Tales from Topographic Oceans
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40866
Printed Date: May 17 2024 at 19:59
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Topic: Tales from Topographic Oceans
Posted By: coleio
Subject: Tales from Topographic Oceans
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:01
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You Choose. I personally love it. Grandiose on a scale hardly ever seen  ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Replies:
Posted By: Vompatti
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:06
| It's not one of my favourite Yes albums, but I still like it. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:10
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Never heard of it, tell me more!
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Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:11
Only 2 choices? No in-between steps? 
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Posted By: laplace
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:12
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it sucks, but neither of these options appeal to me because I don't mind that it's pretentious and overbearing, just that it's not got any good music on it.
------------- FREEDOM OF SPEECH GO TO HELL |
Posted By: Chicapah
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:25
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I loved it when it came out and I will always feel the same. Wonderful peaks and valleys to immerse oneself in. ------------- "Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain |
Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:27
| I agree with lapace. The problem isn't with pretentiousness, it is with the lack of truly good music on it. |
Posted By: Padraic
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:33
C'mon man, God is right there in the first track!  |
1800iareyay wrote:Posted By: 1800iareyay
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:36
ah crap. foiled once again by my illiteracy 
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Posted By: dedokras
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:38
| It is pretentious, over the top, pompous prog but... I don't mind as long as I don't have to listen to it more than twice a year :) |
Posted By: ian picken
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:47
Its the dogs swingers, its what its all about , long, epics songs that you have to really scratch at the surface to get into, then you can sink into them forever. Most prog albums i can think of the long epic track is normally the best. 
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:55
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In my opinion, it is neither. It's not "pretentious" or "overblown" because Anderson and Howe had very serious intentions when they were trying to make it, and some of the time they even succeed in conveying the emotions they wanted to convey (especially on the original Side One). If you want something overblown, try THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. On the other hand, it's not the epitome of anything, because it contains too many weak moments. But I must admit I gave it a five-star review. 
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Posted By: Badabec
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 10:58
I guess the peak of Progressive Rock (but can you still call it rock or do you have to say symphonic music?). However it is brilliant and one of my favourite Yes albums. But boys and girls, I needed sooooo much time to get into that stuff... ^^ 
------------- Mesmo a tristeza da gente era mais bela E além disso se via da janela Um cantinho de céu e o Redentor - Antônio Carlos Jobim, Toquinho & Vinícius de Moraes - Carta ao Tom 74 |
Posted By: febus
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 11:10
The same for me
 |
Posted By: dave-the-rave
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 11:48
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Perfectly fabulous. 'Revealing Science' and 'Ritual' are the best pieces, but having the other two makes the whole package that much richer. I was a high school senior when TFTO came out, and my best friend and I loved it from the first listen. It seemed a very logical extension of CTTE. I also think it really does achieve a true symphonic construction using rock instruments. I listen almost exclusively with headphones. Slip on the cans, press play, and spend 20 or 40 minutes in a completely different time and place. For me, all the 'early man, forgotten civilizations' stuff is absolutely there. Go forth, sit down... and listen. |
Posted By: Shakespeare
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 13:45
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It's pretentious: I don't care. It's boring: I'm a minimalist. Don't care. There's nothing on this album that I hate, yet I don't love it enthusiastically. It'd good, it's not a classic. |
Posted By: The Miracle
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 17:55
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Second option isn't too far fromw what I think about it... my favorite Yes album.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/ocellatedgod" rel="nofollow - last.fm |
Posted By: Bj-1
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 18:09
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It's one of my favorites from them. It shares the 2nd place of my favorite Yes albums together with Relayer, IMO. ------------- RIO/AVANT/ZEUHL - The best thing you can get with yer pants on! http://www.last.fm/music/Exerior" rel="nofollow - EXERIOR Experimental tech/death/progmetal from Norway! |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 19:09
| I will remain commentless until more then 3 listens. |
Posted By: The Green Tank
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 19:33
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My fave Yes album. I could listen to it all day. -------------  
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Posted By: Walker
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 19:57
I love it 
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Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 21:03
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Many of you have probably heard this story, but... During the Topographic tour, Wakeman, who hated the album, had his assistant order Indian food which he proceeded to eat onstage during one of the TO numbers that had minimal parts for him. Anderson was furious. I don't blame him. When you're in a professional band making big money, you show up 100% and if you don't like one of the other guys songs, you deal with it. You don't act bored or be a f%$king baby about it. Or at least that's how I would treat my bandmates were I touring. Pretty funny story though, and true, told by Wakeman himself in an interview. As to your question, TFTO is one of prog's very finest moments. ------------- |
Posted By: el böthy
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 21:09
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Neither
------------- "You want me to play what, Robert?" 
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Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 21:14
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both-- the epitome of everything brillaint and pompous about prog.. and one of the finest albums ever |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 22:46
 ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 22:50
I know.... it sort of puts his oft-repeated criticisms of the album in context. He wanted to go one direction with the album... was out-voted... and threw a temper tantrum like a spoiled child in return ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: jimmy_row
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 23:36
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I've never understood the criticisms from Yes-fans of this album; to me it's a logical continuation of the territory explored on Close to the Edge...just a bit more over the top (yes, "a little bit" more...c'mon folks, this album isn't that hard to listen to; it's very melodic and features many delightful, sweeping melodies-- and it's sung well to boot). And surprisingly, I don't find Wakeman's contributions overshadowed as would be expected, there's plenty of moog and mellotron that he should have been happy; it's a very symphonic album...
Anyway, I don't think it's the "epitome" of progressive rock, but it is certainly a brilliant album. I'll vote for the second option out of sheer enjoyment for the beauty here and the ambition behind the music/concept.
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Posted By: Barla
Date Posted: August 14 2007 at 23:46
One of the best Prog Rock albums I've listened to, that deserves to be up there, at least in the top 20! I can't understand why it's so low in the Archives! Underrated, anyone??  Coincidentally, I was going to listen to this album, but because of a headache I won't... ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Barla/?chartstyle=LastfmMyspace">  
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Posted By: terrylity
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 05:24
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Firstly I hated this album. Nothing seemed to make sense, but it was Yes, so I tried a bit harder and gave it a few more spin time, often as a background music when I was concentrating on other stuff. Somehow, a lot of passages grew on me. So, for me, it is there along with CTTE and Fragile. Best three albums by Yes for me. I also think, what if Bruford was still with the band? Do you think it could be better, or less worse for those who really hated this album? ------------- The Unbearable Weight of A Being ... |
Posted By: Zargus
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 05:58
The Epitome of everything brilliant about prog!  ------------- 
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Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 08:28
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Rather the second option, I love this album.
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Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 10:08
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What I've gathered from this poll, is that people like options I'll be sure to post more options if I make a poll in future and I apologise for this one, having a lack of them. Sorry to go off topic. Please continue. ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 10:11
| Best album Ever! |
Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 11:10
That award goes to 'My Arms, Your Hearse' by Opeth ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 11:41
The only problem I have with your poll is the fact that you use the word pretentious.
 That's the word that is used by the masses of mindless entertainment consumers who want nothing to do with thinking about anything at all, much less music or movies. Ironically, those that throw the word around seem to be the ones that have to have the most expensive car, the biggest house, name brand tennis shoes and tend to want to be the center of attention in their given clique. They also love to impress people that they know big condescending words like pretentious. Not saying that you are that type of person, you after all, do listen to thoughtful music and just presneted the word in a poll question. The word just tends cause a negative reaction in me.
That being said, Tales is not one of my favorite albums. The songs just seem to be long for the sake of being long. They just lack any combination of structure and complexity. For Yes epics I prefer Close to the Edge, Awaken or even Gates of Delirium. But none of them touch Supper's Ready. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Evandro Martini
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 12:31
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Pretentious, over the top, pompous prog That's why I like it ------------- "You’ll never make any money playing music that people can’t sing.” Keith Emerson's father |
Posted By: Cold Deep
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 13:37
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an incredible album!
------------- Remember, the death is not the end, but only a transition 
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Posted By: coleio
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 18:58
I didn't use the word 'pretentious' because I think it is so. I used it mainly as it is a word levelled at TFTO a lot, so basically jumping on the majority of thoughts about the album. But no, I don't think its pretentious myself, and I do get annoyed with people who do call prog pretentious. Good points matey ------------- Eat heartily at breakfast, for tonight, we dine in Hell!! |
Posted By: Okocha
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 19:53
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Yes at their best The consequence of CttE |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 22:41
the easy answer to that was spelled out in my review. It isn't ear candy. It is a challenging album. A piece of sonic art. Like any work of art... some people love it... others hate it. The ones who use the grey matter between their ears can put aside their objective views and understand that THAT album indeed was the watershed of the prog rock movement in the 70's. Prog was about pushing the limits... that album was the culmination of everything that prog had been working towards since 1969. ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Leningrad
Date Posted: August 15 2007 at 23:35
| it pwns lol |
Posted By: Nightfly
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 10:58
Pretentious, over the top and pompous. That's a good thing right? 
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Posted By: Greg W
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 11:26
| How about somewhere in between. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: August 18 2007 at 11:40
Your favourite position...  |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: November 15 2007 at 20:17
| Can't vote cause I'm in the middle. It's a collection of great moments drawn out into epic length. |
Posted By: Teh_Slippermenz
Date Posted: November 16 2007 at 00:24
| IMO, it's the epitome. (Of everything that is brilliant about progressive rock) A modern day symphony, a rock symphony. It is truly the most progressive album in Yes's catalog. |
Posted By: Philip
Date Posted: November 16 2007 at 13:31
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Some people think of this album as just being a masterpiece or really bad. I don't vote because it would be a great lie answering one of this options, since this is a very good album, but far from being brilliant, neither pretentious. |