This Day in Music History: Yes/Magnification (09/10)

Magnification is the nineteenth studio album by progressive rock band Yes, released on this day in 2001 (December 4th in the US). It was the band's first album of the new century, and their second with a full orchestra (the first being Time and a Word from 1970 which I previously covered here and here). It marked the band's last studio album to date with vocalist Jon Anderson.

Before I go on with the history, I just want to point out that this is a fantastic album that should have gotten more attention. Unfortunately the release date of 09/10/01 did a lot of damage to any possible record sales as the world changed on that day.

Released between the departure of Igor Khoroshev the previous year and Rick Wakeman's (RW!) fourth (yes, 4th!) return in 2002, it is the only album in the band's history to not feature any keyboardist, and the only one involving only four Yes members. Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White decided to fill the keyboard role with an orchestra, and hired film composer Larry Groupé to compose and conduct original orchestrations and musical bridges.

The album was re-released in 2002 as a limited and numbered 2CD set with alternate artwork; the second disc contains three live performances and a CD-ROM track with an interview, video of "Don't Go," and a live video of "The Gates of Delirium". This album also features the song "Can You Imagine", in which the main vocals are sung by Chris Squire with Jon Anderson on backing vocals. This Squire-penned song was originally recorded in 1981 as a demo entitled "Can You See" for his aborted XYZ project (this was a band with the ex-members of Yes and Zeppelin...yeah, I know!)

Apart from the traditional Yes themes of spirituality and relation to nature and divinity, the album also addresses personal issues (Jon Anderson's relation with his daughter Deborah in "Don't Go") and political issues (the war in Bosnia in "We Agree", and the plight of drunk-driving youth in "Spirit of Survival").

Track Listing

1) Magnification

2) Spirit of Survival

3) Don't Go

4) Give Love Each Day

5) Can You Imagine

6) We Agree

7) Soft As a Dove

8) Dreamtime

9) In The Presence Of:

I) Deeper 
II) Death of Ego 

III) True Believer 

IV) Turn Around and Remember

10) Time is Time

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