Yes
Open Your Eyes

Hello everyone. My first review.

So let's take a "look" at this work by the great Yes from 1997. It marks another transition both in lineup and inspirational type. After a three-year gap, the aficionados were left dry since "Talk" from 1994. In my opinion, a masterpiece of progressive. Differences? Now good Trevor Rabin is no longer there. The musician who contributed a lot and brought freshness from "90125" up to "Talk" packs his bags and dedicates himself full-time to projects for creating soundtracks. Among the many, "Armageddon," for example. Since then, he occasionally hears from Yes over the phone.

"Open Your Eyes" is a good work. If we want, it is a hybrid. There's no hit, Billy Sherwood joins more visibly, having to "cover" Rabin. He's a good guitarist but we're light-years away from Trevor. He does a bit of everything, arranges, sings, plays keyboards, and acts as a session man on tour. A good guy who doesn’t make much trouble for the "feudal lords" of sound and historic tradition. In short... the dusting of powdered sugar on grandma's cake. The music... is Yes.
One foot in the past and the other forward. Those who do not know them will not appreciate it much. It's immediate to ears already well-trained to fully grasp the nuances. Everything is very bright. Steve Howe works hard and opens several guitar cases from his endless collection. There are some beautiful sounds. He plays like a kid. And he's a master. Jon Anderson, known as the Highlander of the vocal cords, sings like 20 years ago, if not better, bassman Squire always at the forefront, and Alan White still gives drumming lessons without overdoing it. Tasteful choices in all tracks, even if not all are excellent. There’s also Igor Khoroshev, a young Russian disciple of Wakeman, who plays like him. I've seen him live and I confirm. There's also a little help from Steve Porcaro of the Toto dynasty who contributes to the title track. Old friends from the big circle, there’s no other explanation. Yes wouldn’t need anyone. The central Spanish-style guitar part on "Innuendo" by Queen is by good Howe. Just saying.

I'll name the tracks that I think are noteworthy... "New State of Mind" is the top of the CD. Pure Yes energy, to be listened to at full volume. Beautiful. Scary good choirs. If anyone has any doubts about the technical and artistic value of this group, they should keep quiet. They made it on purpose to remind us. It is followed worthily by "Open Your Eyes", which keeps the drive but is already simpler. A single track. "Universal Garden" makes us daydream like "I'm Running" from 1987. "Man in the Moon" is the minimum wage of Yes, a little ballad to listen to in the car and hum along to. Pleasant in its simplicity. "From the Balcony" is the little candy. A sugary serenade by Howe and Anderson written one evening in a hotel. Seaside style. Classic Yesstyle melody. The others fit well too. Nothing special for the Yes universe.

If you don't have anything by Yes, better start with "Fragile" and then this. Or "Talk" and then "Open Your Eyes." It stands there like a traffic light between two eras of the unattainable Yes. But the newcomer should not take it alone. It must be paired like a magazine. Thanks for the attention.. Joe