Pretty decent album: I like it more than
Fly From Here, but I think most can agree that it is nowhere near as good as the best "YesWest" had to offer (
90125, parts of
Union and
Open Your Eyes,
The Ladder) or classic 70's progressive rock Yes either.
Still, 'The Game' is probably the first time I've heard these guys attempt to do something resembling a modern pop song, and 'Step Beyond' and 'Subway Walls' are quite tasty on their own merits too...so that deserves something if not a bit of appreciation to hear them branch out even if its just a smidgen.
According to interviews, Heaven & Earth was "rushed" as far as the album creation process goes, and I think the album might have been a little stronger if the boys had taken their time more. There's a lot of good stuff here despite that though, so it gets a solid
6/10 from me.
