Drama [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster]

Performer: Yes
Engineer: Gary Langan; Hugh Padgham; Julian Mendelsohn
Producer: Eddie Offord; Roy Thomas Baker; Yes; Bill Inglot
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Includes ten bonus tracks. Yes: Trevor Horn (vocals, bass); Steve Howe (guitar, background vocals); Chris Squire (piano, bass, background vocals); Geoff Downes (keyboards, sound effects); Alan White (drums, background vocals). Recorded at the Town House, London, England. Originally released on Atlantic (16019). Personnel: Steve Howe (vocals, guitar); Chris Squire (vocals, piano); Trevor Horn (vocals); Geoffrey Downes (keyboards, vocoder). Audio Mixer: Brian Kehew. Audio Remasterer: Dan Hersch. Liner Note Author: Brian Ives. Recording information: Town House, London, England (04/15/1980-05/??/1980). Photographers: Michael N. Marks; David Clarke ; Michael Putlan. Arranger: Yes. For this one album, ex-Buggles Geoffrey Downes and Trevor Horn were drafted in to replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. It rocks harder than other Yes albums, and for classically inclined fans, it was a jarring departure; but it was a harbinger of Yes and Asia albums to come. A newly emboldened Chris Squire lays down aggressive rhythms with Alan White, and Steve Howe eschews his usual acoustic rags and flamenco licks for a more metallic approach, opting for sheets of electric sound. Prime cuts include the doom-laden "Machine Messiah" and the manic ska inflections of "Tempus Fugit." Despite the promise of this new material, the band soon fell apart; Horn went into production, Howe and Downes joined Asia, and Squire and White toyed and then gave up on a pair-up with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, which was to be titled XYZ (i.e., Ex-Yes and Zeppelin). ~ Paul Collins It was widely assumed that when vocalist/songwriter Jon Anderson left Yes at the end of the '70s, the band was doomed. Most folks forgot that bassist/composer Chris Squire was the other founding member of the band, and he had as much to do with their sound as Anderson. It was surprising enough when the band decided to continue with a new vocalist and keyboardist. It was even more surprising when the new members turned out to be Trevor Horn (later a famed pop producer) and Geoff Downes (who would soon depart with Steve Howe for Asia). And it was downright shocking when the resultant album DRAMA turned out to be a great one. While Horn's voice is in the same general range as Anderson's, he tends to blend more with the vocals of Howe and Squire for a distinctive three-part harmony sound. Similarly, the individual instrumental statements of Howe and Downes avoid grandstanding in favor of the group dynamic. Consequently, DRAMA is one of Yes' most direct, concise offerings, full of relatively short songs that still maintain all the Yes hallmarks. Anderson diehards should leave their inhibitions at the door. For this one album, ex-Buggles Geoffrey Downes and Trevor Horn were drafted in to replace Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman. It rocks harder than other Yes albums, and for classically inclined fans, it was a jarring departure; but it was a harbinger of Yes and Asia albums to come. A newly emboldened Chris Squire lays down aggressive rhythms with Alan White, and Steve Howe eschews his usual acoustic rags and flamenco licks for a more metallic approach, opting for sheets of electric sound. Prime cuts include the doom-laden "Machine Messiah" and the manic ska inflections of "Tempus Fugit." Despite the promise of this new material, the band soon fell apart; Horn went into production, Howe and Downes joined Asia, and Squire and White toyed and then gave up on a pair-up with Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, which was to be titled XYZ (i.e., Ex-Yes and Zeppelin). [Drama was reissued by Rhino in 2004 with a whopping ten bonus tracks, including single versions of "Into the Lens" and "Run Through the Light," tracking sessions for "Tempus Fugit" and "White Car," and six previously unreleased songs.] ~ Paul Collins

The longest-running prog-rock group in the business, Yes flew on the strength of Jon Anderson's high, angelic voice and the group's instrumental virtuosity. The band began in England, rising from the ashes of pop-psych outfits like Tomorrow, Bodast, and Mabel Greer's Toyshop. Extending the technical facility of psychedelia and downplaying the trippiness, it helped forge the template for progressive rock and reigned as its most popular practitioners in the '70s. Over the years, Yes has weathered personnel changes, lawsuits, and changing public tastes while holding on to its original vision.

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