In November 1976, Yes went to Mountain Studios in Switzerland to prepare the follow-up album to 1974's "Relayer".
Vocalist Jon Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, and drummer Alan White found themselves in conflict with keyboardist Patrick Moraz's ideas for the new material.
Moraz was summarily dismissed, and Yes management hired in former band member Rick Wakeman as a session keyboardist.
Upon hearing the new material, Wakeman was convinced to rejoin the band.
The new material was all of a positive nature, and Wakeman's return brought about a happy, creative period in the band's life.
The Tracks:
"Going For The One" , the album's title cut, is a blistering rock & roll number that kick-starts the album.
Jon's really high vocal is counter-balanced by Chris's "counter melody", and Chris also adds a solid backing on an 8-string Rickenbacker bass.
Alan holds it down tightly, and Rick adds a subtle texture to fill the background.
The key part of the song is Steve's steel guitar, which is overdriven to the max, and Steve just cuts loose - going for it, if you like.
"Turn of the Century" has a very Rennaisance-type feel to it, as the first section features Jon's vocal matched by Steve's acoustic 6-string, as The story of the sculptor Roan is told.
Throughout the song, Chris plucks his bass in the upper register, while Alan adds a slew of percussion.
The 2nd section is about the soloists, Steve & Rick.
Rick's grand piano solois shaped around the chordal structure, as Steve's electric guitar punctuates the piano's statements with volume pedal swells and swirling chromatic runs, for an incredibly dramatic effect.
The 3rd section modulates up to E-Major for Jon's vocal conclusion, and the playout has Steve's acoustic 12-string complimenting Rick's electric piano.
A very well- crafted piece.
"Parallels" is a Squire composition about the fact that drugs aren't the answer and love yourself before loving others.
For this straight rock number, Chris switches to the deeper tone of a Fender Jazz Bass, while offering great harmony vocals to match Jon.
Alan is most at home in a rock setting, as reflected by his drumming on this track.
Steve, like Chris, joins the Fender club on this track, going all out on a Stratocaster - whammy bar and all.
Rick's organ gies a slight gospel feel to the piece. The organ itself, was not in the studio, but in fact some 10-20 kilometers away at a church, and recorded from a signal sent down the telephone cables. Rockin' stuff.
"Wonderous Stories" says a lot in a short time, as Jon's tale of ancient times is highlighted by Rick's keyboard solo, while Steve lends a medieval feel with his Portuguese 12-string, and a jazz feel at the end with some great octave runs on a Gibson L5-CES.
The last piece of this 5-song masterpiece is Jon & Steve's 15-minute epic,"Awaken".
This is arguably the greatest single piece of music Yes ever made.
From Rick's high speed piano intro, which leads into Jon's angelic vocal, backed by a flanged, echo-y pedal steel.
The first major section has a 3-part harmony,backed by lots of percussion, a fretless bass a powerful organ, and a Rickenbacker electric 12-string, which Steve plays at breakneck speed during his solo.
Next, another vocal section, with every single major chord played in the sequence.
The next long instrumental sectio has Jon plucking a harp, Rick's classical organ, Chris' octave bass and Alan's tuned percussion.
The next section opens with Steve's electric setting up the group's return for the majestic finish. There's even a choir backing them up as a powerful crescendo gives way to the coda, which recalls the ethereal opening.
The piece ends on a jazzy little guitar part from Steve. Awesome...
The bonus tracks include various outtakes from the sessions.
For my money, Yes' best album-5 stars.
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