TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

I absolutely love the first and fourth sides of this album. Let's have that be understood right now. If Yes would have only had those sides, this album would definitely get 5 stars.

"The Revealing Science of God" is a great, classic Yes song. I personally think that it showcases some of Steve Howe's best work, especially for gentle, jazzier stuff. Steve even throws in a bit of CTTE near the beginning of the first clam solo! The ending is fantastic, as it generally gets more hectic as it goes along.

"The Remembering". Hmm. This song really just doesn't connect with me. I prefer to skip over it. It has some nice parts, but I don't thoroughly enjoy the song from front to back. It's ok, really. Just not great. The weird keyboard part at the beginning doesn't really attract the listener, in my opinion.

"The Ancient" is a little better, but still doesn't amount up to the predecent that "The Revealing Science of God" has established. Lots of weird percussion here. Overall, better, still getting there, but not quite a great Yes song.

"Ritual" is a fantastic song. Amazing. The entire album is worth it just for this song. The vocals are whimsical and calming, and the whole band seems to return to what they were doing during the opening track. It closes the album perfectly.

This album has been highly fought over by progressive rock fans. I consider it a great album, even though the second and third sides are weak. The first and fourth sides get my highest recommendation, while the second and third ones get a "three star" rating. Hence, the averaged- out "four stars".

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