Big Generator

Big Generator is the twelfth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 21 September 1987 by Atco Records. It was the band's final studio album of original material for the label, as well as their last studio album of the 1980s to feature lead vocalist Jon Anderson. Following the world tour for their highly successful album 90125 (1983)—which established a shift from their traditional 1970s progressive rock sound toward a commercially accessible, pop-oriented direction—the band began working on a follow-up in 1985 with returning producer Trevor Horn. The recording process was highly fraught and protracted, spanning two years due to severe internal and creative gridlock within the group. Sessions originally commenced inside a castle in Carimate, Italy, in an attempt to foster band chemistry. However, the period was marred by unproductive writing sessions and an increasingly toxic interpersonal atmosphere. Creative progress was further strained by Horn's decision to deliberately exclude Anderson from the initial writing and rehearsal sessions. Production subsequently relocated to London, but escalating creative differences persisted, ultimately prompting Horn to abandon the project. The unfinished album was moved once more to Los Angeles, where guitarist Trevor Rabin and engineer Paul DeVilliers assumed co-production duties to finalise the tracks. Musically, the album continued the pop-rock and dance-rock direction of 90125, emphasising Rabin's polished guitar work, intricate keyboard textures, and layered vocal harmonies on mainstream rock tracks like "Love Will Find a Way" and "Rhythm of Love", alongside more experimental arrangements such as "Shoot High Aim Low" and "Final Eyes". Big Generator received mixed reviews from music critics upon release, with commentators divided over its heavy reliance on high-tech 1980s production techniques. It reached number 15 on the US Billboard 200 and number 17 on the UK Albums Chart. The album yielded two Top 40 singles...