"Into The Lens (I Am A Camera)" [Single Version]
"Run Through The Light" [Single Version]
"Have We Really Got To Go Throught This"
"Tempus Fugit" [Tracking Session]
"White Car" [Tracking Session]
More from Yes
(1969) Yes
(1970) Time And A Word
(1971) The Yes Album
(1972) Close To The Edge
(1972) Fragile
(1974) Relayer
(1974) Tales From Topographic Oceans
(1977) Going For The One
(1978) Tormato
(1980) Drama
(1983) 90125
(1987) Big Generator
(1991) Union
(1994) Talk
(1996) Keys To Ascension
(1997) Keys To Ascension, Vol. 2
(1997) Open Your Eyes
(1998) Something's Coming
(1999) The Ladder
(2001) Magnification
(2004) (Re)Union
Drama
by Yes (1980)
Written by wolvis (1)
What a wonderful album this is. Many Yes fans do not know about it and I would guess that it is because singer Jon Anderson is not on the album. Don't fear! He is replaced by none other than Buggles singer and writer and now big time producer Trevor Horn. Horn is one of the minds behind Art of Noise and also produced Seal among many others. Caped keyboard superhero Rick Wakeman is also absent on this recording and is replaced by the other half of the Buggles, Geoff Downes, who later went on to join Asia. How do these personnel changes effect the sound of the band? Well, the tone is considerably darker than other Yes albums and Horn's vocals are less angelic than Anderson's and have an almost ghostly quality. The album also has the hardest rock edge of any Yes album until this point and leads the band in the direction that would eventually yield the Horn-produced 90125, the album which includes "Owner of a Lonely Heart." I've read quite a bit about this album and I suspect that bassist Chris Squire led the way in the writing and envisioning of Drama since he seemed to be second in command to Anderson and perhaps first in command when Anderson was absent.
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Yes — Drama: Track-by-track review
1. "Machine Messiah"
This is quite a heavy epic rock song. It essentially consists of three parts; a hard rock section that reminds me of Pink Floyd's "In the Flesh", a fast, happy 12/8 section, and a slow brooding acoustic guitar section. There is also a fancy line that bassist Squire trades with keyboardist Geoff Downes. The length of the song and the structure, with sections recurring with new elements, put this squarely in the classic Yes canon. Lyrically, it seems to deal with man's relationship with technology and the dangers that that relationship presents. Wonderful song — driving, spooky, and with a lot of mood. Great performance by all involved and great introduction to Horn as the front man!
2. "White Car"
This is a nice short piece which is basically just keyboards and vocals, which in this case means the two new member of the group. I like the confidence displayed by this decision. The band could have decided to step tentatively into this new line-up but making the second song on the album a feature for Horn and Downes seems to say that they have no doubt about this current configuration. This piece comes in two parts; a happy instrumental A section, and a darker B section with vocals. The lyrics are not as cosmic or poetic as most Yes songs but seem to work with the music and with it's function on the album, which is sort of a palette cleanser between the first and third tracks.
3. "Does It Really Happen?"
Wow! Another great song. This is a unique song for this band. I can't think of another song in their catalogue that is similar in any way. Great intro that displays Squire and drummer Alan White and their excellent hand-in-glove lock-up during this time. Their combined power on this track is definitely a foreshadowing of what was to come with the 80s Yes line up. The verse of the song is quite happy and peppy and the chorus is a very prog rock moment with some interesting rhythmic stuff happening with the vocal part. As with many Yes songs, themes are restated with alterations building to a climactic break down leaving Squire and Horn's vocals exposed. They sound great together! Squire's vocal sound was always very complimentary to Anderson and is likewise to Horn. Very different but just as nice in my opinion. Also, the lead-in to the break down has a great line played by Downes. Whooo! This guy is phenomenal. From a technical standpoint, he may be the best that Yes ever had.
4. "Into The Lens"
Another great song! Good job, guys! Losing Anderson and Wakeman didn't seem to slow them down for a second. This song also appears on a Buggles album as "I Am A Camera" but I much prefer this version. Great intro that will fool you rhythmically. It's quite an achievement that the band plays a complicated figure that almost sounds like hard rock ballet music. This leads into a moodier section and an almost dance-rock chorus. The lyric "I Am A Camera" is a bit bizarre and doesn't sit that well with me. Somehow, though, the music redeems the track Again, themes are repeated and developed and the song builds to climax that restates the intro theme. Quite dramatic!
5. "Run Through The Light"
This may be the weakest track on the album. Horn plays bass on this song which is an interesting contrast to Squire's sound. Squire plays with a pick and uses distortion, where Horn plays with his fingers (or at least it sounds like he does) and seems to be playing a fretless on this track. It certainly smooths out the low end. I don't know that it's better or worse, just an interesting contrast. The verse of the song is moody and also tricky rhythmically. It also sounds vaguely reminiscent of Led Zeppelin's "The Battle of Evermore." The chorus is nice and driving but at one point seems to break into "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty. Yikes! Bad move. Still, it's a good song.
6. "Tempus Fugit"
For those that know this album, this track seems to be a favorite. It IS a great one. Very driving with a hooky bassline, nice chorus, great intro/outro and wonderfully bizarre lyrics. It also includes a ridiculous lick that reoccurs throughout the song, sometimes played by guitarist Steve Howe alone but at point played by Howe and Downes and developed into an amazing line that is stunning to hear. Wow! Phenomenal! My only criticism is that it ends with a little major keyboard ditty that seems very out of place with the song and the album. It's a bit of a bummer of an ending but still can't dislodge the album from it's place close to my heart... and close to the edge. Ha ha! I am really a Yes nerd to have written that! "Tempus Fugit" is the last of the proper songs from the album. The rest are odds and ends that were tacked on later in the reissue.
7. "Into The Lens (I Am A Camera)" [Single Version]
This is an edited version of the song from the album of the same name. Not much to add to that.
8. "Run Through The Light" [Single Version]
Like the previous track, this is an edit of the song from the album by the same name. For some reason, the guitar part is missing.
9. "Have We Really Got To Go Throught This"
This is a song that didn't make it on the original album and I think they made the right decision about that. Apparently this was the first collaboration between the Yes rhythm section and the Buggles and it is quite uncharacteristic of the rest of the material.
10. "Song No.4 (Satellite)"
This sounds like a songwriting jam. Not much going on here. It would have been nice to see where this song ended up had they finished it.
11. "Tempus Fugit" [Tracking Session]
This is very cool to hear. Horn does a scratch vocal and the band plays what sounds like the take that made it to the album. At the end, Horn says, "Great take apart from a couple of things." Wow! Awesome to get a little peek into the making of the album.
12. "White Car" [Tracking Session]
Another nice look behind the scenes. This version includes an earlier set of lyrics. They definitely improved upon this version.
13. "Dancing Through The Light"
This is, sadly, a disco version of the song from the album. What the...?
14. "Golden Age"
This sounds like another songwriting jam. Anderson is singing on this so this must have happened before his departure. This probably could have been a great Yes song had they finished it.
15. "In The Tower"
Like the previous track, this sounds like an unfinished song featuring Anderson on vocals. Nice potential.
16. "Friend Of A Friend"
And lastly, this is another unfinished song. Tracks 7-16 are really not necessary and function more like the "special features" on a dvd. They provide some insight but mostly don't bear repeated listenings.