Rank: Tales From Topographic Oceans

However, I do sincerely believe the from the middle onwards of "The Remembering" is probably the most powerful moments on the entire album. "The Ancient", though probably the weakest in terms of structure/cohesion, is the best in terms of crazed-hippie-Yesness and the rhythmic thing. "Ritual" also gets major props for the drum-electronics solo (even better when they played it live in the mid-70s with the sampled (?) growling and barking).

this album is really funky though.

So the flowering creativity of life wove its web face to face with the shallow
And their gods sought out and conquered
Ah Kin

Do the leaves of green stay greener through the autumn
Does the colour of the sun turn crimson white
Does a shadow come between us in the winter
Is the movement really light

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does one child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
Along without you
Along without you

Where does reaon stop and killing just take over
Does a lamb cry out before we shoot it dead
Are there many more in comfort understanding
Is the movement in the head

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does one child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
Along without you
Along without you

I agree.

I read in a ca. 1980 interview w/Anderson that Radio Luxembourg had planned to air the album in its entirety a few days before its release. The appointed time arrives, the tape rolls -- silence. The studio had been delivered a blank tape. Anderson said that that was the moment that he felt the commercial/critical tide begin to turn.

(That's the same riff that De La have just looped on "The Grind Date" btw. Yes = fountain of all modern pop?)

some great quotes here, and an anguished hate-letter to the record from a big fan of the band

1.Miles Davis - Agharta
2.Soft Machine - Third
3.Miles Davis - Dark Magus
4.Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music
5.Tangerine Dream - Zeit
6.Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans

"What, on the other hand, is the point of the boring, repetitive, aimless, extraneous music on Tales, other than to fill up each side of an album?"

The answer is Relayer.

I listened to this at work today and my neighbor said it sounded like a video game.

The 11 minute mark of Revealing is so : 0

http://wallpaperbackgrounds.com/Content/wallpapers/misc/unknown/tales-from-topographic-oceans-misc-35171.jpg

as certain as we walk today

I need to make a stronger dive into TFTO ("Constant doors will open eyes"), but the opening 20 seconds of "Nous Sommes Du Soleil" would be the most awesome "walking up to the plate" music for a baseball player ever. Hell, the only songs that I feel come close are "Timebomb" by The Old 97s, "1 Billion Dogs" by Jay Som, or "Queen" by Perfume Genius.

Tales has great moments throughout, though I mostly return to it for the "Nous sommes du soleil" moments on Ritual. I don't think it really detracts in their 70s career, nor that it is all that ridiculous, despite its symbolic image of the ivory tower of prog rock.
Another sun-explosive Yes moment is of course Awaken.

alternate truth / alternate view / surely surely