STEVE HOWE Beginnings CHRIS SQUIRE Fish Out off Water PATRICK MORAZ i ALAN WHITE Ramshackled JON ANDERSON Olias of Sunhillow

(all Atlantic)

Might as well confess out front that collectively, as Yes, I kinda like these guys. Not that they don’t have problems—I don’t think they’re ever gonna resolve the discrepancy between the celebratory nature of their lyrics and the formality of their presentation, for instance—but at least they refuse to stand still. It took guts to jump off the edge into Topographic waters, leaving behind that segment of their audience who got off only on their pretty harmonies and melodies, and with Relayer, they even overextended themselves in places, a strange move for these stagnant ’70s.

But now it’s the solo album syndrome taken to its logical confusion. The decision was reached that everyone in the group should have the opportunity to do one—only just and fair, you know. Too bad the results are mostly that-^just fair.