TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

There seems to be a bit of controversy about this album. Judging from the music alone, I can't really see why. This album is equally overblown as anything else featuring Anderson, Squire, Howe & Wakeman. So what's the deal huh?

The Revealing is classic Yes. I even like the moog solo by mr. Wakeman around minute 19, which is quite an achievement, considering how much I usually dislike that guy's playing. The Remembering has a bit of trouble to reach the 20 minute mark gracefully. I like the instrumental parts a lot (again by Wakeman!) but they don't connect well with the actual song. Both tracks are neither better nor worse then Close to the Edge. Admitted, they are not as stunning as And You And I, but that was Yes' best song anyway right?

Now on top of that, you get an extra album for nothing. On the Ancient we hear Yes having a bit of King Crimson fun, it's a bewildering track that ends beautifully with a very strong acoustic part. Ritual has never done much to me. The first 4 minutes are pretty thin and the chorus is just way too cheesy. But other people list this track as the best on the album so you never know which side you'll sling.

All in all, this album is a good addition to your Yes discography. Just ignore the negative hype about it and see what you make of it. 3.5 stars