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Rating: A very simple guitar riff marks the return of the old rock-prog stalwarts under new synthetic guises in 1983. The events that led to this sudden shift are well-known: after "Drama," Horn and Downes left to pursue other projects, but in the meantime, they had saved Yes from certain shipwreck in the turbulent waters of the '80s. So, White and Squire recruited old friend Tony Kaye and guitarist Trevor Rabin for a new group. Anderson, feeling nostalgic, returned to his friends after four years of exile, and there was no need to change the name.
The curious title is nothing more than the catalog number under which the album is registered with Atlantic; produced by Trevor Horn, it's a masterful example of successful chart-topping pop. There are no memorable tracks, but the group chooses a more profitable path for musical quality compared to Genesis, who in the same year released a beautiful song, "Mama," contained in an unfortunate album. Practically everyone knows the launch single, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart"; it's simple, immediate, and above all, catchy, climbing the charts effortlessly, propelling the album to become the group's best-seller. Rabin is a guitarist fully oriented towards catchy riffs, but this does not diminish his reputation as a good musician, and "It Can Happen" is an example of great musical harmony with the others, as is "Hold On." White and Squire are at ease; they have fun and entertain, the drum beats are delightful as is the ever-prominent bass, "Changes" is another beautiful song where Rabin shares vocals with Anderson. Now the atmosphere is that of consumer pop-rock, but everything is crafted with care, the instrumental parts are well delineated, and it's a real pleasure to follow the development of the melodies of "Our Song" or those of the beautiful and energetic instrumental "Cinema."
Anyone who thought of an end for "Yes" was proven wrong. Even Wakeman admitted to being terribly disappointed not to have participated in the work. Probably, the secret to the survival of this band, still in great shape today, lies in the fact that the continuous lineup changes, while maintaining a solid core, have allowed for a renewal of ideas and diverse expressions that have continually fueled the fire of creativity. In this regard, the comparison with Genesis or ELP is relentless.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Owner of a Lonely Heart (04:24)
Move yourself
You always live your life
Never thinking of the future
Prove yourself
You are the move you make
Take your chances win or loser
See yourself
You are the steps you take
You and you - and that's the only way
Shake - shake yourself
You're every move you make
So the story goes
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Say - you don't want to chance it
You've been hurt so before
Watch it now
The eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only
You - lose yourself
No not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself
Give your free will a chance
You've got to want to succeed
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
After my own indecision
They confused me so (Owner of a lonely heart)
My love said never question your will at all
In the end you've got to go
Look before you leap (Owner of a lonely heart)
And don't you hesitate at all - no no
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Sooner or later each conclusion
Will decide the lonely heart (Owner of a lonely heart)
It will excite it will delight
It will give a better start (Owner of a lonely heart)
Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all (Owner of a lonely heart)
Don't deceive your free will at all
Just receive it
02 Hold On (05:13)
Justice to the left of you
Justice to the right
Speak when you are spoken to
But don't pretend you're right
This life's not for living
It's for fighting and for wars
No matter what the truth is
Hold on to what is yours
Jigsaw puzzle traitors
Set to spill the beans
Constitution screw up
Shattering the dreams
Blood flows in the desert
Dark citadels burning too
Watch! Look over your shoulder
This one is strictly for you
Hold on - Hold on
Wait maybe the answer's
Looking for you
Hold on - Hold on
Wait! Take you time
Think it through
Yes! I can make it through
Hold on - Hold on
Sunshine shine on through
Hold on - Hold on
Sunshine shine on you
See it through
Talk the simple smile
Such platonic eye
How they drown in incomplete capacity
Strangest of them all
When the feeling calls
How we drown in stylistic audacity
Charge the common ground
Round and round and round
We living in gravity
Shake - We shake so hard
How we laugh so loud
When we reach
We believe in eternity
I believe in eternity
Hold on - Hold on
Wait - Take your time Sunshine shine on through
See it through
Hold on - Hold on
Wait - Maybe a chance Sunshine shine on through
Is looking for you Sunshine shine on you
Hold on - Hold on
Hold on - Hold on
Sunshine - Shine on shine on you
Sunshine - Shine on through
Sunshine - Shine on shine on through
Sunshine - Shine on you
Sunshine - Shine on - Shine on you (Hold on - Hold on)
Sunshine - Shine on through (Wait - Take your time)
(See it through)
Sunshine - Shine on - Shine on through (Hold on - Hold on)
Sunshine - Shine on you (Wait - Maybe the answer's looking for you)
03 It Can Happen (05:24)
You can fool yourself
You can cheat until you're blind
You can cut your heart
It can happen
You can mend the wires
You can feed the soul apart
You reach
It can happen to you
It can happen to me
It can happen to everyone eventually
(It's a constant fight)
A constant fight
You're pushing the needle to the red
(Black and white)
Who knows who's right
No substitute you're born you're dead
(Fly by night)
Created out of fantasy
Our destination calls
Look up - Look down
Look out - Look around
Look up - Look down
There's a crazy world outside
We're not about to lose our pride
It can happen to you
It can happen to me
It can happen to everyone eventually
As you happen to say
It can happen today
As it happens It happens in every way
This world I like
We architects of life
A song a sigh
Developing words that linger
Through fields of green through open eyes
This for us to see
Look up - Look down
Look out - Look around
So look up - Look down
There's a crazy world outside
We're not about to lose our pride
It can happen to you
It can happen to me
It can happen to everyone eventually
As you happen to say
It can happen today
As it happens It happens in every way
As you happen to see
It will happen to be
Nothing happens to nowhere and nowhere
(Solo)
Look up - Look down
There's a crazy world outside
We're not about to lose our pride
It can happen to you
It can happen to me
It can happen to everyone eventually
As you happen to see
It will happen to be
Nothing happens to nowhere and nowhere
You can fool yourself
You can cheat until you're blind
It can happen to me
You can cut your heart
It can happen to eveyone eventually
As you happen to say
It can happen today
As it happens It happens in every way
You can mend the wires
You can feed the soul apart
You can touch your life
You can bring your soul alive
It can happen to you
It can happen to me
It can happen to everyone eventually
As you happen to say
It can happen today
As it happens It happens in every way
06 Leave It (04:12)
I can feel no sense of measure
No illusions as we take
Refuge in young man's pleasure
Breaking down the dreams we make
Real
One down one to go
Another town and one more show
Downtown they're giving away
But she never came back
No phone can take your place
You know what I mean
We have the same intrigue
As a court of kings
Ah... leave it
Ah... leave it
Two down there you go
MacArthur Park in the driving snow
Uptown they're digging it out
Better lay your claim
Get home you're not alone
You just broke out of the danger zone
Be there to show your face
On another dreamy day
Ah... leave it
Ah... leave it
(Do do do...)
(Ah...) Goodbye goodbye goodbye bad
(...leave it) Hello hello heaven
(Ah...) Goodbye goodbye goodbye bad
(...leave it) Hello hello heaven
I can feel no sense of measure
No illusions as we take
Refuge in young man's pleasure
Breaking down the dreams we make
Real
Ah leave it
Ah leave it
(Ah...) Goodbye goodbye goodbye bad
(...leave it) Hello hello heaven
(Ah...) Goodbye goodbye goodbye bad
(...leave it) Hello hello heaven
(Ah...)
One down one to go
Another town and one more show
(...leave it)
(Ah...)
One down one to go
Another town and one more show
Leave it!
07 Our Song (04:17)
Toledo was just another good stop
Along the good king's highway
My fortification took me by surprise
And hit me sending me sideways
Spellbound - Roundly - Good for sunshine
Can't help thinking
Singing the Rule Britannia
And this is where it grabs you
There's method in the key of C
Toledo's got to be the silver city
In this good country
Our song
It gives us a reason
Our song
That good remedy
Music has magic
That stuff of syncopation
Ever tried driving it to golden heights
Just simply jiving it
My mystification it got a
Jewel skies crazy spacing it
Hot sun - Crowded - Screams high voices
Singing speechless
Touching of the healing heart
So this is where we really start
Music is a shout of foregone conclusions
As long as music plays its part
Good good part
--Instrumental--
Our song
It gives us a reason
Our song
That good remedy
Music has magic
It's good clear syncopation
Treat it good
Treat it rightly
And if you get it flowing
The harmony is glowing
So get ready
So get ready
Don't go toledo toledo don't go
Music - Good to you
Music - Good to you
10 Owner of a Lonely Heart (03:31)
Move yourself
You always live your life
Never thinking of the future
Prove yourself
You are the move you make
Take your chances win or loser
See yourself
You are the steps you take
You and you - and that's the only way
Shake - shake yourself
You're every move you make
So the story goes
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Say - you don't want to chance it
You've been hurt so before
Watch it now
The eagle in the sky
How he dancin' one and only
You - lose yourself
No not for pity's sake
There's no real reason to be lonely
Be yourself
Give your free will a chance
You've got to want to succeed
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
After my own indecision
They confused me so (Owner of a lonely heart)
My love said never question your will at all
In the end you've got to go
Look before you leap (Owner of a lonely heart)
And don't you hesitate at all - no no
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Much better than - a
Owner of a broken heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Owner of a lonely heart
Sooner or later each conclusion
Will decide the lonely heart (Owner of a lonely heart)
It will excite it will delight
It will give a better start (Owner of a lonely heart)
Don't deceive your free will at all
Don't deceive your free will at all (Owner of a lonely heart)
Don't deceive your free will at all
Just receive it
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By mrbluesky
The sound is powerful and precise, Rabin reigns supreme, White is strong and incisive like never before.
33 years have passed, and in great shape.
