great rock & roll group "Yes", and the spiritually inspiring books written by "KEN CAREY". How do you rate inspiration, "Yes" & "Ken Carey" get 10's on my subjective chart. -Ed McConnell

This is a mess of an album. In fact it is no album at all. It's a collection of songs and song fragments from two or three different bands, produced by a handful of producers, played by a bunch of studio musicians.Between all the crap are some good moments: "Shock To The System", "Masquerade" and "Miracle Of Live" which I would prefered hearing on the Union tour rather than "Lift Me Up". By the way, the tour was great, in part due to the fact that they played just two tracks from the album. Really, some songs (Dangerous, Give And Take, Angkor Wat) are so bad, the band should have erased the demo tapes immediately. The few good songs would sound better, if they were played by all eight members who were more or less involved in this low point in Yes history.

Possibly one of the finest examples of "Yes" I have every enjoyed. This collection shows the diversity of all of the groups past and present members. There are those that say the group has fallen away from their "better" music of the 70's. In my opinion they are just showing that they have the ability to grow and find new ways of expressing themselves. The concert was awsome. I do wish they would have played more from Union, but enjoyed hearing all my old favorites as well was quite a bonus. "The More We Live-Let Go" is superb as is Ankor Wat. In these two the group delves into not only the past but the spirituality of humankind. These artists have done what is nearly impossible, they have stayed fresh for decades. Something no other band has been able to do. That can only be accomplished by allowing new blood in the band, and experimenting with those new possiblities. While I enjoy the "Yes" of the 70's I am excited by the "Yes" of the 90's as well, enjoying the path they are following in their

"Union" first off did not live up to its name. Two generations of Yes working on two seperate projects simply decided to slap their various works together into one album and entitle it "Yes". When I went to purchase this CD I found it in the bargain bin for 3 bucks and change....and after listening to it I was glad to see that (for once) I had gotten what I'd paid for. "I Would Have Waited Forever" was passable fare and "Miracle Of Life" induced me to actually keep the CD instead of returning it for the 3 dollars I'd paid for it. Other tracks such as "Silent Talking" were redolent of limburgher (and by the way that song can also be found on Chris Squire's "Turbulence"). C'mon guys! Don't do this to the Yes name. It makes it seem like your just in it for the cash. The tour was fantastic. The one thing "Union" did do (and do well) was to bring the generations together on stage for one of the most memorable Yes shows this fan had ever experienced.

clearly a bad idea from the start, this album consists essentially of the 2nd Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album (75%) and some random work that Trevor, Chris, Alan and Tony pasted together (25%). The main problems are that Rick''s keyboards are virtually MIA, and Trevor goes a bit overboard with his poprock tendencies ("Saving My Heart", "Lift Me Up"). Other than that, Jon has fun with his new-agey themes again ("Angkor Wat", "Take the Water to the Mountain"), and Chris contributes a pleasant "Onward" sound-alike ("The More We Live - Let Go"). Truly their most uneven effort to date.

* not on the American release.

This was not an union. These are good songs made track by track 'i send you this track and you put the vocals and you give me that... and we do a record'. Also the tour was a very strange thing. Bruford can't stand Squire. Kaye is so pathetic, Wakeman making jokes, Howe is unable to look at Rabin's Eyes, and Anderson is like and angel saying 'we are all friends and we are all so cinic'. Nice songs, nice production for that year, and a very strange experiment. Many of them are really ashamed about this album and mainly this tour. Interesting for the fan but a nightmare for any musician.