90125

When Jon Anderson rejoined Yes after DRAMA, he was inserting himself into an unusual situation. Keyboardist Geoff Downes and longtime guitarist Steve Howe had left to form Asia with prog rock vets John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music etc.) and Carl Palmer (ELP). Chris Squire and Alan White brought original Yes keysman Tony Kaye back and recruited vibrant young Australian guitarist/vocalist/composer Trevor Rabin. The quartet had already begun writing and recording, but Anderson was able to insert himself into the proceedings with such ease that the new combination sounds completely natural on 90125. plus...

Mostly, the band was concerned with trimming the musical fat to keep pace with the onslaught of the 1980s. Thus, tracks like "Owner of a Lonely Heart" and "City of Love" are full of samples, splices and almost funky beats and riffs. The unusual time changes and complex riffs of tunes like "Changes" and "Cinema" leave little doubt that this is still a Yes album, but the band succeeds in giving their sound a contemporary overhaul on 90125.

Rolling Stone (4/15/04, p.152)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "The still startling 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' dives into funk and sampling years before they were fashionable; the square-dance/chorale hybrid 'Leave It' is every bit as adventurous a dance-music experiment as New Order's 'Blue Monday.'"

CMJ (1/5/04, p.14)
- Ranked #18 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1984"