Love for Tales from Topographic Oceans

Gosh I've been listening for the first time - having always been a Yes fan but never having heard this album -

over the last few weeks played it all the way through probably 5 times.

Beautiful in parts, amazing in parts, yet meandering and incoherent in parts, it continues to reveal itself to me.

I like it.

So "Yes" is touring this one...really just Steve Howe, even Alan White was out when I saw them...but it is AMAZING.

..........all I can say is : I love this album since 1987, just BRILLIANT. And to this day, always a total bliss to spin.
Really, so much easier to get into than dear Genesis' Lamb extravaganza. I just don't get why so many folks dislike this amazing album..............?

Tales is indeed much more interesting compositionally. It just offers much more material than Close To The Edge (song) in one epic; too much to know by heart really! One can tell the form of CTTE, but not quite so with any of Tales, much more progressive and much less repetition.

DDPascalDD wrote: Tales is indeed much more interesting compositionally. It just offers much more material than Close To The Edge (song) in one epic; too much to know by heart really! One can tell the form of CTTE, but not quite so with any of Tales, much more progressive and much less repetition.

That shows how much I must have listened to it over the years - I know the whole thing from beginning to end!

chopper wrote: DDPascalDD wrote: Tales is indeed much more interesting compositionally. It just offers much more material than Close To The Edge (song) in one epic; too much to know by heart really! One can tell the form of CTTE, but not quite so with any of Tales, much more progressive and much less repetition. That shows how much I must have listened to it over the years - I know the whole thing from beginning to end!

I've tried and tried and tried with Tales, but the music and vocals sound too cluttered and at the same time the production and performances outside of Howe sound tired and flat.  Plus, Bruford is gone.....nothing was the same after Bruford left.  I do love some of the "passages" and think it could do with a "defattening", a more stripped down, organic replay.  Maybe instead of an Anderson, Rabin, Wakeman tour, how about kicking Rabin to the curb and adding Howe, then run thru Tales again.  I bet a leaner sound and a more inspired performance would bring those Tales tracks alive.  

Atavachron wrote: ^ The production?  Really?  The mix is one of their best, I think.

siLLy puPPy wrote: Magnum Vaeltaja wrote: Atavachron wrote: ^ The production?  Really?  The mix is one of their best, I think. I agree. I just posted my review praising Tales for its musical content and I didn't even get to the fact that I feel it's their best-produced album from the 70's.  Hey, Magum Vaeltaja! GREAT review for one of my favorite albums of all time. You nailed it, bud :) It is truly one that has a perfect balance and requires a certain discipline to appreciate at the highest levels. Bravo

I have an original US pressing of Tales......near mint condition but the mix sounds like it was recorded underwater.  Maybe there's just too much happening......sounds like White was using a cardboard drum set.