Drama- It Rules!!!

[JL]

Here's a thread to let everyone know why you think Drama is the fantastic album that it is. It doesn't matter if Drama haters come in with negativity to try to mess us up, because their hate is not strong enough to tamp down our joy! :music-smi

I listened to Drama tonight at work, and it gets the award for being the best album to listen to while driving a bus in heavy rain and high wind around a busy airport where nobody knows what lane they want to be in, except that they are not currently in it and need to be in your lane RIGHT NOW!!! Drama keeps you grounded while having a nimbling effect on the reflexes.

What other album can make that claim?

[Earl Grey]

Drama kicks proverbial arse.

Jon and Wakey wanted to record an ambient YES album (ie: 'The Paris Sessions'. erch!).

The boys wanted to rock.

Drama rocks with verve and balls. It still sounds fresh to me.
Of course, I still think of 1980 as recent history... :ele:

[allpurechance]

JL-it's so funny you should mention this!

In between my hospital stints here in this facility and elsewhere(I have worked in both hospitals within the confines of the city,proper...),I drove a taxi in this town!----

Never occurred to me to make Yesmusics available to myself within these(alleged,lmaoOOOOo)vehicles.I did discover,though that rock and roll(used to listen to the local 'classic rock' station)caused me to have a rather 'heavy' foot,and also engendered stress,out there,on the roads.So,I wound up listening to the classical stations!Unless and until someone got in the cab with a specific request...

Drama is an album I have been trying hard to 'sell' to my sister,who is the 'Other' huge Yesnut within the family(to varying degrees,all but one of us-out of 5-in the immediate family unit I grew up in,are "Yesnuts",but my one sister in particular...MAY be even worse than I am!lmaoOOOOOOOoo,and THAT...is saying something!).Just recently acquired the remaster,and I have always been pleasantly surprised by this album,ever since it's release while I was 'sailing the seven seas' a couple of decades ago...

As yet,she refuses to 'bite' on Drama.It is the absence of Jon she cannot stomach.I try to tell her,as someone else said correctly on this very site,within the last few days,that Drama is Chris,Steve & Alan "unleashed"!

I,however,have always been surprised how great it is.Downes work is also fine,he seemed to have a great sense of collaborating well with the others.His touches are marvellous,all over the album!Even Trevor Horn's work is good!Sounds great singing with Chris(love the portions of the album where Chris is essentially the lead vocalist!)!

Yep,this was a very pleasant surprise when it came out,as it remains today.At that time it seemed as though they might just have reached the end of their creative rope...but NOT so!Thankfully!

[Earl Grey]

It's very difficult for some to get past the 'No Jon' element of Drama.

Now don't get me wrong, a day without Jon is like a day without sunshine.

Still, Drama rocked. The cards were stacked against it, and somehow, amazingly, YES was.

Is.

I love the album, an army of dancing crowbars couldn't pry it from my stereo.

EG:yesbird:

[JL]

Most underrated member in Yes history-Geoff Downes.

Well, maybe Pat Moraz, too.

[JL]

Drama is Chris,Steve & Alan "unleashed"!

Yes, I'd say that sounds about right.

[Earl Grey]

Most underrated member in Yes history-Geoff Downes.

Well, maybe Pat Moraz, too.

Absolutely.

Just listen to the arpeggios Geoff played in Tempus Fugit.

It's YES.

Squire was in his element, Howe was on fire (where's that damned fire extinguisher?), White is kicking out the jams, one nearly forgets the solar eclipse of 'No Jon'. Life is weird.

Whaddayaknow! YES is.

:ele:

[JL]

Absolutely.

Just listen to the arpeggios Geoff played in Tempus Fugit.

It's YES.

Squire was in his element, Howe was on fire (where's that damned fire extinguisher?), one nearly forgets the solar eclipse of 'No Jonism'.

Whaddayaknow! YES is.

:ele:

Right when you get past Steve on flangered guitar to the place where Alan and Chris joined on Machine Messiah, around the fifteen second mark on the album, I was pretty much thinking "Jon who?"

I love Jon, as singer, songwriter and overall conceptual guy, but on Drama, frankly, he wasn't missed. Besides, when it came out, I had pretty much everything Yes except Time and a Word, so when I wanted to listen to Jon, I could (and I did).

It's hard to believe I was actually a prog geek twelve year old, but, around here, that seems to be pretty common.

[Earl Grey]

I still wonder what Drama would have sounded like with Jon on pipes.

Sorry, I'm pretty predictable.

Alas, no Jonism.

Drama is the way the 80's SHOULD'VE sounded.

For the greater portion, the 80's sucked the root. Drama didn't, it rocked.

Where The Hell Is Jon Anderson When You Need Him?!

Meditating on naval lint, what did you expect? ;)

:ele:

[Vic Anderson]

Drama is limited

[Earl Grey]

Drama is limited

So am I.

:ele:

[PO]

Downes did great work on this album. I think he even introduced the Fairlight synth to Yes (don't quote me on that). BUT, he had great timbres.

Does it Really Happen? is a monster tune. I was very impressed seeing this live.

To this day, I still use that opening rhytm when trying out various drums, or even just tapping unconciously. That 5 stroke roll (R lead) R-L-R 5 stroke roll is a great workout!

Everyone had CRUNCH on this album. AND, the vocals are done very well.

[Scooty]

Drama is limited


Oh Lord.

Vic, to be honest, the only reason you find Drama "Limited" is that Jon isnt there.

I get tired of the arguement that Drama doesn't count, or is not a Yes album because Jon's precious voice isnt there.

His voice doesn't belong on this album, it wouldn't have worked on the material anyway. Im glad. Granted that Horn's vocals fall short. But I love how they had to push up (FOR ONCE) Chris' vocals to compensate for TH's.

Drama is Yes' rock album. And rock it does. It has the best interplay between Chris, Steve and Alan that I have ever heard . The production is crisp and full.
Jon and Rick wanted to wuss out and record ambient, twee hill music. The other guys wouldn't have that. Yes NEEDED to rock a little more at this point.

I dunno, I've said this stuff so many times elsewhere, that Im actually tired of defending Drama..LOL!!

This is Chris' FU to Jon, it is better than Tormato 90125 BG, Union, Talk and OYE as a Yes album any day of the week.

[brotherofmine]

Oh Lord.

Vic, to be honest, the only reason you find Drama "Limited" is that Jon isnt there.

I get tired of the arguement that Drama doesn't count, or is not a Yes album because Jon's precious voice isnt there.

His voice doesn't belong on this album, it wouldn't have worked on the material anyway. Im glad. Granted that Horn's vocals fall short. But I love how they had to push up (FOR ONCE) Chris' vocals to compensate for TH's.

Drama is Yes' rock album. And rock it does. It has the best interplay between Chris, Steve and Alan that I have ever heard . The production is crisp and full.
Jon and Rick wanted to wuss out and record ambient, twee hill music. The other guys wouldn't have that. Yes NEEDED to rock a little more at this point.

I dunno, I've said this stuff so many times elsewhere, that Im actually tired of defending Drama..LOL!!

This is Chris' FU to Jon, it is better than Tormato 90125 BG, Union, Talk and OYE as a Yes album any day of the week.
Well Jon had a small part on 'Drama' too...'Everybody's song'
which formed the basis of 'Does It Reaally Happen?'.
I have no problem with the music on Drama it's great..but Trevor's voice..Ohh dear!

[Jackaranda]

I can't wait to hear "Fly From Here" on the box set. I always wondered why they left that off the album.

I had a tape of the NYC concert from 1980 for years, and that was my favorite song from it.

[Amy]

This is Chris' FU to Jon, it is better than Tormato 90125 BG, Union, Talk and OYE as a Yes album any day of the week.
Yeah, I'd have to agree. Although Talk comes really close.
In fact, I'm still not sure which one I like better. I seem to flip back and forth with those two....but Drama's good stuff.

[smatt]

Hmmm, well I wouldn't say it rules but I do in-fact dig this album! I don't really think Trev's vocals fall short, at least not in the context of Drama, now as for the vocals on the Jon material they did on the Drama tour well,,,,, nuff said there.

I really dig Drama because they frigan kick-ass all the way through. As Chris said to me "Steve's work on Drama is some of the best f++king rock guitar in history!" and that is a direct quote! I'll be stoked to hear some of this stuff resurrected this Summer

:band:

[Vic Anderson]

scotty as much as you're a chris fan I am a jon fan

so this the album is good i am not saying it sucks or anything i mean i enjoy it

but you should recognize the vocals and lyrics are limited

and to say that endless dream is not better that any drama songs you don't like jon

:)we are really getting tierd of aguinf this album

we really should stop

[Scooty]

scotty as much as you're a chris fan I am a jon fan

so this the album is good i am not saying it sucks or anything i mean i enjoy it

but you should recognize the vocals and lyrics are limited

and to say that endless dream is not better that any drama songs you don't like jon

:)we are really getting tierd of aguinf this album

we really should stop

I love Jon ,Vic!
I swear I do!! Im a huge fan, Endless Dream is ok. Not incredible, and hardly original. It WAS the best thing to come out of the Rabin years though.

I like thr lyrics on Drama, they have a much harder edge to them that i think was neccessary to move Yes smoothly into the 80's.

And Im not arguing this album in so much that I am defending it as a great Yesalbum :)

[smatt]

I love Jon ,Vic!
I swear I do!! Im a huge fan, Endless Dream is ok. Not incredible, and hardly original. It WAS the best thing to come out of the Rabin years though.

I like thr lyrics on Drama, they have a much harder edge to them that i think was neccessary to move Yes smoothly into the 80's.

And Im not arguing this album in so much that I am defending it as a great Yesalbum :)


Oh here I go off topic.....

:cussing: Endless dream was not the best thing to come out of the Yes-West camp! So there! ;)

P.S. i love Jon too, even though I think he's a big phoney! :lmao:

[cinderella]

Drama is a great album. It was different. I happen to like Trevor Horn's vocals, and I've always loved Geoffrey, but then I'm a Buggles fan, so there ya go.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/Cinderella528/Buggles.jpg

[Vic Anderson]

:) i think 90125 for all the means was the best

but jon wise talk is better

[Scooty]

:) i think 90125 for all the means was the best

but jon wise talk is better

That's because Jon was last minute on 90125!!! I agree, 90125 is their best Rabin offering...

Talk just doesnt move me...I dunno why.

[Vic Anderson]

keep listening:)

[JL]

Talk just doesnt move me...I dunno why.

Same here. It's a good album. I've given it several chances. I just am not into it.

[KPatrick]

I wonder how DRAMA would have done under a different band name. I understand that that is a pure hypothetical, and at the time and under the circumstances couldn't have happened, the tour was already booked, money already spent, etc. ... But still, I wonder. They could have been Asia before Asia was Asia. I prefer Jon's vocal to Trevor's, but Trevor acquits himself nicely on the DRAMA tracks. (Have never heard one of the concerts, don't know how the old Yes stuff went down. I will accept everyone's contention that it was bad.) Geoff was -- dare I say -- a major upgrade on keys. TORMATO sounds like 5 guys; DRAMA sounds like a band. I maintain that it stacks up with any Yes album and I won't argue the point of whether it's "really Yes." But if they'd gone out as "The Yesbugs" or something, I wonder if it would've gone down better.

Anyhow, people who dismiss this album are dismissing one of the band's best.

[sunburstbasser]

Drama happens to be my personal favorite Yes album, so far at any rate.

Thats all I can really contribute.:)