TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

Everthing a prog fan could possibly want. My favourite Yes album, an absolute masterpiece. What I love about this album is the strength and diversity of the songwriting, joy and meloncholy, rhythm and melody are strectched acroos this magnificent album.

The first movement - The Revealing Science of God, starts of with a fantastic science fiction beginning; the best I've heard hands down, and then it starts rumbling to the classic theme tune and Jon Anderson sings the question (backed by Howe and Squire) "What Happened to this Song We once Knew so Well?" - he is asking why humanity cannot remeber its origins. This section always sends shivers down my spine> There is a lot of beautiful atmospheric keyboards but Richard Wakeman that convince your imagination that you are travelling a strange lonely planet full of mystery, I love it. There is just so much more brilliance on this track perfect 10/10.

The second movement The Remebering has some of my all time favourite Yes material in it, the cheerfull classical guitar part with Jon Anderson saying imaginative lyrics like "...Remember to Sail the Sky.", is just brilliant it is both meloncholy sounding yet joyful, the ending to this movement is really powerful and majestic and will leave you gasping 10/10.

The third movement The Ancient has a excellent tribal feel to it, fantastic percussion and brilliant guitar, bass, and keyboards; if you are a fan of rhythmical music like Can, you will love this part, it ends with a terrific classical guitar piece played by Howe, which complements the dark primeval music on the rest of this movement, it is like the aga of enlightenment has come after the dark ages, excellent 10/10.

Part four The Ritual, is a cheerful and at parts Beatles influenced piece, that at times has tinges of darkness. My favourite Steve Howe solo is at the end of this album, it sounds dark and confused; absolutely incredible its the kind of music that one would think is only possible in you dreams, but Howe made it possible 10/10.

This is a fantastic album, with so many moods, I really cannot understand why some people dislike it, its fantastic, fantastic virtuoso music with incredible imagination, innovative, beautiful and devine sounding yet at time dark and forboding, with well written songs and clever lyrics. Maybe some people just hate perfection. Buy it , its essential.