Tormato
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=8016
Printed Date: March 04 2025 at 08:23
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Tormato
Posted By: WillieThePimp
Subject: Tormato
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 00:43
|
Everyone seems to pick on this album almost as much as Big Generator. Why?
------------- You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket |
Replies:
Posted By: NetsNJFan
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 01:20
|
cause It's not very good, especially after the brilliant GFTO. (sans "Don't Kill the Whale") ------------- 
|
Posted By: Sound Chaser
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 01:45
| I'm a big fan of tormato. Don't Kill the Whale and a.Future Times/b.Rejoyce both got stuck in my head and that's what got me into yes in the first place. Release, Release is another great one and One the Silent Wings of Freedom is a great song. The rest aren't that bad. It's definately not one of yes' great albums but it doesn't deserve the critisism it gets, much like drama. |
Posted By: WillieThePimp
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 01:47
WOOT! Same thing, and I especially like the production (re-release cd) over there other ones. ------------- You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket |
Sound Chaser wrote:Posted By: barbs
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 04:36
|
On the silent wings of freedom is an excellent song IMO and I have always like Release, Release and Madrigal is ok. The rest of the album doesn't do anything for me unfortunately no matter how many times I have tried to listen to it. Not their best work obviously, nor is it their worst IMO but I do think some early Yes lovers hold this period accountable for the demise of the 'masters of prog' in the early 70s and possible despise the album unreservably as an act of protest. The whole issue of likes and dislikes is so subjective though and I have often wondered how someone who would like the later Yes catalogue would not be able to appreciate their earlier work but then I guess it is vice-versa to a degree. It's a little like the polls on who is the best/worst singer or lyricist or guitarist etc There are a few singers in prog which I personally think struggle to even sing in tune through a whole song let alone an album but they are reverred by others as virtual master singers so with music 'beauty is really in the ear of the beholder'. In fact prog listeners are in some ways comparable to jazz officianados because some people love traditional and hate modern or acid jazz etc ------------- Eternity |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 05:09
| I like Tormato although it lacks direction and focus.The individual tracks are good ,but overall lacking. |
Posted By: russellk
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 05:12
|
Very nice record, some odd sounds by Wakeman
with his experimental birotron thingy, but the last album on which Squire's bass reigns. Pity, that. |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 05:14
|
Great album. Future Times: Rejoice especially, but also On The Silent Wings... and Onward and... and... Great drumming too. Yes was still an innovating band. Not an album that deserves to be bashed at all.
|
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 06:01
|
Some good tunes, some apalling ones. The very nasty keyboard sounds
courtesy of Wakeman's (thankfully shortlived) Birotron and a general
move to a more accessible style make it hugely disappointing, and
tracks like "Circus of Heaven" are unspeakable filth that should never
have been permitted to be recorded. The first side's not so bad, I
suppose. Never cared for "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" though. Don't know why. |
Posted By: Losendos
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 06:35
|
The late 70s were getting disappointing after the golden era of the early 70s. Tormato is not a bad album but it is not the best output from Yes and not as good as it's predecessor. Actually I think the downfall of rock and roll was when they introduced drum machines about this time. It took all the heart out of the music. Yes are from the days when one had to learn an instrument by practising it. Ravi Shankar used to worship his sitar. I am a cook (1200 meals a week ). It is by touch not by machine. ------------- How wonderful to be so profound |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 07:12
|
I like them both, always have, so its not me picking on them! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
|
Posted By: Salmacis72
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 09:31
|
I think it's great with the glaring exception of two of the worst songs they've ever done: "Circus Of Heaven" and "Arriving UFO'. Otherwise, lots of great material on it! But Wakey made a huge mistake with that birotron - yuck. ------------- 
|
Posted By: Litl
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 10:24
The album is okay but I can't get behind it because it's the beginning of Yes' downward slide. A sad day. 
|
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 10:29
Believe it or not Arriving UFO was my favourite song for a long time. It's just so joyous! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 10:35
Add Circus Of Heaven to that also snow dog, Onwards and Silent Wings Of Freedom are my least favourite songs of the album. surely Future times, don't kill the whale are among my favourite Yes songs ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: WillieThePimp
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 11:40
|
I love don't kill the whale, changed my perspective on whales as a whole!
------------- You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket |
Posted By: MorgothSunshine
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:13
|
You are a kind of YES omnivorous if you say Tormato is a nice album! It's only a second-rate album. Fragile is a very nice album not Tormato!!! ------------- For every truth even the contrary is true... 
|
Posted By: laztraz
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:17
| I haven't listened to Tormato in awhile but I've always thought that Don't Kill the Whales is one of their best pop songs. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:21
Hey I like Yes, so what? I would say Fragile was a great album, not nice! Perhapps I'm Yes Carniverous? ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: WillieThePimp
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:36
|
So what would make a yes herbivore? I could see that in ELP with "brain
salad surgery" haha, but then again that'd make you an omnivore.
Hmmm... maybe I should get a failed joke counter myself.
------------- You can't possibly hear the last movement of Beethoven's Seventh and go slow. ~Oscar Levant, explaining his way out of a speeding ticket |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:38
|
No, I don't think we ought to kill Wales either, esp with SD and Progman living there! (failed Joke Counter No 4)... seriously tho, I do like Tormato very much. I agree its not as consistantly strong as GFTO, but there are some very good tracks on it. ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 12:39
|
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow">
|
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 13:44
|
I have the impression that some songs don't work 100% the way they should, maybe because they (Yes / Roy Thomas Baker) didn't a good production job, and I always felt that OTSWOF was one of them. According to Jon Anderson, they never finished the album the way they should have. I heard a live fragment from OTSWOF several times, and it sounded fantastic. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 15:19
For some reason I like 'Arriving UFO' as well.The lyrics were clearly a nod towards Spielbergs 'Close Encounters ...' whick is ok as I like the film.Alan White is fine form on the skins as well.Gives the snare a real pummelling
|
Posted By: The-Bullet
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 20:22
|
I think it was the Tormato tour where Yes came on stage with the "Close encounters.." beginning of the film crescendo as opposed to the Firebird suite. ------------- 
"Why say it cannot be done.....they'd be better doing pop songs?" |
Posted By: Teaflax
Date Posted: June 26 2005 at 20:37
The lyrics are stinky (and I swear that I read somewhere that Wakeman initiated, if not wrote them, but have never been able to find it again to prove it), but the basic little sequencer (?) riff is nice, and the melody is strong. With another subject matter, I think it wouldn't rub nearly as many people the wrong way.
As for Tormato as a whole, it has its moments, but Circus of Heaven really is among the most horrid atrocities ever commited to master tape and released upon an unsuspecting world. One of those songs that humbles you as a Yes fan (and there are faaar too many songs like that, sadly).
|
Posted By: Intruder
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 04:33
|
Haven't listened to the LP in such a loooong time.....mainly 'cause it was so embarrasing to listen to first few times.....I really HOPE Jon Anderson was taking the piss on Circus of Heaven. I remember this much: the rhythm section is in fine form. Squire and White are outstanding but the writing is so poor that I'd have to rate the record as a failure. ------------- I like to feel the suspense when you're certain you know I am there..... |
Posted By: BiGi
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 04:49
|
A really good effort.
My favourite picks:
Also Circus of Heaven and Arriving UFO do have nice ideas, although they lack something as a whole... I definitely don't like Future Times/Rejoice (I find it pointless) and Madrigal (the harpsichord lines are too prominent and frantic to provide the right background to Jon's voice) ------------- A flower? 
|
Posted By: BiGi
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 04:55
|
I forgot to mention that acquiring this LP (I own a vinyl 33) took me a very long time, because for years it had not been contained on any record catalogue, until it has been released on CD.
The copy I own is a second-hand one, luckily found in some Portobello-like market! ------------- A flower?
|
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 05:11
|
Least favourite Yes album from the '70's. Not actually crap, just completely unremarkable. IMO.. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 05:12
Oh come on! There's a remark or two to be made about that album. I can certainly think of plenty for "Circus of Heaven"... |
Posted By: Fragile
Date Posted: June 27 2005 at 05:21
|
This album was the end of the great days.They (Yes) had peaked creativity wise.Yes as a whole gave us six gems in TYA,Fragile,CTTE,TFTO,Relayer and GFTO and Yes and Time and a Word were both very good too.But all great things really do come to an end and it did. |
Posted By: Cinema
Date Posted: June 29 2005 at 02:41
|
Come on now, everybody, Tormato is a GREAT album. That's right, I'm not
afraid to admit it. I LOVE TORMATO. The musicianship is fantastic, the songs very original, and once again, we find Yes exploring the musical universe like no one else. Songs like Future Times/Rejoice, Arriving UFO, Onward, and On The Silent Wings Of Freedom, are all fantastic. In my humble opinion, Tormato ranks as a very under-appreciated work. |
Posted By: oddentity
Date Posted: June 29 2005 at 03:04
| I always have the impression when listening to Tormato that it was primarily intended for five-year-olds. I might be wrong, but didn't Jon Anderson have kids around that age back then? It's as though Yes decided that they wanted to create a progressive rock album for the kindergarten crowd. For that album at least, they became the Prog-Wiggles. |
Posted By: Blacksword
Date Posted: June 29 2005 at 03:14
Thanks Trouserpress, I had been trying to forget that song! Were the whole band playing in their sleep at the beginning of 'Dont kill the whale' ?? Its one of the most laziest, lacklustre moments I think I have ever heard in rock music. IMO Tormato lacks direction, and the emotional high points of 'Going for the One' It sounds like a collection of songs that may have been rejected for its predecessor. ------------- Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy! |
Posted By: Swinton MCR
Date Posted: June 29 2005 at 03:41
|
Tormato is possibly Yes's worse effort upto and including Drama (which is miles better IMO). It has the truly awful - Circus of Heaven and Arriving UFO - But has the Future Times opening track which isn't too bad ! Still this is a better album than DSOTM IMO
------------- Play me my song, here it comes again |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 29 2005 at 09:18
I agree. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 14 2005 at 11:27
|
I love Release, Release and Silent Wings but the production on this lets it down. Listen to the live version of "Onward" on Keys to Ascension to see what it could have been. What can I say about Circus of Heaven tho? |
Posted By: Maike
Date Posted: July 14 2005 at 19:58
|
I guess it was the way Yes answered to the Punk Era, with smaller easier
to digest songs. The album is good. Yes wasnt the only band that became aware of the chaging times. Pink Floyd and Genesis did it (in theyr one ways of course) even the almighty King Crimson started writing songs that were very similar (or is it my impression???) to Talking Heads. Many other prog bands just disappeared by the late 70's. These bands progressed  to other sounds.
|
Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: July 14 2005 at 21:28
well everything is better than DSOTM ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 16 2005 at 12:57
Surely we're not talking here about Dark Side Of The Moon Talking about Lance, how are you doing in your internet bicycle game, Tux? I'm not very good in it |
? That Mt. Everest, Mona Lisa, Lance Armstrong of prog classics? Tell me you're joking please.
, though better than my one of my brothers who's also playing.Posted By: Syntharachnid
Date Posted: July 16 2005 at 16:35
|
Have you heard Drama? ------------- 
|
Posted By: HeirToRuin
Date Posted: July 16 2005 at 23:17
|
mediocre album with a couple of good songs
------------- ARTEMIA - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic" rel="nofollow - http://www.reverbnation.com/artemiamusic L.i.E. - http://www.reverbnati |
Posted By: kirklott
Date Posted: July 17 2005 at 16:20
|
It's the worst Yes album of the 70s. The only great songs are Silent Wings of Freedom, Madrigal and Release Release. ------------- "Progressive rock is the key to the continuance of human evolution." - Charles Darwin |
Posted By: Blind_Eye
Date Posted: July 17 2005 at 16:22
|
"Tormato" is a great album! It is not as good as "Fragile" or "The Yes album" but it is much better than both "Tales..." and "Relayer" imo. "Tales..." and "Relayer" were too serious and dark, no fun, no happy sounds... "Tormato" is fun and has very good songs on it. Wakeman's keyboards sound great too imo. I like almost all of the tracks on this very underated album. BTW i'm new here and it's my first post so please don't kill me... |
Posted By: kirklott
Date Posted: July 17 2005 at 16:26
Fragile, no need to be so finite. Yes release a few excellent albums (Keys, 90125) and some reasonably good albums (Drama, ABWH, Talk, The Ladder) post GftO. Beats listening to anything on radio. ------------- "Progressive rock is the key to the continuance of human evolution." - Charles Darwin |
Posted By: lmollea
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 09:19
|
I don't think Tormato is a bad album.
It is an "easy" album where I like all the songs without finding them outstanding. I like it more or less as I like "the ladder" (ok, someone will crucify me at this point...), it soothes my thirst like a good drink, without beeing an old and precious wine... ------------- Semm che, semm che settà giò in del bar / a cercà l'universo nel bucèer del Cynar cosmonauti al tavolino cun la sigareta in bùca / che vemm a cambià el mund apena finissum la sambuca |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: July 20 2005 at 11:11
|
"Tormato" is a very underrated album, it's the "worst" Yes album from the 70's (which isn't a great one, I think all are very good - excellent), but I think it's still enjoyable and it's the last album with the original line-up! It's critizised, the same as with Genesis's "And Then There Were Three" from the same year. I still prefer Tormato. I will make a new poll: Tormato vs. And Then There Were Three |
Posted By: Logos
Date Posted: July 24 2005 at 05:20
| Tormato IS the worst Yes album of the 70's but it's not bad at all! Some really good songs, and the keyboard solo in Don't Kill the Whale is divine! |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: July 25 2005 at 07:15
|
This was my second YES cd I purchased after "Yesterdays" compil., so I couldn't compare it to their whole musical career. It was also my second prog album! Now when their career is more familiar to me, I must admit that I haven't listed it much since I got it about 15 years ago. But I don't listen to "Going for the one" album either. "Wonderous stories" is nice song, and "Turn of the century" is a good composition, but other positive gualities that it has seem invisible to me. I like "Drama" much more than these two LP's, though I like their work from years 1969 to 1976 most. |