Yes - Drama

 The Most Overlooked And Underappreciated Yes Album
In 1980, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White knew that they would most certainly have to step it up big time in order to keep Yes afloat in the wake of (1) the lukewarm reception of the band's previous album, the flawed but sincere Tormato, and (2) the departure of "The Voice" Jon Anderson and "King" Richard Wakeman of the keyboards. Drama welcomes the Buggles duo of Trevor Horn (vocals) and Geoff Downes (keyboards), fresh off their immortal hit "Video Killed the Radio Hit," forever associated with MTV. In addition, Yes had just completed, in their own words, a tour featuring some of the best playing in their fabled career.
Drama is a solid, fundamentally progressive album with consistently excellent playing and occasional flashes of brilliance. The fierce and omnious opener (and prototype for 90s Prog Metal) "Machine Messiah" features some of Howe/Squire/White's heaviest playing since Relayer. "White Car" is a quirky little Geoff Downes keyboard ditty. Then we hear one of Chris Squire's most memorable bass riffs introducing "Does It Really Happen," featuing a rolling groove from Squire and White. "Into The Lens" is a melodic cruiser with sincere singing from Horn and well-constructed playing from Howe. "Run Through The Light" is a sparse, Police-like compact song, with White's drums containing the "gated" sound made famous by Phil Collins in the 1980s. The original Drama album closes with "Tempus Fugit," an uptempo combination of rock, prog, punk, new wave and synth-rock.
The original Drama album is solid in itself, but what is refreshing about the Rhino Remastered version are the bonus tracks, featuring numerous demos/takes from the abandoned Paris sessions with Anderson and Wakeman, prior to their departure in 1980. It is interesting to here several compositions in their prototypical states, as it were, with the root/core foundations in their rawest forms.
I know many fellow fans of Yes that still refuse to acknowledge this outstanding album, because "Jon and Rick are not on it." Well, that may be so, but (1) Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes give it an excellent effort and (2) Howe, Squire and White lay down some of the best playing of their careers on this gem. If you enjoy the edgier, harder side of Yes like "Sound Chaser," "City of Love" and other Trevor Rabin-era rockers, give Drama a listen. March 1, 2008

 It is truly a Drama
Unfortunately 80s were not good times for Yes at all and this record is the beginning of te downfall period... In this album there are only two good things: the cover by Roger Dean and the first song Machine Messiah... this is it, the rest is just the average rock music, where such great musicians as Chris Squire and Steve Howe played (didn't help a lot either). The absence of Jon Anderson was a great blow of course, so it is not a surprise that the album was not successful... the songs are boring and too long, a very great dissapointment after Going for the One and Tormato...
P.S. I forgot the bonuses, which are rather good... it s interesting to listen to the last tracks what may have come out of Yes if Anderson and Wakeman stayed... January 28, 2008

 Better than I remembered. A good addition for your collection.
This album is better than I remembered. Not the best Yes album, but it like it and recommend it. It is more like 90125 than Close to the Edge or Relayer. January 14, 2008

 Drama - An Overlooked Gem
"Drama" is often overlooked and denegraded because of the absence of Anderson & Wakeman. Oh boo hoo ! "Drama" ROCKS and stands on its own as a gem among the Yes discography. There is not a single bad moment on "Drama" with all 6 songs delivering the goods. The bonus tracks are OK, but nothing spectacular. The Roger Dean cover art has to be one of the all time best. You can find this disc at a nice price and you cannot go wrong with this selection unless you were expecting a "dramatic" reading of Hamlet. December 18, 2007

 A classic, timeless progressive rock MASTERPIECE!!!
Great rock music stands the test of time, and 'Drama' is no exception! Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes were pure MAGIC for YES, and each had a unique contribution and creative signature for the band, which worked very well. Granted, nobody can sound like Jon Anderson, but the fact that Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White were essentially the musical core for this incarnation of YES anyway, most of the original band was still intact for 'Drama', and the addition of the very talented and professional Horn and Downes made things interesting to say the least. The creative musicianship and vocals on 'Drama' is mindblowingly tight and refreshing, with songs that vary tempo and time signatures that keep the listener's interest. Standout songs are 'Machine Messiah', 'Does It Really Happen?' and 'Tempus Fugit'. The only regret and thought you may have going through your mind after listening to 'Drama' is that 'unfortunately, they just dont make music like this anymore!' October 15, 2007

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