Yes- Union

Album: Union
Artist: Yes
1991 Arista
CD UK: 261 558

Band members:
Jon Anderson: vocals (1, 2, 4-15)
Bill Bruford: drums (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15), percussion (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Steve Howe: guitars (1-3, 5, 8, 10-15), vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Tony Kaye: keys (4, 6, 7, 9)
Trevor Rabin: guitar (4, 6, 7, 9), vocals (4, 6, 7, 9), keys (4, 6, 7, 9)
Chris Squire: bass (4, 6, 7; credited on 9 but did not play), vocals (1, 4-6, 7, 9, 11)
Rick Wakeman: keyboards (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Alan White: drums (4, 6, 7, 9), percussion (4, 6, 7, 9)

Additional musicians:
Tony Levin: bass (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15), vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Jimmy Haun: guitars (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Jim Crichton: keys (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Jonathan Elias: keys (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Alex Lasarenko: keys (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Jerry Bennett: percussion (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Allan Schwartzberg: percussion (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)
Synths (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15): Richard Baker, Gary Barlough, Jerry Bennett, Jim Crichton, Jonathan Elias, Sherman Foote, Brian Foraker, Chris Fosdick, Rory Kaplan, Alex Lasarenko, Steve Porcaro
Additional vocals (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15): Deborah Anderson, Elias, Gary Falcone, Tommy Funderburk, Ian Lloyd, Michael Sherwood
Pauline Cheng: Cambodian poetry (10)
Billy Sherwood: bass (9 uncredited), additional vocals


Produced by Elias (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15), Howe (3), Rabin (4, 6), Rabin with Mark Mancina and Eddie Offord (7), Offord (9)
Co-produced by Sherwood (9)
Associate producer: Anderson (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15)


Tracks:
1. "I Would have Waited Forever" [Anderson/Howe/Elias] (6:33)
2. "Shock to the System" [Anderson/Howe/Elias] (5:08)
3. "Masquerade" [Howe] (2:17)
4. "Lift Me Up" [Rabin/Squire] (6:30)
5. "Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day" [Anderson/Elias] (5:18)
6. "Saving My Heart" [Rabin] (4:41)
7. "Miracle of Life" [Rabin/Mancina] (7:30)
8. "Silent Talking" [Anderson/Howe/Wakeman/Bruford/Elias] (4:00)
9. "The More We Live - Let Go" [Squire/Sherwood] (4:54)
10. "Angkor Wat" [Anderson/Wakeman/Elias] (5:23)
11. "Dangerous (Look in the Light of What You're Searching for)" [Anderson/Elias] (3:38)
12. "Holding on" [Anderson/Elias/Howe] (5:24)
13. "Evensong" [Levin/Bruford] (0:51)
14. "Take the Water to the Mountain" [Anderson] (3:12)
15. "Give and Take" [Anderson/Howe/Elias] (4:29), bonus track on UK release


Notes: (***) It's ironic that the most disjointed album in Yes history is titled, "Union."

ABWH had been working on their second album, to be called Dialogue, but they were falling apart. Elias, working with Anderson, brought in a large number of session players, so there's more Haun than Howe on (1, 2, 5, 8, 10-15), and precious little Wakeman. Kaplan brought in Porcaro, the Toto keyboardist and friend of the Sherwoods: he said he played on two pieces, but described working with Elias as "one of the worst experiences I've ever had". Wakeman has been very rude about Elias subsequently and refers to the album as "Onion", because it makes him cry. Elias has said he wasn't getting good material out of Howe or Wakeman, and Anderson and Howe were barely talking. Anderson would work with Elias on several subsequent projects.

Meanwhile, YesWest had been struggling to put an album of their own together. Various replacements for Anderson on lead vocals, including Roger Hodgson, did not work out. Squire had drafted in new friend Billy Sherwood and wanted him to sing lead, although Sherwood was reluctant. (Billy's older brother, Michael, entirely coincidentally, ended up singing on the ABWH tracks.) A set of YesWest demos including songs used here and others used elsewhere (e.g., "Love Conquers All", released on YesYears) was rejected by Atlantic.

Instead, the idea appeared to merge the two bands, sticking together their two unfinished albums. Anderson added lead vocals to the YesWest material; Squire did a few backing vocals on the ABWH material; and ta da! The result was perhaps the worst Yes album to date, although there's plenty to love here nonetheless. Howe's instrumental, recorded beforehand and added at the end, and the Squire/Sherwood "The More You Live" are highlights. (HP, updated 27 Dec 19)

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