SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: YES – TALK (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

YES
TALK (30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION)
SPIRIT OF UNICORN MUSIC

Talk is an interesting album from Yes. It was their 14th studio album, originally released in 1994. The line-up for this album is Jon Anderson (vocals), Chris Squire (bass), Alan White (drums), Tony Kaye (organ) and Trevor Rabin (keyboards). It would prove to be the last album featuring Kaye and Rabin. The album came on the heels of the famous Union tour, which featured eight members of Yes on stage at any given time, so expectations were very high. At the time, for critics and fans, the album did not live up to the hype and expectations. Talk received mainly poor reviews and did not have a great chart showing. But time has been kind to the album, and 30 years later it seems to be an album that fans embrace.

There is a good reason for that, it is a great album. Trevor Rabin produced the album and tapped into the musicians’ strengths. Anderson’s vocals are strong, and he is accompanied by very tight playing from the band. The use of organs and keyboards was a very wise move and added a great deal to the overall sound of the band. The fact that this is one of the first albums—if not the first—to be recorded digitally gives the album its sharp and clear sound. This takes some of the warmth out of the proceedings that had always been found in Yes’s albums. However, the strength of the songs makes up for any issues with the sound.

TALK VINYL 12INCH 2x LP GATEFOLD SLEEVE 6mm SPINE

From the opening energetic track “The Calling” to the “Endless Dream” suite that closes out the album, Talk is full of lush sounds and top-notch prog-rock. In hindsight, it is remarkable that Yes were still waving the prog banner in a time when grunge and rave music were dominating radio and the charts. Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson makes a guest appearance on the wonderful “Walls”. He also contributed to the writing of the song, and it is beautiful, with Rabin demonstrating his guitar abilities.

The Deluxe Edition of the CD includes some goodies that fans will absolutely love. First, there are some variations of songs from Talk. While the songs are interesting and present a different sound, the real treasure trove is the live recordings from the 1994 Talk tour. Yes is caught live in Canandaigua in New York State on June 19, 1994. The recording sounds great and it gives a glimpse into the tour, that for many reasons ended far too quickly. “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” is fantastic, just listen to Anderson’s voice. The old favourites, such as “Roundabout”, come alive with a great deal of energy and vitality. It sounds great.

This is a very well put together box set of an album that has for far too long been overlooked. Maybe Yes did not have the same impact as they did in the 1970s, but they still produced some fine, interesting, brilliant music. Talk is an album that has been lost for far too long, so it is excellent that it has been revived. History and time have been good to Talk, and its return is more than welcomed.

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