Tales From Topographic Oceans

ORIGINAL QUOTE FROM IVAN M


I think you hit the nail on the head with why many don't like this album in its entirety. It's because of the parts that are repetitive. It is very difficult for some proggers to swallow these parts. I used to feel the same way. TALES used to be an ok album but one that always took a backseat to the other YES albums. Something happened though after a gazillion listens. It's like the secrets magically unveiled themselves. I'm not making this up. There is something about this album that you either feel or not. After coming to this album from a different mentality i realize that the repetitive parts are meant to be meditative in nature. The album is based on Hindu scripture and makes sense based upon that. An easy listen? Absolutely not. Will it ever be universally loved? I doubt it. I'm only speaking for myself and my experience with this album. There is no way in hell i would have declared this a masterpiece even 10 years ago, but like i said one day it took on a new feel to the whole thing. Once that happened i listened to it again and again and saw it in a completely new light. I first got the album in the 90s so it has taken a good 20 years for this album to come to me in this way. I'm not looking to convince anyone one way or the other. Everyone's opinion on this album or any other is completely legit, but i do want to share my evolution of understanding this album and to state that what you may think about something today does not necessarily mean that it will remain that way forever.


Edited by siLLy puPPy - February 23 2014 at 10:33

lazland wrote: M27Barney wrote: lazland wrote: M27Barney wrote: ...Listened to the whole she-bang tonight - fantastic four movements, enjoyed all 82 minutes of it!!! . Hey Barney. Without wishing to start another interminable atheist v believer debate, I do find it strange that you enjoy Tales, with its extremely long, and impenetrable (to all accounts, including Jon) spiritual lyrics, based as they were on that Yogi chappy whose name escapes me this late. I know Morse is rather "in your face" as regards his spirituality, or Christianity, but at least it is possible to glean what he goes on about. It is a matter of record that all in Yes and crew, barring Howe, did not have a bloody clue what Jon was Wittering on about, and I say that as a huge fan. Well it's based on the "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda) (and no I haven't read it!) a bit of eastern spiritual writing - and surprisingly - I'm not against human spirituality - where you use your mind/breathing to control all kinds of real conscious experiences - clearly the mind is capable of some very strange things. I know that Anderson was also a Christian - and even mentions Young Christians in the lyrics! However, the lyrics are typically esoteric and basically he plays with the words to make them fit the music - I have always liked Yes's lyrics. I also think that Anderson is more into thinking of his personal god as more of a spirit-of-the-cosmos type of power. Now I don't happen to believe that any consciousness is controlling the vastness of space and think that we are here as a very fortunate consequence of the rules of physics - and that we all should realise how precious and unlikely each of our lives is and not hanker for some nonsense preached to us by (usually) men with ulterior motives (usually personal power and avarice)! Anderson's lyrics are refreshingly life-affirming and his total abhorrence of war is a most commendable theme for any right thinking humanist! Religious people perpetrate child torture every day both mentally (telling children that they will burn in hell) and literally (circumcision), So I don't want any arguments from religious nuts or even worse - liberal apologists! I am neither a religious nut, nor a liberal apologist. In fact, I tend to loathe the latter more than the former. Thanks for the explanation, though. Personally, I see little difference between Jon's spiritual view and the Morse God view being placed on record. Both are expressions of belief, even if barely anyone knows precisely what the Anderson view means Therefore, if one is considered acceptable, I fail to see how the other can be so objectionable.

Well I suppose we should all read the book it's based on - then maybe Anderson's probably abridged representation can be properly cross-examined ! I just sort of like the way that the chanting starts and Anderson reinforces my evolutionary view of the world with the "and we danced from the oceans" - as everybody knows life first began in the oceans before finally branching out and conquering the land and air...
Morse probably believes (what his pastoral father will have assured him) that the world is about six thousand years old and god made all the living things in seven days! If he doesn't believe that then he should realise that if genesis (book 1) of the Old testament is indeed false - then all the rest is as well!
I think that Anderson's eastern spirituality sort of bows down to the god of nature - and who can argue with the one true life-giver being a giant ball of mostly hydrogen and helium, if that explodes we are indeed extinct along with every other living thing on the planet.
TFTO lyrics abound with the awesome nature of this world we live in - the forests - and Nous Sommes du Soleil - we are of the sun! (and that track is AWESOME!)

^^^ He and Howe were into new age bunkum..

richardh wrote: ^ I think I agree with that last comment. Anderson was more into spirituality and nature than banging any religious drum. You can hear that more clearly in Jon and Vangelis where his lyrics are a bit more understandable and simpler. btw I like Neal Morse so I don't have an issue with religious lyrics as long as the music is good.

siLLy puPPy wrote:     Something happened though after a gazillion listens. It's like the secrets magically unveiled themselves. I'm not making this up. There is something about this album that you either feel or not. After coming to this album from a different mentality i realize that the repetitive parts are meant to be meditative in nature. The album is based on Hindu scripture and makes sense based upon that. An easy listen? Absolutely not. Will it ever be universally loved? I doubt it. I'm only speaking for myself and my experience with this album. There is no way in hell i would have declared this a masterpiece even 10 years ago, but like i said one day it took on a new feel to the whole thing. Once that happened i listened to it again and again and saw it in a completely new light. I first got the album in the 90s so it has taken a good 20 years for this album to come to me in this way. I'm not looking to convince anyone one way or the other. Everyone's opinion on this album or any other is completely legit, but i do want to share my evolution of understanding this album and to state that what you may think about something today does not necessarily mean that it will remain that way forever.

Totally understand Silly Puppy.  I feel the spirituality of the album and it is really the only one that hasn't lost something over 32 years since I've first heard it.  It is the one that gets better, thank God Anderson pushed so hard.  New discoveries come out of the woodwork.  It has a depth and mystery to it, and it is not easily assimilated which is why it never gets boring.  It also feels like a "winter" album to me...every time I walk out into a cold winter night and look at the moon, i hear strains of Revealing Science in my head.  Crazy maybe, but it is a pure joy in my life.  None of their other albums comes close imo. 

I remember when I first saw Yes live (quite late in theday it was 1996) and what was interesting was how much I enjoyed the track they played off the album. I thought it would sound very unfamilar but it didn't. It all slotted into place and made sense.

have you ever wished for 80+ mins free everyday to listen to this amazing album

Finnforest wrote: siLLy puPPy wrote:     Something happened though after a gazillion listens. It's like the secrets magically unveiled themselves. I'm not making this up. There is something about this album that you either feel or not. After coming to this album from a different mentality i realize that the repetitive parts are meant to be meditative in nature. The album is based on Hindu scripture and makes sense based upon that. An easy listen? Absolutely not. Will it ever be universally loved? I doubt it. I'm only speaking for myself and my experience with this album. There is no way in hell i would have declared this a masterpiece even 10 years ago, but like i said one day it took on a new feel to the whole thing. Once that happened i listened to it again and again and saw it in a completely new light. I first got the album in the 90s so it has taken a good 20 years for this album to come to me in this way. I'm not looking to convince anyone one way or the other. Everyone's opinion on this album or any other is completely legit, but i do want to share my evolution of understanding this album and to state that what you may think about something today does not necessarily mean that it will remain that way forever. Totally understand Silly Puppy.  I feel the spirituality of the album and it is really the only one that hasn't lost something over 32 years since I've first heard it.  It is the one that gets better, thank God Anderson pushed so hard.  New discoveries come out of the woodwork.  It has a depth and mystery to it, and it is not easily assimilated which is why it never gets boring.  It also feels like a "winter" album to me...every time I walk out into a cold winter night and look at the moon, i hear strains of Revealing Science in my head.  Crazy maybe, but it is a pure joy in my life.  None of their other albums comes close imo.

These are my exact sentiments toward the album. There's something that's way more focused aesthetically than the other albums, even though one might claim that the song forms are not as focused. It's like all the things that made Yes interesting are brought to the forefront for a highly meditative, personal, and vivid experience.

I suspect there was less 'intellectual forcing' going on. The point of meditation is to detach yourself from your 'useless' worldly thoughts and connect with a higher spiritual something or other (God??!). Music is primarily an intellectually driven process so at times you have the feeling of a band jamming with no direction , which is basically what the supposed padded parts sound like I guess.

now now M27Barney just play TFTO.