Steven Shinder

After the the 1979 Paris sessions with Roy Thomas Baker (which were cancelled when drummer Alan White broke his ankle rollerskating), Yes were at a crossroads. Vocalist Jon Anderson and keyboardist Rick Wakeman were not interested in the direction of the band at the time, so they ended up departing. Wakeman leaving Yes was one thing, as the band had proven that they could excel with or without him. But the departure of Anderson was a bigger deal.

After touring for Going for the One, the Yes lineup of Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (keyboard), and Alan White (drums) set out to record their next album. It was meant to be named after the peak, Yes Tor. There are different accounts of who actually decided to throw a tomato at the cover art, but whatever the case, it resulted in the album title changing to Tormato. Released ten years after Yes' formation, the album actually has eight tracks like their first two albums, Yes and Time and a Word. So it does feel a bit like coming full circle, which is appropriate given that the album was followed by a tour "in the round" on a rotating stage that included a 25-minute medley of Yes songs. Tormato was somewhat more eclectic than Going for the One, and listeners over the years have had mixed opinions on the album, especially when it comes to the mixing of it. Still, people are able to find what they love about Tormato.

In 1976, after much touring for Relayer and working on solo albums, Yes took the time to record their next album, this time in Montreux, Switzerland. Though keyboardist Patrick Moraz was involved initially, he was let go from the band. Rick Wakeman was invited back as a session musician, eventually being persuaded to be a full member again. And so, the Tales from Topographic Oceans lineup of Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (keyboard), and Alan White (drums) put out Going for the One. Released in July 1977, it was a bit more of an eclectic album, but the material presented made the album a good listen after nearly three years of no new studio albums from Yes.

Tales from Topographic Oceans was an album that was the pinnacle of Yes music in the eyes of some, and an example of over-indulgence in the eyes of others. After the tour, Rick Wakeman left the band, and Yes were in need of another keyboardist. They ended up with former Refugee member Patrick Moraz, who added his own unique flavor to the album that became Relayer. Released November 28, 1974, Relayer was the seventh album released by Yes within a span of a little more than five years, which is an impressive feat. Indeed, any band with that much output within so small of a span should feel proud to have an album like Relayer at the end of that span.

From March 30, 2001 to December 10, 2002, Invader Zim aired on Nickelodeon. After it got cancelled, several finished episodes ended up on DVD in 2004 and didn't air in the US until they ended up on Nicktoons in 2006. Since then, the 2015 comic series has been the only ongoing Invader Zim content. But now, we have the Netflix movie Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus, which reflects the art style of the comics and brings familiar characters on an absurd and hilarious adventure.

After Yes had a successful tour in support of Close to the Edge (well documented on the Yessongs live album and video and the Progeny box set), Jon Anderson (vocals), Steve Howe (guitar), Chris Squire (bass), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), and Alan White (drums) recorded an album that went a step further than Close to the Edge. Some might say that this next album went over the edge, but others (myself included) would call this a favorite Yes album and a great achievement in the history of the band.