Yes: Drama (1980)

 In 1979, sessions for a follow-up to the patchy Tormato crumbled, personally and creatively, and when the smoke cleared, Anderson and Wakeman were gone. After some time spent regrouping as a trio, a chance encounter led to Squire, Howe, and White teaming up with Horn and Downes, otherwise known as the Buggles. This was, quite possibly, the biggest WTF moment in all of prog history. 

The crazy thing is.…it worked. The resulting album, Drama, is among the highlights of the band’s vast catalogue. As with pretty much every era of Yes, this was not without its share of controversy, and there was a bit of backlash due to the absence of Anderson (it still happens). Musically, this is still Yes but it moves in directions never before explored, and Trevor Horn’s voice blends perfectly with Squire and Howe. 

The ten-minute “Machine Messiah” opens the album and is among the heaviest and most intricate songs the band ever attempted. “White Car” is just Horn and Downes (so, basically, a Buggles track). “Does It Really Happen” has roots that go back to the Tormato sessions, while “Run Through The Light” was the lone piece salvaged from the aborted 1979 sessions. The Buggles’ presence took those tracks to the next level. 

The reverse was true with the epic “Into The Lens”, which began as a Buggles song (later recorded and released as “I Am A Camera”), infused with enough Yes to make it a vital part of the canon. 

The showstopper is the album-closing “Tempus Fugit”, with its rapid fire bass lines - this riff became the centerpiece of Squire’s live showcase, “Whitefish”, during the time when this song was off the table. The song - time flies - it’s brilliant. It started as a jam by the trio and that rawness makes its way into the song. Trevor Horn puts in a hell of a performance, as does Alan White, and the rest of the band, really. 

Rarely has a band been able to rally so quickly, and so definitively, following a devastating blow. Unfortunately the press and public were not entirely kind to them and it quickly took its toll, as the band was to split following the tour. 

Howe and Downes went on to form Asia, Horn moved into production, while Squire and White moved through a couple of projects before a whole more thing presented itself….