After Yes' 8-man "football team" line-up finished their successful tour for their 1991 hastily glued-together album, "Union," Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford once again left Yes, leaving the "90125" quintet of singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Trevor Rabin, keyboardist Tony Kaye & drummer Alan White. With Rabin once again taking the helm of the group (as he did on "Big Generator"), this Yes line-up recorded 1994's "Talk," which these days is a rather overlooked Yes album, as it didn't sell all that well (and is currently out-of-print). But "Talk" is an incredible album---very powerful & upbeat, with first-rate performances from the band, and boasting great production values too. I think "Talk" also rivals "90125" as the best Yes album from the Trevor Rabin era, it really is that good. Whatever creative differences existed between Rabin & singer Jon Anderson (which really came to a head on "Big Generator"), the two men were able to put their working problems aside for one more album, as "Talk" from start to finish is co-written by Rabin & Anderson, with a couple of contributions from Squire, and even a co-writing credit from former Supertramp singer Roger Hodgson! "The Calling" and "I Am Waiting" are both terrific, uplifting songs. And don't let the title "Real Love" fool you---this ain't no ballad! It's a sinister-sounding rocker, and one of Yes' most distinctive-sounding songs ever, a real gem. "State Of Play" is a solid tune. "Walls", co-written by Roger Hodgson, is a fine song (with obvious shades of Supertramp in it). "Where Will You Be" is very lovely-sounding, and the epic-piece, "Endless Dream," is a stunner, a fine finale to a fine album. "Talk" would be the last Yes album with Rabin & Kaye, but I think both men left the band on a very high note (even if Kaye, admittedly, wasn't allowed to contribute all that much in the keyboard department---Rabin played most of the keyboard parts on this album). I sincerely hope that "Talk" will eventually get a proper re-release, along with a couple of other great latter-day Yes albums that are also currently out-of-print, "Open Your Eyes" and "Magnification". Like those albums, "Talk" is another great buried treasure from Yes. So go ahead and buy a used copy from Amazon! "Talk" is a fine addition to your Yes music collection.

Although I enjoy listening to 90125 and Big Generator from time to time, they will never be the timeless classics that most of the 70's era albums have become. Trevor Rabin's sound has ensured that those two productions will forever be associated with the 80's. I'm glad that the band had their brush with Top-40 stardom, but "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was never really their style.

That being said, "Talk" is huge leap forward for this Yes lineup. I had shelved this CD for years thinking it was a lesser version of their previous two efforts. Boy, was I wrong. This is a really good album!

It's got a great sound. Crisp, clear production and a crunchy rock sound through most of the albums that gives the band an edge that they're normally not known for. But rather than just another collection of rock songs, this album delivers some thoughtful, deep lyrics and tunes.

Am I the only one that totally digs "Real Love"? This is a haunting tune with a great hook and a wall of sound.

The opener, "The Calling" evokes classic Jon Anderson vocals and brilliant Yes harmonies wrapped up in a memorable chorus.

"Endless Dream" is an ode to progressive-era Yes that aspires to be right up there with "Awaken" and "Heart of the Sunrise".

The throw-aways on this one are "State of Play" and "Walls" - both filler.

I can see why a lot of Yes purists aren't thrilled with this record. It is not "Close to the Edge" and it doesn't try to be. Trevor Rabin's fingerprints are all over this thing, but so what? He's a talented song writer/producer who has his own sound. The good news is that there's much more of the old Yes in this one than the previous two recordings.

Give it a few listens - it'll grow on you.

The CD was brand new, never opened, and was in perfect condition, as it should have been. The product was exactly as advertised by the seller, and I rate this transaction as excellent.

I just listened to this album for the first time and was blown away by the sheer beauty that shines forth from beginning to end! The CD runs just short of an hour but the time goes by very quickly as it tends to when one is enjoying oneself. The lineup for Talk features Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire, Tony Kaye & Alan White. Those of you familiar with Yes albums influenced by Trevor might find this album to be quite a surprize...he usually brings a hard rocking, heavy style to Yes and he does so on a few tracks here. But, this is by far the most beautiful album I've heard so far with Trevor aboard...exquisite guitar passages, catchy beautiful melodies, all played upon beautiful keyboard soundscapes and of course the great vocal harmonies!! I believe fans of any incarnation of Yes will find this a very pleasurable experience and I highly recommend it. If you're a Yes fan and never really liked Trevor's heavy handed influence on other albums, I suggest you give this one a try as I think you will be pleasantly surprized. Another gem from Yes that graces my CD collection, very happy I popped it into my stereo today...to the band members of Yes, a hearty THANKS for another hour of great listening pleasure. God bless! And to those of you who choose to give this album a try, happy listening :-)

I know I will rile other Yes fans sorely with this assertion in my headline, but I stand by my position; "TALK" is my favorite Yes album, and as a Yes fan for decades, I have no problem recommending "Talk" as the ONE Yes recording to purchase if you want the best of this pioneering and underappreciated band.

By all means, let's give their early work its due. "Close to the Edge", "Fragile", "The Yes Album" and yes, "Relayer" and "Tales of Topographic Oceans" defined the band and the emergent genre of Progressive Rock and deserve their historical stature as milestones of the era. I don't want to recount all the backstory that led to "Talk's" creation--so many other reviewers provide that--but let me just note that this was the third and final recording by the "West Coast Yes" band that spearheaded their late '80's-early '90's revival with guitarist/singer Trevor Rabin in the drivers' seat as unofficial bandleader.

To my ears, "Talk" is the ultimate statement of what the band was capable of; this is their masterpiece. My guess is that the commercial viability Rabin helped to bring to the band with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"--their first and only #1 hit--banked him a great deal of sway when the time came to record "Talk", and eager to build on their early success, the rest of the band was willing to cede much creative power to Rabin in the creation of this project.

Creatively they certainly made the right choice. Every track of "Talk" bristles with lyrical and instrumental power that the preceding two West Coast Yes records (90125 & Big Generator) hinted at but couldn't sustain. EVERYTHING converged in "Talk", and for me certainly, its force still shimmers like the background radiance of the big bang.

I infrequently revisit "Talk", and every time I do I just can't help but be reminded of just what an incredible piece of work this turned out to be. Produced by Trevor Rabin, the CD credits read "caution-extreme digital dynamic range", and indeed, "Talk" will give your speakers a workout with some wild audio fireworks. Of course most of us prog-rock "propellerheads" expect that, and enjoy the tricky panning between speakers that is so much part of its fun, but that would be for nought if the songs weren't worthy of all this high-gloss production fairy dust.

All the songs are SUPERIOR both musically and lyrically, showcasing as usual the instrumental prowess of the band AND revealing some uniquely empathic and insightful lyrics. I know many fans of the "classic" Yes lineup (Squire, Howe, Anderson, Wakeman, Bruford) will denounce me for saying this, but I confess little patience with the twittering word-salad lyrics of Jon Anderson. GREAT singer, yes, but I would guess that much of the problems the band suffered creatively as time wore on are largely due to their dependence on Jon's shaky words and music. Having Rabin on board as producer & composing partner to Anderson, I think, reined in many of Jon's worst excesses and allowed him to shine brightly (apparently for the last time) as a singer and the legend of prog rock that he was.

Many have lumped the "West Coast Yes" output as exhibit "A" in 1990's "hair metal/power ballad" narcissm. I can see where they're coming from, but I also say "so what"? The songs and performances have so much muscle, sinew & urgency they easily transcend any detractors' sniping. From the very opening track, "The Calling" it's clear the band is in their prime, storming through a brash, tough opener still fully bejeweled with the trademark Yes vocal harmonies and Jon Anderson's voice at its angelic best. Can anyone tell me why "Owner of a Lonely Heart" got to be a hit and "The Calling" was completely ignored? I was especially taken with the slippery, heavily-processed guitar solo by Rabin midway through. What a display of virtuousity! Steve Howe was and is a great guitarist, but Trevor in his own way, was every bit as good (as demonstrated over and over again throughout "Talk").

Let's all take a second to praise the great Alan White and his armor plated drumming not only on "Talk" (where he deservedly gets a high profile in the mix) but throughout his years with Yes. White's take-no-prisoners authority as a drummer reminds me of Led Zep's John Bonham, and also perhaps Ringo Starr. Alan definitely infused Yes with a pulse and urgency the more mannered and (dare I say) effete drumming of predecessor Bill Bruford couldn't provide. (Let me hasten to add that Bill was indeed a GREAT drummer in his own right, but tell me there's not a HUGE difference between his and Alan Whites' styles.)

Let me quickly praise in passing the enduring excellence of all of "Talk", truly a CD with only one weak track--"Where Will You Be", which, while credited as co-written by Rabin/Anderson seems to bear so much more of the Jon Anderson imprint. It is NOT a bad song-it's just such a departure from the crunch and frontal assault of the preceding tracks that it seems a little weak by contrast. I suspect, however, this was intentional & meant to serve as a meditative time-out before the band raised the curtain on the closer, to my ears the band's highest prog rock pinnacle, the closing suite "Endless Dream".

"Endless Dream" will always be unshakably locked in my personal all-time Top 10 as a work of extraordinary compositional, lyrical and emotional vibrance. It is such a tour de force of instrumental & vocal skill that it still moves me after hundreds of listenings. Lyrically and instrumentally I interpret "Endless Dream" as a musical journey into the substance of being. The swirling electronics represent the atomic aether from which larger structures of life and consciousness arise (as represented by the band), bubbling up through the underlying fog of churning subatomic matter. The lyrics are somber, slightly opaque, but not annoyingly so (as was routinely true for most of Jon's lyrics in times past). "It's the last time, telling myself everything, call me over and bring me back again..." Never before (or since)has Jon sang more beautifully and meaningfully as he does on "Endless Dream". Cycling through life and returning to attempt again to wring meaning from it with senses inadequate to the task is the message of "Endless Dream". Yeah, it's big, and ponderous, and surely it's not everyone's cup of tea, but I greatly admire their ambition and still stand in awe of the artistry they brought to the task throughout "Talk".

Well, who said life was fair? "Talk" arrived and sank immediately commercially, spelling the end of West Coast Yes and (apparently permanently) exiling Trevor Rabin from the Yes family. The band continues to soldier on, and Jon Anderson gamely asserts that they can still make another album equal to "Close to the Edge" or "Fragile"--I'd like to believe that's possible, but I must reluctantly state that most Yes post-"Talk" has been middling to poor. Nevertheless a band that has scaled such heights as Yes can surely be forgiven a long coast into the sunset. Few bands have accomplished so much artistically and NONE have created such a thrilling, ambitious, arresting and poignant work as Yes did with "Talk". What a shame this landmark CD is currently out of print; the good news is that it is easily available used, and I encourage all with even a casual interest to invest $5 or so for one of the most enriching listening experiences of your life with "Talk". YES--it is that good.