Yoso-Elements (2010)

In the world of music, alliances have always existed, some strange and others more logical and "conventional". From blues artists with pop singers, to metalheads with progressive rockers, to rock stars with jazz musicians, and so on, an endless array of collaborations and styles. The one we're featuring today is a reunion of members of the AOR group Toto with several former members of the progressive rock band Yes. And what better "way" to start the alliance than by giving this group a name that is, to say the least, absurd: Yoso (clearly they didn't put much thought into choosing it). This project, or supergroup, as we might call it, was composed of Toto's vocalist, Bobby Kimball, and former Yes members Tony Kaye (keyboards) and Billy Sherwood (bass), as well as session guitarist Jimmy Haun, Asia and Yes drummer Jay Schellen, and other percussionists such as Lou Molino, Johnny Bruhns, Scott Connor, and Jody Cortez. Essentially, what we find here is a repertoire of songs of the highest instrumental caliber, focused on melodic rock with progressive elements something that is quite obvious given the background of all its members. Impeccable melodies, exquisite vocal harmonies, and superbly executed music are what we hear in tracks like "Walk Away", "Close The Curtain", "Yoso", "Return To Yesterday", and "Won't End Tonight". Without being pretentious, this is an album that undoubtedly delighted both fans of melodic rock and those of commercial progressive rock.