Yes - The Ladder

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In the late ’90s Yes seemed to be back on a little bit of a resurgence after the baffling skirmish between the so-called ‘Yes-West’ incarnation which recorded 90125, Big Generator and Talk, the absurdly named ‘Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe’ which appeared after Jon Anderson left the former, and the shambolic Union meeting which saw a car-crash (at least on record) with all of the main protagonists coming together in a way that surely God never intended.

In a turn of events hardly anyone expected, the classic White-Wakeman line-up of the mid to late 70s reformed to produce the two highly impressive half-live-half-studio Keys To Ascension albums. Wakeman bailed again after that, but the rest soldiered on with the addition of Billy Sherwood and, shortly afterward, Igor Khoroshev on keyboards. The result was these two albums, now reissued in the earMusic Classics series, with Open Your Eyes in 1997, followed two years later by The Ladder. Conventional wisdom has it that the former album was a creative disaster with the latter being a triumphant return to form.

The Ladder is a synthesis of the best traits of the experimental Fragile era and the pop-oriented 90125 era. Producer Bruce Fairbairn completed The Ladder shortly before his death in 1999, and unlike some of his work with Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Kiss, and others, he didn't overproduce it. Vocalist Jon Anderson, lead guitarist Steve Howe, and bass guitarist Chris Squire all have fine moments, and drummer Alan White is consistent. The roles of keyboardist Igor Khoroshev and, in particular, guitarist Billy Sherwood are less clear.

Heavyweight double vinyl pressed by EarMusic at Optimal in Germany. Mastered specifically for vinyl. Gatefold sleeve.