Review Summary: After what seemed fuel for a comeback, Yes simply fail to outlive the 80's and release yet another dissapointing album.
Following the union of
90125-era Yes and Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe in 1991, and the major tour that established newfound success for the group, the ever-unstable band was left by its newcomers (or rather, oldcomers) almost as swiftly as they had arrived, restoring, if the word is even appropriate, the same Yes that first created
Owner of a Lonely Heart. This particular development certainly didn’t offer much direction in a possible reclaim to 70’s fame, and needless to say, Yes didn’t end up making one.
Talk, released in 1994, did however end up being the last album featuring keyboardist Tony Kaye and guitarist Trevor Rabin, who defined much of its sound and direction.
With the exception of the three-part, 15-minute epic
The Endless Dream that takes up Talk’s last quarter and features the greatest amount of well-constructed songwriting, the album chooses to dabble in the past, barely updating on the overlong 80’s pop songs. Rabin’s production creates a mechanic, constantly present drum sound and aims for typical dominance of the lead guitar, an instrument which he unfortunately he makes too little inventive use of. To add to this, Jon Anderson's vocals are at his most annoying.
Talk does actually know some inspired moments, although they are spread sparsely around its 54 minutes. Shamefully so, because since it is such an exercise to get through the record in the first place, nobody in his right mind will take on the challenge of finding the moments during which that real Yes comes forward.
Talk’s Yes was:
- John Roy Anderson ~ Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
- Trevor Charles Rabin ~ Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Keyboards
- Christopher Russell Squire ~ Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
- Anthony John Selvidge ~ Keyboards, Organ
- Alan White ~ Drums
TO BE CONTINUED...
