90125

90125

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
After breaking up at the dawn of the '80s, Yes made a surprise comeback with this 1983 effort. This album (named after its catalog number) featured a retooled band lineup, with guitarist Trevor Rabin and original keyboardist Tony Kaye joining longtime members Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Alan White. It also unveiled a newly streamlined sound, courtesy of British avant-pop producer Trevor Horn, who'd briefly replaced frontman Anderson on the pre-breakup album Drama. The new approach made these English prog-rock vets sound contemporary at the height of the MTV explosion, spawning memorably catchy hits like "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Leave It," and "It Can Happen." --Scott Schinder

90125,Yes,Atlantic / Wea,Album Rock,Arena Rock,British Psychedelia,England,Pop,Pop/Rock,Popular Music,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop


90125

90125
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • All true Yes fans love (at least like) this record.
  • YES!
  • For the love of "Changes"
  • 90125 by Yes
  • A new line up, a new sound
90125
Yes
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
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GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Arena RockArena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Big Generator
  2. The Yes Album
  3. Going for the One
  4. Close to the Edge
  5. Fragile

ASIN: B00009Z570
Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

  1. Owner of a Lonely Heart
  2. Hold On
  3. It Can Happen
  4. Changes
  5. Cinema (Live)
  6. Leave It
  7. Our Song
  8. City of Love
  9. Hearts
  10. Leave It (Single Remix Bonus Track)
  11. Make It Easy (Bonus Track)
  12. It Can Happen (Cinema Version)
  13. It's Over (Bonus Track)
  14. Owner of a Lonely Heart (Extended Version) (Previously Unreleased Bonus Track)
  15. Leave It (A Capella Version Bonus Track)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars All true Yes fans love (at least like) this record........2007-07-21

When Jon Anderson departed from Yes, their fanbase backstabbed them, deciding their career was over. However, he later returned to make 90125, which marked a noticeable change in the band's sound. Keyboardist Tony Kaye, who left after The Yes Album, also returned. I believe this is also the first album with guitarist Trevor Rabin. Anyway, 90125 shows Yes aiming for a more commercial sound, with shorter songs (which actually started with Tormato), and it definitely worked for them. It went platinum and earned them a grammy thanks to Owner of A Lonely Heart. While most true Yes fans enjoyed the record, some deemed them sellouts. These "fans" finally showed their true faces: Close-minded individuals who obviously don't know the meaning of prog rock: To PROGRESS. This album may be more crowd-pleasing than previous records, but that doesn't mean their lyrics or musicianship is any less powerful. The lyrics are still great, as well as the musicianship. Besides, Rush also started commericalizing their sound with Permanent Waves, and no one seems to be complaining about that!

Well, enough of that rant, onto the album. The synth on 90125 sounds very 80s like, but in a good way, not in a Godawful techno pop synth way. And it works very well for the album, so never fear. The album kicks off with Owner of a Lonely Heart, which is one of those hit songs that never gets old, like Roundabout. Truly a great song, despite its poppier undertone. The lyrics are about taking risks in life without thinking of the consequences. I also love the track It Can Happen, with its sitar intro and insightful lyrics. In fact, I believe this is the very first song I heard from Yes. Probably my 2nd favorite off the album, right next to OOALH. Other great tracks include the instrumental Cinema and the unabashed love song Hearts, which I actually really like, though most fans seem to hate it. I personally love the zylophone in the beginning and Jon's voice sounds very distant, which creates a really cool atmosphere to the song. However, like I said before, any true Yes fan should like the whole CD.

Ok, so maybe I write this review with bias, since Yes is my favorite band and listen to at least 1 CD by them almost every day. But at the same time, I sincerely feel 90125 is a great record, despite what any of the purists out there may think. If you can embrace the concept behind the word progressive rock, I highly recommend you buy this CD. But if you believe that the only way to be progressive is by making 20-minute songs and include long keyboard solos in songs (2 things which are by no means bad. Those are what made Yes so great in the first place anyway), this CD is your cancer.

4 out of 5 stars YES!.......2007-05-30

All the great hits plus extra tracks. Not crazy about some of the remakes, but since the originals are still included it is ok. Besides, the new tracks could appeal to a different listener.

5 out of 5 stars For the love of "Changes".......2007-05-13

If we all could just ... "capitalize on this good fortune -- onward can bring you 'round, changes!" ... it'd help bring us through these challenging times with much more happiness. Thank you.

3 out of 5 stars 90125 by Yes.......2007-04-03

The rest of the album is not as good as 'Owner of a Lonely Heart'

4 out of 5 stars A new line up, a new sound.......2007-03-11

This cd is amazing, it mark the return of Jon Anderson as the lead vocal.
It got instant success when it came out, very different from traditional Yes album but very good from the beginning to the end. The new guitar player, Trevor Rabin had force the band's members to re-invent themself, with his musical contribution and inspiration for this album. There is just one song is a bit weak, which is "Our song", the other tracks are perfectly executed.
Trevor Horn has been a real joke in Drama, but he has done a great job as a producer here. A big succes for Yes. Even if 90125 is in a different area of usual Yes album, this one is very good and very well produced.
90125
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Simply Awesome!!
  • Moving through some changes!
  • Pivotal Moment
  • It isn't old Yes, but....
  • Great album, shame about the careless mastering
90125
Yes
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Arena RockArena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Big Generator
  2. Union
  3. Talk
  4. Close to the Edge
  5. Fragile

ASIN: B000002JK8
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
  2. Hold On
  3. It Can Happen
  4. Changes
  5. Cinema
  6. Leave It
  7. Our Song
  8. City Of Love
  9. Hearts

Amazon.com essential recording

After breaking up at the dawn of the '80s, Yes made a surprise comeback with this 1983 effort. This album (named after its catalog number) featured a retooled band lineup, with guitarist Trevor Rabin and original keyboardist Tony Kaye joining longtime members Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Alan White. It also unveiled a newly streamlined sound, courtesy of British avant-pop producer Trevor Horn, who'd briefly replaced frontman Anderson on the pre-breakup album Drama. The new approach made these English prog-rock vets sound contemporary at the height of the MTV explosion, spawning memorably catchy hits like "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Leave It," and "It Can Happen." --Scott Schinder

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Simply Awesome!!.......2007-01-24

After Discovering Yes in the mid seventies, I became a fan of their music. While I don't profess to have a complete knowledge of the band's history like some on here seem to, I know what I like and I would like this even if I didn't know it was Yes. While the hardcore fans of Yes may or may not like this incarnation, they have reached out and grabbed a whole new generation of fans with this effort. As far as the traditionalists go who don't seem to like this "new-style, revamped" version of Yes, I hope you are still living in your shag-carpeted ranch house and driving your 1975 Ford LTD and listening to your 8-track tapes. Otherwise, you may be seen as hypocritical to those who have progressed to adapt with the times, just as Yes has.

5 out of 5 stars Moving through some changes!.......2006-11-14

90125 is an album that wasn't meant to be a Yes record but became so when the ex Yes singer Jon Anderson joined the musical collaboration between the former Yes members Chris Squire and Alan White along with the younger and talented South African guitarist Trevor Rabin; a band that had written songs together for their newly started project Cinema. When Anderson became part of the project the band it became clear that they could do nothing else than call themselves the name from which they almost all, except one, originated; Yes. A bad decision some fans might say while others embraced the new line-up and their new and fresh musical approach. For me 90125 stands as one of the best efforts in rock history and it would do so even if they had chosen to call themselves Cinema instead of Yes. Gone are some of the elements that characterize the seventies Yes music; the sometimes improvising and airy playing between the musicians, Rick Wakeman's virtuous keyboard playing, the emotional and original guitar playing by Steve Howe that we can find in songs like Close To The Edge, And You And I, and Turn Of the Century. Instead it's replaced by a tight and fresh musical approach that mixes melodic rock with progressive influences. The songs are characterizes by a tight collaboration between the musicians, beautiful vocal harmonies, to some extend unpredictable and complex arrangements, a light, sunny and at the same time crispy sound and on top of this Jon Anderson's suitable and familiar voice. Instead of the symphonic and long arrangements that characterize the seventies Yes music the songs on 90125 are more sing a long friendly, leaving a memory of the melodic choruses and beautiful arrangement from almost every song. The production by Trevor Horn is remarkable and the complexity of the music proves that we have to deal with world class musicians. Trevor Rabin's rockier and straighter song writing skills are definitely shining through but you can also hear Jon Anderson's input on the music along with the rest of the old Yes-troops in terms of time changes, unpredictable and experimental passages, overdubbing and melodic singing over one and other. 90125 was definitely something new and fresh for its time, bringing a comeback for one of the most successful progressive bands of the seventies. For good or worse some might say, but it's still a result of a mix between world class musicianship and production, an album that holds still today, one of my absolute favourites.

5 out of 5 stars Pivotal Moment.......2006-06-01

Right when a casual observer might have believed that Yes could "go gently into that good night," they came out with this stunning document of '80s rock. Fresh off an underwhelming public response to the only Jon Anderson-less Yes album (_Drama_, which is nonetheless very strong in its own right), they then went on to lose their trademark guitarist, Steve Howe, to the supergroup Asia. Then they released _90125_ and buried anything Asia could dream of doing.

Indeed, this is one of the quintessential AOR albums of the '80s, right up there with the Police's _Synchronicity_, Peter Gabriel's _So_, and a select handful of albums in that vein that one can say truly shine like a beacon amidst the rampant schlock of that era. Sad to say, Yes went on to create some of that schlock (think _Big Generator_), yet for one brilliant moment in rock history, the Trevor Rabin guitar sound went to the top of the charts. It blends elements of the synth rock of the era (e.g. Flock of Seagulls), the emerging "hair metal" (e.g. Scorpions), and the classic Yes sound (sparkling harmonies, brilliant production, stunning time changes, etc.). Sound like a recipe for disaster? It is, but the disaster didn't come for a few years until _Big Generator_. Somehow, Yes took this recipe and spun pure sterling platinum on _90125_ that withstands the test of time. Thus, _90125_ is a pivotal moment in Yes's history that poises the band at the abyss between power and parody. Trevor Rabin's guitar blazes the path at this juncture and there is not a dull moment.

I promise you that every song is brilliant on this album. They go through varied sounds. "Changes," for example, starts out with a math rock xylophone figure before Rabin's furious harmonized guitar shredding. Rabin comes in on vocals on this one, sounding like lite rock until the band's tumultuous collective crescendo and Anderson's appearance on the chorus. Like all the love songs here ("Our Song" and "City of Hearts" are two lesser-known examples), they actually come off as true and emotionally effective, unlike so many of the innocuous power ballads of the time.

Want instrumentals? "Cinema" will do the trick, creating a vocal-less plateau that the band hadn't attained since _Relayer_. Again, with Rabin, this isn't your father's Yes, but rather a more electronic Yes that manages to come off crisp, complex, and futuristic.

We all know "Owner of a Lonely Heart," but there are so many other highlights that the only way to process all of them is to listen to this album. Another MTV highlight from this is "Leave It." Try to get your hands on one of the video versions of this (I think they put out like forty versions--I used to plant myself in front of the TV all day to see how many of them I could catch; I think I got up to fifteen). This video catches the majesty of this album, but also its borderline ridiculousness (which, as any prog fan should know, has a special power all its own--part of hanging on that perilous precipice). The band sings a capella hanging from a ceiling as the empty white room slowly begins to fill up with smoke ("I can feel no sense of measure,/ no illusion, as we take/ refuge in young man's pleasure,/ breaking down the dreams we make/ real"). The instrumentation comes in slowly until--BAM!--in the chorus we see the band's full body careening and whorling around the room through the help of video trickery. This video catches the fleetingly enduring magic of this album. You've got the stalwart veterans of Yes--Tony Kaye, Anderson, Jon Squire, and Alan White--morphing into the age of video with the new kid, Trevor, at the helm. At this point, they did it more gracefully than any of their more popular counterparts, with the possible exception of King Crimson (who never had true mass success, but actually weathered the '80s consistently well with their new kid, Adrian Belew, and a Talking Heads-inspired turnaround; alas, no MTV moments for Crimson). Asia tried to translate prog into three-minute vignettes to more or less miserable effect. ELP was a waning twinkle in Keith Emerson's eye. Rush was about ready to descend into the long slump that started with _Grace Under Pressure_. Yes? Well, you remember quite well. They defined early '80s popular rock along with other trailblazers like Sting. Relive all that was the best in this era and buy this album. It will never fade on you.

4 out of 5 stars It isn't old Yes, but...........2006-01-22

Despite tossing off a major Armageddon between 'the old' and 'new' Yes fans - no doubt, '90125' was the album that won Yes millions of new fans. Being a typical fan of this latter category - I surely believe that even most of them have discovered (and stuck with) Yes' huge and rich back-catalogue - so in many ways, '90125' did them more good than bad.

It's easy now writing off this album as 'pop sell out' , but like thousands of other 13-year olds back in 1983 (like I was), Yes didn't sound like anything else amidst gloomy new-romantique synth pop, whining arena rock or Jacko-mania - and Anderson's vocals, Squire-White's tight interplay and Rabin's melodic playing surely stood out - and struck a note in all of us.

Of course, we all moved on and discovered 'Fragile', 'Close To The Edge' or 'Relayer' - but '90125' remains as a kind of 'first love' affair with the band - and even looking back, Trevor Horn's slick production of the album (a pioneering effort in itself) really ensured that the album would never sound dated - even today.

4 out of 5 stars Great album, shame about the careless mastering.......2004-03-22

Many people have already written about how good this album is, and I thoroughly agree with them. What I find hard to understand is how the people responsible for such a major release could let it go to press with two 'clicks' at the beginning of track 3 (It Can Happen), the first one at 0.99 seconds of play and the second one at 8.23 seconds. This defect has plagued all CD releases of the album, including the special HDCD edition. A real shame.
90125
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Nice album but remastering has flaws
  • Nice packaging, so-so sound
  • worth every penny!
  • Yes, it's worth it!
  • A classic made even better!
90125
Yes
Manufacturer: Japanese Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
Arena RockArena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005UDE1
Release Date: 2002-03-05

Tracks:

  1. Owner of a Lonely Heart
  2. Hold On
  3. It Can Happen
  4. Changes
  5. Cinema
  6. Leave It
  7. Our Song
  8. City of Love
  9. Hearts

Album Description

Japanese exclusive limited edition reissue of 1983 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve.

Album Details

Hdcd Digitally Remastered Japanese Limited Edition in an LP-STYLE Slipcase.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Nice album but remastering has flaws.......2005-12-10

90125 is quite a nice album from Yes, but it is a little bit too commercial for me. The sound of this remastered version is quite detailed, but as all my other HDCD's quite aggressive in the high frequencies. Also the mastering is way too loud (as lots of (remastered) CD's nowadays), limiting the dynamic range, which is soo important for the music of Yes.

3 out of 5 stars Nice packaging, so-so sound.......2003-11-12

Other people seem happy enough with this remastering, and I'll admit that it does *certain things* better than the generic, '80s-mastered Atco CD. It's louder, yes (many computer programs can make my music louder!), and the low end is very solid and more pronounced--and, to my ears, pleasingly so.

But even with proper HDCD decoding, the resolution is nowhere near as good as I'd like it to be--the high frequencies are hashy and over-equalized, to the point of totally obscuring the midrange (a common quality of Japanese mastering: filtering everything through a V-shaped curve to hype the bass and treble).

Other listeners comment on the "detail" to be found here. Yes, it's "bright"--with that much treble emphasis, it's bound to sound more tinkly and detailed. But it sure isn't musical! If you love this album, as we all seem to, and if this isn't a huge expense for you, go ahead and pick it up. But don't expect the kind of freshness, openness, and additional musical clarity that comes from quality remastering jobs like the recent Rush remasters.

5 out of 5 stars worth every penny!.......2003-04-24

wow! while it hurt to fork over the money for this CD, it was money well spent. the sound is simply amazing! 90125 ranks somewhere in my top ten fave CDs of all time, but i always thought the quality of the original U.S. CD release was rather poor. so i made do with cranking up the volume to make up for the lack of oomph.
well, i will still have to crank my stereo, but this time out of pure joy at being able to fully experience this recording. it is a veritable feast for the ears!
the only negative is the "original" album style packaging. yes, it evokes a feeling of nostalgia, but makes handling the CD a bit tricky. however, this is a minor flaw.

5 out of 5 stars Yes, it's worth it!.......2002-09-08

For anyone who's a fan of this early-80s gem, this import is a must. Those responible for this remastering and its limited-edition packaging were staggeringly anal-retentive, and provided me with two epiphanies in the process:

First, as has already been stated here, the sonic improvements are phenomenal. Aside from the increase in overall volume level compared to the current US pressing, there is tons more sonic detail. The highs sizzle and sparkle like never before, and the lows are freshly palpable in a way that the original mastering job just can't hold a candle to. This, of course, was what drew me to this edition in the first place.

But the second epiphany was the packaging. Now, those of you who didn't grow up with the vinyl edition of this album (like I did) won't care about this at all, I'm sure. But the producers endeavored to duplicate the qualities of the original vinyl edition as practically as the less-than-50% scale would allow. First, the outer (cardboard) sleeve is a precise replica of the original art: front, back, and even spine. Inside, along with an inner sleeve (like a vinyl record would have, except that it's made of some funky textured material) and a rather thick lyrics booklet (in English and Japanese), is another precise replica of the original 12" liner, with the lyrics printed to scale... you WILL need a microscope. Finally, the label on the disc itself precisely mimics the label used on the old records.

All in all, given the 21st century mastering job, and the clever homage to the original packaging, this is an uncanny presentaton for the Yes collector (they only made 5,000 of these) or audiophile. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars A classic made even better!.......2002-05-19

This High-definition re-master is truly spectacular.
One can be forgiven for assuming that the previous 1990 edition would have been about as good as it could get. Not so!
This new 2001 re-master and HDCD encoding process developed by Pacific Microsonics in Japan captures a far greater dynamic range and yields subtle sonic detail that is much closer to the original master tape.
The results are truly amazing. Even if you don't have a HDCD decoder in your player.
The original cardboard LP sleeve and artwork are reproduced in miniature form. Very cute!
Yes-heads - brace yourselves! You've never heard it this good!!!
90125
Average customer rating: Not rated
    90125
    Yes
    Manufacturer: Atco
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    ASIN: B000LX4Z6G
    90125
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      90125
      Yes
      Manufacturer: Wea
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      BritainBritain | British Isles | Europe | International | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
      Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
      Psychedelic RockPsychedelic Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      Album-Oriented Rock (AOR)Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      Arena RockArena Rock | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
      RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
      ASIN: B000FDF4B2
      Release Date: 2006-06-27

      Tracks:

      1. Owner of a Lonely Heart
      2. Hold On
      3. It Can Happen
      4. Changes
      5. Cinema [Live]
      6. Leave It
      7. Our Song
      8. City of Love
      9. Hearts
      10. Leave It [Single Remix][*]
      11. Make It Easy [*]
      12. It Can Happen [Cinema Version]
      13. It's Over [*]
      14. Owner of a Lonely Heart [Extended Version][#][*]
      15. Leave It [A Capella Version][*]
      90125 Live:The Solos
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        90125 Live:The Solos
        Yes
        Manufacturer: Phantom Sound & Vision
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD
        ASIN: B000BRAFPM
        Release Date: 1996-11-21

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