October 15, 2025 • 5 mins
Don't sleep on 'Drama' from 1980 by Yes! Author Preston Frazier shares why this album, featuring Trevor Horn on vocals, is his favorite despite Jon Anderson's absence. Give it a listen and discover a hidden gem in the Yes discography.
Listen to Episode 324: The Other Side Of Yes: Exploring The Music Without Jon Anderson
15% OFF Any Purchase At Old Glory For Booked On Rock Listeners! — Over 300,000 officially licensed items. Featuring legendary music artists like Bob Marley, The Beatles,
Grateful Dead, and more. Use the code "BOOKEDONROCK" or hit this link:
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The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe
Listen to Episode 324: The Other Side Of Yes: Exploring The Music Without Jon Anderson
15% OFF Any Purchase At Old Glory For Booked On Rock Listeners! — Over 300,000 officially licensed items. Featuring legendary music artists like Bob Marley, The Beatles,
Grateful Dead, and more. Use the code "BOOKEDONROCK" or hit this link:
https://oldglory.com/discount/BOOKEDONROCK
----------
BookedOnRock.com
The Booked On Rock Store
The Booked On Rock YouTube Channel
Follow The Booked On Rock with Eric Senich:
BLUESKY
TIKTOK
X
Find Your Nearest Independent Bookstore
Contact The Booked On Rock Podcast: thebookedonrockpodcast@gmail.com
The Booked On Rock Music: “Whoosh” by Crowander / “Last Train North” & “No Mercy” by TrackTribe
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here's a highlight from a recent episode of Booked on Rock.
Preston Fraser, the author of Yes Indeed, tales from Yes
without John Anderson. The opening chapter covers the nineteen eighty
album Drama. That's the first one. It's their tenth studio album,
but the only to feature Trevor Horn on lead vocals,
and the first with Jeff Downs on keyboards. A wonderfully
written opening, I'm gonna quote you here, you write quote.
(00:23):
In the autumn of nineteen eighty, as dusk settled over
London's foggy streets, the air carried a secret promise of change,
promised that the familiar might yet be reborn. For Yes,
a band long defined by its intricate progressions and sprawling epics,
that night was the quiet prelude to a transformation both
unexpected and inevitable. The stage was set not in a
(00:43):
grand arena, but in the collective determination of its members,
a determination that, despite internal fractures and the loss of
cherish icons like John Anderson and Rick Wakeman, the creative
spirit of Yes would not only endure but evolve. Wonderfully written.
Wanted to quote you directly on that one. Before we
get into the album. What led to the departure of
(01:05):
John Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, right.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I think it was because of these I think it
was nineteen seventy nine or nineteen seventy eight, the Paris
sessions that they did with Roy Thomas Baker, who died
a few months ago. I mean they were working on
an album in Paris. It was Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Squire
and White. They had completed some rough tracks and then
(01:30):
I believe Alan White, their their late drummer, went out
went roller skating, disco skating. It broke his ankle, so
they decided to wrap up the album. They wrap up
the sessions, but it was thought that Anderson and Anderson
and Wakeman really weren't feeling the music. They weren't enjoying
(01:51):
the sessions. They were kind of burnt out and they
wanted to do their own things. So they both went
in their way to do solo albums. And that led
to a situation where Squire said, well, I want to continue.
How do you want to continue? Why do you want
to continue? And they said yeah. So they found the
Buggles and integrated the Buggles, Jeff Downs and Trevor Horn
(02:14):
into the Band.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And the Buggles, known for video Killed the Radio Star
famously known for that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Song and two great, two really good albums by Jeff
and Trevor.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, I've heard about that. I got to listen to him.
I've heard that. Let's talk about the soul single from
the album, which is Into the Lens. Interesting comment, I'm
hoping you can expand on you write quote. It was
as if the band, through this song, invited its listeners
to look deeply into the reflective surfaces of memory and change,
to witness the subtle alchemy of loss transforming into innovation.
(02:46):
Now this is referring to both the complexity and the
power of the track.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Right Into the Lens is a wonderful well. Quite frankly,
I love every song on Drama. It's one of my
favorite Yes albums. It's not my favorite, but the Lens
is a great song because it could it buying so
many great progressive elements, so many great pop elements, and
it has such wonderful guitar nuance playing to the album,
(03:13):
to the song. One thing I like about Drama is
that how doesn't do what's expected, nor does filed matter.
Chris Squire know that, nor did he ever do that.
It is really subtle, but it's different, it is progressive.
I talked to John Anderson a few years ago about
(03:35):
his album with ron A Stoved. I think it was
called what was it called like the Miracle of Life
or something like that. It was a du what album,
And I asked him what was progressive music? And I
really appreciate the album he'd done with Rona, and he said, well,
progressive music music are always progressive, there always moving forward.
(03:57):
And I think into the Lens and Drama shows that
where it's a band that didn't want to recreate fragile,
they want to create close to the edge, but wanted
to move forward they really did.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
What was the response to the album from the fans
and the critics and how did the perceptions kind of
shift in the years following its release.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I don't remember where it charted. It charted pretty
well though in America and in England. But I think
that a lot of fans weren't aware initially back when
it was released that Anderson and Wakeman no longer in
the band, and a lot of people bought it and
initially thought it was okay or it was not okay
(04:36):
because it wasn't John and Eric Wakeman. I think over
the years it has definitely gained a following fans. A
lot of fans point to this as being one of
their favorite Yes albums, and I think when they toured,
they toured they did. It was five years ago for
a topographic Drama tour with one part drama, the first
(04:59):
part of the drama in its entirely, the second part
teals some topographic oceans in its entirety, and those songs
were really well received by the audience. And also the
Topographic Drama live release is a wonderful live release, probably
one of the best live releases for a band has
a lot of live releases. So it has definitely gained
(05:21):
favor among Yes fans, especially those who are you know
who are open to new singers and new ideas, and
even those who said there's no Yes without John Anderson,
some of them have fall into the fold.
Here's a highlight from a recent episode of Booked on Rock.
Preston Fraser, the author of Yes Indeed, tales from Yes
without John Anderson. The opening chapter covers the nineteen eighty
album Drama. That's the first one. It's their tenth studio album,
but the only to feature Trevor Horn on lead vocals,
and the first with Jeff Downs on keyboards. A wonderfully
written opening, I'm gonna quote you here, you write quote.
(00:23):
In the autumn of nineteen eighty, as dusk settled over
London's foggy streets, the air carried a secret promise of change,
promised that the familiar might yet be reborn. For Yes,
a band long defined by its intricate progressions and sprawling epics,
that night was the quiet prelude to a transformation both
unexpected and inevitable. The stage was set not in a
(00:43):
grand arena, but in the collective determination of its members,
a determination that, despite internal fractures and the loss of
cherish icons like John Anderson and Rick Wakeman, the creative
spirit of Yes would not only endure but evolve. Wonderfully written.
Wanted to quote you directly on that one. Before we
get into the album. What led to the departure of
(01:05):
John Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman, right.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I think it was because of these I think it
was nineteen seventy nine or nineteen seventy eight, the Paris
sessions that they did with Roy Thomas Baker, who died
a few months ago. I mean they were working on
an album in Paris. It was Anderson, Wakeman, Howe, Squire
and White. They had completed some rough tracks and then
(01:30):
I believe Alan White, their their late drummer, went out
went roller skating, disco skating. It broke his ankle, so
they decided to wrap up the album. They wrap up
the sessions, but it was thought that Anderson and Anderson
and Wakeman really weren't feeling the music. They weren't enjoying
(01:51):
the sessions. They were kind of burnt out and they
wanted to do their own things. So they both went
in their way to do solo albums. And that led
to a situation where Squire said, well, I want to continue.
How do you want to continue? Why do you want
to continue? And they said yeah. So they found the
Buggles and integrated the Buggles, Jeff Downs and Trevor Horn
(02:14):
into the Band.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
And the Buggles, known for video Killed the Radio Star
famously known for that.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Song and two great, two really good albums by Jeff
and Trevor.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, I've heard about that. I got to listen to him.
I've heard that. Let's talk about the soul single from
the album, which is Into the Lens. Interesting comment, I'm
hoping you can expand on you write quote. It was
as if the band, through this song, invited its listeners
to look deeply into the reflective surfaces of memory and change,
to witness the subtle alchemy of loss transforming into innovation.
(02:46):
Now this is referring to both the complexity and the
power of the track.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Right Into the Lens is a wonderful well. Quite frankly,
I love every song on Drama. It's one of my
favorite Yes albums. It's not my favorite, but the Lens
is a great song because it could it buying so
many great progressive elements, so many great pop elements, and
it has such wonderful guitar nuance playing to the album,
(03:13):
to the song. One thing I like about Drama is
that how doesn't do what's expected, nor does filed matter.
Chris Squire know that, nor did he ever do that.
It is really subtle, but it's different, it is progressive.
I talked to John Anderson a few years ago about
(03:35):
his album with ron A Stoved. I think it was
called what was it called like the Miracle of Life
or something like that. It was a du what album,
And I asked him what was progressive music? And I
really appreciate the album he'd done with Rona, and he said, well,
progressive music music are always progressive, there always moving forward.
(03:57):
And I think into the Lens and Drama shows that
where it's a band that didn't want to recreate fragile,
they want to create close to the edge, but wanted
to move forward they really did.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
What was the response to the album from the fans
and the critics and how did the perceptions kind of
shift in the years following its release.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, I don't remember where it charted. It charted pretty
well though in America and in England. But I think
that a lot of fans weren't aware initially back when
it was released that Anderson and Wakeman no longer in
the band, and a lot of people bought it and
initially thought it was okay or it was not okay
(04:36):
because it wasn't John and Eric Wakeman. I think over
the years it has definitely gained a following fans. A
lot of fans point to this as being one of
their favorite Yes albums, and I think when they toured,
they toured they did. It was five years ago for
a topographic Drama tour with one part drama, the first
(04:59):
part of the drama in its entirely, the second part
teals some topographic oceans in its entirety, and those songs
were really well received by the audience. And also the
Topographic Drama live release is a wonderful live release, probably
one of the best live releases for a band has
a lot of live releases. So it has definitely gained
(05:21):
favor among Yes fans, especially those who are you know
who are open to new singers and new ideas, and
even those who said there's no Yes without John Anderson,
some of them have fall into the fold.
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