'Union' - Another Game of Exploration

In 1988, following the Big Generator Tour, Yes vocalist Jon Anderson reunited with Yes alumni Bill Bruford (drums), Rick Wakeman (keyboard), and Steve Howe (guitar) to form Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. They recorded and released an album in 1989 and embarked on a tour. Yes fans came to know ABWH as "Yes East" and the lineup that made 90125 and Big Generator as "Yes West."

After Yes guitarist Trevor Rabin released his solo album Can't Look Away and toured in support of it, he regrouped with remaining Yes West members Tony Kaye (keyboard), Chris Squire (bass), and Alan White (drums) to figure out what to do without Anderson, as they worked with former Yes producer Eddy Offord. They considered recording and touring as a quartet, but then they tried searching for someone to fulfill the lead vocalist role. One of the candidates was former Lodgic member and then World Trade member Billy Sherwood, who had really hit it off with Squire. With Yes, Sherwood worked on three songs: "Love Conquers All," "Say Goodbye," and "The More We Live-Let Go." A Rabin-sung version of "Love Conquers All" would end up on the 1991 box set YesYears. But the Sherwood-sung "Say Goodbye" appeared in a televised ad (containing footage from the music video for "Love Will Find a Way") announcing that Yes would be releasing a new album and going on tour again. However, Sherwood was not quite sure that he would be a suitable replacement for Anderson, seeing the decision as career suicide.

As ABWH tried making their second album, Anderson got in touch with Rabin and asked if he'd like to guest on their album. Rabin sent Anderson a tape containing three songs: "Lift Me Up," "Saving My Heart," and "Miracle of Life." Rabin asked for Anderson to choose one of the tracks. However, management got involved, and the result was the merging of ABWH into Yes. Anderson added his vocals to the Yes West tracks, and Squire added backing vocals to ABWH songs "I Would Have Waited Forever," "Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day," and "Dangerous." The new record, advertised as Dialogue in February 1991, later became Union. It was released by ABWH's label Arista Records on April 30, 1991.

Many session musicians were involved in the Yes East tracks on Union. Producer Jonathan Elias (whose album Requiem for the Americas Anderson had guested on, singing on "Within the Lost World" and "Far Far Cry") has recalled that members of ABWH were not working well together. He has a writing credit for almost all of this faction's group tracks except for "Take the Water to the Mountain."

As was the case on the first ABWH album, Tony Levin played the bass and Chapman Stick. Jimmy Haun (who would later be a founding member of Circa in 2006 along with Billy Sherwood, Alan White, and Tony Kaye) recorded guitar parts to fill in gaps and even recorded over Howe's parts, much to Howe's dissatisfaction. According to Haun in an interview for Henry Potts' website Bondegezou, Howe does not appear on "Shock to the System," "Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day," "Dangerous," or "Take the Water to the Mountain." Billy Sherwood's brother Michael Sherwood provided backing vocals and contributed to almost all of the group songs by Yes East, exceptions being "Dangerous" and "Give & Take." Jon Anderson's daughter also contributed backing vocals, as did Ian Lloyd from the band Stories. Toto member Steve Porcaro also played the synthesizer. There are many musicians listed for this album, and to list all of them would be tedious.

Though this record provided an opportunity for an eight-member Yes lineup to tour together, the fan reception for the album itself has been very mixed over the years. Whenever I play a Yes album in my head, I try to keep it as close to the album as possible. But Union is the album where I find myself doing some mental editing based on what I've heard on other versions of the tracks that appear on it. I have included certain versions of the tracks that are available via YouTube for anyone's curiosity. I'd say that knowing of the other versions makes me appreciate the end result of the album a bit less, knowing of the potential that was there. Still, the making of the Union album intrigues me, and if time travel were possible, I wouldn't mind being a fly on the wall for it (even if there were many walls).

1. "I Would Have Waited Forever"

The opening song starts abruptly with loud vocals that could potentially scare the listener. It might be the most abrupt opening to any Yes studio album. Jimmy Haun accompanies the opening verses with notes that are meant to be reminiscent to "Starship Trooper," as per Arista's request. Then we get a nice riff from Howe, which would end up on "Sensitive Chaos" from Howe's 1991 solo album Turbulence. Even though it's an ABWH track, "I Would Have Waited Forever" feels like a blend of "Yes East" and "Yes West." Perhaps some listeners back in the day may have been convinced that all eight members were on this track.

There are certainly attempts to sound modern, particularly in the verses, "Everyone will move with you now to the riverside / Experience everything, but don't let the land slide." And then "landslide" echoes. Before the last stanza, there is an uplifting guitar rift that originated from a Steve Howe demo called "Big Love," which was meant for the second ABWH album. The music escalates, taking listeners on a journey across lands and seas even if just for a little while. This might be the best put-together Yes East song on the album, so having it as the album opener was a smart choice.

On a Union promo CD, the outro is actually extended and not just the fadeout that we get on the album. This version also appeared on the 2002 box set In a Word: Yes. Without that outro, the album version sounds incomplete to me. A shame since it's just short of being perfect.

2. "Shock to the System"

"Shock to the System" sounds reminiscent of "City of Love" from 90125, and yet this is another Yes East track. The riff has a rough and aggressive sound. The lyrics are pretty straightforward during these riffs, but it sounds like something else during the "So, in answer to the prayer" sections. A good blend of more rhythmic sections and more melodic sections. At the first show of the Union Tour, Anderson sang "The one you feel so close inside you" instead of "The one you feel inside of you." These words may refer to people engaging in a... well, union, so to speak.

According to Jimmy Haun, he was asked to play an outro reminiscent of "The Gates of Delirium," and I can hear what he means. The outro is different in recordings from the tour. But when I imagine this track in my head, I like to combine the two, with the live outro preceding the album one, more or less.

3. "Masquerade"

Steve Howe comes in with his solo "Masquerade." It is a gentle, melodic track. Perhaps one might think of green pastures on a sunny day. People may have negative perceptions associated with disguises, but perhaps to masquerade is to pretend, and play as someone else for a while in some sort of game. And of course, there are masquerade dances. I am not sure what the intention is, but Howe definitely nails this song. It actually got a Grammy Award nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. He would go on to play it at shows here and there on various Yes tours.

4. "Lift Me Up"

A Rabin-sung version of "Lift Me Up" appeared on the Union promo, but I with the way that Rabin sung the words on that version, I think that it really needed Anderson. "Lift Me Up" is about the struggles of homeless people. It begins with drumbeats and an escalating guitar. The intro was actually included at live shows on Rabin's tour for Can't Look Away. After the intro, the sound crashes down in a very "Close to the Edge" fashion. It is, as the title would have one believe, very uplifting. "Take me to the highest mountain" sounds a bit similar to the title of track 14, "Take the Water to the Mountain." "Open doors - They may be closed to me" is somewhat reminiscent of "Holding doors will open every way" from "To Be Over."

"Lift Me Up" had a huge presence in the live setting of the Union Tour. It included an a capella section at the end, which is the reverse of where its placement is on the music video for it. Eventually, after Anderson, Rabin, and Wakeman reunited in 2016 to tour together, "Lift Me Up" was performed by them for the first time since the Union Tour. And it still feels relevant, working well as a song to lift spirits and bring attention to what's going on in the world. Since this song contains the verses "While I got no life, I got no hope / I'm falling in love," I can see why it may have been decided to place this before the track that follows.

5. "Without Hope You Cannot Start the Day"

A haunting piano accompanies the opening verses, conveying the feeling of living a day without optimism. A vibe of depression. "Oh why" echoes. Once this melancholic section ends, the music gets heavy and intense, with the sound, once again, being reminiscent of "City of Love." So far, it feels like the first few Yes East tracks are attempts to replicate the success of Yes West tracks. Opinions may differ on the results, but I enjoy the songs overall.

To me, the imagery really works: "Fire burning wild, burning in the night, chasing in the wind / Shadows always dance in the rain, ringing into the fire." The music suits this song of fire and shadows (which may sound like a fantasy novel). The words "Better by far" appear, and I've noticed that Anderson has included these words in "Incoming" from his 2011 solo album Survival & Other Stories and "Better by Far" from the Anderson/Stolt album Invention of Knowledge.

There are also expressions of love. It feels like a strange mixture of themes, but I actually really enjoy it, even more-so on the extended version that was on the promo. The extra "must be love" verses on that, accompanied by more upbeat music, are probably why the track was titled "Must Be Love" on the promo. The album title is certainly a mouthful. Whenever I play this song in my head, the extended version is what I prefer.

But getting back to the album version, we quickly get into a new section where the likes of "I can see what you're thinking of" are repeated, and Michael Sherwood actually sings the counterline here. The keys in the outro sound Wakeman-esque. Specifically, they sound reminiscent of "South Side of the Sky" to me. I am also reminded of "The Pharos of Alexandria" from his 1995 album The Seven Wonders of the World. But it can be difficult to tell whether this is actually him playing at the end of the track.

6. "Saving My Heart"

The subject of "Saving My Heart" is similar to "City of Love" (I suppose a good chunk of this album reminds me of that song). I get this vibe from the opening verse, "In the street where we live there's a place called desire." But the song is more sentimental. I admire the use of such phrases as "emotional confound" and "cool disposition." And Rabin has impressive guitar work. There is definitely a reggae influence. On the Union Tour, Anderson and Rabin played a bit of a stripped down version of the song. As shown on Union Live, people walked behind them wearing boxes at the Mountain View show. A very odd display.

7. "Miracle of Life"

The opening of "Miracle of Life" sounds very much like prog rock even though it's coming from Yes West. Kaye's organ is very audible. And the guitar conveys a very triumphant sound, as if nothing could take away the wondrous feeling of being alive. Rabin came up with this song after hearing of the slaughtering of dolphins in Denmark, so the subject matter is in the vein of "Don't Kill the Whale" from Tormato. Mark Mancina is actually credited as a co-writer, which is very fitting considering that he would go on to arrange songs for The Lion King, which begins with the song "Circle of Life."

Rabin included a demo of this song on 90124. It begins with Rabin singing "Hold on to the miracle of life" before the intro begins, and the ending has a reprise of the riff after that intro. I like to imagine this Rabin-sung version, with Anderson singing the ocean names in between. I believe that this is the best Yes West track on Union.

8. "Silent Talking"

I've heard "Silent Talking" described as an attempt to do "Close to the Edge" in four minutes, and I can definitely hear that. The opening riff actually reminds me of one from the beginning of that epic. It also appears on the song "The Inner Battle" from Howe's 1991 solo album Turbulence. There is a lack of lyrics, and it feels as if they are being rushed. I really like the intensity of the music surrounding the "It doesn't ring" verses. We get to the more light tone of the "Silent talking" verses pretty quickly, without much of a transition. The version on the Union promo actually takes its to get into this section, so I like to imagine that version, but with all the lyrics (The verses prior to "It doesn't ring" are absent on the promo). I really like how upbeat the music gets toward the end.

9. "The More We Live-Let Go"

On this song written by Billy Sherwood and Chris Squire, the tone of the keys feels very foreboding. And yet, despite the downbeat atmosphere, the lyrics are very positive, talking about changing the world and reaching goals. Anderson and Squire alternate their voices from verse to verse. Billy actually plays bass on this song. He and Offord suggested that Squire re-record the bass parts, but Squire insisted that Billy be left in, which is nice. Even though I love Anderson's singing, I actually prefer "The More We Live" with Sherwood's vocals. Thankfully, this would end up on Squire and Sherwood's Conspiracy in 2o00, along with Sherwood-sung versions of "Love Conquers All" and "Say Goodbye" (A version of the latter would appear on World Trade's 1995 album Euphoria.).

10. "Angkor Wat"

The placing of "Angkor Wat" after "The More We Live" actually makes sense, given the similar tone. At the start, the opening conveys an enigmatic vibe that reminds me of the beginning of "Mind Drive," a song that Yes would record in 1996. There is something magnetic about the words "To return to the center." They actually remind me of Wakeman's 1999 album Return to the Centre of the Earth. He really does make this song sound atmospheric. It contains a Cambodian poem by Pauline Cheng, the following translation of which has popped up around the web:

In the past, present, and future,

You are my knowledge and wealth,

and you are everything.

You are the Mother, and you are the Father.

You are the (a) Friend and Companion

Bringing us out of Death to Survival,

Showing us the truth,

Protecting us and our presence,

In the past, present, and future,

You are my knowledge and wealth...

11. "Dangerous (Look in the Light of What You're Searching For)"

"Dangerous" feels like a dance club song. And other versions of it that have popped up show just as much. It might sound like the most out-of-place track here. Some of the words, such as "don't show your body" make me think, "Really?" There's an instrumental interlude that feels very artificial. Same goes for the ending. It's as if this were presented as a dance club remix of an already existing song. Honestly, there's not a lot of good things I can say about this one. I also find it strange that it has this long alternate title in parentheses.

12. "Holding On"

It's odd that ABWH would make a song titled "Holding On" when Yes already made a song titled "Hold On." I believe that a more different title such as "Time Enough" or "Disbelieving" might have been better and caused less confusion. According to Haun, Howe only plays the first main riff on this song. The version on the Union promo with the additional chorus stanzas are nice, but I prefer the album version, which includes the opening vocals and the closing vocals, as well as the "Stop that reasoning" section. But I do like to combine the two versions in my head. The demo from the SARM sessions also has different instrumentation that sounds very interesting, though the lyrics are very different as well.

"See the searching... / See the people..." is repeated, conveying a mood of uncertainty. The words "the perfect union" pop up, and they were also on the Jon & Vangelis song "Anyone Can Light a Candle," recorded 1986 and released on their 1991 album Page of Life. (He also sang "We are the foundation of the union" on "Hold You in My Arms," which he recorded as a demo for the second ABWH album.) The "Got to be right; got it coming to you" section sounds very catchy. "Your time is just beginning" is a really nice sentiment for someone who may feel that their journey is done, when really there's a chance to start anew.

13. "Evensong"

"Evensong" is an instrumental by Bruford and Levin, based on a bit of their duet from ABWH's tour. The title is inspired by evening prayer services, and it does have somewhat of a church-like mood to it, if that makes sense. It sounds very pensive. "Evensong" lasts less than a minute, and I wish that it could have been much longer. It sounds so beautiful, but perhaps its brevity makes it feel like a prologue to the next track.

14. "Take the Water to the Mountain"

"Take the Water to the Mountain" was demoed by Anderson for the second ABWH album and later appeared on his collection of demos for that, titled Watching the Flags That Fly. That demo includes a couple of extra stanzas that I like to imagine are sung on a more finished version.

On this song, we are out in nature. The music feels like it's building toward something, but the song is cut short before it can go anywhere. Instead, we get bells and Anderson repeating, "Pica!" Very anticlimactic. The song was performed only once at the first Union Tour show, which took place in Pensacola, Florida.

The promo had an extended version of the song, with the buildup leading into an adventurous guitar segment. Anderson then sings another stanza before an instrumental section that really makes it feel as though one is climbing a mountain and reaching water. Voices say, "Take the water, take the river, take the water," as this version of the song has a natural fadeout. This version would have been a really good album closer. But then again, there's the next track to take into account.

15. "Give & Take"

For some reason, "Give & Take" was a bonus track on European and Japanese releases of Union. I'm not sure what the reasoning is. The intro to "Give & Take" would end up on the title track of Howe's Turbulence. It actually sounds similar to notes on "The More We Live-Let Go." And the track is very fast-paced, carrying with it a turbulent nature. "Don't be afraid to let go / Of the silence that hits you" sounds very Anderson, and in line with similar themes we've heard on other parts of the album. The words "give and take" had also appeared on "Is It Love," which was recorded by Jon & Vangelis in 1986 for their 1991 album Page of Life. It had also been demoed for the second ABWH album, and later appeared on Watching the Flags That Fly. The singing of "talk, talk, talk," at the end is pretty amusing, given that the next album would be titled Talk.

Conclusion

Union is an album that makes one wonder, "What if?" What if there hadn't been management manipulation, as has been recalled? What if ABWH had worked together to make a second album separate from Yes? What if the tracks on the album were more like other versions that are out there?

Even though members of Yes were unhappy with the end result of Union, the tour itself fared very well. Fans got to see eight members performing in the round. The setlist would include very little of Union, with the band devoting much of their set to the songs with which fans were already familiar. Perhaps it made sense as a celebration of multiple eras in which the members had participated. It was a spectacle to behold for a limited amount of time.

Union might be an acquired taste. And I'm sure that some would say that the taste is that of an onion. But sometimes, you need a bit of onion on your dish. So there is no harm in listening to Union in whatever form you so choose.