With its powerful opening bass contributions from the late Chris Squire, uplifting chorus and tight vocal contributions from the Yes choir, “Wonderlove” fared better than “Man in the Moon,” the previous track on 1997’s Open Your Eyes.
The lyrics, which seem more Billy Sherwood than Jon Anderson, mix the spiritual, uplifting approach of Yes of old with a newfound freshness. The acoustic guitar intro and Sherwood’s keyboards and piano also sound new and inviting.
Steve Howe’s volume pedal-fueled electric melds with Sherwood’s melodic electric guitar playing. Howe’s steel rests underneath Anderson’s lead vocal. Sherwood, ever the master arranger and mixer, incorporates many instrumental touches which are unveiled after repeated listening. Howe’s solo is tasty and fresh.
The second half of “Wonderlove” seems take flight with Alan White’s tom-tom fills and Anderson’s uplifting bridge before things settle down. The ending guitar solo has an Asia feel to it, but the song reflects the new of state of mind that Yes was in at the time.
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