TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

I wasn't sure what rating to give this to reflect the mixed emotions this one brings out in prog fans. I first picked it up over 10 years ago, and had waited a while from the first time I'd been aware of it because of friends and some Yes fans warning me that it was not their best work. When I finally listened to it I was unsure how I felt about it. But after 3 or 4 complete plays, some themes and melodies started to play in my head and I grew to love it. It became my favorite album at the time and I listened to it a lot. After picking up the latest remaster, I have reevaluated somewhat. I still like it, but some of the charm has worn off a bit. For instance, I would agree that if they had made a single album of 4 10 minute pieces, this could have been the best Yes album of all. But that said, I still think it works well. For those who criticize the album for being pretentious all I can say is: why do you listen to symphonic progressive rock if you don't like pretentions music??? That is one of the halmarks of prog. If these guys didn't have pretentions, their music would be the poppy Beatles inspired dross of the first two albums. So I think that in the case of this album, pretentious is not an insult but a compliment. This album is a lot to take in at once, and I would suggest that it requires at least 4 full listens to really sink in. It is not perfect (hence the 4 stars....and I did consider a 3 1/2 rating, but it deserves the half star for controversy factor alone), but it is a quality Yes album and a mostly successful experiment. If you are expecting another Close to The Edge or Fragile, you will be dissapointed. If you are willing to open your ears and give it time, I think you will find it to be a satisfying and interesting listen.