TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS

Incredibly, Close to the Edge was a success for Yes: a commercial and artistic milestone. By then, the band had already released three critically acclaimed albums and had established themselves as pioneers of progressive rock. With Close to the Edge, they became masters of the genre, and thanks to that success, they were granted complete creative freedom.

After the release of the ambitious triple live album Yessongs, and with Alan White replacing Bill Bruford on drums, the band was at its peak. It was during Bruford's wedding that percussionist Jamie Muir recommended that Jon Anderson read Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi. That book became the spiritual basis for Tales from Topographical Oceans.

During a tour of Asia and Australia, Anderson and Steve Howe quietly began working on new material, without informing the rest of the band. Their vision: a large-scale work inspired by the shastras mentioned in Yogananda's book: four pieces that represent the search for spiritual knowledge and happiness.

When Yes returned to the studio after the tour, they arrived empty-handed but with open minds. In a room filled with incense, candles, and ambient lighting, Anderson and Howe presented their first sketches. Producer Eddie Offord, manager Brian Lane, a record label executive, and even Roger Dean were present. After a 30-minute performance, no one said a word. Anderson stood up and drew a diagram showing how the vocals would develop. From there, the band agreed: four sides, four movements, one huge concept.

The sessions at Morgan Studios were intense. The studio was transformed into a meditation space. Anderson and Howe drove the vision, while Squire and White grounded the music. Wakeman, though brilliant as ever on the keyboard, grew frustrated with the structure and length. The process was demanding; Sometimes he would spend an entire day perfecting seconds of music.

Despite the internal tensions, the result was one of the most ambitious works in rock

1. The Revealing Science of God A majestic opening that begins with a chant and develops into a 20-minute meditation on creation and spiritual awakening. Howe and Squire are at their best, and Anderson's voice soars with conviction.

2. The Remembering More atmospheric and introspective, this song focuses on memory as a path to understanding. Wakeman's mellotron textures dominate, and while some listeners find it slower, its beauty lies in its patience.

3. The Ancient The most experimental piece, with primitive percussion and dissonant guitar textures. But in its final minutes, Howe delivers one of the album's most beautiful acoustic passages with "Leaves of Green."

4. Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil) The most complete and dynamic song. From Squire's thunderous bass solo to Wakeman's brilliant final notes, this is Yes in full swing. The ending?"We love it when we play"?is simple, honest, and strangely profound.

Tales from Topographic Oceans isn't easy listening. It's not for casual fans or those looking for hooks. But it's a bold and visionary work, created by a band that expanded the boundaries of what rock music could be. It marked the end of an era?Wakeman would leave after the tour?but it left a unique legacy.

It's imperfect, beautiful, excessive, brilliant, as the best prog tends to be. For me is still a misunderstood masterpiece

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