TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

A controversial work, and that led to a series of questions and debates about the paths regarding how far progressive music could go with its philosophical and spiritual interpretations, its understanding of the universe and its relationship with divinity or themes of style, and how much in That way, music ceased to be the most important part, and became a vehicle for the message.

Tales From Topographics Oceans became that turning point. A double album consisting of just 4 songs, created under the inspiration of Jon Anderson and Steve Howe and influenced by the Shastra scriptures (Buddhist texts), and the theme of learning further and flying through the cosmos as a way of learning. As a result, we have long instrumental developments, generally calm and without dramatic or unpredictable changes, which make it pass without major risks or surprises. Although the virtuosity of the musicians continues to be impeccable, it seems that Yes are trying to copy themselves, it is as if it were necessary to push the possibilities to the extreme and show how progressive they could be, and in that way they have successes and some slopes.

It probably would have worked better if they had condensed the proposal into a single album that would have given it more dynamism. Undoubtedly they have more than relevant successes, but more than the songs in their entirety, fragments of them, so in The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn, we found a very good introduction in its first 4 minutes; then, during The Remembering - High The Memory, the last 9 minutes with acoustic guitars, Anderson's phrasing and the subsequent incorporation of the rest of the band give a good ending to the song, in The Ancient - Giants Under The Sun from the minute 12 and a half onwards, the guitar and vocals solo is the best album, a communion between Anderson and Howe very well achieved, and finally the closing of Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil, in its last 4 minutes complete the most remarkable from work.