Machine Messiah by Yes in 4K UHD HQ Audio

From Wikipedia:
The album opens with the ten-minute "Machine Messiah" which, according to Horn, was written in one day. It features some guitar riffs from Howe that reporter and critic Chris Welch described as "unexpectedly heavy metal". White called the song his "baby", putting together much of its structure and rhythm. Squire found some of its passages difficult to play on his bass and thought it was more suited for keyboards, but was encouraged by White to master his parts. Downes rates the track highly, citing its various sections and mood changes. When he was composing his keyboard parts for the song, Downes included an arpeggiated segment from the Toccata fifth movement of Symphony for Organ No. 5 by Charles-Marie Widor, a piece that he was familiar with from his youth.
Lyrics:
Run down a street
Where the glass shows
That summer has gone
Age, in the doorways
Resenting the pace of the dawn.
All of them standing in line
All of them waiting for time.
From time, the great healer,
The machine-Messiah
Is born.
Cables that carry the life
To the cities we build
Threads that link diamonds of life
To the satanic mills
Ah, to see in every way
That we feel it every
Day, and know that
Maybe we'll change
Offered the chance
To finally unlearn our lessons
And alter our stance.
Part II
Friends make their way into systems of chance
(reply- friends make their way of escape into systems of chance)
Escape to freedom I need to be there
Waiting and watching, the tables are turning
I'm waiting and watching
I need to be there.
I care to see them walk away
And, to be there when they say
They will return.
Machine, Machine Messiah
The mindless
Search for a higher
Controller
Take me to the fire
And hold me
Show me the strength of your
Singular eye.
Part III
History dictating symptoms of ruling romance
Claws at the shores of the water upon which we dance
All of us standing in line
All of us waiting for time
To feel it, all the way
And to be there when they
Say they know that
Maybe we'll change
Offered the chance
To finally unlearn our lessons
And alter our stance.
Machine, machine Messiah.
Take me into the fire
Hold me, machine Messiah
And show me
The strength of your singular eye.

[@architectofechoes4]

Many, many years ago whilst working for a small typesetting company in Clerkenwell Green in London, we were given an urgent job. To produce the accompanying lyric sheet for Drama. Typeset from the original hand written lyrics. I was tasked with doing the layout, proof-reading and paste up of the artwork!! What a great day that was! I got home and phoned my mate, also a big YES fan like me, gave him the news and told him what the song titles were and a snippet or two of the lyrics !

[@matthewblack7206]

Some of the best lead guitar playing of Steve Howe's whole career. Squire's bass playing on this is fantastic, too.

[@bensantiago4557]

I always loved Yes and Drama is one of my favorite albums.Some don't even consider it a Yes album but always sounded like one to me.

[@billmurray7473]

Yes can go out without Anderson & Squire, and this album shows that.

[@Tolemac7]

@@billmurray7473 Lol. except that Chris Squire played on every song on this album.

[@billmurray7473]

@@Tolemac7 Thanks for the reminder. I remember now that it was Anderson & Wakeman who left . They were replaced by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. Downes & Steve Howe went on to form Asia( the band, Not the continent).

[@ThaiThom]

@@billmurray7473 Squire is all over this album!!!

[@billmurray7473]

@@ThaiThom I stand corrected from my earlier post. Question: Did Squire co- produce the album, or was it a collaborative effort?

[@Jamfjr]

Written in one day? Crazy but I believe it with these guys! Absolutely amazing

[@henkdegroot5872]

A piece like this could perfectly fit in a rockopera. Great tunes as it is always with Yes. From 1970 onwards this was always one of my favourites.....And it will stay as long as I live!!

[@paulsimmons5726]

Drama was a completely underrated album; both sides of the LP had some great tunes! The bass & drum work were really a high point for the Squire/White partnership, some really intricate pieces on that LP!

[@reaganl.5113]

This album, Drama, is often discounted because Jon Anderson is not doing the vocals. I have always found it one of my favorites to listen to.

[@thetruthissweet2847]

Same here as I stated in my reply

[@Galahad-hk4bb]

100% AGREED !!!

[@personaldsentidades1540]

Just another masterpiece of the YES band.

[@rogerc3484]

This Yes song stands out as a very strong message from all the others. It whole texture and movements are beauitful in a machine like way! Perfection!

[@matthewblack7206]

*FANTASTIC!!* Thank you for redoing it in Hi-Def.

[@Mr._Bassman97]

Drama is one of the best Prog albums ever created. Masterpiece. Wish it was longer. Then Fly from Here came out. Got my wish.

[@teamflanneloutdoors5631]

After all these years, Absotutley fucking epic.

[@mytmouse57]

Drama is one of my favorite Yes albums, and this is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Thanks for posting!

[@GrizbyK72]

Drama is that weird Yes album that isn’t quite in line with the rest but I like more and more every time I revisit it.

[@JoannaT2]

Reminds me of of Kilroy Was Here (both oddly prophetic to some emergent AI super consciousness) which was also a concept album for Styx at the time that left their fanbase divided.

[@1musichombre]

That final scene is inspired. This song shows Yes saw the. Coming of AI and robotics that will be dominant in another 10 years

[@billmurray7473]

I guess Isaac Asimov really WAS trying to tell us something.

[@kazrig]

How the Hell did I miss this ,, Thank you VZ !!!

[@thetruthissweet2847]

I saw the Drama tour in-the-round at Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. About 10k showed up only because of no Anderson and Wakeman. The tour before was sold-out (17k) at Civic Arena. I have seen Yes 5 times and the Drama show was the only one not sold out. Didn’t matter, Drama stands by itself. I thought the concert and album were a breath of fresh air for Yes at that time.

[@joofaloof3219]

Pity John did not do vocals. But this is one of their best songs imo. That bass is great plus the rest of the band are excellent.

[@ThaiThom]

vzqk50HD: Amazing! Great video, as always. With Yes, your work is always perfect!

[@oscarguzman4663]

Tema que te lleva a la universalidad de la vida, gracias

[@dementedavenger74]

Brilliant ✌️

[@JP_Slade]

That's a hell of a lot of music right there bubba!

[@francocolinzeferino]

Thanks a lot!

[@Просвет-у4в]

А Андерсон эту композицию когда - нибудь исполнял?... Или как Гиллан не пел репертуар Ковердейла ?

[@jbirdnelson3818]

The Man in the White Car is stuck in traffic......

[@billmurray7473]

Must have been Rush Hour. Should've taken the Roundabout route.

[@64214Jose]

Lol

[@jameslick9610]

Yes ?????????????

[@64214Jose]

Sure it is

[@russgundlach5971]

Show me the strength of your singular eye!

[@jimbritt1471]

Steve Howe!!!!!

[@davidstopford3165]

Yes. But who built the machines?

[@vzqk50HD]

Right this minute we are building the drones that are capable of independently killing us. Refer to Star Trek TNG episode The Arsenal of Freedom.

[@davidstopford3165]

@@vzqk50HD keep your videos coming till the end. .

[@raymondhartmeijer9300]

I think the song says the machines that we control ending up controlling us. The Satanic Mills is a reference to the Industrial revolution, where people were working at machines that dictated the speed and routine of the work, ie. does the worker operate the machine, or is the machine operating him? (Marx, Capital, ch15)

[@piola63]

Drama its a ... very special albooom

[@veheeo720]

Simply Splendid !! run down the street where the glass shows summer has gone! 🤩💥❤💯👀🌹🥨🌀⚡🔥🎃✨🎉💎🎩