Track Listing

1. I Would Have Waited Forever
2. Shock To The System
3. Masquerade
4. Lift Me Up
5. Without Hope You Cannot Start The Day
6. Saving My Heart
7. Miracle Of Life
8. Silent Talking
9. More We Live Let Go
10. Angkor Wat
11. Dangerous
12. Holding On
13. Evensong
14. Take The Water To The Mountain
15. Give And Take

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7836 in Music
• Released on: 1994-04-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

CD Description
UNION was a milestone event in the history of Yes. For the first time in the group's long existence, the majority of its various members came together under a single banner. The result is a huge collection of songs that sounds like modern Yes with a touch of the '70s art rock that originally secured the band's legendary status. However, while it appears on the surface that all eight past and present members recordedthe songs together, it was actually a conglomeration of theTrevor Rabin-era Yes and the sophomore Anderson/Bruford/Wakeman/Howe projects that were already underway.
The electronic textures emanating from keyboard masters Rick Wakeman and Tony Kaye, the powerful guitar work by Rabin and Steve Howe, and the massive percussion barrage concocted by Bill Bruford and Alan White all add up to the most aurally magnificent sounds Yes has ever recorded. The unifying factor of it all is the soaring vocal work of Jon Anderson. The usual sci-fi/fantasy themes and somewhat New Age lyrics are here, of course, but the real excitement is the sheer enormity of the project. Unfortunately, after a brief tour, the group's members once again went their separate ways and into a new incarnation of Yes.

Customer Reviews

A Union of great musicians
This album was recorded using the two different factions of Yes that were going around at the time, hence the tile Union. Some critics didn't like the fact that a lot of session musicians were used but I found that only added to the charm of the recording. One of the best tracks on the album are The More We Live- Let Go which was written by Chris Squire and Billy Sherwood, who was to later join the band on a more permanent basis. Other highlights are Silent Talking, which would have been even better if they had extended it a little, and I Would Have Waited Forever, with the fantastic vocal arrangements and finally Miracle Of Life, a progressive little number with very catchy tune. One other track, which stood out, was Dangerous, which does not sound like Yes and was a very refreshing tune to listen too. The band did release a single from the album Lift Me Up that sadly never made it in to the UK charts. There are a couple of what can only be described as weaker tracks, Saving My Heart and Holding On but apart from them the rest of the album is up to the usual high standard that Yes are famous for and the album is well worth adding to your music collection.

A Perfect Union
This is a nice come-together with the partcipation of as many as eight Yes members. In fact it was intended to be two separate albums by two different bands... but both of them realized they were not able to cope without Jon Anderson's unique lead vocal, so they compiledit into one single album, a »Union«!

The result is interesting and worthwile. It has a lot of the ABWH soul, influenced by the Rabin style. The inevitable hit »Lift Me Up« is the best example of this mixture. So is »Saving My Heart«, except that this one is not very good and would've been better off left out.

The highlight is the extremely beautiful »Silent Talking« which combines rock and ballad in a rhapsodian way that nearly makes you think of the good old Yes epics. Nearly.

A welcome release, a good piece of work - A Perfect Union.

Travel to the Center of the World
As probably you know, we got here two albums by two different bands: Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe and Rabin-Squire`s Yes. But the producer Jonathan Elias made his work so perfectly, that this album sounded more authentic Yes, than, say, "Tormato", "Open Your Eyes" or "Magnification".
The album was recorded in 1991 when the Cold War ended and the good feelings of that time made their ifluence on this music. I`m listening to this album since that time and still the music impresses me.
ABWH recorded impressive songs "I Would Have Waited Forever", "Shock to the System" with hard rock sound, crystal clear acoustic ballad "Masquerade" by Howe, song in style of "Tales from Topographic Oceans" with magical playing by Rick and with the reading of Cambodian poetry "Angkor Wat", pop hit "Give and Take" as bonus track. Trevor Rabin prepared hit "Lift Me Up". Jon Anderson sings perfectly. So we got best of both line-ups. I think it`s one of the best albums by Yes at all.
In sessions participated Tony Levin and Steve Porcaro (Toto).
Artwork by Roger Dean. So if you like Yes and don`t have this album - it`s a mistake.