TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

Yes

Symphonic Prog

3.92 | 2823 ratings

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retrorocker

This is not really an album review. Yes, I liked it, and under certain conditions, you can too. Let me explain.

This really is a masterpiece of music, but whether or not you will enjoy it is a case of emotional conext; it very much depends on what mood you are in. For instance, If you are in the mood to listen to such hard hitting bands such as Metallica, Korne or Saxon, then don't bother. I would even say if you feel in the mood for prog metal bands such as Dream Theatre or Tool, then don't give this a spin.

What you need, is a long evening where there is nothing on telly, you feel extremely relaxed, and want to while away the hours reading a book on the sofa. Thats when you take out this album and stick it on. If you're thinking, well, hang on a minute, I'm a Yes fan, I've listened to all of their other albums, its no problem, You really should know it is absolutly nothing like any of Yes' other works. In fact, I doubt there are any other 4x 20 minuter albums out there, so you don't have any idea (unless you've already heard this and are reading this review for no particular reason). Close to the Edge & Gates of Delerium are totally different in structure and attitude to Ritual, The Revealing Science of God, The Remembering & The Ancient (thats the order in which i prefer the sides, from best to worst), which are really four parts of one piece.

In summary, if you have the patience, you'll probably love it, But if you don't, you'll hate it. It all depends on the circumstances of that first listen, In my opinion, and whether or not your mind is open to the idea. Well, this is prog after all, its' not pop, So the chances are that if your browsing this site then you'll like it. But be warned.

Oh, and this is the one Yes album above all others that you probably should pay the least attention to whatever Anderson is going on about. Some of it is good (mostly during Ritual), wheras the rest is, well, see for yourself.

retrorocker | 4/5 | 2007-3-21

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