I Really Enjoy This Album

[SonicDeath10]

is it just me, or is this album much better than the relative disappointment of tormato? i got those albums around the same time, and i remember adoring this one, and kind of thinking tormato was bad.

[illusion]

Drama is one of my favourite Yes albums. They dumped Jon and Rick and brought in a couple of Buggles, and it was one of the best things they ever did.

Would love to hear Squire sing some of this stuff live (I wouldn't like to see Jon sing anything, myself).

[SonicDeath10]

exactly. it's not like tormato was bad, but i liked the direction they went in with drama. very very hard, dramatic.

[ANTIOCH]

I love the muscle the YES-men put into these tunes and would love to see it reappear on the 'new' material. "Drama" was a giant leap for YES and their fans in retrospect.

[SonicDeath10]

in some ways, these songs were a slight percusser of the style that chris would take in the rabin era. VERY thick bass lines, bouncing in and around the guitar and drums. alan also takes a much harsher pounding on his drums, which also precedes his rabin style.

one poor side effect is poor trevor horn got booed off stage so much he had to quit singing. :(

[RobAdams]

DRAMA is fun. I'm kinda glad this line up never became permanant. Maybe I love this album because of how unique it is. I still prefer Jon & Rick over Horn & Downes ANY day.

[SonicDeath10]

perhaps you're right. maybe this was better as a one off. still, it's fine and good and dandy. downes is a really good keyboardist.

[iseeyou]

I think Drama is one of the best things they ever recorded. I'm glad they experimented with the Buggles. I personally love the "Living in the Plastic Age" album.

I can't wait for the release of the Rhino version. Hopefully, they will release the songs "We can fly from Here" and "Go through This" which were performed during the Drama tour.

[chrismonk]

I too actually like Drama. If it had been anyone else apart from Yes it would have been heralded as a major triumph. However it is let down by fairly mediocre keyboard playing and Trevor Horn's vocals.

[Q]

Drama is a marvelous album! It's Yes music to the core, exciting and different. It's an album that represents musical risks taken with skill and enthusiasm.

My answer to the Classic Yes Snobs when they object to Drama and 90125 and Talk and other "non-classic" Yes is basically to consider that if Yes did actually deliver another "classic" album, it would not be a step forward. Innovation, bold experimentation and taking one's musical ideas as far out on a limb as possible is what makes for truly interesting music. It's how the "classic" albums happened in the first place.

In addition, there's the consideration of working with what you have. The line-up available for Drama only happened because Jon and Rick walked. Considering where Horn and Downes had been before entering the studio with Yes, could there have been a more successful leap? Chris took what he had to work with and pushed a miracle thru. Brilliant, quirky, innovative stuff!

Drama represents that kind of boldness. I love it and enjoy it after all these years!

Q

[gleeman]

Actually, I think the reason why Drama works as well as it does is that there's no Rick and Jon! This allowed the band to return to the harder rocking style of The Yes Album. A rather streamlined effort after the cosmic lightness of Awaken and the giant mess of Tormato, where nobody seems to be listening to each other and the music just drowns in a sea of wanky noodling. For me Steve is the real hero of Drama--his playing is taught and articulate, without all the empty squiggles of GFTO and Tormato. And what an incredible variety of sounds he gets, all of them ferocious and hard edged for once. His best playing since Relayer.

[tardistraveler]

Hi, gleeman! Welcome to YesFans! I think you'll find this a friendly site, where even controversial topics such as this one are discussed in a respectful manner. Hope you visit and post often!

[gleeman]

Thanks for the kind welcome Tardistraveler! Check out the new thread I started on the Relayer dedicated discussion page to learn a little more about me.

[Drejcat]

What a pleasure it is to find such insight on this thread. I have loved Drama for over 20 years. My only regret was that the same lineup didn't produce another album. Now I hear rumors that Trevor "My Touch Is Gold" Horn might produce their next studio effort. Oh, God, YES, please!

[jason]

I love DRAMA but dont like video killed the.....But what do I know? I prefer TORMATO to GFTO!

[tardistraveler]

Hi, Drejcat, and welcome to YesFans! Also, welcome to Jason, although I think I just welcomed you on another thread too. Hope you both come back and visit often! This is a great site, and very friendly!

[illusion]

Originally posted by Q
My answer to the Classic Yes Snobs when they object to Drama and 90125 and Talk and other "non-classic" Yes is basically to consider that if Yes did actually deliver another "classic" album, it would not be a step forward.

And I wouldn't give a crap.

Having said tha I pretty much agree with the rest of it to the letter. Hooray for Q!

I love Drama. Did I not say?

[ken johnson]

90125 what can i say i absolutely loved it,just like albums i first listened to in the early 70s.
why compare just enjoy 4 what it is meant to be.

[mattquarterstein]

one poor side effect is poor trevor horn got booed off stage so much he had to quit singing. :(

Poor Trevor. An experience like that must be awful. Being booed by thousands of fans. :crybby:

[Scooty]

As I have posted on numerous occasions...

Drama is a brilliant YES album that seems to get lost in the shuffle....

Chris Squire had enormous ball* to soldier on, damn the torpedoes and record this album...I t truly shows all of us who the Piss and Vinegar is of YES..

and the musicianship is top notch...Chris is playing his heart out (and his vocals seemingly brought more to the fore here..which I find to be a brilliant move)

Steve is "Rocking" more than ever and Alan is playing like his livelyhood depended on it...which again, in my estimation showed that the band had something to prove for the first time in about 10 years....and to me..this Yes listener they succeded enormously..

Don't let the fact that Jon and Rick aren't available for this record keep you from enjoying this overly critisized and overlooked jem....its brilliant musicianship and 5 musicians having a lot of fun...and setting out to set new uncharted musical territory...wether or not they succeded is moot...the shear tenacity and bullocks it took for Chris to say.."Fu*k it! Im goin' for it"

Is clearly evident in the music contained on this album...

and PS...I agree I am under the impression that Drama is a better record than Tormato....and ANYTHING..oh yeah, ANYTHING the RABIN years produced..

IMNSHO..:)...sorry feelin a bit smarmy tonight!

SCOOT

[Amy]

and PS...I agree I am under the impression that Drama is a better record than Tormato....and ANYTHING..oh yeah, ANYTHING the RABIN years produced..
SCOOT

Good ps!

I just listened to Drama this past week, for the first time since (1980? - close enough). I think it is much better than Tormato. I don't remember such a difference between the two albums when they first came out. I think Tormato just closed my mind to any new Yes at the time.

This week, when I first heard Trevor Horn's voice, I was surprised at how similar to Jon's it was. As I continued listening however, it became clear that Trevor just can't measure up to Jon. Of course the best way to approach it is not to try and compare the two.

As I listen to the 80's stuff (slowly but surely), I still find it impossible to compare it to 70's Yes. That approach just doesn't work for me. As I listen to each album, I might compare them to each other (guess I already am!), but that's as far as I can go!! The 70's still rule!! How great it was to grow up with the super groups of the 70's!

Anyway, Drama was very refreshing. I find it better than what I remembered it to be. Drama definitely rocks compared to Tormato. The line "I am a camera" still annoys me though! Funny how some things just don't change!

[SonicDeath10]

yeah i agree but i still love all the Rabin stuff. ;)

[Scooty]

yeah i agree but i still love all the Rabin stuff. ;)


No doubt! Me too..and I think about what I said...and I will still pick up Drama more than I would 90125, BG, Talk, Union...not discounting them..Im just sayin..that's all......

Scoot

PS Amy Im so glad you rediscovered Drama..it is a fantastic record...although I must agree with you it is a little difficult to not smirk when I have to sing a long to " I am a camera...camera, camera"
and I have the window rolled down in my car :lmao:

[SonicDeath10]

i seeeee a maaan in a whiiiiite caaaaahr! ;)

[umgekehrt]

I used to hate this album because it doesn't have Jon, but then I listened to it again with an open mind and try not to limit what Yes may or may not do in terms of choice of material or personnel, and I realize that Drama is better than Tormato. Even "White Car" sounds great because they put it between "Machine Messiah" and "Does It Really Happen" which makes it a very nice transition.

"Into The Lens" is my favorite from this album, BTW.

[SonicDeath10]

machine messiah has always been my favorite although i like the i am a camera.... line. it's cute.

[Orbert]

I like "Into the Lens" (aka "I am a Camera") but for a while there, it's just too repetitive. If they'd cut that one section by eight bars, it would be much better, 16 and it'd be great. As it stands now, it's my least favorite song on the album, mostly because of the repetition ad nauseum.

Orbert