Music Monday (Talk, Side 1)

Talk (1994) is Yes' first release with an independent label after having been distributed the length of their career thus far with Atlantic Records and Arista Records.

In a 1993 interview, Alan White joked that the album would be called Crunching Numbers and another working title was History of the Future. He also mentioned a song called "Scarlet from the Tide", but it is unknown whether this song became part of a track on the album or if it wasn't added at all.

Talk is also the last Yes recording with Tony Kaye on keyboards and Trevor Rabin on guitars, keyboards and vocals.

The album cover was done by Peter Max. It sucks.

Following the mammoth tour for Union in 1991, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman left the eight-member band. Only the "A" from ABWH was left. Wakeman was originally going to be part of the lineup, but conflicts with management kept this from happening. Remaining was the 1983-88 line-up of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Rabin, Tony Kaye and Alan White.

With Rabin taking the lead - even producing the project himself, he introduced Yes to the non linear digital revolution. Talk was the 1st album ever produced on the Digital performer format. As a lot of the technology was very new from being at the frontier of non-linear recording, Talk was a difficult record to make technically. It has always sounded very modern and "electrical" to me.

***************************************************************

The Music (Side 1)

1) The Calling - This was written by Rabin, Anderson and Squire, with Rabin producing. As with the other tracks on Talk, "The Calling" was recorded and mixed digitally, rather than on tape as was done with previous Yes recordings. The song has been described as featuring a modern sound, with heavy focus on Rabin's guitars, and a three-part vocal harmony featuring Anderson, Rabin and Squire.

According to Anderson, the song's lyrics were inspired by the concept of "local history", the current three-thousand year window of history, outside of which mankind has little visibility or understanding.

***************************************************************

2) I Am Waiting - One of my favorite songs off this album. Love the slow Rabin guitar.

***************************************************************

3) Real Love - This song is just wicked. It is also one of the "heaviest" Yes songs ever towards the end around the 6:30 mark.

***************************************************************

4) State of Play - Another almost "political" song with Rabin all over the place. I can see where many just think of this as almost a Trevor solo album.

***************************************************************

Bonus: The Calling (extended)

***************************************************************