TORMATO

I've often thought that if this album had been given a Roger Dean cover, it would have recevied a better response from fans. The press had said the album would be called "Yes Tor", but, by the time it had come out the Tor had become Tormato. I can remember looking at the cover in the record store and having second thoughts about buying it - all these shorter tracks, the cover that could only have come out at a time when progressive bands were "dinosaurs" and no new band could get a contract unless they were "new wave". It all got a bit silly. I think it's important to remember that context when considering the record.

As for the music, "Release Release" doesn't do anything for me, but tracks like "Future Times/Rejoice", Don't Kill The Whale" and "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" remain favourites to this day. I recall Rick Wakeman saying that a bit more work and it could have been really special - I tend to agree with that.

What I would observe is that most of the tracks are easy to remember and you can sing along with them, in the manner of "Long Distance Runaround" and there's nothing wrong with that. I've bought too many progressive records in the last decade with half hour tracks, without any obvous tunes, some of which I have struggled to ever get into.

On yes, one more thing - 39 years after it came out I still play it a lot, which is what I'm doing as I write this.