Talk

Talk is YES‘ fourteenth studio album. Released in 1994. It is their first release with an independent label after having been distributed the length of their career thus far with Atlantic Records and Arista Records. Talk is also the last YES recording with Tony Kaye on keyboards and Trevor Rabin on guitars, keyboards and vocals. Pop artist Peter Max created the artwork for the album.

Personnel


Jon Anderson
Vocals


Trevor Rabin
Guitars, Keyboards, Vocals, Programming


Chris Squire
Bass, Vocals


Tony Kaye
Hammond Organ


Alan White
Percussion

Recommended Versions

Talk

Talk is available as:
CD at Amazon
Vinyl LP at Amazon

Listen

Soundcloud excerpts

Talk - Chris Welch

After the Union‘ tour it was decided that YES would carry on with Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Tony Kaye and Alan White. Their plan was to record a new album produced by Trevor, which evolved into ‘Talk‘. It was released in 1994 on the Victory label, set up by long-term YES supporter Phil Carson. Trevor and Jon wrote all the music and lyrics. The aim was to tackle the challenges of the computer age. However, as can be heard on this welcome CD re-issue, many of the traditional YES qualities remain, including the use of acoustic guitar, vocal harmonics and a touch of the traditional Hammond organ sound.

The album was ‘Dedicated to all YES fans…’ and the sleeve notes included the warning ‘Caution – Extreme digital dynamic range.’

Alan White recalls that ‘Talk‘ represented a bold step. “It was done on a computer. All of the drums were played ‘live’, but it was very experimental. It was also one of the most innovative albums the band has ever made, with some great pieces of music. Trevor was at the helm and he was in the studio for 15 hours every day. We’d come in and out, but basically it was his album.”

Explains Trevor: “At the end of the ‘Union‘ thing, me Chris and Alan decided we’d like to get back to the ‘YES West’ lineup. When we did ‘Talk‘ it was ‘a journey into the unknown’ but people get misled. It wasn’t actually played on a computer; it was just done non-linear on a hard drive, which meant things could be manipulated in a different way. There are proper instruments on the album – real guitars and drums – but no recording tape was used. I had a great time doing the album and, incidentally, it set me up for wanting to do movie soundtracks.”

The Calling‘ which kicks off ‘Talk‘ has a huge drum sound and powerful back beat. Trevor’s lead guitar spans a broad range of tonal effects and vies for solo honours with Tony Kaye’s Hammond swirls. Jon Anderson’s familiar vocal style remains a crucial ingredient and is especially prominent on ‘I Am Waiting‘.

Sings Jon poignantly “I wanna be inside your heart – are you ready?” It’s a beautiful piece and one of the album highlights. Says Trevor: “I had written ‘I Am Waiting‘ for Jon and he came in and re-wrote the lyrics and added some melodies. The next track ‘Real Love‘ was kind of eerie.” ‘State Of Play‘ has an aggressive, cinematic quality and kicks in with violent drums and savage guitar. The next track ‘Walls‘ sets off at much the same pace, until it drops into a more relaxed groove, “I wanna live, I wanna give” sing Trevor and Jon, as they share the melody line. ‘Where Will You Be‘ has a more enigmatic Eastern flavour and Jon sings over a swirling Indian rhythm.

Talk 9

Endless Dream‘ is the album’s major extended work. Recalls Trevor: “When I started writing ‘Endless Dream‘ it seemed like an endless dream, it was such a long theme! But I had such fun while I was doing it. I’ll never forget that when Jon came in to sing the backing track, he had tears in his eyes.”

Talk 8

Endless Dream‘ is in three parts and includes the brief instrumental ‘Silent Spring‘. Says Trevor: “When we went on the road, I actually played the piano intro to ‘Silent Spring‘ live and there were a couple of times when I hiccupped. The strange effects you hear on this track were actually produced by the guitar. ‘Endless Dream‘ was the only extended piece I did with YES.”

After a lengthy ‘Talk‘ tour, Trevor’s time with YES came to an end and he began to concentrate on composing music for movies, including the 1998 blockbusters ‘Armageddon‘ and ‘Enemy Of The State‘.
In the aftermath of ‘Talk‘, YES was reborn with Jon, Chris, Steve Howe and Alan White back together. A succession of splendid new albums followed, including ‘Open Your Eyes‘ (1997) and ‘The Ladder‘ (1999). During 2001 the band embarked on a ‘Yes Symphonic‘ tour and released their latest CD ‘http://yesworld.com/discography/magnification/’ in December 2001, their first with an orchestra since 1970. With a new U.S. tour planned for 2002 A.D. the empire of YES shows no hint of decline or fall!

Chris Welch
London, England
December 2001

Chris Welch is among the UK’s best known music journalists. After a long and distinguished career on Melody Maker, he became editor of Metal Hammer magazine and has also edited Rock World. He was amongst the first British writers to champion YES in the late Sixties. He has travelled and toured with them and interviewed them on numerous occasions. He is the author of the biography ‘Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes

Lyrics

Click on the song title to view the lyrics.

Feel the calling of a miracle
In the presence of the word
Now we hold the right to rearrange
How the stories can be heard
In the beginning is the future
And the future is at hand
I’ll be calling voices of Africa
Be the rhythm to the plan
From the Congo to Lenasia
Be the writing on the wall
I’ll be calling the colors of India
See the Asian life explode

Head into the headlight
Don’t turn from the rain
There’s a fire raging somewhere near
Liek a longtime friend who’s
Seen it darker than ebony
Take off on the turnpike
(Asking for the first call)
Give me more of the same
(Asking for a song)
There’s a fire burning in my heart again
I’ll be calling the dragons of China
See the dancers of the Nile
See the wings of change are on display
This revelation mine
Feel the calling of the miracle
In the presence of the word

Feel the calling of a miracle
The revelation mine


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson/Chris Squire


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


Am I waking to this magic
Am I seeing all is human
Human after all
I wanna be inside your heart

Are you ready
I wanna love forever
Are you thinking
I wanna be inside your heart

What I’m thinking
I wanna know you’re with me
Highways, stairways, many ways
To be open tonight

High time, look inside
Your life, I am waiting
I am waiting: are you ready?
I am waiting: can you hear me?

Can you hear me?
It happened in the water
The heaven will fall
The break in the water

The secret birth
Said she loves me I believe her
Waited lifetimes say this to you
I wanna be inside your heart

Are you ready
I wanna love forever
Are you thinking
I wanna be inside your heart

What I’m thinking
I wanna know you’re with me
Highways, stairways, many ways to be open tonight
High time, look inside

Your life, I am waiting
Say you need me I’m yours
Say you need me just because
(It’s our freedom…)

It’s our freedom, hear me now
We are made to be here now
We’ll be waiting for the word
As the healing of the world

Make the promises to be true
All my life my world is you
I am waiting: Are you ready?

Are you ready?

I am waiting: Can you hear me?

Can you hear me?


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


Get the fire as the flame it burns
Get the wind as it slowly turns
Get the earth as it circles by
Get the sky sea creation fly

This point of living
This point of giving
This chance of living has got to be known

Get the fire as the flame it burns
Get the wind as it slowly turns
Get the earth…
Get the sky…

Far away in the depths of Hawking’s mind
To the animal, primalistic grind
You bring me reason, a simple fact of life (Bring me reason…)
You don’t say you’re sorry…

Call this real love
Activates this mission to be
On the same timeline
Call this free love

Get a ticket on the master plan
On the freedom climb

Get the fire as the flame it burns
Get the wind as it slowly turns
Get the earth…
Get the sky…

The point of living
The point of living
This chance of living

Far away in the depths of Hawking’s mind
To the animal, the primalistic grind
You bring me reason, a simple fact of life
You don’t say you’re sorry

Call this free love
Activate the mission tobe on
The same timeline

Call this free love
Get a ticket on the master plan
On the freedom climb

Call this free love
You can activate this message
On the concourse of your fine mind

Call this real love
Get off those chains, get off those chains
Get off those changes coming to you


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Chris Squire/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


You can hear the siren screaming
Take me to the promised land
See the intervention
Take you higher and higher
See we are the giving world
We are responsible
We’re not about to break

It’s just a state of play
It’s just a state of play
This is the revolution coming
With the giving world
No need to wait for your
Appointment is made
No need to ask for help, it’s in
The love we breathe
Dancing in the new design

Secret needing from this love I’m feeding
High time flying monumental
Reaching to God love
Secret needing all i really
Want to know right now
The state of play
Are you looking at it
Is it looking at you

No point in kidding let the
Children split the atom
A firm believer this appointment with love
All those who look for glory
They see the flags are flying
They hear the siren screaming

Secret needing from this love I’m feeding
High time flying
All I really want to know
Right now, right now
(I want to be inside your heart)
I want to know right now is
This the state of play
Are you looking at it


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


Don’t you know it’s my way out
To be on my own
When I feel like crying out I do it best alone
Can you give me love and
Protection to shield my heart
All the fear I feel from doubt
Is tearing me apart

I wanna love, I wanna give
I want to find another way to live
Another shout, another cry
And the walls come tumbling down
Don’t you know there’s now way out
Your pain’s your own
And the more we scream and shout
The more we feel alone
I can feel my anger rising
Am I to blame?
And I’m not gonna keep it inside me
Do you feel the same?

And I’m calling you


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Roger Hodgson/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


Where will you be when you’re not here
How many lives in this earth time
You are my soul and this you are
Two souls intertwined that’s what we are
We can we walk hand in hand
All the life
Be the one everything to me
You I am dreaming

We have lived and known before I feel it
Where will you lie
When will I know
When you are gone
Where I be and I will miss you
We are this love in this life
Two souls intertwined like once before
See this meeting, hand in hand

Every life
Be the one everything to me
You are my feeling
No need to fear this love of life
We are the truth of every earth life
No need to fear this life at all
We are the sun and everlasting life
Where will you be hearing this song
How many lives in this earth time
You are my soul and this you are
You are my soul and this you are
Where will you be


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums


Hold your head up high you know you’ve
Come a long way, a long way
Tainted as a fugitive with nothing left to say
Temptation may come hope your vision doesn’t stray
In the name of God you may be forced away

Moving forward to the only place you know
Side tracked by some indiscretion
Changing as you go
Temptation may come hope your
Conscience doesn’t hide
The longest trip you’ll take is inside

It’s the last time telling myself everything
Call me over then bring me back again
It’s the last chance telling myself
That I believe
Your forever is mine and all I need

Now life tell me now in your arms
All I really need is you by my side
I sing this to you all the world and all it is
I bring this to you this gift of love

And the world turns and the world turns
Time tells all we know we look to it
Jesus on the radio
Pledge me what you got I’ll give you
Eternal resting spot
How intense I pray depends on how much you pay

It’s the last time getting it this life
First calling in a silent spring
It’s the first time getting it this life
First calling in a silent spring
Fear strikes deeper than visionary
Screams and tears never justify this love

Talk talk listening
Like the first words ever to reach out
Talk talk
Like the first sounds in a silent spring
Talk talk listening
Like the first words ever to reach out to you
Talk talk
Like the first sound you start to sing

So take your time
Look round and see
The most in time is where you’re meant to be
For they talk too loud
And take the hope and peace from your heart
We call this surrender
Slowly towards the north
And this endless dream giving ourselves everything
We’re deserving we’re gonna bring it back again
It’s the last time telling myself everything
It’s the last time bring me back bring me back again
When the world brings you down
You can search you inside
For the love you will find (bring me back home)
When the world brings you down
You can search you inside
When the world brings you down
I’ve waited so long
When the world brings you down
You gotta play this living game
When the world brings you down
So take your time
Look round and see
The most in time is where you’re meant to be
For you are light
Inside your dreams
For you will find that it’s something
That touches me


WRITTEN BY

Trevor Rabin/Jon Anderson


PERFORMED BY

Jon Anderson: Vocals
Trevor Rabin: Guitar, Keyboards
Tony Kaye: Organ
Chris Squire: Bass
Alan White: Drums