Am I the only Yes fan who would rather listen to Heaven and Earth or Union than 1987’s Big Generator? Case in point: “Almost Like Love.”
Sure, the world greatest progressive rock band is driven along by a straight-ahead rocking back beat from Alan White, and solid (if uninspired) bass playing from Chris Squire. Trevor Rabin’s guitar playing is beyond reproach, as always. Even with his ’80s stadium-rock flash, he comes across and interesting and non-formulaic. “Almost Like Love” also features stellar Hammond B3 playing by Tony Kaye. Unfortunately, Jon Anderson’s strong vocals are wasted amid lyrics which rank among the most forgettable by Yes.
The heavy-handed production doesn’t do “Almost Like Love” any favors, either: There’s an annoying horn arrangement played by the Nick Lane (trombone), James Zavala and Greg Smith (sax), and Lee Thornburg (trumpets). The fact that such heavyweights could not rescue this song is telling. They are over-compressed to the point were the horns sound like kazoos.
When you add together all the disparate parts of “Almost Like Love,” you almost get a good Yes song … but not quite.
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