Album of the Day

Drama, by Yes (1980): This is an album that prompts a lot of discussion amongst Yesfans, as it's the only one under the Yes banner ever released with vocalist Jon Anderson. That leads many to claim it isn't a "real" Yes album and doesn't belong in the catalog with the rest of their work. In my book, if it says "Yes" on the cover, that's enough for me to call is a "real" album. More than that, it's pretty damn good, particularly for a band going through its death throes (by the time 90125 rolled around it was really a different band). Of the six tracks on the album, three are excellent ("Machine Messiah," "Into the Lens," and "Tempus Fugit"), one is better than average ("Does It Really Happen?") and one is at least a little different ("White Car"). Only "Run Through the Light" doesn't cut it, but even then it beats something like "Circus of Heaven" from the prior album, Tormato.