dave-the-rave
1000+ Head-Fier
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- Nov 19, 2001
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I don't have the strength to delineate all the reasons why this is a terrific disc, but I'll try. Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White ditched the keyboard player and recorded this wonderful 10-song disc with a symphony orchestra. The reason it doesn't suck is because the songs are really good and the interplay between band and orchestra is just right. The orchestral composer, Larry Groupé, does a lot of movie and TV soundtracks, and in some ways, "Magnification" feels like a soundtrack album, with a wonderful flow throughout. The production is outstanding, especially with HDCD-- you hear everything. Best of all tho, is the songs themselves. You can't step in the same river twice... there will never be a "Close to the Edge II" because there can't be, but this is probably as close to ideal as you're gonna get 30 years later. I don't mean that this sounds like CTTE; I mean that this is an inventive work by a mature band that has all the signatures that we loved in the '70's: the time changes, vocal harmonies, etc. There's a feeling throughout that the band really likes this album-- it has a wonderful integrity-- it sounds like Yes doing what they want to do, not trying for lame radio hits like they did with "The Ladder" (altho "Magnification's" 'Don't Go' is that attempt at a radio hit). Anyway... check out consumer reviews at amazon.com. The problem with most "old" bands isn't that they can't play anymore, it's that they can't write anything worth listening to. Not these guys. Peace & love, we love when they play.
