Yes
Drama

THE REVIEW

Given that, as with Yes in general, it must be said that their discography (especially their albums from the 70s, but also all their discography from the Eighties, and Drama, one of the countless masterpieces in their long career, is certainly no exception), is not for everybody, cause here we're dealing with a highly succesful band, yes, but their music may not be everybody's cup of tea. It deserves the highest respect, however. But let’s dive headfirst into this review. First of all, I’d like to clarify that the edition of Drama at the center of this review (which makes no claim to perfection or completeness) is the Expanded And Remastered that was released in 2004, but I happened to purchase this record in a year I can't recall, but I definitely remember very well that in that very period I was at the highest point of my Jethro Tull fandom: I was really into Tull, and I definitely couldn't stand hearing a note and/or a sound out of the feeling I was massively into and that I was never bored of.

In addition to the introduction made at the start of this review, it is essential to add some historical background in order to understand the context in which this literally extraordinary album took shape. After the tour to promote the previous record, Tormato, John Anderson and Rick Wakeman left the band, both to pursue highly successful solo careers (Jon Anderson, among other things, also collaborated with the Greek composer Vangelis). In Wakeman’s case, his departure was also due to rather turbulent relationships with the other members. Wakeman was replaced by Geoff Downes, but to replace John Anderson—a daunting, if not nearly impossible, task—came Trevor Horn. Horn is a singer with an impressive background, having sung in the Buggles (where keyboardist Geoffrey Downes was also a member), and who, after completing the Drama promotional tour, returned to producing, helping to craft 90125, the album with which Yes (literally!) hit it big.

With this context out of the way, here comes the review. What we have here is, indeed, the symphonic rock typical of Yes, but with an unmistakable Eighties twist. This is evident from the very first track: Machine Messiah, one of the album’s most complex songs, particularly in terms of instrumentation. Then comes White Car, the most relaxed (and shortest) song on the album, which serves to briefly ease the tension, only for it to build up again immediately after with Does It Really Happen?, another of the many face-punching tracks this album offers. We then arrive at the finest track on the record: Into The Lens [the edition I own, among the bonus tracks, includes the Single Version titled Into The Lens (I Am A Camera)]. Yet another face-punching track in which you can appreciate the incredible drive of drummer Alan White (RIP!), although the most effective tracks in this regard are some of the bonus tracks included with this edition, and above all, the song Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil), which is the perfect closing to the masterpiece that is the album Tales From Topographic Oceans, a true musical journey, at least in my opinion. The last two, Run Through The Light and Tempus Fugit... well, they are masterpieces in their own right, though perhaps not as widely known.

All the bonus tracks are masterpieces, adding even more brilliance to an album already spatial and spectacular in itself. It's surprising to find two Single versions, namely the aforementioned Into The Lens (I Am A Camera) and Run Through The Light. The other bonus tracks (ten in total, which, added to the six original album tracks, means there are a whopping 16 tracks on the record!), are songs previously unreleased until 2004: Have We Really Got To Go Through This, Song No. 4 (Satellite), Dancing Through The Light, Golden Age, In The Tower and Friend Of A Friend (the latter four were recorded when Jon Anderson was still in the band but, for various reasons, remained unreleased until 2004, when they were finally included in the edition of Drama I’m reviewing) and two Tracking Sessions (Tempus Fugit and White Car).