After the release. and ensuing tour, of ‘Relayer’, the members of Yes decided that it would be a good time for them all to work on solo projects. In keeping with the times, Patrick decided to record a concept album based on a story that he had written (which is included in the booklet of this remastered issue). But what makes this album so very different to many of the others that were released in the mid Seventies is the high latin and percussive elements involved. Certainly, one couldn’t imagine Patrick’s predecessor and successor in Yes releasing an album quite like this – even though Rick himself has recorded in a multitude of styles. This is very much a truly progressive album, bringing in different styles and ideas and also attempting to explore the boundaries of what was then available with electronic keyboards.
The result is that while in many ways it is an album of its’ time, it is also light and refreshing and something that can still be enjoyed very much today for its’ musical content and not just for the fact that it was recorded by a member of Yes. In fact, listening to this makes one wonder just what the next Yes album would have been like if Patrick had stayed with the band, but there again this sounds nothing like what Patrick worked on with The Moody Blues either.
It evokes a feeling of Summer, and the long complex instrumental passages are a delight. Within the booklet not only is there the story and all of the lyrics but also a handwritten plan showing what is happening at what point within the music. If you haven’t come across the solo music of Moraz before, then this is definitely the place to start.
