If you're a long time Yes fan you probably like their earlier music. It was more progressive and less pop oriented. However, I think it's refreshing for a band known for long, classically progressive songs to reach a point in its career where it sells out a bit an shortens its song structure. 90125 would be that cd. Trevor Horn produced this album and the band added Trevor Rabin to replace Steve Howe (who really sold out and did Asia--which is another review all in itself). Both Trevors significantly altered the sound of Yes in interesting ways. Shorter songs with a more cohesive melodies. A pop album, sure. It's a good one though. While most of Yes's early work is exceptionally well played, it isn't very catchy or memorable. I DO like Yes's early work, but 90125 deserves its place. I like brevity and cohesiveness and 90125 is just 9 songs and 40 minutes in length. All the songs compliment one another. It does sound like it was made 17 years ago, but "Owner of a Lonely Heart" still sounds as if it was made today. Still, there are some great songs on this disc like "Hold On", "It Can Happen", "Changes" and "Leave It". Just check out the complex vocal harmonies, overdubs and studio techniques. I respect Yes at all stages of their career because there aren't many bands like them. Even their new cd "The Ladder" is very good considering this band has been around for 30 years. You can say they've sold out, sure, but their spirit is still alive through their music. They're not like Journey or Styx or The Moody Blues--all of whom have gone down hill musically with age. If you want early Yes then go for Fragile or Close to the Edge. If you want newer Yes go for 90125, Big Generator or The Ladder.

Today's music buyers will not understand how huge this album was when it came out. This album blew up. When progressive rock seemed well and truly dead, ASIA debuted in 1982. Former YES men, Steve Howe and Geoff Downes at the helm, ASIA cracked the Top 10 with their debut album and single 'Heat of the Moment'. All looked good. And then Chris Squire and Alan White met up with Trevor Rabin, asked Tony Kaye back (YES's original keyboardist) and formed CINEMA. With the help of DRAMA's lead vocalist and producer extra-ordinaire Trevor Horn, CINEMA set out to do something along the lines of ASIA, but not knowing it.

When things sounded too good to be true, they asked Jon Anderson to sing lead vocals. He said Yes. So did they. 90125 made ASIA's album look like a fluke, it went through the moon. It saved YES's career. It made Steve Howe angry.

Why? Because Trevor Rabin did what Steve Howe did for YES when he joined back in 1970, replacing original guitarist Peter Banks.
All of a sudden YES's audience grew bigger, the talent of the band grew more respected far and wide, and YES's future looked bright. With Steve Howe's input, YES became what it is. Or what it was at one time. When Rabin joined, he did the same things. Though YES purists immediately centre in on the playing skills of Howe compared to Rabin, with little else considered, one thing cannot be denied. Rabin saved the band. His inclusion kept YES going for another 11 years after 90125, even when Anderson demanded there were to be TWO Yes's (ABWH and YES w/Rabin). Knowing full well that ABWH's audience were the purists whose allegiance goes back to Howe's first days with the band, but that the huge number of new fans came in with Rabin's arrival, a HUGE number of fans, Anderson incorporated ALOT of what Rabin provided into ABWH music. YES to this day STILL sound like Rabin stopped by the studio for a song or two.

90125 glistens. It is pop, but with superb musicians, great production and all the thought and care that goes into YES music. Why the Yes purist will go to such lengths to limit this band to one configuration, or one era, I don't know, but they do and you can see by the current line-up that the purist has won.
Odd, because Anderson didn't HAVE to be on this album if being all cosmic and true to the spirit of YES was his life. The man knew this album was going to be good, and he felt like being a part of it. Simple as that. Yes purist's problem should be with Anderson, not Rabin, for the simple principle that the man they have vilified as being YES incarnate, actively participated in the most-'UN-YES' album of their career. He certainly did not think of all those people who sat stone silent in awe as the 18th minute of 'The Ancient' strolled by, defending the true intent of the YES motif by staying well clear of 'Cinema/Yes'.
He certainly sounds like he actively joined in on 'Owner of A Lonely Heart' to my ears.

Politics aside, 90125 catapulted YES's career back from the brink. Rabin's 'Owner of a Lonely Heart' is an 80's pop gem. 'Hold On' displays those qualities that got YES fans in the first place, power and subtlety all in one. Squire's 'It Can Happen' makes this album seem perfect so far. 'Changes' incorporates what classic YES is known for, intricately played music, with a simplified verse and chorus that remains one of the best in YES's catalogue. This album is the equivalent of 'The Yes Album' in every way. The instrumental 'Cinema' follows, showing older Yes fans that they had not completely disappeared up the charts with 'Owner of a . . . '. which is then followed by the extra-ordinary 'Leave It'. One of the best things Rabin & Squire collaborated on. To tell you the truth, when everyone says this was Rabin's YES, it was as much Squire's. Throughout this version of YES, the relationship and good 'vibes' shared by Rabin & Squire are so apparent. They both sound like they were extremely happy with the results of their partnership in bringing YES back from extinction. Squire being the 'keeper of the faith' and Rabin being the new boy on the block keeping that faith alive. 'Our Song' is THE most classic Yes sounding track on 90125, it sounds slightly out of place on this album in hindsight. I remember it being my least favourite song when I bought 90125 (when it was released!) Now I like it, but it still sounds slightly out of sync with the others. 'City of Love' by far has the grittiest vocal I have ever heard Jon Anderson sing, period. He is not known for being Mr.Tough Guy, but he actually sounds like he could kick your a** on this song. Refreshing. And then the best song of them all, 'Hearts' closes the album. All in all, 90125 is pretty much a triumph.

Mixing great songs, with superb craftsmanship, stylish production, musicians who are having a good time performing as well as creating, and just a general positive atmosphere creates something absolutely classic. 90125. Don't let the purist in you deny something that was truly a YES highpoint.

90125(1983). Yes's eleventh studio album.

At the dawn of the 80s, Yes was ready to call it quits due to several line-up changes and the overall watering down of their progressive sound. The remaining three bandmembers teamed up with the Bugles and released Drama(1980). After the album flopped, the band decided to retire for a few years. However, vocalist Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White, and keyboardist Tony Kaye were not happy just sitting idle, so they reformed, recruited producer/keyboardist Trevor Rabin, and started a side-project band called "Cinema" (For those who don't know, Trevor Rabin eventually became famous for his instrumental scores created for various modern movies). For some reason, the record company insisted that the band stick to their previous name "Yes", so the Cinema name was eventually scrapped. They may as well just use the name Yes. Afterall, it still comprised of 4/5 of the original bandmembers anyhow. So Yes was finally reformed and their first real 80s album, 90125 was released (named after the album's # in the Atlantic records catalogue). Here's a brief summary of 90125:

The album kicks off with the band's popular radio hit 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart', which I'm sure everybody has heard at one time or another. It was actually the very first Yes song I've ever heard, though I didn't really get into the band until I listened to Closer To The Edge(1973), to this date my favorite Yes album. Anyways, it continues on with other minor radio hits 'Hold On' and 'It Can Happen', which are both very catchy rockers. 'Changes' takes Yes back into more progressive territory of the past, complete with time changes and instrumentation of other cultures, though not nearly as lengthy as their 70s material. 'Cinema' is an uplifting instrumentation complete with soaring keyboard and guitar playing. 'Leave It' is probably the most commercial Yes song on the album, starting off with an acapella vocal effect and then changing into an 80s pop rocker. Following is the faster optimistic rocker 'Our Song', underrated but one of my favorites off the album. The slower anthemic track 'City Of Love' comes next, and rounding off 90125 is 'Hearts', sort of the album's 7-minute progressive epic.

So how will people like this album? It depends who you are really. The veteran hardcore Yes fans who only prefer 20-minute progressive epics probably will tell you to avoid 90125 because they believe this album to be "comercialized, sell-out 80s pop". Don't listen to their 1-star reviews because most of them are hardcore fans of former 70s prog/rock bands who cannot accept a little change in their favorite bands. People, that's why it's called PROGRESSIVE rock! They are supposed to implement a little progression as time goes by from album to album, though it's usually only good if a band also remembers their roots. Progression is supposed to keep the music fresh with new aspects, while holding on to what makes the band great. Yes fortunately demonstrates this quality well. I'll state my opinion from a neutral standpoint: if you can accept the fact that 90125 leaves the wildly progressive 70s era behind for more of a simple approach, then you will enjoy this album very much. The music is commercial in nature, but it hints at Yes's trademark progressive flair, and that's what makes these songs work. It did draw many new Yes fans in afterall. I give this 4.5 stars because although this is not one of the very best Yes albums (CTTE, Fragile, and GFTO are the best), it's still by far the best 80s Yes release. About the only bad thing I can say about the album is that the cover art isn't one of the incredible Roger Dean pictures that they usually use. Oh well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Other albums which sound similar to 90125:
-'Asia' by Asia
-'Signals' by Rush
-'Worlds Apart' by Saga

Ummm... Time for a political statement. Just because Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Foo Fighters have sold tons of albums, does that mean their work has no artistic merit or credibility? OF COURSE NOT! And a swat on the rear to anyone who thinks otherwise. And that especially goes for all those Rabin-bashing twits out there. Right, ahem, time to put the reviewer hat back on. The only bad thing about this album is the culture shock to some Yes fans that it created. I could understand why some wouldn't like it, truly I can. But to new listeners and those with open hearts and minds this outstanding album is a revelation. 90125 incorporates some traditional prog-rock moves with a hefty dose of hard stadium pop/rock. Trevor Rabin is an under-appreciated genius and would be so even if Chris Squire had never heard or met him. The massive hit "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" still manages to sound fresh so many years later, no small feat thanks to Rabin and producer/former Yesman Trevor Horn. 90125 is also one of Jon Anderson's best recorded perfomances ever. His vocals are strong and motivated and his lyrical contributions make a mockery out of anyone who dismissed him as purely a Hippy. In fact, in a personal aside; I'd like to thank Jon for his contributions to "Owner..." "It Can Happen" and "Changes", those lyrics have provided inspiration on more than one difficult occasion in my life. Thanks. The hilights are: "It Can Happen" with its sitar, tabla drums and soaring vocals, the startling aptly-named "Changes", "Leave It" with backing vocals Queen would be proud of, and "Hearts". Remember Matt's Yes Law: Whenever 2 (Squire and Anderson) are gathered in music's name; there is Yes! This album needs a top-notch digital remaster though; It's signal-to-noise ratio (volume punch) could be better.

This beautiful album marked the auspicious entry of the phenomenal Trevor Rabin into Yes at a time when many people thought the group was gone forever. The outstanding quality and energy of this masterpiece distinguish it among the many other excellent offerings from this legendary group.

Although the first track, "Owner of a Lonely Heart", was the top-40 darling, each and every one of the nine tracks on this album is superlative, and I love them all. Taken as a whole, it is an amazing collection of fantastic songs, and no worthwhile rock collection should be without it.

Some older Yes fans decry this album as marking the "descent into the power-chord era", and to be sure, this is a far cry from the style of the group when Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman are aboard. Nonetheless, this is one of the tightest and best albums Yes has ever made. I don't give out "10's" lightly.

If you don't have this album, buy it.