Going For the One marked the return of Rick Wakeman, who had begun his solo career during his absence from the previous album. It also temporarily replaced Roger Dean as cover artist, instead using Storm Thurgeson and Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis.
While I normally like Hipgnosis artwork, I don’t think this is one of their better pieces. I think Dean’s landscapes fit Yes better.
Members:
Jon Anderson: lead vocals, harp
Steve Howe: steel guitar, electric and acoustic guitars, vachalia, pedal steel guitar, backing vocals
Chris Squire: bass guitar, fretless bass guitar, 8-string bass guitar, vocals
Rick Wakeman: piano, electric keyboards, organ, Polymoog synthesizer, choral arrangement on “Awaken”
Alan White: drums, percussion
The Tracks:
- “Going For the One “: The title track has some beautiful steel guitars and bass. The lyrics make the song feel like it’d fit a training montage.
- “Turn of the Century”: This song is inspired by the myth of Pygmalion. The rhythm changes create some nice flourishes.
- “Wonderous Stories”: This single has beautiful guitars and some good rhythm from Squire, probably some of his best work on the album.
- “Parallels”: I like the hopeful feel of Aquifers lyrics.
- “Awaken”: While this doesn’t have a conceptual structure like the long songs from the previous albums, I love Wakeman’s keyboards and organ parts.
Final Verdict: I feel like this album doesn’t get enough love. It’s not as conceptual as the previous albums, but it shows the start of transitions into shorter material that still allows the band to experiment.
Grade: A
Aspie Catholic 