TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

Rule number one in Prog: Never let your concepts exceed your abilities. Yes failed to follow this rule on TFTO and the resulting album is a true mess-terpiece. God love 'em, you can hear what they are trying to do with this thing, but when you hear them fall short of their goals it makes you suppress a laugh. Kind of like when your college professer forgets that he moved his chair and falls flat on his...back when he goes to sit down. It was a very ambitious project and they gave it their all, so A for effort, C- for execution. Perhaps given more time and concentration they could have raised this album to meet their own high standards. In the liner notes Jon Anderson explains that he and Steve Howe worked on the music in hotel rooms by candlelight while on tour. They should have turned on the lights.