Big Generator

Big Generator

Vinyl edition
Studio album by Yes
Released 17 September 1987
Recorded 1985–1987
Studio
Genre Progressive rock, pop rock
Length 43:38
Label Atco
Producer
Yes chronology
9012Live: The Solos
(1985)		 Big Generator
(1987)		 Union
(1991)
Singles from Big Generator
  1. "Love Will Find a Way"
    Released: 1987
  2. "Rhythm of Love"
    Released: 1987
  3. "Final Eyes"
    Released: 1988

Big Generator is the twelfth studio album by the English rock band Yes, released on 17 September 1987 by Atco Records. Following the conclusion of their 1984–85 world tour in promotion of 90125 (1983), Yes retreated to Italy with producer Trevor Horn to record a new album, but several personnel issues caused recording to relocate to London and Los Angeles. The album saw the group continue with their pop-oriented and commercially accessible sound, though singer Jon Anderson wished to write music similar to the group's progressive rock sound of the 1970s.

Big Generator received mixed reviews, but continued the group's success in the 1980s, reaching No. 15 in the U.S. and No. 17 in the UK. In April 1988, was certified Platinum for sales in excess of one million copies in the U.S. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Following the album's 1987–88 supporting tour, Anderson left Yes to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Big Generator was reissued in 2009 and 2013 with bonus tracks.

Background

A laborious album to make, Big Generator's sessions dragged on for two years, largely because of creative differences. Guitarist Trevor Rabin was aiming to progress beyond 90125, while founding lead vocalist Jon Anderson was beginning to yearn for more traditional Yes music. Trevor Horn, who was a major factor in the success of Yes' previous disc 90125, was part of the early recording sessions. However, he dropped out after a few months due in major part to his inability to get along with keyboardist Tony Kaye. In a 2011 interview with LineaRock Italy, Anderson stated that Horn had told Anderson to stay away from the rehearsal and recording sessions for three months, presumably so that Horn could develop material with the other band members. The band recorded some material in Italy ("Shoot High Aim Low"), moved to London to produce "Rhythm of Love", and finally to Los Angeles to produce the final tracks for the album. Rabin assumed the production duties after the departure of Horn, and is credited for pulling together the final line-up of music on the disc.

Release

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The result was an album that was successful commercially, with two songs reaching the US Top 40: "Love Will Find a Way" (also a No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart) and "Rhythm of Love" (their last US Top 40 hit). The album was not as popular as 90125, and feeling that the band was going in a direction he did not want to pursue, Jon Anderson began working on other projects at the conclusion of the Big Generator tour in 1988 including a partial reformation with his Yes bandmates from the 1970s as Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe.

Big Generator was remastered in 2009 by Isao Kikuchi and released in Japan under Warner Music Japan as part of their Yes SHM-CD papersleeve series of reissues. An international remaster was included as part of the band's 2013 box set The Studio Albums 1969–1987.

Big Generator (Atco 790,522) reached #17 in the UK, and #15 in the US during a chart stay of 30 weeks.

The album, like its predecessor 90125, received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Track listing

Side one
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Rhythm of Love"  Tony Kaye, Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire 4:47
2. "Big Generator"  Rabin, Kaye, Anderson, Squire, Alan White 4:33
3. "Shoot High Aim Low"  White, Kaye, Rabin, Anderson, Squire 7:01
4. "Almost Like Love"  Kaye, Rabin, Anderson, Squire 4:58
Side two
No. TitleWriter(s) Length
1. "Love Will Find a Way"  Rabin 4:50
2. "Final Eyes"  Rabin, Kaye, Anderson, Squire 6:25
3. "I'm Running"  Rabin, Squire, Anderson, Kaye, White 7:37
4. "Holy Lamb (Song for Harmonic Convergence)"  Anderson 3:19

2009 reissue

Personnel

Yes
Additional musicians
Production

Charts

Album

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
1987 The Billboard 200 15

Singles

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1987 "Love Will Find a Way" Mainstream Rock Tracks 1
The Billboard Hot 100 30
"Rhythm of Love" Mainstream Rock Tracks 2
The Billboard Hot 100 40
"Shoot High Aim Low" Mainstream Rock Tracks 11
1988 "Final Eyes" Mainstream Rock Tracks 20

References

  1. ↑ Ruhlmann, William. Big Generator – Yes at AllMusic. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/13/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.