Why didn't Big Generator do as well as 90125?

[soundchaser09]

In my opinion Big Generator is almost as strong as its predecessor and yet it couldn't live up to it commercially. I've always liked Rhythm of Love over Owner of a Lonely Heart and I like the variation on the album with songs like I'm Running, Final Eyes and Shoot High Aim Low. I think it represents a great version of an 80s Yes without relying too much on the shorter pop hits that 90125 did at times.

With that said, what do you think? Could the Big Generator Album have sold better? Would Jon still have formed ABWH if it had?

[Bill M]

I think it could have sold better if it was released earlier.

[Esthe]

I think it was because it was perceived as more of the same. It’s very common for that to happen in the Pop world.

[Ash Armstrong]

Yes: The Rabin Years.

[Gtkgasman]

I think it could have sold better if it was released earlier.

That’s my take also, a little too long between the releases.

[luna65]

Could the Big Generator Album have sold better? Would Jon still have formed ABWH if it had?

I don't think the sales had that much to do with Jon leaving.

It really turned into a dysfunctional situation which poisoned almost everything to do with the album, so it's not just one thing.

[pianozach]

In my opinion Big Generator is almost as strong as its predecessor and yet it couldn't live up to it commercially. I've always liked Rhythm of Love over Owner of a Lonely Heart and I like the variation on the album with songs like I'm Running, Final Eyes and Shoot High Aim Low. I think it represents a great version of an 80s Yes without relying too much on the shorter pop hits that 90125 did at times.

With that said, what do you think? Could the Big Generator Album have sold better? Would Jon still have formed ABWH if it had?

In my opinion Big Generator is nowhere near as strong as its predecessor. It was attempting to have lightning strike twice in the same place.

Most of the tracks on 90125 are stellar. The tracks on Big Generator seem like copycat songwriting (although it seemed even more so on Open Your Eyes). Yeah some good tracks, but nowhere near the songwriting diversity as there was on 90125.

[Imperatrix]

That’s my take also, a little too long between the releases.

Same here. It felt like an interminable wait.

[Soundwaveseeker]

It may have sold the same or even better if it had been released in 1985. They needed to capitalize on the momentum from 90125 and needed to have followed it up semi-quicker. In terms of 80's-ness and MTV culture and all that, 1985 was in the thick of the jungle, smack dab in the middle of the decade. That's where they could have made their mark, even if the album was seen as more of the same. A lot of artist strike gold with a new direction album and then put out a more of the same album which sells even better.

It also would have helped to have been at Live Aid, a lot of artists sales were boosted by that. Yes would have been seen as current and high profile and not stuck in some cosmic fairyland, no matter how spacey or esoteric their music was.

It's hard to say if Jon would have formed ABWH if Big Generator was a big success. Maybe not, if he felt the Generator lineup was a winning formula. On the other hand, maybe so as its in his nature to flit around from idea to idea and he may have felt the artistic need to do ABWH or something similar anyway. Or maybe not again, if he was able to convince Trevor Rabin and the others to try for another 20 minute epic or more cinematic material. Maybe not, if Talk was the next Yes album to be released in 1989.

[luvyesmusic]

To be honest, for a guy late to the party seeing YES live ( international , government brat, and the oldest of my siblings ), the 90125 show I saw was definitely not the YES I was hoping to hear and see. One and done at that point with anymore shows, and new YES purchases.

Probably not alone in my category, but probably even more so vanishing live shows and new albums sales from the old folk fans who couldn't buy into, or accept the extreme "changes".

[Soundwaveseeker]

Change is woven into the fabric of Yes. I'm sure there were a few people who said 'This isn't Yes!' after Peter Banks left.

[Mr. Holland]

Change is woven into the fabric of Yes. I'm sure there were a few people who said 'This isn't Yes!' after Peter Banks left.

For me it hasn't been Yes , since Tony O'Reilly left...

[luvyesmusic]

For me it hasn't been Yes , since Tony O'Reilly left...

HA!

Such an underated individual with YES, who later changed his name to Jon Bonham.


















Made someone look. ;-)

[Mr. Holland]

HA!

Such an underated individual with YES, who later changed his name to Jon Bonham.


















Made someone look. ;-)

When did Yes change his name to John Bonham?

[soundchaser09]

I don't think the sales had that much to do with Jon leaving.

It really turned into a dysfunctional situation which poisoned almost everything to do with the album, so it's not just one thing.

was that dysfunctional situation a result of Horn/Rabin/Anderson wrestling with each other over creative control?