20. Yes--90125

 #20: Yes--90125 (1983)

Top-Notch Tracks: "Owner of a Lonely Heart," "Hold On," "It Can Happen," "Cinema/Leave It," "Changes"

Album Depth: "Our Song," "City of Love," "Hearts"

Weak Links: Nope.

Stand-Out Lyrics: "Say you don't want to chance it. You've been hurt so before."--"Owner of a Lonely Heart"

"Look up. Look down. Look out. Look around. Look up. Look down. There's a crazy world outside. We're not about to lose our pride."--"It Can Happen"

"Justice to the left of you; justice to the right. Speak when you are spoken to, but don't pretend you're right."--"Hold On"

"One difference between you and I? You're heart is inside your head."--"Changes"

"I can feel no sense of measure. No illusions as we take refuge in young man's pleasure. Breaking down the dreams we make real."--"Leave It"

"Music has magic, that stuff of syncopation."--"Our Song"

"How they jive and jingle...."--"City of Love"

"Two hearts are better than one."--"Hearts"

"You can fool yourself. You can cheat until you're blind."--"It Can Happen"

"Jigsaw puzzle traitors, sent to spill the beans. Constitution screw up, shattering the dreams."--"Hold On"

"One word from you. One word from me. A clear design on your liberty."--"Changes"

"One down, one to go. Another town and one more show."--"Leave It"

"How we drown in stylistic audacity."--"Hold On"

"There's no real reason to be lonely. Be yourself. Give your freewill a chance. You've got to want to succeed."--"Owner of a Lonely Heart"

Yes--90125

Album cover: 6 out of 10. It looks like something that in 1983 would have seemed like futuristic, advanced computer graphics. (And it probably was.)

Comments: Believe it or not, I actually did go on a few dates when I was in college at Idaho State. (I can think of at least six dates off the top of my head during my four years at school there! Yes, I know, that's pretty impressive.)

Of course, my memory being what it is, I can't remember everything that happened on all of my dates, just some of the highlights. One particular date was a triple date involving me, my roommate Dean, and Brian, of friend of Dean's from Rockland High. Up until that day, I had never met Brian, nor had I heard Dean ever speak of him, so I think he was more of an acquaintance than a close friend. I don't recall the girls that Dean or Brian had at the date, but I remember my date. Her name was Joy and she was exceptionally attractive. She was a former gymnast of Pacific-Asian descent who was set up with me by Dean's friend Tracy, with whom she had some classes. (Do you remember Dean's friends Bob and Tracy?) From the moment I met Joy I knew I had little chance with her, yet wanted to do all I could to impress her, because you never know, right?

At one point of the date we were all at our apartment playing Outburst or Scattegories or some similar board game designed to enhance the fun of all involved. As we played, I put in one of my mix tapes as background music, because who knows great party music better than me?

"Hold On" by Yes was on that mix tape. The best part of the song is the start of the third verse, with its stylistic, nearly acapella vocals starting with the lyrics "talk the simple smile, such platonic eye, how they drown in incomplete capacity," At that moment, Brian stopped whatever game we were playing and snidely said, talking about the music, "What the hell is that?"

What I wanted to do was punch him in the face. What I probably should have done was said something like, "It's music. Great music. Not everyone sounds like George Strait." What I actually did was hem and haw and mumble something unintelligible.

I never saw Brian again, and I never went on another date with Joy. I tried calling her several times, but got the "she's here, but says she's not here" from her roommates who would answer the phone. I saw her later on campus once and tried to talk with her, but she feigned death until I awkwardly walked away. (Okay, that's an exaggeration. Slightly.)

So, "Hold On" doesn't have the happiest of memories associated with it for me. And yet, I love that song! It's a great song, despite what some jerk from Rockland, and a beautiful gymnast might think. In fact, I think "Hold On" and "Changes" are a couple of the finest non-hit album tracks around.

If Side 2 of the album was as fantastic as Side 1, this would definitely be a Top 10 album. As it is, I've always found the final three songs to be good but not great. (This opinion might be different if I hailed from Toledo.)

Of course, the hits are great. I've always considered "Cinema/Leave It" to be one song, with the "Cinema" part as the instrumental intro. The echo effect in "It Can Happen" has always been a favorite of mine. And, anyone who can listen to "Owner of a Lonely Heart" without flinching or spasming when they hit that one (frequent) note may not actually be alive.

Yow! 

Up next: Take me to the rivers.