Yes - Magnification
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Free Music Notes for Magnification
Free Music Review: Yes - The Band Replace Keyboards With An Orchestra
Hit: 4 Stars
By 2001 Yes had gone through another major personnel shift. Gone was Billy Sherwood who had had a huge hand in writing and performing the band's last two albums, the bland "Open Your Eyes" and the excellent "The Ladder". Also gone was keyboardist Igor Koroshev who was kicked out of the band due to some kind of unbecoming conduct that was rumored, but never fully revealed. The band was down to a four piece consisting of Anderson, Howe, Squire, and White. Instead of hiring a new keyboard player and a replacement for Sherwood the band decided to remain the core 4 and recorded with an orchestra to basically take the place of the keys. For the most part it works as "Magnification" is a decent album that seems a bit more in the style of their older works than their more recent stuff. Although good, I don't think the album is great. I have given it many listens over the past few years and the one thing I notice is there is never much that sticks with me. When I am listening to the album I always enjoy it, but afterwards I don't really remember anything specific about it. For some reason the previous album "The Ladder" has the exact opposite effect on me. Highlights of "Magnification" include the title track, "Can You imagine" with its Chris Squire lead vocals, and "In The Presence Of" which is the longest track on the disc. So, in a nutshell this is a very nice pleasant Yes album that is well written and well played, but I would not call it a great Yes album. Sadly as of 2008 this is the final album of new music that Yes has released. Free Music Review: Very good
Hit: 4 Stars
This is a different kind of Yes album. It has an orchestra instead of a keyboard player, but I like it. If you don't have any or many Yes albums, I would get The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge, 90125 and Going for the One first. There are so many Yes albums, and I think that even the worst, such as Tormoto, have their merits. I think that it is very good, but not great. Free Music Review: Wonderful!
Hit: 5 Stars
I think Rick Wakeman is a great keyboard player and he's added a lot to the Yes canon over the years. But "Magnification" proves that Jon, Chris, Steve and Alan can produce magic without him.
Highlights:
- "Give Love Each Day": this is Yes' "Knights in White Satin". It has to be listened to with the intro. Particularly powerful is the orchestration in the last repeat of the chorus, just after Steve's "fanfare" riff - it's like the orchestra is taking a solo. A powerful love song that equals anything from the Yes 70s catalog.
-"We Agree": the 2001 state of the art for the Yes Anthem. Great, poignant lyrics: "When we agree to let it change our lives" "The transporting of refugees, this silent night is cold". Jon still knows how to write ' em.
- "Don't Go": Even Yes is allowed to have fun. The craftsmanship applied to this pop tune is wonderful to listen to, especially Jon's multilayered vocals. Total ear candy.
- Steve's guitar playing: this is the best guitar player in rock, period. Reason: Steve knows when not to play and consistently plays the perfect line when he does - and is a master on the acoustic as well. Here he takes the place of the guest violinist with lead lines that perfectly complement the orchestration. OK, he looks like Gollum these days but who cares? Wizards are expected to look like that.
- Jon's vocals: after 30 years, Jon's control and command are amazing and here he builds big choral sounds in the background that work well with the orchestra. The better recording technology gets, the better he sounds.
I believe that the reason Yes isn't in the R&R Hall of Fame is that they're still too far ahead of the ears of the members of that Academy. I'm approaching 60 and still am learning new things from Yes.
A good companion piece to this is the "Symphonic" DVD, which showcases some of the "Magnification" tracks live with a great mix and an orchestra which appears to be composed entirely of beautiful Euro girls.
If you're a Yes fan, especially one that hasn't listened to them in a while, get "Magnification". You won't be disappointed.
Best venue for listening: in the car with a good sound system on a scenic country road on a sunny morning.
Free Music Review: Magnification... though not magnifying enough
Hit: 4 Stars
I believe that this last studio album so far of Yes is rather good... but not good enough to earn 5 stars. I am a huge Yes fan and I've been grading their work rather mildly so far... This record has some very nice songs on it as Magnification, Give Love Each Day and Times... the orchestra is implanted into the band very nice, there is no such a feeling that the orchestra overbalances the band itself as it was in the good times of Time and a Word... though as some mention, for worshipers of Steve Howe this album probably won't be too good, for there is not much guitar here, more orchestra... Actually, if it is still the last studio album of Yes, it's a pity, because they still could create something wonderful... definitely listen to it... it is much better than Open Your Eyes or The Ladder, so it is worth it.Free Music Review: A MORE SYMPHONIC AND NEW AGE YES (more prog, less rock, but Magnification is still a quality and entertaining piece of work)
Hit: 4 Stars
I like Yes' Magnification (2001). The symphonic sound is great, and the songs are interesting and inspiring. It was recorded without keyboards (other than Alan White playing a simple piano sequence on In The Presence Of), but the orchestra fills in nicely, and the album lacks none of the magnificent and big sound that you would expect from Yes. The themes are mostly New Age and spiritual, and the lyrics sometimes reference God (something Jon Anderson has never been afraid to do). In Magnification, everything in the universe is connected.
Teach me to teach me
How the keys unlock the door
As we open it we surrender
Holding hands with many more
Don't Go is a radio-friendly, optimistic plea for trust and a caution not to take love for granted.
I can see you had to be your own father
I know he walked out on you
Hey, but that's in the past
You see you don't have a leg to stand on
You're just fooling yourself again
Soft As A Dove begins as an acoustic guitar and flute duet that sounds sort of like music you might hear while browsing in a New Age gift shop. It's the story of a father wishing his daughter all the best as she leaves home. There are plenty of big moments here, too, like when Chris Squire gets his powerful bass in high gear on Spirit Of Survival, or when Jon Anderson's vocals soar into the heavens on the title track. Steve Howe plays the steel quite often here, and some of his better moments are somewhat reminiscent of Duane Allman's slide guitar solo at the end of Eric Clapton's Layla.
In The Presence Of: Deeper/Death Of Ego/True Beginner/Turn Around... is the epic here, and a song that I think could be a Yes classic. It builds on the foundation of a simple love song and works it's way into a highly charged emotional realization of the sanctity of life.
Turn around and remember that
Now you're standing tall
You're standing on sacred ground
The new symphonic sound on Magnification is strong, sweeping, and satisfying. Jon Anderson's voice is in great shape, and his interpretations are enthusiastic. The utopian and optimistic songs sound perfect in this setting, and Yes is playing their music as well as they ever have. Magnification is not in the same league as Close To The Edge or Fragile, but it's a solid and unique album, and quite a pleasurable listen.