9012Live: The Solos (1985)
1. Hold On
2. Si
3. Solly's Beard
4. Soon
5. Changes
6. Amazing Grace
7. Whitefish
On paper, 9012Live: The Solos is one of those projects that raises an eyebrow before you even hit play. The very idea feels a bit suspect. The “new” Yes lineup at this point had exactly one studio album (90125) and one supporting tour under its belt. A full-blown live album might have been a stretch—after all, there wasn’t much history for them to mine. But if they’d simply recorded an actual 90125-era concert as it was performed, they might have delivered something more cohesive than what ended up on this oddly formatted release.
As the title not-so-subtly suggests, most of this short album is dedicated to individual showcases. Calling them “solos” is generous—they’re really instrumental jams that put a single player in the spotlight while the rest of the band backs them up. It’s a perfectly fine idea for the middle of a live show, where a crowd can watch the musicians trade licks and show off. But as a standalone album? It starts to feel like padding almost immediately.
None of these solo pieces is exactly revelatory. Chris Squire’s Whitefish—an eight-minute bass feature—is arguably the most compelling, with its collage of bass riffs and themes drawn from classic Yes moments. But even that feels indulgent given the overall length of the record. This whole album clocks in at just over half an hour, making that single bass showcase nearly a quarter of the running time. There’s a big difference between showing your chops onstage and expecting someone to play it on their stereo over and over.
They also tack on two actual songs from 90125, namely Owner of a Lonely Heart and Hold On. They’re solid performances, but their inclusion feels like a transparent attempt to give the package a little commercial hook. The juxtaposition of polished, radio-ready singles with extended solo noodling only emphasizes how forced the whole concept feels. It’s as if the band or the label didn’t quite know what they wanted this release to be—a live souvenir, a set of instrumental experiments, or a promotional tie-in to the 90125 juggernaut.
What’s even more frustrating is the timing. This album dropped right as compact discs were hitting the market, offering 74 minutes of uninterrupted potential. They could have included an actual full setlist from the tour, with room to spare for these solos as bonus features. Instead, they served up a scant 33 minutes of material, making it feel more like a promotional EP than a proper live album. It’s hard not to see that as a missed opportunity.
To be fair, 9012Live: The Solos isn’t a bad record in the sense of being poorly performed. These guys were consummate pros, and there are flashes of energy and personality throughout. But as a package, it feels half-baked—an afterthought in search of a reason to exist. For fans hungry to hear this incarnation of Yes in action, it’s better than nothing. But that’s about the faintest praise you can offer.
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