Love for Tales from Topographic Oceans

Oh Tales. I shall give you one more hug for all your greatness you have given me before I leave this forum.

    40 years baby!!!

I'm in agreement with Wakeman that they had enough material for a great single album, but not a double album. I still listen to it though, regardless of the less than wonderful moments. The only tune that I don't really listen to is "The Ancient" which I only like for "Leaves of Green". While I appreciate what Howe was trying to do on that tune with his pedal steel, trying to do a more micro-tonal thing, the effect of it is pretty awful. He doesn't have any experience playing micro-tonal music, and it shows.

Genital Giant wrote: I'm in agreement with Wakeman that they had enough material for a great single album, but not a double album. I still listen to it though, regardless of the less than wonderful moments. The only tune that I don't really listen to is "The Ancient" which I only like for "Leaves of Green". While I appreciate what Howe was trying to do on that tune with his pedal steel, trying to do a more micro-tonal thing, the effect of it is pretty awful. He doesn't have any experience playing micro-tonal music, and it shows.

I agree with Rick's assessment too for the most part. However, it has sort of grown on me over time. I haven't heard it lately though but I plan on getting it again soon. You lost me with some of your comments but I agree that it would have been really good as a single disc(I feel the same way about Lamb).

'Leaves of Green' is the name given to the acoustic section near the end of the Ancient.

Count me in as one of the few people who really like "the ancient." It has this strange otherworldly quality and I think it goes with the album cover more than any other track on the album.

I'll never understand why TFTO cops so much criticism for being over long when it clocks in under eighty minutes, while we get mindless self indulgent drivel praising God and Jesus Christ from Neal Morse which stretches beyond 2 hours. 

I always thought it would be up there in the prog charts but apparently most people think otherwise, which is a shame. It is a great album after all.

I`ve been listening to it over the. Last few Christmas days. I`ve been
into this masterful, amazing, music. From the age of 13yrs old. Its Been a friend all the way. With the good/bad times.

It's an album I now cherish only annually during the Christmas season.  After 30 years of enjoying it gets better every year, almost has a religious quality to it for me.  Like a classical performance or even a solemn high mass it unfolds and it envelopes...i can imagine Anderson and Howe having to drag the others through this kicking and screaming, and for the benefit of the ages I'm so happy they persevered. And so each time I look at the night winter sky it seems little snippets of the music pop into my mind complimenting the starts and moon, I hear them and I am taken somewhere, at one with something, hard to explain but I feel I understand what Anderson was doing here-can music drag one into the mystery of the divine.  I savor it and I reflect.  Hidden melodies, soundtrack of thoughts and emotions.  And there is the whole musical aspect itself that is worthy of great respect, incredible composition, each little rabbit hole of exploration and a damn good many of them successful, particularly Howe and Anderson.   I don't care about celebrity at all, but if I could have the chance to meet any "rock star" I would want to sit and talk to Anderson about this album.  Perhaps my favorite work of rock music, certainly in my top 5. 

One of my favorite Yes albums. Sure it would've been better if the songs were more to the point, but it's still good, nonetheless