TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

I don't understand the received wisdom about Tales, which is that it is a pretentious, sprawling monster from start to finish with no sense of direction beyond homing in on its own rear end. Take a dispassionate and closer listen. Yes, side 3 is self-indulgent and disjointed and altogether too difficult for my simple taste, and I propose never to listen to it again - (a threat which will doubtless scare Yes witless) - but the other three sides (excepting the irritating drum solo towards the end of side 4) deliver some of the most magical music Yes ever put together, CTTE and Relayer included. This is simply majestic.

Given the abhorrence that is the third side, no more than 3 stars are on offer, but were you to shove that in the bin, and kick out the drum solo, we would have been reaching much higher.