Yes "Drama," Was True to its Title

 

Four days ago was the 40th anniversary of the release of Yes' tenth studio album, Drama, an album that many consider disappointing. The album, while trying to take a step back from their progressive sound of the past ten years, was more or less a commercial disappoint - for more reasons than one.

No Jon Anderson

At the time of the album's production, Yes in were in a massive turmoil. After the success of their previous album and tour, Tormato, Yes decided to meet up with Roy Thomas Baker in the fall of 1979, who was in Paris at the time. However, while Anderson was working on some folk-rock ballads to be recorded, the majority of the band (guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, and bassist Chris Squire) where going for a much harder sound.

In 1980, the band met up several more times, but to no success. Melody Maker's Chris Welch documented the meetings and said that Anderson was not showing the dignity of years past. Eventually, both Anderson, and then keyboardist Rick Wakeman, pulled the plug.

Enter Horn and Downes

By the time Anderson and Wakeman quit Yes in the spring of 1980, Brian Lane, Yes' manager the past ten years, had aquired The Bugles - vocalist Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, who just the past year (1979) had a hit with Video Killed the Radio Star. 

Howe, Squire, and White plotted to perform as a power trio with Squire possibly taking on lead vocal. However, upon meeting Horn and Downes at a meeting betwen them, Chris Squire, and Brian Lane, Squire approved of Horn's singing and considered it alike to Anderson.

Big blow

Honestly folks, there isn't much to write home about this album. Two singles were pulled, Look into the Lens, and Run Through the Light, and the centerpiece track is a ten-minuter Machine Messiah, arguably the band's last dip in progressive waters.

The album hit #2 in the UK, and snug into the top 20 (#18) in the US. In addition. Drama was top 20 in Norway, Switzerland, and just shy of the top 10 (#11) in France. Despite this, the album does see some unusual rock instrumentation, Horn's fretless bass on Run through the Light, and Steve Howe playing mandolin on several tracks. In a way, Drama can be viewed as being a hybrid of Anderson's folk-rock writings, and the rest of the band's harder rock sound. 

Worse on tour

The 1980-81 Drama tour was one of the worst on record for Yes. Despite having sold out fifteen shows at Madison Square Gardens between 1974 and 1980, audiences were completely missing Anderson's voice, and Wakeman's cape attire and "keyboard bar," that he'd become known for since joining Yes at the beginning of the 70s.

Though Geoff Downes has returned to Yes as keyboardist, Yes disbanded after Trevor Horn left in 1981 to focus on production. In the 1980s, Howe and Downes hooked up with ELP's Carl Palmer, and King Cromson's Jon Welton to form Asia, who had a massive worldwide hit in 1982 with Heat of the Moment.

Despite never rejoining Yes, Horn contributed to the production of 1983's 90125, and 1987's Big Generator, but in case of the latter, Trevor Rabin became chief producer due to idea conflicts. 

Horn was honored in 2004 at a concert featuring the Drama lineup of Yes (himself, Howe, White, Squire, and Downes), and Yes' guitarist between 1982 and 1995, Trevor Rabin. The show eventually came out on DVD under the title: Trevor Horn and Friends: Slaves to the Rhythm.

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