MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - 90125

"Negative review from loudmouth prog fan with an arrogant opinion."

This should have never been a Yes album. Chris Squire and Alan White had the right idea when this project was started as a new band called "Cinema." Unfortunately, things got ugly when this turned into a Yes project. As such, this comes across as quite lame compared to Yes' glory days, when they were a band that was once known for their brilliance and their originality.

That said, it is not entirely fair to compare it to classic progressive rock albums. But even compared to any good intelligent pop music, 90125 is too cheesy for my tastes. The album waxes insipid lyrical subjects and corny keyboard sounds that gave 80's pop a bad name. The rocking songs have no hooks, and the ballads lack the beauty that made tracks like "Turn of the Century" so pleasant. Strictly on a basis of musicality, the album is average (thus banal) adult pop. I have to admit that a few of the tracks of moderate interest, like "Leave It" and "Changes," but the rest - even the 'classic' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is not enough redeeming material here to make anyone care.