When Yes originally released Fly From Here in 2011, it marked a reunion of sorts for the lineup that recorded Drama in 1980 -- Steve Howe, Alan White, Chris Squire, Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn -- except that Horn was in the producer's chair and Benoit David was singing lead vocals. It was a great album in my opinion and one of my favorite post-Yes West albums.
That said, I think I like the new version that features Horn back on lead vocals (making it a full reunion of the Drama lineup) and is appropriately titled Fly From Here -- Return Trip.
Here are my takeaways on Fly From Here -- Return Trip:
1) Trevor Horn sounds great, especially on the suite-length title cut...which isn't a surprise since him and Geoff Downes co-wrote it in 1980. Trevor brings his own flavor to the song and makes some subtle adjustments to the mix and lyrics that give it a very fresh sound.
2) The vocal mix overall sounds great. Trevor Horn did a great job of bringing out the harmony vocals and giving them some extra crunchiness.
3) Having the full version of "Hour of Need" is cool. I always enjoyed that song since it's a Steve Howe co-lead with Benoit David (original album) and now with Trevor Horn. Howe's guitar work is strong as well.
4) "Don't Take No For An Answer" (featuring a Steve Howe lead vocal) is a nice treat. First, Howe's guitar work on the song is great (as expected), but has some nice crunchiness that adds to the song, especially on the end solo. Vocally speaking, Howe is solid. He does not have the pipes of a Jon Anderson or other well-known Yes vocalists (not that he needs them, since he's a guitar maestro), but like Ringo Starr with the Beatles, he sounds solid on his own songs or on songs written for his voice. Definitely a nice addition to Fly From Here -- Return Trip.
Buhler's rating: ***** out of five.
