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Album Details

• Artist: Yes
• Album: Talk
• Label: Victory
• Year of Release: 1994
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2012-12-01

Whether it was the experience of performing “Awaken” on the Union tour, or the insistent complaints from long term Yes fans that the Trevor Rabin version of the band weren’t doing the kind of epic pieces the group had been known for in the 1970s, this album seemed, at least in part, to be a response. The group was stripped back down to the 90125 lineup (Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Chris Squire and Alan White). The album, though, included a number of shorter tracks and one epic suite. Surprisingly enough, it was arguably the weakest of the Rabin era albums.

That epic suite, “Endless Dream” seemed a bit disjointed and contrived. It didn’t really flow all that well, but rather seemed more like a patch work. Arguably the shorter track, “Real Love,” while not necessarily “Yes-like” was vital and fresh and had a lot of magic built into it. “The Calling” seemed to be built on the “Love Will Find A Way,” “Rhythm of Love” kind of anthemic pop rocker. It was arguably the most effective of the three, though. “State of Play” is a highlight of the set.

Arguably the biggest problem with Talk was that it just felt too sterile. It really didn’t have any atmospherics or overtones that made it feel human or real. It seemed like something created (for the most part) on a computer, without a lot of human interaction. More than any problems with structures or performances, that is the main problem with the set. I have to say that I saw them three times on the Talk tour and that same uninspired and sterile texture really permeated those performances. As Yes albums go, it’s near the bottom. It’s a real tribute to the act, though, that compared to the best work of a lot of artists, it’s still pretty good.

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