The closing song on Yes’ Open Your Eyes seems to bring the 1997 album full circle. This group collaboration is as forceful as the opening track, “New State of Mind,” yet uses dynamic shifts of mood and tempo which echoes Yes at its best.
Similar to the stronger tracks on Open Your Eyes, guitarist and engineer Billy Sherwood is able to capture a contemporary rock feel yet retain the essence of what makes Yes unique. “The Solution” boasts the positivity expected of a Yes lyric with Jon Anderson starting, too:
No need to wonder “do you belong?”
No need to worry, you can be strong
Don’t disbelieve it, let your fears go
There must be more to this life and we all knowDeep inside, the solution – staring you down
Looking for the solution, bringing you round
Round and round we go
Anderson’s vocal is supported by electric 12- and 6-string guitars, and a layer of Billy Sherwood synths. Chris Squire and Alan White navigate the changes with the dexterity of tight-rope walkers. “The Solution” packs a lot of things but the vibe works as Sherwood’s production manages to meld Steve Howe’s razor sharp leads, the reinvigorated Yes choir of Squire, Sherwood and Anderson on backing vocals, and a challenging rhythm track into a song that’s almost five-and-a-half minutes long.
Actually, this may be the longest Yes song ever at over 23 minutes, if you count the attached soundscapes. In any case, “The Solution” makes a great jumping off point to the band’s new two-guitar lineup, which then reaches its pinnacle on the 1999’s The Ladder – the last Yes album to date featuring Billy Sherwood.
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