YesWest begins...
90125 is the eleventh studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released in 1983. It was the first studio album since their 1981 breakup and the first to feature Trevor Rabin, and also marked the return of vocalist Jon Anderson, who had quit the band prior to their tenth studio album of 1980. It also marked the first time in twelve years that original keyboardist Tony Kaye had appeared with the group.
This new incarnation of Yes came about by circumstance rather than design. In 1980, members Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman (RW!) had left the band, replaced by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes respectively. The new line-up was short-lived: after an album (Drama which I covered here and here) and tour, they disbanded. Bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White continued to work together, including on the aborted XYZ project and released a single Run with the Fox as a duo in 1981.
Guitarist Trevor Rabin had left South Africa in the late 1970s and had released a series of solo albums. There had been various attempts to place Rabin in a band, including a proposed quartet with Rick Wakeman, John Wetton and Carl Palmer in 1980 and a proposed trio with Keith Emerson and Jack Bruce. Rabin tried out in Asia, alongside Wetton, Palmer and former Yes members Steve Howe and Geoff Downes. However, he had also been put in touch with Squire and White and this was to be his path instead.
Squire, White and Rabin began working together in early 1982, initially considering some of the XYZ material along with songs Rabin had written for a solo album. The trio decided they needed a keyboard player to fill out their sound. Squire suggested inviting original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, whose sparse style he felt would suit the new band's direction. They christened themselves "Cinema" and in November 1982 began recording what they thought was their debut album, consisting mainly of original music Rabin had originally earmarked for a solo album. Trevor Horn was hired to produce the album.
Everything changed in April 1983 when Jon Anderson was played some of Cinema's recordings by Squire. The song collective was essentially Rabin's musical ideas and compositions and Jon Anderson was very much impressed and so the thought formed that maybe there could be a reformation of Yes. Rabin was dubious at first, not wanting to be perceived as Steve Howe's replacement, but rather the lead guitarist for a new group. However, he quickly changed his mind once Anderson brought in some new lyrics and put his distinctive vocals on the existing music tracks.
Released that autumn, 90125 launched Yes to the MTV age and to a whole new breed of fans. The music was catchy, contemporary and well liked by reviewers and their new fans (many of whom had little clue of the band's previous incarnation). The lead single, "Owner of a Lonely Heart," became the band's first (and only) US #1 hit, driving 90125 to the Top 5 and helping it sell three million units in the US alone, by far Yes's most successful album. "It Can Happen", "Changes", and "Leave It" all reached top ten on Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks during 1984 and received heavy airplay. In addition, "Cinema" won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.
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The Music
1) Owner of a Lonely Heart - Who is this? Wait, this is Yes? Are you sure? It doesn't sound like wimpy fairy music to me! And what a song to introduce the album! Gone are the bass/keyboard driven songs. Hello Trevor Rabin and his guitar. Hello 1980's! This song kicked everyone in the teeth when it came out. It became their only #1 song to date.
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2) Hold On - Another great song that reached #27 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. There are some cool vocal parts and some of the lyrics don't make sense (Thanks JA).
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3) It Can Happen - Another song that charted (#51 Billboard Hot 100, #5 Mainstream Rock Tracks) and always one of my personal favorites because of some of the lyrics. There are "better" fan made videos for this but since this is the MTV time period it's nice to be able to show the real videos that got airplay. Besides, the clothes are just awesome.
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4) Changes - This song charted as well (#6 Mainstream Rock Tracks), but the only videos are of live performances. This was obviously a Rabin song since he sang it, with JA adding touches later on. This is about break-up and divorce and the changes you go through.
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Bonus Tracks
Run with the Fox - As mentioned earlier, this is a Squire/White song and one of my favorite Christmas songs that no one has ever heard of.
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Make It Easy - Obviously a Trevor song here, but I thought it was good enough to make the album. They played the intro live as a segue way into Owner.
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