Review
Imagine Yes, the masters of prog-rock, ditching their 15-minute epics and trading in their wizard robes for shiny new drum machines and synthesizers. That's exactly what they did on "90125", their bold reinvention that threw off the hippie dust and embraced a more commercial, new wave sound. With the fresh-faced Trevor Rabin on board and the sonic sorcery of producer Trevor Horn, Yes crafted an album that was sleeker than Jon Anderson's hair and more pop-friendly than a box of Fruit Roll-Ups.
Gone were the days of epic concept albums. "90125" tightened up the Yes sound into tight, punchy songs that were sure to jam FM radio. The soaring vocals of Anderson, the muscular bass of Chris Squire, and the crunchy guitars of Rabin gleamed under Horn's glossy production. Standouts like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "Leave It" showed the band could rock with the best of them while still retaining their prog sensibilities. And let's not forget the Grammy-winning instrumental showcase "Cinema", a testament to the band's virtuosic chops.
"90125" became Yes' biggest seller since their hippie heyday days, introducing their trippy tunes to a whole new MTV generation. While purists may gripe about the band's pop move, there's no denying the album's impact and its knack for making prog-pop magic. So yeah, it might not be the proggiest of Yes, but for incorporating elements of new wave and pop-rock without compromising the band's musicality, "90125" deserves a hearty round of applause. - Dave
