TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

A confounding double album in that it in the right mood it can take you on a floating exhilirating journey for an hour and a half but listen to it when you are unwilling to pay full attention and it can meander harmlesslessly and aimlesslessly like some floral patterned wallp-aper. Worse you can listen attentively in some moods and you will hear flaws and padding annoying percussion and whining guitars and limp squishy keyboards as background filler, no wonder wakeman was unimpressed.

Today i listened to side three the ancient for the first time in years and enjoyed it, even the percussive avant garde opening section, oftenthis section can be too demanding but not today. So what does it sound like? well i do not have the technical background but in terms of mood and feelings it is like this:

The Revealing science of God is a track that floats like a perfect fluffy white cloud in clear blue skies with wind gently billowing through leafy trees while you lie on alushly grassed spot in the sun.

Add in a babbling brook tumbling gently along through round pebbles rocks and bouldersand you have side 2 the remembering.

Side 3 is a hike through a swamp of sounds followed by a stroll through a gladed woodland on a warm spring day and finally

Nous sommes du soleil is a beautiful summers day, clear early then becoming sultry with a brief clearing storm followed by cooling breezes with resplendent sunshine late into the evening before setting magnificently on the horizon.

This how it feels to me to listen to Tales it is not a high energy Rock album altough live it is much more energetic and can induce tears of joy ( see Yessymphonic, Yesshows or Keys To Ascencion) As mentioned earlier at other times Tales can sound less joyous

Therefore this album is a difficult one to review, at any time depending on my mood i can give this 3 4 or 5.

So on balance i would say it is worthy of 4 stars.