Love for Tales from Topographic Oceans

^ Man, you've gotta calm down about Relayer. 

Magnum Vaeltaja wrote: ^ Man, you've gotta calm down about Relayer.  If you want to take a dump on directionless, discordant, abrasive music, Relayer doesn't even scratch the surface of the tip of the iceberg.  And anyway, this is a Tales appreciation thread; you can take your complaints elsewhere if you're so inclined to share them.

Edited by Son.of.Tiresias - October 20 2016 at 10:01

Son.of.Tiresias wrote: Magnum Vaeltaja wrote: ^ Man, you've gotta calm down about Relayer.  If you want to take a dump on directionless, discordant, abrasive music, Relayer doesn't even scratch the surface of the tip of the iceberg.  And anyway, this is a Tales appreciation thread; you can take your complaints elsewhere if you're so inclined to share them.  Easy now, sit you down Firstly, I never asked your guidance so you can keep your relayers. Actually I´m very disappointed at you, thought you have a sophisticated taste as an "eclectic" progger but apparently cannot differentiate noise from melody in that particular "album". Anyway ...  Interesting actually, now I know much more of you. You have a problem when someone has a very different view of this subject (or any other subject I´d suppose) as you. Frankly, I´m not interested in your problem(s). In Prog namely that "album" is the underwater part of the iceberg, for me personally. You see, people have different opinions also in this thread, like it or not. To me the anti-thesis of Oceans. Sound chaser is the culmination, the lowest point in Yes´ entire career (well I don´t count albums outside Anderson/Sguire participation, to be exact). That´s why I say it LOUD. Because of MY LOVE to Oceans. And anti-thesis of Prog Rock as well. I have heard a hell of a lot of crap during the decades but that nails it.  Well, sh*t happens they say. Except the wonderful Soon section. Actually I´m not even crushing the damn record, lol.  Sure there was a time when I just wanted to throw it out of the window, I admit   And hell, I am a huge Yes fan, like it or not or believe or not. But I ain´t nobody´s fool, not even Anderson´s who happens to be one of my heroes, not only as musician but also as a human being. In our culture we have this freedom of speech, I dunno yours. Nothing personal from my part, in the end of the day. But seems to me that truth always hurts certain people. Well, your choice. And time to move on.  And what´s funny... My love for Tales may be stronger than your´s   Tell us more of your wonderful stories about Oceans.

I'm not saying that you have to like Relayer. I can totally understand why you don't like it. The production's pretty rough, I'll admit, and it certainly took me a while to come to like it as much as I do. Maybe I'm crazy for liking it, who knows. Your opinion is yours, mine is mine, and there's nothing one of us can say that will make the other think otherwise, so why argue?

You have a right to share your opinions, but all I'm saying is why focus on so much negativity? Why constantly remind us about what you hate, and what you think is wrong, and why everyone else must be wrong? That doesn't seem like a very Jon Anderson-like thing to do. If you want to vent about Relayer, feel free, but go share it in the unpopular opinions thread, or the overrated prog songs thread. But this is the Tales appreciation thread, so let's talk Tales. Let's focus on the positives, let's talk about what makes great music great!

Getting over wars we do not mean
Or so it seems so clearly
Sheltered with our passion
Clearly to be home

As for my own "Tales" on Oceans, I've been thinking quite a bit more about the album over the past few days, and I'll be glad to share my new thoughts once I have them all together in writing. Let's make amends, no?

Good! 

Devoncir wrote: Yes, we came very close to the edge discussing and throwing tormatos at Relayer -- (as if Mr. Howe cared) -- and now the drama is over, and we are again going for the one: Tales form topographic Oceans.

Wait... are you people... being nice?! Resolving disagreements without force or anger? Engaging in fraternal congregation?

Magnum Vaeltaja wrote: Good!  Back to Tales. One thing I've been thinking of is how great of a job Alan White did on the album. A lot of people knock his performance here, but I can't think of what he could have done to make it better. I guess it's just because Bruford had such a distinct, creative approach to percussion that people sort of look at him as the gold standard, and are disappointed by anything less.  But I really like Alan White, and especially what he did on Tales. He's a rock drummer, no doubt, but that's what the album calls for. Would that initial descending 3-note keyboard motif after the chant at the start of The Revealing Science of God have as much raw power if we had a jazz cat tinkling away behind it on the brushes? It would probably still sound good, but it wouldn't sound nearly as massive as it does the way it is. And it's not like White doesn't have technical chops either; I can't think of anywhere on the record where he slips up, and he really drives the music along during the uptempo sections of The Remembering and Ritual. Now how cool would it be if we got Bruford and White together with a Bruford-Muir-type dynamic? White's heavy hitting kit playing and Bruford musing away on the auxiliary percussion. That would have been awesome, especially during the percussion break in Ritual. One can only dream...

Edited by Son.of.Tiresias - October 22 2016 at 04:41