Tales From Topographic Oceans - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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tuxon

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:03

I hate Rush

Edited by tuxon

I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT

Tony R

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:04

tuxon wrote:

I hate Rush

The-Bullet View Drop Down

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:05

I'm not arguing it's merits (I love it btw), I just pointed out your mistake. It was both JA and SH's "baby", so if you take the tours where both were present I don't feel it's been neglected.

"Why say it cannot be done.....they'd be better doing pop songs?"

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:11

The-Bullet wrote:

I'm not arguing it's merits (I love it btw), I just pointed out your mistake. It was both JA and SH's "baby", so if you take the tours where both were present I don't feel it's been neglected.

...and Wakeman liked it all the way, untill he read the critics and become scared...they all loved it

kirklott

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:31

A lot of people feel the way you do - Topo is a very controversial album.

Yes is by far my favorite band, but to me Topo is downright mediocre. It's got about 30 minutes of good or great music watered down over 80 minutes. It was also badly produced, so I prefer the live versions such as Ritual on Yesshows which is infinitely better than the studio version.

I feel other questionable albums such Drama, 90125, The Ladder, are all better.

The album also caused Yes to lose two of its most popular members: Bruford (before) and Wakeman (after). Squire didn't like it much either.

Finally, a word of advice to anyone collecting Yes music: if you're looking for more great 70s Yes - pick up "Keystudio," which was recorded in '96-'97 but has the classic line-up and sound, and included two AWESOME 20-minute epics that don't suck: That That Is and Mind Drive.

"Progressive rock is the key to the continuance of human evolution." - Charles Darwin

Walker

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:45

flowerchild wrote:

"Tales from Topografic oceans" is IMO the best recorded piece of art in any genre EVER! It is in EVERY way far SUPERIOR to "Close to the edge" and I think "Close to the edge" is one of the best albums I've heard. That is how fantastic "Tales from Topografic oceans" is to myself and many with me, it's simply the ultimate progressive piece of music ever written.

Thanks

I agree 100% with flowerchild. I know a lot of listeners don't like it, but I never understood that. CTTE is great, but I prefer the complexity of writing and playing Topographic Oceans. CTTE and Relayer were the 1st 2 Yes albums I heard. Then I got T-Oceans. Loved it from the beginning. The only thing that maybe should have been written better (or left off) is the 1st half of "The Ancient". 25 years later, the thrill of listening to T-Oceans has remained strong for me, while the thrill of listening to CTTE has faded.

Edited by Walker

Zargus

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 20:51

I love it, long beautiful peces of music thats perfect too lisen to when you whant something soft and nice, most of the time i lisen to tales at the evening its a perfect night album to lisen to and close your eyes and dream away. But i can understand if it get to much for pople to handle. But its honestly one of my all time favorite albums.

Edited by Zargus

marktheshark View Drop Down

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 21:32

I myself prefer the group NO!s "Trails From The Pornographic Lotions". Especially the cut "The Revealing Science Of Bob". The Dylan parody.

marktheshark View Drop Down

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 21:40

Tony R wrote:

The-Bullet wrote:

In you call playing the whole of both Ritual and The Revealing as "excerpts" that is ...

when......

Hey Tony, who are these 2 wingnuts you got pictured here? Relatives?

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 23:10

marktheshark wrote:

Tony R wrote:

The-Bullet wrote:

In you call playing the whole of both Ritual and The Revealing as "excerpts" that is ...

when......

Hey Tony, who are these 2 wingnuts you got pictured here? Relatives?

Sound Chaser View Drop Down

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 23:51

Dreamer wrote:

I was planning to buy that album, I'm not sure if i really want to anymore

Listen to it with as open of a mind as possible first and if you like it buy it, don't form oppinions on it based on what others think. It's definatly an either love it or hate it kind of album. I happen to like it, it's nowhere near the masterpeace CTTE is but it's still a good album.

dalt99

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Posted: June 06 2005 at 23:56

Sound Chaser wrote:

Dreamer wrote:

I was planning to buy that album, I'm not sure if i really want to anymore

I totally agree except I would change masterpeace to masterpiece

Actually, I didn't like TFTO that much when I first heard it but the more I listened to prog rock, the more I liked it. I still don't think it's a masterpiece (or peace) but it's worth owning.

Best of 2006 that I've heard:
PFM-Stati Di Immaginazione
Zenit-Surrender (Best "unknown" album)
Oaksenham - Conquest of Pacific
2007:
Phideaux - Doomsday Afternoon
La Torre Del Alchimista - Neo

Rob The Good View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 00:01

I have to say, Tales is on my 'to-do' list. It's taken me a while to pluck up the courage to go and buy it as a result of all the negative reviews. I think it may just be the thing that I'll end up loving to bits.

Oh by the way, there are a few Yes mp3s to download, but interestingly neither Relayer (my favourite Yes album) and Tales are not represented in this manner. They're both quite controversial, so perhaps it may be an idea to upload some tracks to give budding Yes fans a listen!

And Jesus said unto John, "come forth and receive eternal life..."
Unfortunately, John came fifth and was stuck with a toaster.

lynton samuel View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 04:41

Tales is GREAT!

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 05:58

Rob The Good wrote:

I have to say, Tales is on my 'to-do' list. It's taken me a while to pluck up the courage to go and buy it as a result of all the negative reviews. I think it may just be the thing that I'll end up loving to bits.

Oh by the way, there are a few Yes mp3s to download, but interestingly neither Relayer (my favourite Yes album) and Tales are not represented in this manner. They're both quite controversial, so perhaps it may be an idea to upload some tracks to give budding Yes fans a listen!

Never mind the bad reviews, what people can't handle they hate

firth_of_Fifth View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 06:35

I bought this album on vinyl in Bristol in november(on my 20th seeing my ex.HA!)

I havent listened to it yet. I also got an first pressing of AHM.

Yes are probably the hardest prog group to get into. I thought it was Genesis. But the only album I can listen to all the way through is close to the edge.

After reading this thread i'm going to listen to it when I get home, For the first time EVER!!

I'm excited now.

http://www.myspace.com/chrisblackwell

Swinton MCR View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 07:49

In Reply - I didn't like all of TFTO on my first listening - Circa 1980/81 - But over the years I have come to love the whole.

It is Better than CTTE (although CTTE & and You and I are fantastic) - The length and complexity and the whole concept works for me ! - There is so much to be gained by listening in a darkened room with no distractions - This music is not easily accessible - It's possibly one of the hardest prog masterworks to get into.......

This is about opinions - I find Wakemans' "Toby's graphic go-kart" jibes to be absurdly hypocritical since he calls it OTT self indulgence and this on the back of the brilliant but certainly over-indulgent solo albums he producesd at roughly the same time ! His gripe is probably that most of it was written by Howe/Anderson............

Toys out of pram Mr Wakeman !!!!

I can understand people not liking this materpiece but I am supriised if these people are 70's Yes freaks.......

Zargus

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 07:51

Tales From Topographic Oceans is the best prog album ever! if you dont like it you dont like prog, it has everything that a great prog album shuld have. Prog yust dont get any beter then TFTO!

And i have never hade any problems geting in too any of yes albums it will take some lisen to understand all its greatness, but like me you shuld love it right away.

firth_of_Fifth View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 08:16

I usually find that the best music is the stuff that takes a while to get into anyway. so i'm not worried.

http://www.myspace.com/chrisblackwell

Blacksword View Drop Down

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Posted: June 07 2005 at 08:23

It has its moments. Revealing Science of God is pretty good.

I like prog rock, so it follows that I likw or at least have no problem with long tracks, but this album is twice as long as it needs to be IMO. There is lot of filling and f*cking about. It could have been condensed, infact it should have been scrapped and re-recorded in a more listernable form.

Close to the Edge is better. It's a masterpiece IMO, and the best album they ever done by a long way.

Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!