What is your rating of Drama?

[PhaseDance]

A Jon-less Yes album ... with The Buggles??

What's your take on it?

[Jackaranda]

Brilliant. I love it.

[gathernear]

It's better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

[maninthemoon]

It's better than a poke in the eye with a stick.
Is the stick sharp?

[gathernear]

Is the stick sharp?

Oh yes. A sharp stick.

[Parish]

Like a good bowel movement, it has its moments...

[shortexchanges]

Drama ROCKS!!!! Chris never sounded better. Alan shines and Steve shreds with precision.

I prefer the rock in Yes over the soft pop driven sound. Relayer and Drama are some how similar to me.

[maninthemoon]

Oh yes. A sharp stick.

Ok, than I agree, it's better.
I like it, though it seems Yes-like, not quite Yes to me. The whole music climate was changing back then too, so it's hard to dismiss it altogether.

[tommc]

Drama is the 7th best Yes album after the classic 6 ~ TYA-GFTO.

[Andrea YouAndI]

A Jon-less Yes album ... with The Buggles??

What's your take on it?

You should already know, per my reaction to your posts in that other thread... ;)

I think it's great. Yes and Rush were never closer in vision than in 1980.

[cinderella]

I very much enjoyed Trevor Horn's vocals.

But see I loved the Buggles so.....

[illusion]

My favourite Yes album, but I wouldn't want them to make another album without Jon.

This was made five years before I was born, so I can appreciate it knowing that Jon was only away from the band for a couple of years. I understand why people didn't like it in 1980.

[YESOLA]

I remember when I was in 9th/ 10th grade when this came out...I was Yet to be a "yes fan" but Tempus Fugit rocked, they played it on the radio a lot.

I remember the Yes tour, and the controversy over Jon and Rick and hearing the yes fans arguing over whether it was good to be at the yes show without them.

I "discovered" the album after I became a Yes fan later (and then I realized I knew one of the tunes after I listened).

Anyway, I fail to see how any Yes fan can not like or at least be satisfied this album. With the Yes backing vocals supporting Trevor throughout the album, it's really strong. I thought the album was great. I did not like Tormato at all in the early days of my listening, so to me the band sounded revitalized, like they had some vision for Yes in the era of the punk band, and it worked...... and Chris Squires' playing on it is just fantastic.

I can see however, how people would not be satisfied with Horn singing Jon's tracks - that fell far short - it did not work, but that's another story.

Drama is awesome.

[GoD57]

The last great Yes album. No other explanation needed.


Bill

[luvyesmusic]

Wouldn't I give to have some sort of different "drama" then what we've all had in the last couple of weeks. Anyway, it was different, I liked Geoff on keyboards, Chris like everyone else has stated, rocked, Alan too! and Steve seemed to have a blast playing the material on the album. Another great one for the headphones or to blast out the car and have people look at you strangely.

[podo]

Brillant

Its proves (if nothing else) that Yes is NOT the Jon Anderson Band

[kirk]

I'm a "Jon" fan, 100%, but add me to the "brilliant" column!

I liked Jon & Vangelis better than some Yes during
the same period.

K

[kirk]

Brillant

Its proves (if nothing else) that Yes is NOT the Jon Anderson Band
Agreed Rog, but as i doubt they have another Relayer,
I also doubt they have the capability of another Drama.

K

[Write a punch line]

When I'm not laughing at Run thru the Light the album is really good.

[ksdb]

Following GFTO and Tormato, it was a return to form that was well overdue. Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit are among the top Yes songs ever.

[Write a punch line]

Can it really happen and "the camera song" round it out nicely.
Tempus Fugit stands against most songs yes did pretty well that aren't called CTTE or GoD.

[YYY]

When Jon left...my YES heart went with him. It was the same time I graduated from college and moved to Los Angeles. From their beginning YES's journeys & major transitions truly corresponded with my own changes in life in many many ways.

71-The YES ALBUM (first great Yes Album)- Freshman in new High School
72/73 - CTTE/TALES (Major Breakthrough) - Lost my virginity!
74 - RELAYER ( Another Major Album w/new Moraz) - First year away from home to attend college in Ohio.
75-78 - Solo Albums/GFTO&Tormato - All College
79 - Jon Leaves YES - I leave college for Los Angeles


So in my new life the new YES were of less importance. I actually didn't even hear DRAMA until years later. Compared to their previous works I wasn't that impressed. Even now I rarely listen to but only 1 or 2 songs, if that.

[Bluegrunt]

Brillant

Its proves (if nothing else) that Yes is NOT the Jon Anderson Band

Isn't opinion a wonderful thing? For me, it proves that without Jon, its not Yes. I rarely listen to the album, and the Drama tour was my first low point following Yes.

[TOBYSGRAPHICGOKART]

A YES album that is 3/5 YES + 2/5 BUGGLES -1 JON does not equal a YES album.
So,as an album that is not YES...a couple of tracks are definitely maybe.
As a YES album...NO.

[Lifeseeker66]

DRAMA... a very good album, but not in my top 5. Great freshness to the sound, especially at the time. Very "Squiresque", and I love Chris Squire and it was great to hear him come to the fore.

Let me add that, although Trevor Horn was a weak replacement for Jon, Geoff Downes on the other hand was very capable at the keys. I would take him in my Yes anyday (provided Rick were not available, of course!), and I would have liked to have seen him rejoin the group for the recently cancelled tour.

[Senor Mono]

One of my Favorites! By any band. Excellent sounds from everyone, and it Rocks. Ahead of its time for sure. Thats howe Yes music should be.

I love Jon Anderson and his contributions to Yes. But its too bad the militant Jon fans cant give it a fair chance. It's almost funny howe much they hate it, or only like 1 or 2 songs at best. Get over it and enjoy the DRAMA folks, its one of Chris, Steve, and Alan's best recordings and performances, period (next to Relayer imo).

[Orbert]

A brilliant album. In my top 5 Yes albums.

[harty]

I love the strength of Howe/Squire on the album. I would love to hear numbers from this album on tour again. Tough to admit anything positive about the vocals, so when you have nothing nice to say...say nothing.
Very disappointing YES time for this album, and the playing of the band minus the vocals were awesome. I saw a lot of smiles and energy on the stage for this tour.

[Yesguitarman]

In order of preference, my favorite YES albums from the classic era are:

1. Close To The Edge
2. The Yes Album
3. Tales From Topographic Oceans
4. Relayer
5. Drama
6. Fragile
7. Going For the One
8. Tormato

So that puts Drama in my top 5 list. Howe's work is over the top, quite challenging. Chris and Alan rock throughout. Geoff's keys work was very complementary to the whole package. Trevor's vocals were well done. However, if I could only take one album to a deserted island it would have to be Close To The Edge.

[somissound]

This is one album that I never get tired of... Very unique sounding!

In my top 5 Yes albums for sure :)

[allen toth]

Brilliant. I love it.

Yep.

[Enlighten]

The last great Yes album. No other explanation needed.


Bill

Ditto. It's in my top five right next
to TYA, Fragile, CTTE, and GFTO.
What makes it so special is the fact that
Rick and Jon are not present and yet the
music has so much integrity. Steve,
Alan and Chris just lay it down. This album
rocks, I love it.

[mike on the goldie]

I hated Drama when it came out, because I didn't like the music - not because Anderson wasn't singing. It put me off Yes for quite awhile. These days though, I have come to like a few of the songs quite a bit. Some of the playing is fantastic.

[Sergey Lenkov]

It's not quite the Yes music to which loyal fan are used to, but I like the music and the sound of this album. It's not Yes I'm usually listening to, but the album was quite good.
And one hit: "Camera... I'm a camera!" Wow!

[MirokuLuvstheGirls]

BRILLIANT. When I got it earlier this year, and heard the needle cutting through the first verse of "Machine Messiah", I was amazed. I wish The Yessles would have released eight more albums. The only track that I never LOVED on this album was "Does it Really Happen?"

BTW, I recently got the expanded & remastered and super-duper awesome'd CD re-issue of this, and discovered "Dancing Through the Light" and "Golden Age". Great tracks. The former features one of Alan's greatest moments, IMO.

[AmyK]

Just a couple months ago I was listening to Drama on the way to work, and I had one of those intuitive moments during Run Through the Light that I should listen to Drama on LP. Well, today I found one for $2. It was easily the best $2 I ever spent on a piece of music. Before I thought Drama was good, but on vinyl it is excellent !! Always follow your instincts like the panthers on the cover.

[YesHut]

When the subject of Drama comes up, I feel that I am one of the very few (us) that like and enjoy this album. To me, this is still YES, a good project not explored well enough to make the next step. Another album, and tour. Oh well.

[Rick N Backer]

One of my all time favourites. I remember Tommy Vance announcing on the Friday Rock show late one night in early 1980 that there was some news about Yes (this followed the broadcast of a Yes session from the early period) and he read out a press release saying that they were a new and invigorated band and had recruited Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes from The Buggles. I was horrified and nearly spilt coffee all over my geography A level homework, but when the album came out in August I was totally hooked, and it's never been far from my turntable/CD player, car and now MP3 player.

I love the attitude, the drum sound, the raucous guitar, Chris' amazing upfront bass and vocals, the Hammond organ playing and the sheer energy of the band.

It was the last time I felt that they were playing as if they had something to prove and I wish - oh I wish - it could have lasted longer.

A Yes without Jon sounded awful on paper at first, but for me it worked very well. I got my Anderson fix when he played with his band in the winter of 1980 - although curiously, Anderson without Yes sounded a lot less like Yes than Yes without Anderson. Both he and Yes were criss-crossing the UK at the same time. Jon played at the Albert Hall and for a while, with a hit album of his own and some great stuff done with Vangelis it looked like Yes and Jon could exist without each other and both be successful. And the fans could get something of both.

Drama was a one-off for Yes, but with it's retro keyboard sound, hard edged guitar and somewhat heavy metal overtones, allied to a Roger Dean sleeve, it showed great promise.

Don't forget, the Paris sessions that blew up in late 1979/early 1980 spawned some truly horrendous tunes. If they'd made an album of them, their career would have died right there and then. Those that were salvaged ended up on Jon's Song of Seven and Drama, but they weren't the strongest songs on either album. When Yes re-convened, it was like Steve, Alan and Chris had ditched the soppy drippy stuff quite deliberately in favour of what was selling at the time. Very shrewd.

Re-visiting that period now, it's very odd. Yes have always been my favourite band, but one of my favourite Yes albums doesn't have Jon on it, and my all time favourite song by anyone, ever, is I Hear You Now - a Jon song, with no Yes! Bizarre.

[bjlevine]

Well, I was somewhat disappointed by Tormato as it seemed to have no real direction to it, nor any epic songs. After learning that Jon and Rick were gone and hearing a radio preview of Run through the Light, I was fearing the worst. So, I was more than pleasantly surprised by Drama. Machine Messiah was great as was Does It Really Happen? and I enjoyed the creativity of Into the Lens and Tepus Fugit. And a Roger Dean cover to boot. All in all an enjoyable album.

[Faceintheplace]

Totally briliant, it's one of my top five favorite Yes albums. Alot of people slag Into the Lens for the I am a Camera lyrics but come on, it's far from the worst bit of lyric in the Yes cannon and it's downright profound compared to what's topped the charts the last few years.

[Whitefish]

Brilliant! It is not only brilliant, but is also proof that Yes can be perfect without Jon and Rick. It is one of the best Yes albums IMO.

[Whitefish]

Double post.

[mike on the goldie]

Well I certainly wouldn't say its perfect, Whitefish. Here's proof in four words: "I AM A CAMERA."

[pianozach]

When the subject of Drama comes up, I feel that I am one of the very few (us) that like and enjoy this album.

Judging by the results of the poll, there are quite a few of us that love this album.


Don't forget, the Paris sessions that blew up in late 1979/early 1980 spawned some truly horrendous tunes. If they'd made an album of them, their career would have died right there and then.

I've got two CD versions of Drama:

One is a "Digitally remastered by Joe Gastwirt at Ocean View Digital".

I sprang for newer "Expanded & Remastered" Drama CD with the ten bonus tracks.

Strangely enough, on this version, Does It Really Happen?'s fade-in tag starts rather abruptly with the keyboards coming in at full volume instead.

I'm with ya on your assessment of the Paris sessions.

Brilliant! It is not only brilliant, but is also proof that Yes can be perfect without Jon and Rick. It is one of the best Yes albums IMO.

I'd give it a 9.5, which puts it firmly in 4rd place in my book, after Relayer, Talk and FOOW, which tie for 1st place with perfect 10's.

[Jonk]

I voted for Brilliant but then I was always an advocate of Drama. Personally I feel Drama to have been a better album than Tormato which admittedly does have it's moments but overall I feel Drama to be more Yes like and a much better album. Live it was a different matter of course but as an album Drama was way better than many give it credit for:headset:

[harty]

howe and squire were brilliant on this.
musically I loved it. Vocally I could do without it.

[Senor Mono]

I can feel a heavier/Epic/Drama-like new recording brewing. With some new flavors too.

Oh Yea! Let it rip boys:headset:

song 1. Less Symphony's, More distortion (on the bass too!)

[90125yes]

drama is a good album - but it is not classic yes - it is an attempt at a yes album - in the same way that 90125 was an attempt at a yes album

it is a million miles away from close to the edge because it does not have jon anderson's input

i have a cd of yes in boston 1980 live and horn and downes do a good job - however the main ingredient - the vocals need jon anderson every time

without anderson , howe and squire all together it does not truly represent yes- not in my book anyway

[GLee2112]

Yes and Rush were never closer in vision than in 1980.

That's a great point.

I love Drama, especially because Chris is all over that album. His bass lines and vocals are fantastic. I'd love to see him dominate another Yes album like he did this one.

[Purple Wolfhound]

I rated it pretty good, but I would actually put it between pretty good and brilliant - it certainly has to be, beyond Trevor Horn's vocals, one of the ballsiest Yes albums ever. Not that Yes music was ever considered to be that way, imo, but this album sure has some sonic "heft" to it!

[yesyadda]

Hey Phil! Hope all's well. :thumbup:

[HOTsunrise]

I voted "pretty good". I'd probably give it a 7.5/10. "Drama" is my favorite YES album cover.

[90125yes]

squire , howe and white with two session players

[Parish]

squire , howe and white with two session players


What is the "In The Present" tour for $400.00 Alex?

[CybrKhatru]

I love it.

[open windows]

Some great cuts on this record, "Into The Lens" is a masterpiece in itself. Howe in his prime. IMO the keyboards are as good as Wakeman , compared to others who played in the band. Of course it's not the best yes album!

[90125yes]

post by KSDB

Following GFTO and Tormato, it was a return to form that was well overdue. Machine Messiah and Tempus Fugit are among the top Yes songs ever.

______________


DISAGREE there is no way that drama is better than GFTO

Awaken 10 Run through the """**** 0

[90125yes]

i ask my love to give me SHHEEEEEllterrrrrrrrrrrrrr

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRGG


run through the light AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH

embarrasing

[90125yes]

post by parish

What is the "In The Present" tour for $400.00 Alex?

____


Alex ??<!-- / message -->

[90125yes]

if drama is brilliant how come trevor horn got so much stick on the tour ??

[yarstruly]

I think its fantastic! If another band , not called Yes, had released these songs it would be hailed as a prog masterpiece IMHO...but being Yes without Jon (esp.) & Rick, gives some people reasons to take shots at it....I think the Songs are great, the playing is razor sharp and the energy is palpable...Great Album!

[Orbert]

if drama is brilliant how come trevor horn got so much stick on the tour ??

The problems came when they tried to play any other Yessongs. Trevor does not have the same range as Jon and was clearly struggling. His voice is similar but not of the same quality. It was an embarassment.

Trevor's performance on the album is fine. Also, his voice blends with Steve's and Chris' in a way which is very similar to Jon's, so the overall sound isn't that different. People who refuse to accept this album as Yes because of Jon's absence are just being stubborn. It's more Yessish than half the albums Yes has done since, and also the first two, and Jon was on all of them.

[90125yes]

drama was certainly a yes album and i would like to see jon tackle some of the songs

[CybrKhatru]

If the band had taken the time to transpose a few songs for Trevor Horn, I'd bet he'd have had a more successful time on tour...

[tempusfugitbruce]

Ah those heady days of 1980, punk, new wave,everyone and their auntie wearing a thin tie! i think it was a great piece of rock, i love Drama,tempus fugit is one of the best yes songs ever.
I have heard a load of Drama live recordings the earlier shows of the tour the band were on fire especially Chris. I think its best summed up by Rick on a documentary (yesyears? )
At the time i said it should never have been released, i stand corrected.:beerchugr: :rightG:

[90125yes]

drams's rating has gone up since the present tour contains two of it's songs

if drama had not been released ... well YES could have gone out of existance

[cjreyes]

Brilliant!!! It's always been one of my favourites. HSW at their best!

[Fragyle Ladder]

Brilliant! It's one of my absolute favorites with some classics on it!

[bjlevine]

Yup. I listened to the radio show premiering the album and they played Run through the Light. I was convinced this was the death of Yes. Then they played Tempus Fugit, and I loved it. I still don't like RTTL, but I love all the other tracks, though I wish they had done more with White Car (probably couldn't fit more on the vinyl side).

[Chefstarship]

I asked and received Drama for Christmas and I love it. I was the time that I left Yes for a couple of decades and I regret it oh so much. I have an extra sealed copy if someone wants to trade.Dale

[Orbert]

Yup. I listened to the radio show premiering the album and they played Run through the Light. I was convinced this was the death of Yes. Then they played Tempus Fugit, and I loved it. I still don't like RTTL, but I love all the other tracks, though I wish they had done more with White Car (probably couldn't fit more on the vinyl side).

I'm pretty sure there's a version of White Car that's longer. It has a second verse or something. I heard it a while ago and don't remember much about it other than "Ah, so it was longer at some point!"

[somissound]

It is in my cd player now!

Love to hear them play Does it Really Happen...

[The Baron]

Big fan of the album. Have the "original" version on CD then had to buy the Expanded & Remastered CD version when it came out. I prefer the original version of "Does it Really Happen?" with the gradual fade back in instead of the abrupt return.

Drama is quite a departure from their previous work, so I can understand why many fans don't like it. It's almost like Yes's nod to King Crimson.

[Borris]

Drama is pretty good.

I was happy with it when i got it, i thought it a step up on Tormato, it had a great cover excellent playing from Chris and Steve and a slightly New Wavy feel about it which nodded a little to the times.

I also got Gentle Giant Civilian at the same time which had an I am a Camera song too, that was a strange coincidence and unfortunately that album spelt the end for GG.

With the passing of time I still like Drama but it hasn't grown on me, I have a copy & I listen to it and I enjoy it, but I don't love it. Whereas Tormato has grown on me, it is unique and quirky. I think I like best some of the tracks that other fans take exception to Arriving UFO, Circus of Heaven, Madrigal. I also love Onward and Future times which tend to be more highly regarded by most Yes fans.

I don't regret that they did Drama though. The band were pulling in different direction and it spelt the start of a solo career for Jon. And it's cool that the band could pull something together without Jon. It's all part of the complex tapestry that is Yes.

Drama is about on par with 90125 for me, both are flawed but likeable, and both part of the story of Yes weathering the storm of changing fashions in music.

But I can't put Drama on turn out the lights and be carried to the amazing places like i can with so much Yes music. For me the heart is missing, Jon seems to provide that heart, it has the form but not the substance of a Yes album.

Of the later albums I rate ABWH, Keystudio, The Ladder and Magnification all higher than Drama. I'm happy it's there though.

[90125yes]

Drama is a greart record

the down side is Trevor Horn

... i asked my love to give me sheeeeeelllterrrrr ... aaarrggh


and the image ... the glasses ......aaaarrrgghhhhhhh

[pianozach]

Drama is a greart record

the down side is Trevor Horn

... i asked my love to give me sheeeeeelllterrrrr ... aaarrggh


and the image ... the glasses ......aaaarrrgghhhhhhh

I still would love it if Jon would rerecord Trevor's vocal lines himself.

Even the "... i asked my love to give me she-e-eeeelll-terrrrr ..." would sound great with Jon singing it instead. Or even Chris.

[Orbert]

I used to dislike "Run Through the Light", in large part because of Trevor's voice. Trevor harmonizes with Chris and Steve very much the same way Jon does, but Trevor's out there on his own on "Run Through the Light", and I found his voice to be quite inferior. It was obvously "wrong".

But my roommate at the time, a voice major, put it on one time and raved about it. He said that it's one of the most inspiring vocal performances he'd ever heard. I still don't know if I really like it, but I accept it.

Hey, I was 18, and anything different from the norm was often simply dismissed as "wrong". I learned that day to give different things a chance, because they can also be very good.

[90125yes]

I still would love it if Jon would rerecord Trevor's vocal lines himself.

Even the "... i asked my love to give me she-e-eeeelll-terrrrr ..." would sound great with Jon singing it instead. Or even Chris.


____

agreed - well said

:appl[1]: :rightG:

[Scooty]

I still would love it if Jon would rerecord Trevor's vocal lines himself.

Even the "... i asked my love to give me she-e-eeeelll-terrrrr ..." would sound great with Jon singing it instead. Or even Chris.

It wouldn't work.
The entire album is too angular for Jon's sensitive sensiblilties.
This is YES as a Rock outfit.

I couldn't hear Jon singing any of it and I imagine it would have been toned down a bit as well...

[rphheather]

I have to agree. I have a hard time imagining Jon's vocals on this harder edged album (don't get me wrong, I LOVE Jon).
IMHO this album is brilliant mostly because Chris and Steve shine on this one and also the more sober tone shows another facet of their immense talent.

:wall:

[MichaelB]

I love the Drama album and from the live shows I have I think Trevor Horn did a good job, considering.