* * * * (4 out of 5 stars)

Their Most Concise Album

As a reformed Yes fan it’s been many years since I’ve listened to Relayer, but I put on my LP today because I’d always recalled this as one of their best efforts. And, it still holds up.

Previous and later Yes albums have suffered from a complete lack of discretion; jumping around thematically, stop and starting, and generally sounding like a bunch of studio tracks edited together. Relayer is surprisingly cogent and, most importantly, has genuinely interesting and musical themes.

This is an album that is significantly greater than the sum of its parts. Patrick Moraz is a jerk extraordinaire, and none of the members of the band have ever been known for their modesty. But somehow, they got together here to make an album that flows very well and is captivating.

Gates of Delirium does indeed sound futuristic, and even today still sounds fresh. Patrick Moraz, who normally is a complete spazz on the keyboards, simply keeps things moving and plays more rhythm than solos. Chris “Fish” Squire’s bass playing has never been more appropriate or driving. Check out Sound Chaser, for instance. On previous albums he would’ve been all over the place showing us how well he can play and how many notes he can hit, very rarely to our amusement. Here he shows us that he knows what the right notes are to hit, and it works.

I agree with a previous reviewer that this sounds quite a bit like fusion, but I think it’s simply a move toward a more aggro prog rock sound, such as where King Crimson headed. Unfortunately, Yes chose to not explore this path after this album and went to a decidedly lamer sound with the exception of the song Going For the One.

So, if for some bizarre reason, you are a non-Yes fan and have decided to check out one of their least popular albums, then you’ve come to the right place. This album works quite well and should appeal to fans of ’70s bands such as Mahavishnu Orchestra, mid-era King Crimson, as well as appealing to fans of later Legendary Pink Dots and perhaps Ozric Tentacles.