90125 - Yes (1983)
Prog rock bands had eaten well in the 70s, but by the early 80s there were a lot of changes roiling: musical taste, how important a good single was, the technology of the recording studio, and the technology of instruments themselves.
Yes was one of the most commercially successful prog band of the 70s but had floundered a bit with how to change with the times.
Two staples of the classic lineup, singer Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, had left. 1980’s Drama had been recorded with producer Trevor Horn on vocals, but that never seemed to be a workable fix and didn’t last long. Yes was more or less a finished project for a while at this time, until recent Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin started to assemble a band. They were originally called Cinema and featured Yes alum Alan White and their original pre-Wakeman Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye.
The aforementioned Horn was producing, and eventually Anderson agreed to join again. The band figured they were basically Yes now, and renamed themselves to Yes to release this album.
It’s important to mention Horn again. He was a big reason behind the success of this transformation. Horn was the man behind The Buggles and their hit, Video Killed The Radio Star. He’d also produce a number of early 80s records that put his particular stamp on the sound of the decade, Frankie Goes To Hollywood being the most notable.
The production helped the band make a sharp sharp turn from grandiose 70s prog into slick 80s pop rock. The Yes that released this record had a much more concise, single-oriented approach and updated sonics.
More synth, more studio effects, sharp mixing, and the same great vocals that made Yes so successful in the first place were married to tighter songs. Owner Of A Lonely heart was a #1 hit for the band, and in the space of a few years they transitioned from rock dinosaur to pop hitmaker.
