Album Discussions: Tales From Topographic Oceans

My introduction to TFTO was in a book that I bought some 20 years ago that listed the author's top 100 greatest and worst albums of all time.  TFTO made both lists.  It was described both as a work of art and masterpiece and as total rubbish made by pompus and arrogant musicians (or something along those lines).  The first time that I heard anything from TFTO was when I was in attendance at my first Yes concert during the Union tour.  They played this song that I didn't know that just went on and on and on and on and during this time most of the crowd decided to take bathroom breaks or go on beer runs.  I was intrigued, but mostly bored because I didn't know what it was and it wasn't Owner of a Lonely Heart or Roundabout.   It was later when I was purchasing the back catalogue that I finally bought the double CD.  Because it was a double CD I found it difficult to sit through and really only listened to it a few times before I put it on the shelf and decided that it belonged in the 100 worst albums of all time category.  Over the years, I have purchased most of the Yes DVD's and Live albums and I have heard the various songs from TFTO played live both in person and on this other media.  I also learned to appreciate and love long songs/epics which I never had the attention span for in the past.  I have listened to TFTO a few more times in recent years and I do believe that the additional exposure to the individual songs and the changes to my listening tastes and habits have had a positive effect on my opinion of TFTO.  The last time I listened to it a month or so ago, I absolutely loved it and now it resides in my 100 best albums of all time category.

Edited by rushfan4 - June 12 2009 at 13:31

rushfan4 wrote: My introduction to TOTO was in a book that I bought some 20 years ago that listed the author's top 100 greatest and worst albums of all time.  TOTO made both lists.  It was described both as a work of art and masterpiece and as total rubbish made by pompus and arrogant musicians (or something along those lines).  The first time that I heard anything from TOTO was when I was in attendance at my first Yes concert during the Union tour.  They played this song that I didn't know that just went on and on and on and on and during this time most of the crowd decided to take bathroom breaks or go on beer runs.  I was intrigued, but mostly bored because I didn't know what it was and it wasn't Owner of a Lonely Heart or Roundabout.   It was later when I was purchasing the back catalogue that I finally bought the double CD.  Because it was a double CD I found it difficult to sit through and really only listened to it a few times before I put it on the shelf and decided that it belonged in the 100 worst albums of all time category.  Over the years, I have purchased most of the Yes DVD's and Live albums and I have heard the various songs from TOTO played live both in person and on this other media.  I also learned to appreciate and love long songs/epics which I never had the attention span for in the past.  I have listened to TOTO a few more times in recent years and I do believe that the additional exposure to the individual songs and the changes to my listening tastes and habits have had a positive effect on my opinion of TOTO.  The last time I listened to it a month or so ago, I absolutely loved it and now it resides in my 100 best albums of all time category.

We're so pleased you love Toto.  But I believe you are in the wrong thread. 

Epignosis wrote: rushfan4 wrote: My introduction to TOTO was in a book that I bought some 20 years ago that listed the author's top 100 greatest and worst albums of all time.  TOTO made both lists.  It was described both as a work of art and masterpiece and as total rubbish made by pompus and arrogant musicians (or something along those lines).  The first time that I heard anything from TOTO was when I was in attendance at my first Yes concert during the Union tour.  They played this song that I didn't know that just went on and on and on and on and during this time most of the crowd decided to take bathroom breaks or go on beer runs.  I was intrigued, but mostly bored because I didn't know what it was and it wasn't Owner of a Lonely Heart or Roundabout.   It was later when I was purchasing the back catalogue that I finally bought the double CD.  Because it was a double CD I found it difficult to sit through and really only listened to it a few times before I put it on the shelf and decided that it belonged in the 100 worst albums of all time category.  Over the years, I have purchased most of the Yes DVD's and Live albums and I have heard the various songs from TOTO played live both in person and on this other media.  I also learned to appreciate and love long songs/epics which I never had the attention span for in the past.  I have listened to TOTO a few more times in recent years and I do believe that the additional exposure to the individual songs and the changes to my listening tastes and habits have had a positive effect on my opinion of TOTO.  The last time I listened to it a month or so ago, I absolutely loved it and now it resides in my 100 best albums of all time category. We're so pleased you love Toto.  But I believe you are in the wrong thread.

  Why do I always think of it as Tales Of Topographic Oceans.  It is a good thing that I do like Toto.  Fixed.  And yeah, go hokey pokey yourself.  Or hokey cokey if that is what you'd prefer.

Edited by rushfan4 - June 12 2009 at 13:41

rushfan4 wrote:   Why do I always think of it as Tales Of Topographic Oceans.  It is a good thing that I do like Toto.  Fixed.  And yeah, go hokey pokey yourself.  Or hokey cokey if that is what you'd prefer.

Right it's Tales From Topographic Oceans.  That's why the lyrics are so weird.  If it had been Tales Of Topographic Oceans, the lyrics would have been completely normal.


Edited by Slartibartfast - June 12 2009 at 20:32

Sorry, but I am definitely one of the CTTE crowd.  I don't know what could have been a great follow up to CTTE but this doesn't quite do it for me and I prefer Relayer to TFTO.  My 'relationship' with TFTO has been rather see saw, liked it very much the first few times, and then when I revisited it after a long gap, took an intense dislike to it.  Upon revisiting it still once more, I found it did not live up to my dislike and was actually quite tolerable , just rather difficult and frequently boring, all in my opinion of course.  I cannot fault the sheer magnitude of ambition here though and I am not going to throw around accusations of pretentiousness because I think it was really courageous of the band to go for such a gigantic creation after the back to back successes of Fragile and Yes.  You have to find a way to grow even after an album like CTTE and Yes put their best foot forward.  Just...that I personally have got to pass as far as this one goes.

Well it's my favourite album of all time too and I agree with finnforest about it being the definition of progressive rock. I would go as far as say it is THE QUINTESSENCIAL prog rock album.

Now... every negative review that i have come across over the years seems to imply that the reviewer simply did not  invest the time this album requires. Most people that bash this album seem to focus on the fact that it's not as catchy as CTTE (the title track of said album is virtually a 18 minute long verse-chorus-verse chorus type of thing). Well, duh???? That's progressive rock for you! What you just call "pointless noodling" I just call complex and out-of-the-box musical ideas which become A LOT clearer with repeated listenings. It complex music folks, give it time!


Edited by theBox - June 12 2009 at 15:50

Snow Dog wrote: Hokey COKEY! Damn Americans!

Okey Dokey

With Tales, Yes had some sort of sabbatical between the masterpieces. 'The Revealing Science of God' has a beautiful, promising vocal intro, but after this things become increasingly boring. 'The Remembering' has even less moments which can grab and hold my attention. 'The Ancient' is by far the best track of this album, with Steve Howe doing some good jobs. 'Ritual' is a song I could never get hold on.

I don't believe unknown facts and/or wise explanations can enhance the enjoyment of a music one doesn't like. It all down to personal taste in the end.

When I was starting to listen to prog I was told to steer clear of diving in the deep end straight away with Topographic Oceans (by the same guy that first played me ELP, which at the time was incomprehensible). So I gave myself a couple of years before I got my hands on it, and to my surprise I liked it from the first listen. Just parts of it at first, I couldn't possibly swallow such a massive moutful just like that. But those few interesting parts kept me returning to this album very often and in the end it has turned out to be a very good piece of music indeed. Possibly my most played Yes album after CttE, which is my favourite from them.