Search - Yes :: Magnification

Magnificate Magnification!

Stephen B. Sumemrlin | Austin, Texas United States | 11/29/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 2001 Yes recorded this album with an orchestra. There is no keyboard player present on this album so the keyboards are replaced with an orchestra. In my opinion this is avery good Yes album and I have listened to it a lot. This is their second attempt to record an album with an orchestra. The first being 1970's Time And A Word. The album starts with an acoustic guitar part from the great Steve Howe then goes into an orchestral part with Jon's singing. Maginification, The album's lead song, is probably the best one on here. It is somewhat mellow but also rocks at times and was one they played live on their symphionic tour along with the Full Circle tour which I happend to catch. Spirit of Survival is a great rocker and sounds very borad with an orchestra. Don't Go. Here we have the album's single which also had a music video made to it. I have never heard more flac for a Yes song then Don't Go. Most of the Yes fans I have heard hate this song but I like it. It's not the best on here but I can get into it. Give Love Each Day is somewhat of a ballad which sounds very peaceful with the orchestra behind it. Can You Imagine is a part of Yes history which makes it the first ever Yes song Chris Squire sings lead on. Another good one thats sounds like a mid tempo rock song. We agree is a good song which starts with an orchestral part then goes onto the band playing. Soft As A Dove is one of my least favorite songs which sounds like a ballad to me. There is a part of the song that is played on a Calypso I think. Dreamtime is a really good Yes rocker which has a very big sound to it. Nice arrangement with the orchestra and the band together. And on to a big highlight of the album In The Presence Of. This was also a song they took on tour with them and sounded great in a live setting. The song is broken up into 4 parts and is probably my second favorite on the album. It's another great piece of music where the orchestra and band play great together. When I saw them do this live they didn't have the orchestra but the great Rick Wakemen was back adding keys to the song. And finaly Time Is Time which is probably my least favorite song all together on the album. It's a slow piece which I find a little boring but most of the songs are great on the album. Unfortunutly it seems that this is to be the very last album with Jon Anderson as he was somewhat stabbed in the back when Yes decided to go on tour without him and get a tribute singer in his place. I think because of that Jon refuses to play with Yes anymore as Chris has already announced thet Benoit David and Oliver Wakemen are now the two new members of Yes. Chirs has said that Yes will be making a follow up album with the new Yes soon but I won't buy it since it isn't Yes without Jon. This to me is the last true Yes album. A fine album and in some ways a sad one to end on."

Everything you liked about KEYS but better!

Reviewer Paco | 03/24/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you enjoyed the Keys To Ascension studio tracks, (and what serious music fan doesn't) you will enjoy this album even more. Give it half a dozen listens (after all, it's prog and it takes some getting used to, just like any early Yes or Genesis album). Now that you've got the hang of it, put on the headphones and realize the majesty and production quality of this late-career masterpiece by Howe, Anderson, Squire and White. This release completely blows the doors off of "The Ladder". As a matter of fact, it seems like it's from a different band.



The strings and orchestration are wonderfully done but not overdone. One is reminded of "Time And A Word" and its orchestration but "Magnification" is a much better and BIGGER release.



Yes, I did say "masterpiece". OK, there is one song that doesn't fit in with rest. Although it's not a bad song, "Don't Go". That's why we have the skip-button, I guess.



Buy it, enjoy it for a long time to come.

Rock on."