Happy 40th! "Tales From Topographic Oceans"!
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Topic: Happy 40th! "Tales From Topographic Oceans"!
Posted By: cstack3
Subject: Happy 40th! "Tales From Topographic Oceans"!
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 10:58
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Remarkable how time flies! Please read Jon Anderson's extensive thoughts on TFTO and Yes in this fine interview: http://www.examiner.com/article/jon-anderson-of-yes-raids-rock-vault-talks-topographic-oceans-40-years-on" rel="nofollow - http://www.examiner.com/article/jon-anderson-of-yes-raids-rock-vault-talks-topographic-oceans-40-years-on
He reveals many things about the band, composition and his interests that I had never known! |
Replies:
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 11:40
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Well, it's really nice. Thanks for sharing!
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Posted By: Metalmarsh89
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 12:03
| That was a good read. Thanks for posting. |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 12:50
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Thanks, I really enjoyed reading about specifics of one of my favorite albums. Love the story about the Remembering keyboard solo and Jon having to coach the wizard.  ------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 18:12
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I'm glad you liked Anderson's tales! He's a lovely chap, very brave about trying new things all the time! Since it is the 40th Anniversary of Tales, this Wakeman interview is a classic - he reveals that key scenes of the movie "Spinal Tap" were inspired by actual events during the TFTO tour! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1045969/Yes-original-Spinal-Tap-says-Rick-Wakeman-Seventies-prog-rock-supergroup.html#ixzz1Ss5rspNu" rel="nofollow - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1045969/Yes-original-Spinal-Tap-says-Rick-Wakeman-Seventies-prog-rock-supergroup.html#ixzz1Ss5rspNu
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Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 23:03
Great article! Reminds me of the bio I read of Yes in a book called "British Beat Groups of the 60's". It was describing the press conference where Patrick Moraz was introduced as the new Yes keyboardist: "The press asked Moraz if he was vegetarian. Patrick replied 'if necessary'. Such unprincipled groveling did him no good and he only lasted one album." ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
cstack3 wrote:Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: September 13 2013 at 23:51
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read it a few days ago--Jon has lot's of stories which come across as embellished after the passing of so much time-----probably hard to remember everything that happened 40 years ago--I can see how he came up with the line--high the memory
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Posted By: doctorphil
Date Posted: September 14 2013 at 02:26
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Many thanks for posting these two great articles. Thoroughly enjoyed them both. ------------- Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 14 2013 at 03:31
that was a brilliant answer from Moraz .Didn't know he was funny as well a superb keyboard player. Wakeman had serious competition indeed.
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Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 02:44
Cool article...a couple errors in the intro... 1) Yes performed at least two of the epics every night of the tour. True...but they actually played the entire album for most of the tour...I wish I could've seen that! 2) Yes retired the Tales songs after that tour and didn't revisit them until decades later. Not true. Yes continued playing The Ritual on the '74/'75 Relayer tour as well as much of the '76 solo album tour (they also played The Remembering on some of those dates). You can see this on the "Yes at Queens Park '75" youtube video and I saw it firsthand on the '76 tour. 3) Steve Howe played pedal steel on The Ancient. Not true. This is a common misconception about Howe's instrumentation. He played steel guitar not pedal steel on this, Close to the Edge, Relayer, and Going for the One. He never played pedal steel live, when you see him standing up playing with a slide, that's a steel guitar (or in some cases, a multiple necked steel rack). In later years, when he sat down and played slide, that was a lap steel not a pedal steel (you can see this at the 1 minute mark on the youtube video for his song "Ram"). You can identify pedal steel by the unique sound of hearing multiple notes where some of the notes stay the same while others change pitch at the same time. That's what the pedals on a pedal steel do...they change the pitch of selected strings while leaving other strings unchanged. Pedal steel is hugely popular in old country music and country rock hybrids (Jerry Garcia was a fine pedal steel player though the Dead brought in a "real" country pedal steel guy for "Pride of Cucamonga"). I always thought Howe's solo on "To Be Over" might have been pedal steel, but in an interview he says it was just steel guitar (probably multi-tracked). He does own several pedal steels (which can be seen in "The Steve Howe Guitar Collection" book and I believe he bought his first one touring the US South on the Fragile tour) but I don't believe he's ever played pedal steel (and actually employed the pedals and used it for more than a steel guitar) live or on record.  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 05:55
Great articles and anecdotes, thank you all.  Got quite strong personal relation to this album, as I learned to listen longer suites with this album whilst discovering some symphonic classical music similarly. I think the album is great though bit unbalanced, mostly on some arrangements on the third song, but the concept is adorable. Many live versions of the songs I have heard grow yet greater, and the edit on some remaster of the start with ca. 1 minute indroductive soundscape is interesting also - both original studio mix and this extension being beautiful. I wonder if there will be some sort of 40th anniversary release on this...? I would be happy to see similar bottlegs to official transitions from the related live gigs as King Crimson and others have done. |
Posted By: Toaster Mantis
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 07:35
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It's a pretty long time ago I listened to Yes, unfortunately I don't remember much from TFTO as well as I do CTTE or Fragile. I'm not that terribly much into the classic British symphonic style of progressive rock as I used to, though, but this kind of over-ambitious record has me intrigued almost by default. ------------- "The past is not some static being, it is not a previous present, nor a present that has passed away; the past has its own dynamic being which is constantly renewed and renewing." - Claire Colebrook |
Posted By: Cirrusminor
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 14:38
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Happy Birthday, Tales!!
As a birthday present for you, I was humming "Do the leaves of green stay greener..." all day long. Remembering - High the Memory ------------- Nous sommes du Soleil |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 14:59
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I will pay homage to this album this week. I've got a lovely 2 disc set with expanded artwork of the great Tales and I'm glad to have it. :) can't believe it is 40! Wow. 7 years Older than myself. ;) ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 15 2013 at 15:05
 Oh, that one is priceless, once again thanks for sharing!
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 16 2013 at 10:08
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Hi, To this day, I think that TFTO is the best piece of rock music ever written ... and it is the perfect "rock symphony" ... and I like to compare it to Beethoven's 5th and 9th ... every day of the week. It's how valuable it is to my imagination, that folks from my generation can create magnificent work, that stands up to the test of time, as important. IF, there was a mistake, which Pink Floyd did not allow themselves to fall to, was to let the rock press tell them what to do. And YES, by their 4th album, liked the attention and became the rock press darling, though CTTE did not exactly get all the acclaims that we think ... it was originally thought of as pretentious ... but when the subject matter of the piece, was not pretentiousness, Rolling Stone had to eat its very stupid words about it! It just showed who was pretentious, instead! I always thought that Rick Wakeman, was not being fair with his words, and that in fact, compared to what he did later, he was actually lazy, and just doing conventional stuff that had a lot less talent in its creation, than what he had done with YES altogether. In the past few years he has softened his stance, but if there is a tribute to be played to the band, a major orchestra should do Tales From Topographic Oceans, and invite the 4 (5 with Alan White) folks to the premiere ... now that would be a treat to see the NY Philharmonic, or the London Symphony pull this off, and it would be the beggest sell out that those orchestras ever had ... and recording bootlegs will be over the net within 5 minutes of the performance! And I want one! It's a sad thing, that we do not have respect for our own work, and always have to compare it to history and everything else ... and that because it was done with rock instruments ... the orchestra of the future, it is not accepted, and specially so by a rock press that is not musically educated or interested in the subject, and is only capable of kissing stars and the songs they like! It is nice to see this appreciation, and I am proud of my generation ... we didn't sit still ... we created music, art, books, movies ... and we will be remembered. As you can tell! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 16 2013 at 14:10
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^ good post Tales is the ultimate prog album , Yes were the ultimate prog band .Amen.
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 16 2013 at 14:24
I also appreciate Moshkito's post quite a lot.  It's really a heart warming  homage to compare Tales to Beethoven's 5th and 9th, and if there's one Yes album that can be compared with a symphony on a grand scale, it's this one, and not only because this work of art has 4 movements as well.I could say that Yes 5th (Close To The Edge) is more like Beethoven's 5th, tightly composed and powerful in its execution, and that Yes 6th (Tales) is more like Beethoven's 6th (Pastoral Symphony), but apart from the fact that the lyrical material of Close To The Edge ("Close to The Edge, just by a river") embodies in fact the pastoral theme, it would miss the point (but I couldn't keep myself from stating this anyway  ). Fact is, if there's a true prog symphony, there are little other candidates than Tales From Topographic Oceans. Although I can imagine that many people see Close To The Edge as Yes' crowning achievement, I myself prefer Tales, for the simple fact that the music takes its time to unfold itself. The slow execution of the music, with all its spheres coming and going like waves, gives the music a certain timelessness. Indeed, the album is like a world where you can dwell in, and wonder at the sights and sounds. A true visionary masterpiece.
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Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 17 2013 at 00:49
Arnold Schoenberg when asked to define "good" music: "If you arrange a piece of music for zither and it still sounds good". Tales on zither? Count me in  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: September 17 2013 at 08:27
| agree with moshkito----had a classical musician not into prog listen to a bunch of Yes albums and Tales stood out for him as his fav and was most impressed by it. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 17 2013 at 09:56
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Hi, There was an article on The Oregonian almost a year ago, I think, that was upset that the Portland Symphony did not have enough attention and was not selling enough tickets. So I wrote a response to The Oregonian and the person who wrote that ... who gets free tickets to the Symphony, btw!!! ... and told him that the folks needed to get more modern and interesting ... and stop just doing shows with Pink Martini ... which appear to be the ones that get them the best money.
I even suggested, some Frank Zappa, Yes, Jethro Tull (TAAB or PP) ... and even Deep Purple's opus.
I never got a reply/suggestion, but the idea is pretty obvious ... they are not interested in the youngsters that don't care about yet another Bach recital this weekend to celebrate the death of his stepson ... PDQ! And no humor! That editorial was not well done and if I was an editor I would have gotten an opposing view by a rock reviewer, of which they have a lot of them ... that love that traditional jazz around here!
Even in Germany, they have done a day of Edgar Froese music with an orchestra ... it's coming ... but some of these folks are afraid of stepping aside from the stuff they know too much ... and learn from the stuff they don't know, which in the case of Portland is ... don't want to know because it's not music!
And Pink Martini is ... cheap and 2nd rate. I felt like if I wanted to watch that kind of stuff I would go to a bar in San Francisco and watch Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks ... a heck of a lot more fun ... and sexy, too! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 17 2013 at 23:43
Hey moshkito, I've never heard them, but what is your opinion of those "Symphonic Yes", "Symphonic Tull", "Symphonic Genesis" sorts of albums? ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 17 2013 at 23:47
Thanks! I've seen Yes perform "Ritual" live several times, including twice with Moraz! This photo was taken at the "Solos" performance near Chicago, 14 August 1976, and you can tell it is "Ritual" because Howe is playing his Les Paul Junior guitar! Great photo by my friend Curt, one of the best concert photographers ever!  |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 00:32
Hey Chuck, I absolutely love that shot! I saw them about a month before in mid July at the SF Cow Palace. I remember when I first read that Steve used a Les Paul Junior for Tales I couldn't believe it! I remember thinking, some of the most adventurous prog guitar playing I've ever heard and he used a Junior??? Just goes to show it's not always the tool but the hands of the craftsman playing it ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 08:40
I think they are a good start ... but some of them are not well done at all.
For example, Caravan and the New Sinfonia, is fabulous ... most progressive folks here don't seem to appreciate it as much as I like it! And I think it has to do with the "idea" of what progressive music is, than it does the reality of the music itself!
The "Yes", "Tull" and "Genesis" things were not that good ... they should have gotten one of the members of the band involved to make it tighter and better. The "Yes" one, that I remember hearing about 20 years ago, was very poor and I was not interested in an orchestral version of Roundabout! I thought that an orchestral version of TFTO would be more interesting than the pop song hits that so many of these things are doing, see?
The PF one, that was around LA, was awful! I think they tried to emulate the showtime special and it fell flat for me.
Dream Theater's concerts with an orchestra were excellent. Even if it was metalized ... still it was excellent. Not only does it take talent to do that, it also takes musical knowledge and appreciation!
The FZ versions going around, specially that one from NY is not very good ... and I think that it is trying to be too much of a swing band/orchestra thing, that takes away from the music ... sort of try to implement the music into the 30's and make it minnie the moocher all over again, and I think that it is sad, and very bad. In fact, I have written on the Zappa board that I would rather see ZpZ do completely different versions of his dad's work in order to give it a chance to grow more ... like classical music does under the hands of different conductors. But, I'm not convinced that Dweezil is that musically versatile or mentally capable of having to pay attention to the music and joint on top of it ... he can do it as long as it is controlled, but he's not capable of free forming like his dad is ... I think he is too tied up to the notes, chords and music to step outside of it, and he does not have the internal fluidity that dad had!
But I heard, and I have no idea who it was, a really nice chromatic harp/harmonica did a version of some pop music that was magnificent ... might have been Toots Thielmans ... but wow ... and that is the kind of freedom that will help a lot of the music come alive and be remembered.
I would like to see a full orchestra version of some of these things, but some of the stuff is just all the melodic themes, and nothing else, and takes away a lot of the actual music, and this is why I like the Sinfonia thing with Caravan ... at least one piece was composed specifically for it, and it is excellent, and it also tells you how good some of these folks are in music ... they are not just rock'n'roll'ers!
It's all good ... we just need more of it. But local orchestras are afraid to do this ... and specially the Portland one that thinks that you and I are too stupid to know any music beyond the top ten classics! Cold day in hell I will ever buy a ticket to sweep their latrines! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: WeepingElf
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 09:48
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Tales from Topographic Oceans is a fine, if often underrated, album. It is of course the biggest piece Yes ever released (but not really the finest - that title goes IMHO to "Close to the Edge"). The monumental size of Tales of course conjured problems: how to follow up on it? Making an even bigger piece - six movements filling three LPs? Or a new direction? The answer was the latter - a new direction (with a new keymaster) with Relayer, another great gem from one of the finest progressive rock bands of all times. And all that just because of a footnote in Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi! ------------- ... brought to you by the Weeping Elf "What does Elvish rock music sound like?" - "Yes." |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 09:59
Can I ask where you get this bullsh*t from? Do you just make it up without bothering to check your "facts"? Or do you actually look at what "most progressive folks here" http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3111" rel="nofollow - actually say and then completely ignore that because it disagrees with your preconceptions and prejudices so just make it up anyway? (please feel free to follow the link, unless you're scared of learning something) ------------- What? |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 10:14
Nicely put.  I take it you enjoyed Dream Theater's THE SCORE. My my. I always thought DT were in human that one night at Radio City Music Hall. LaBrie never sounded better in my opinion and he actually reminded me a lot of Jon Anderson.  DT are absolute Aliens and that foreign power was inspired by early YES compositions like the great TFTO. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 10:31
Reworded as it was not meant to say that no one likes the album ... it was meant to say that when it comes to Caravan's favorites, this is not always mentioned, and the remastered album with the other pieces in it (in order too!) is even better! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 12:30
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The rewording hasn't changed much, it's still condescending. ------------- What? |
Posted By: timothy leary
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 12:57
| "next to all the bs we spend our time with all day! "..........and the hits keep happening |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 14:09
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Another shot taken during the "Solos" show in Illinois! Not sure which song this was, but Anderson's expression is priceless! This is my favorite photo of the guy, period. 
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 16:50
| Really nice pics, I must say! |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 18 2013 at 23:10
Thank you! Curt has a fine collection of concert photos, shot with 35 mm back in the old days! I like the one of Howe, he really looks "ripped" - kind of like a comic-book super-hero with a guitar! TFTO continues to amaze me, I'll listen to it every day for a long stretch, really concentrating on each performer's task. I used to think Wakeman just phoned in his parts, but there are some remarkable synth & Mellotron sections....perhaps he was rehearsing for "Journey"? |
Posted By: Blart
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 01:05
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Thank you for this great discussion on TFTO! I think I'll revisit it in coming days. Haven't heard it in a decade or so, but all these glowing comments make me want to yank it out again. BTW, I'm a newb here (obviously), though I was pretty active on a.m.p. back in the 90s. Thanks for creating / maintaining this space! ------------- Bassist with G2R.ca |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 01:37
The one with Howe is incredible, yeah. Yes, one can only imagine what Rick was doing and thinking. Eating curries with his left hand, practicing for Journey with his right hand and every now and then providing the occasional note for TFTO
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Posted By: WeepingElf
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 09:03
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They looked and sounded like - Elves!!! They could have come straight from Lothlórien ;) ------------- ... brought to you by the Weeping Elf "What does Elvish rock music sound like?" - "Yes." |
Posted By: elbownut
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 14:40
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Going to see SeYes perform the whole album this Sunday 22nd at the Robin II in Bilston, UK. ------------- "Music was my first love and it will be my last" - John Miles "Music" |
Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 15:49
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^ I was going to say: enjoy, but their site http://www.therobin.co.uk/whats_on/" rel="nofollow - http://www.therobin.co.uk/whats_on/ says the show has been cancelledIf this is true, I feel truly sorry for you
 |
Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 16:52
| think Ricks playing on Tales is very good---his synth solo on Revealing is one of his best---his mellotron work on side 2 is very lush and very good---like his work on side 3 too--on Ritual I think Moraz did a better job on the live version than Rick does on studio. |
Posted By: Chris S
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 20:04
BTW what is a.m.p? All Music? ------------- ...As I venture through the slipstream, between the viaducts in your dreams...[/COLOR] |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 19 2013 at 23:14
I always thought that was quite a leap of faith on the part of Yes...replacing Bill Bruford with the drummer from the Plastic Ono Band  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 04:12
------------- What? |
Posted By: The-Bullet
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 11:24
I was on the Alt.Music.Yes group for months before I realised why people had the sig. "leaving amy place" ------------- 
"Why say it cannot be done.....they'd be better doing pop songs?" |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 13:07
According to Bruford, in his autobiography, he was the one who recommended White to Yes. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 14:08
I had no idea...thanks for the info ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 14:23
His book was an interesting read....talks about the music, other musicians, travelling and touring, as well as the business side of things. In a nutshell he became disillusioned with rock and prog in general and wanted to just play jazz. until he retired. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 20 2013 at 23:45
Ya, I actually read it a few months ago but didn't recall the part about him recommending Alan White. The main thing I remember about the book is I thought it was very sad. Mr B is my fave drummer (I was even able to attend a Simmons electronic drum seminar he gave in 1988 at a local music store) and it was disheartening to read the latter part of the book. So many great accomplishments and by the end of the book it seemed like he was so bitter and disillusioned. I've honestly never read a musician biography before that made me feel so sad. ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 00:59
I'm reading the book right now and nearing the end. It has been a very good read so far, definitely the best music book I've read in a long time. Made me think a little about my relationship with listening to and making music. ------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA! 
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 08:55
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Back to "Tales from Topographic Oceans" - which side is your favorite, and why? I go back & forth, and "The Revealing Science of God" always stirs me...however, I've also always loved side 2, "The Remembering!" Squire plays fretless bass on this, and they really cook when they sing "Relayer....all the dying cried before you!" I used to not like "The Ancient" very much, but it grew on me after repeated listenings. It is still my least favorite side. An amazing album!
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Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 09:27
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"The Revealing Science of God" is my favorite, and I waver between "The Remembering" and "Ritual" after that. "The Ancient" is a lovely avant-garde shift amidst the symphonic splendor.
------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Epignosis
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 09:31
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Another thing that many people might not have noticed is that Steve Howe plays riffs from Close to the Edge in "The Ancient." During one of the cacophonies (ba-Dat, ba-Dat, ba--DA) he tosses in the main guitar theme from "Siberian Khatru" (the phrase he repeats right before his guitar solo at the end of the song). And during the classical guitar part, he includes the very beginning of "Close to the Edge." Howe also references the main theme of "The Revealing Science of God" at the end of "Ritual," but in a minor key. ------------- https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays" rel="nofollow - https://epignosis.bandcamp.com/album/a-month-of-sundays |
Posted By: Finnforest
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 10:21
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I love all 4 sides almost equally. Right now Ancient is my girlfriend, but I truly love them all.
------------- https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sQD8uhpWXCw" rel="nofollow - It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...Road Rage Edition |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 11:50
I'm not even sure that "jazz" is what he wanted to play, because, just like rock music, jazz is also very restrictive, and I am willing to bet that Bill would prefer to not be tied down to one thing only. And the rock'n'roll like, is not for everyone ... playing the hits "every" night! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 12:20
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I think if Bill Brufford (or Mickey Mouse come to that) writes in his AUTObiography that he wanted to play Jazz then I too would assume he meant something entirely different.
...and still the hits keep coming. ------------- What? |
Posted By: Ronnie Pilgrim
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 14:47
I have always noticed those two revisited themes, and the one from the first track (or as I remember it, Side One).
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Posted By: elbownut
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 14:56
------------- "Music was my first love and it will be my last" - John Miles "Music" |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 21 2013 at 22:43
"The Revelaing Science" has always been my fave. I love the opening chant and the "They move fast, they tell me" section is my favourite part on the entire album. "The Ancient" comes next, Howe kills it in the opening wailing guitar solo then plays that beautiful classical guitar section to close it out. "The Remembering" comes next with the "Relayer..." section a favourite and the great chord progression that ends it. I've never liked "Ritual" especially the percussion ensemble part. Still, a brilliant album and saying what I don't like is kinda like criticizing the best dinner I ever had, "ya the Kobe steak and fresh Maine lobster were great, but I wish they would've put a slice of lemon in my ice water" ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Kazza3
Date Posted: September 22 2013 at 04:57
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Thanks very much for linking the article, cstack, was very interesting! Love this album, even for its few flaws. It just has such a sense of wholeness and beauty. The Revealing is my favourite, as it is for many others, it's possibly the most well arranged Yes epic, the arrangement of themes & sections is sublime. The Remembering is fantastic, including the lengthy opening sections, I really enjoy it, and the keyboard breaks are one of the best keyboard moments in prog. The Ancient is my least favourite, it's very cool & percussive but kinda lacks that sense of cohesion. Ritual is pretty great as well, especially the end, but I don't like it as much as I used to.
I don't know about the Portland Symphony, but the vast majority of orchestras these days certainly play plenty of non-classical concerts, from supporting popular artists (ie, like Gurrumul playing with the Sydney Symphony), or pops concerts, or the like. Players are certainly accustomed to playing that material- they're not afraid of it- but of course they like it less than playing the classical repertoire- to classical musicians, the kind of feeling that comes from playing those phenomenal works is incomparable, and though they usually enjoy playing the other stuff, it's never going to match most of the time. As fantastic as a concert dedicated to Yes (or otherwise) arrangements would be, I also find it highly unlikely that such a concert would be sudden cash cow for them, as much as we prog fans might like to think, I'm not sure the support is quite there.
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: September 22 2013 at 11:05
------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 22 2013 at 11:20
What he might consider jazz, might not get as much exposure out there ... and I'm only comparing it to the more traditional jazz that we can find on radio, in LA, SF and Seattle, and even here in Portland. The stuff, for which one could easily incorporate Canterbury and other stuff, is not even played or considered here, which I find sad, and I have let these folks here know it ... heck, I think it was 6 years ago, that the Mount Hood Jazz Festival had the chance to bring in Bill Bruford, with some folks, but decided that the music wasn't traditional enough!
Kinda mentality we have to fight around here!
I like Bill's work, in just about any album that he has been a part of. ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 22 2013 at 22:56
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Speaking of Mr B, I always wondered what Tales would have been like with him behind the drum kit ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 23 2013 at 01:50
better as it would have suited him more perhaps? Alan White peaked on Drama imo . I love that album. Both drummers great of course in their own different ways. Listen to Rick Wakeman Six Wives and you can see the respective strengths of the two of them utilsed perfectly
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Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: September 24 2013 at 14:55
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Very interesting ! Thanks a lot for posting these links. -------------  One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: September 25 2013 at 00:00
I think Bruford would have excelled on the first 3 pieces, especially "The Ancient"...and though never a big Alan White fan, I'll admit that "Ritual" required a power drummer like White rather a more finesse player like Mr B. Still, it's one of my favourite prog "what if's" ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: September 25 2013 at 06:59
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Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: September 25 2013 at 08:13
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Bruford on Tales would have made it a completely different album---JA said at the time he wanted Yes to make a more down to earth funky sound like "The Band"---but Tales The Ancient never sounded like Music from Big Pink to me
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Posted By: theandies
Date Posted: September 30 2013 at 11:38
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Wow! I'm old. Tales is my favorite Yes album of all time. I wore out 2 LP's. All 4 sides are an essential part of my mp3 collection to this day. Funny thing is Relayer is my second favorite Yes album and it was cool to find out it was inspired so-to-speak by Tales. Awesome stuff. |
Posted By: The Mystical
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 04:14
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Tales is such an inspired, fulfilling, and spiritual album. Some day I wish to meet Jon in person. ------------- I am currently digging: Hawkwind, Rare Bird, Gong, Tangerine Dream, Khan, Iron Butterfly, and all things canterbury and hard-psych. I also love jazz! Please drop me a message with album suggestions. |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 10:05
Hey. I hear if you listen to the Tales album 40 times in a row, Jon Anderson will appear above your bedroom window. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 13:40
Hang on, I'm busy playing Black Sabbath at 78 speed at the moment  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 13:53
 Hasn't Ozzie tortured enough bats for one lifetime?------------- What? |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 14:40
 But you also have to repeat his name 3 times out load. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: October 03 2013 at 16:05
Go to one of his solo shows, you will be able to meet him! He's a sweet guy. When I saw his "Voice of Yes" show, Jon played "The Revealing Science of God" solo, playing an electronic keyboard!! Amazing!
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: October 04 2013 at 07:33
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Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: October 04 2013 at 17:47
Everyone who grew up with Cheech & Chong knows when you play Sabbath at 78 speed you see god  ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: December 14 2013 at 21:14
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This is great!! |
Posted By: progbethyname
Date Posted: December 15 2013 at 00:02
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Beauties. ^. Nothing like interactive topographies. ;)
Thanks mr. Cstack3. ------------- Gimmie my headphones now!!! 🎧🤣 |