Music Non Stop

YES:

DRAMA

(Atlantic / 1980)

1980 Yes had plans for the North-American tour. Actually the tour was almost sold-out already. There only couple problems.

First Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were no longer members of the band. Secondly the band had to have a new album ready before the tour. That would not succeed before the first problem have been solved.

By chance the Yes' manager took care of duo called Buggles. Then someone had this great idea. What if three members of Yes still left and Buggles join their forces. Enter Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn.

Joining of these two were kept as a secret as long as possible. Everybody knew that Yes without Anderson would be a hard thing to accept for fans of the band. Comings and goings of Wakeman were something fan were already used to. So the truth was revealed just before the tour and the release of the album.

And the tour became not an easy one. Continually the audience called for Anderson's name. His replacement Trevor Horn must have had better days in his life. The album was also received with a great reserverence. It was not a suprise after all that Yes called the day.

What about the album itself. Some changes in sounds, bass dominates more and songs itself are more straightforward. Musically it works very well and it is worthwhile to investigate. Unfortunally attitudes and prejudices buried it.

In the middle of all that chaos I am sure nobody ever thought the band had its biggest hit waiting in the future.