How would you rate Tales From Topographic Oceans?

[Topographicfish]

It is my favorite yes album so i just have to know! I'm surprised that Rick didn't like it. I think it is the greatest music project i have ever heard.

[Joe]

AMAZING!
I don't know what else to say.
An amazing album from start to finish!

[MrZuLu]

I was took



It is the single most beautiful SONG I have ever heard
I voted 1 because it is number 1 in my book of songs... if ten is best ON THIS POLE i was ripped off and cry DEFAULT!!!!



I DEMAND A RECOUNT....
:dog:

[MrZuLu]

every sunday since October 1973 I have listened to RSOG... I had the Import 3 months before it was released in the states.

[MrZuLu]

I was took



It is the single most beautiful SONG I have ever heard
I voted 1 because it is number 1 in my book of songs... if ten is best ON THIS POLE i was ripped off and cry DEFAULT!!!!



I DEMAND A RECOUNT....
:dog:
that's what i get for not looking at the vote results before voting..
It is my alltime fav...
it is the same lineup as the last one

[Joe]

I was took



It is the single most beautiful SONG I have ever heard
I voted 1 because it is number 1 in my book of songs... if ten is best ON THIS POLE i was ripped off and cry DEFAULT!!!!



I DEMAND A RECOUNT....


Don't back down Z.....
That was my vote too
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a126/chign/2_183_2.jpg

[MrZuLu]

Don't back down Z.....
That was my vote too
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a126/chign/2_183_2.jpg
but you voted 10 and it is your fav too
we can't both be right

[Topographicfish]

i was a little surprised that anyone could vote Topo the worst album evr but i forgive whoever did that.

[relayeire]

I gave it a 9... loses one point for some obvious padding... still incredible... GFTO, CTTE and Relayer all get 10's

[mrkelp]

I had to give this album a 10. Aside from the fact that this is quite possibly some of the deepest melodies ever recorded in "rock" music, I love the sheer audacity of releasing a double album with FOUR tracks at a time when the critics were slamming them for being......well....proggresive!
They definately took advantage of there success with Fragile to do this, and I applaud them for that.
I can also see why Rick didn't like it at the time, this is composition, with very little room for soloing, and the melodies come at you minute by minute. I imagine he wanted to develope some of the melodies into longer songs.
But ooooh man! It doesn't get better than this, especially with what Rhino did with the reissue.

[cinderella]

It is my favorite yes album so i just have to know! I'm surprised that Rick didn't like it. I think it is the greatest music project i have ever heard.


Welcome David. It's good to see that you love this album.

When I was 15 I didn't like Tales as much as I do now, but over the years I've learned to appreciate all the wonderful music that's on this unbelievable album. I love the Ancient especially. There's some parts in it that give me goosebumps. Leaves Of Green is beautiful. I envy anyone who got to see this performed live.

[luislg]

Topographic Oceans got a #10 because it has some of the most spiritual, talented and beautiful songs I've ever heard. It's one of a kind!
I really enjoy listening to it again and again :headset:

[yesyadda]

I don't just listen to this album, I strap it on like some time machine or space-warp conducerator thingy. It transports me every time. I purposely do not listen to it more than once every 2/3 months out of respect. I cherish Tales and ration it to myself like a life giving living thing. Ooooh I loves it so.

[kandjscott]

Boy did I goof, I have had flu thing going on, I meant to rate this album as one of my all time favorites. I saw YES do this tour in the 70's in Columbia,S.C. I remember they did the show in "quadraphonic sound", I also remember they had to stop briefly in the show due to problems with the mellotrons. Fortunately they fixed them and continued the show. It was GREAT, thanks, Ken

[kandjscott]

:harp: Boy did I goof, I have had flu thing going on, I meant to rate this album as one of my all time favorites. I saw YES do this tour in the 70's in Columbia,S.C. I remember they did the show in "quadraphonic sound", I also remember they had to stop briefly in the show due to problems with the mellotrons. Fortunately they fixed them and continued the show. It was GREAT, thanks, Ken

[jazzstick]

My opinion is that CTTE was the highest yes achievement. I believe that many artists' have a finite number of origional ideas, and once they use them up they start to rehash them. TFTO was the beginning of this, (combined with a bit of huberis and the loss of their most creative and soulful member), it created an album with great moments but without a focus and groove. You can't replace Bruford with White without feeling a great loss. I love Alan's playing but there is no comparison. TFTO would have been a masterpiece if it were arranged into a single album and recorded with a little more care. (and a little more Bruford)

Jazzstick

[luckeydoug1]

This album is quite nice from start to finish. I prefer it hands down over CTTE and Relayer. The melodic lines flow together in a very cohesive manner. It is infinitely more listenable straight through. I find it to be a very relaxing and regenerating musical experience for me. Finally, an early Yes CD I can put in to my heavy rotation with the YesWest 3.3!

[gathernear]

I love it!

[MrZuLu]

I don't just listen to this album, I strap it on like some time machine or space-warp conducerator thingy. It transports me every time. I purposely do not listen to it more than once every 2/3 months out of respect. I cherish Tales and ration it to myself like a life giving living thing. Ooooh I loves it so.
YES... it is the best song the ever wrote!
period

[True Believer]

10/10

[MrZuLu]

ok I concede... it might not be the best album release; however, it is certainly the best Single they ever released.

[MrZuLu]

see for the record... I must reiterate...

I missunderstood the scale 1 - 10...

Tales From The Topographic Ocean is my most single favorite yes song...
I voted IT NUMBER 1 as per the best...
you know there is top ten then there is

#1
grrrr...



1 is worst in this poll...


I WAS RIPPED OFFFFFF~!




:crybby:

[SonicDeath10]

I gave it a 9. It's not perfect but close. Sort of surprised to see an OVERWHELMING majority of 10's; i figured a few haters would be out there.

[Sad Preacher]

i gave it a 8....and only because of the weirdassed first 12 minutes of The Ancient....other wise it is was a nice switch from the perfect CTTE.....

[The Whale]

I think this thread has been done before but hay its all good! I gave it the 10 spot becase its my favorit Yes album perfictly progressive and enlightining from begining to end! RSoG and Ritual are unmatched any where in music. CTTE and Awaken are amazing but!, Tales is a massive four part peice all togeather and thats over 80 minutes of perfictness. I don't know what eals to say about it except that its amazing.

[Close to Loch Ness]

I gave it a 9. This is one of my favourite albums, but I still struggle with parts of The Ancient.

[new_sum_do_solve_ay]

10/10

Whoever gave it a '1' really needs to re-evaluate whether you belong on this forum or not.

[gt76yesman]

It is surrounded but better albums, IMHO, the recording quality just doesn't sound professional to me. I liked Relayer and CTTE better, I like TYA and GFTO better, still that being said, It is probably about my 6th or 7th favorite YES album and that is still excellent in my book.

[Buglunch]

I gave it a 9... loses one point for some obvious padding... still incredible... GFTO, CTTE and Relayer all get 10's
Relayer is definitely a 10 and Topo a 9.

Can we help you get that facehugger off you?
;)

I don't just listen to this album, I strap it on like some time machine or space-warp conducerator thingy. It transports me every time. I purposely do not listen to it more than once every 2/3 months out of respect. I cherish Tales and ration it to myself like a life giving living thing. Ooooh I loves it so.

For me it's a matter of digesting and processing it each time and not playing it again until that's done. Or subjecting civilians to 2 sides at once!
:ebil:

[Purple Wolfhound]

It's a great album, but not their best - I actually prefer the live versions of The Revealing Science Of God and Ritual more than their studio counterparts. Ritual from Yesshows has to be in my top five official live Yes recordings, it's an amazing piece of work. I give Tales an 8.5.

[PrimeMover]

I didn't like Ancient the first time I heard it, but now I think it's a quite interesting piece of music from start to finish. I've got to be in the mood to hear, can be quite annoying sometimes, but I still think it's a very original and cool. Would have been nice to hear some of the neo-progbands perform it with mordern technology; like IQ or Spock's Beard.

I give Tales 8; I find some parts of Remembering quite drawn out and the drumsolo in Ritual could have been developed into something more complex and musical than just going UUPPP note by note (I know many would'nt agree). They could have cut some parts and I maybe would have give it 10.

[wolfhound]

I always say that I like TYA the best, and rave about GftO, but it's Tales I've listened to the most.

From :
Dawn of light lying between a silence and sold sources

To:
Maybe I'll just sing awhile
And then give you a call
Maybe I'll just say hello
And say maybe that's all

I'm mesmerized by Tales. It touches something beyond my consciousness, and changed how I reflect on peoples' actions and thoughts.

[Altres]

I gave it a nine but I wish I'd just gone with a ten. It does loose a bit of focus here and there though, so perhaps a nine and a half.

Brian

[soundchaser77]

To Me tales is right up on top with close to the edge and relayer! My 3 fav. yes classic yes epic type cd/lps

[Faceintheplace]

Totally love it. In my top 3 defenitley.

[Store Hadji]

I think Jon was right when he said it was the album wherein high ideals met low energy. However, there's nothing like in the rock genre, and I gave it a 10 on ambition alone. The execution isn't always there, though. A lot of it sounds under-rehearsed. Revealing sounds awesome on KTA and Ritual likewise on Symphonic Live and Songs from Tsongas, and those show how the songs were meant to be heard - they just needed another 20 to 30 years of practice! So, an imperfect 10 for the original album.

[relayerjim]

It's in my top three. Jon put his heart and soul into Tales.

[tormatotork]

Fish live in the sea

[JD Chicago]

Rick was right.
They bled the melodys to death in moments....they really
didn't have enough interesting arrangements to do 4
sides.
However, they did have 3 sides...collectively I would
say 75% of a masterpiece.And that sounds critical...but its not
meant to be.I love it....I really just don't think they hit a home
run...A solid double of the wall "great" I would say.
What I found really really awesome is that they offered
you little musical "windows" to pick yourself up
on and relax "along the way"....
Like the Ancient...."do the leaves of green..etc..."
To me.
I think this album would have worked better as a narrative
like Lord of The Rings.
Where you have the central character taking you on a first person
singular "journey"....In this case throught the texts of the
"autobiography of a yogi".
To me...that would have created a more linear path
from start to finish.And it would have allowed the
musical landscape to have a greater indication on
where it should take hold both emotionally and energetically.
I do however think the works as a whole...were fantastic.

[hailhail]

Ihad to give this 10
It`s beautiful
It`s intricate
It still makes me cry at several pieces
It is YES

[ariceffron]

Tales Is 2nd Only To Revolver. It Is The Most Important Record Of The 70s By A Longshot. It Was The Next Step From The Beatles. After That Music Kind Of Went To Hell

[ham]

Bobbins...
Too much flam and not enough substance...
Sorry but thats the way I still feel 25 years after buying the damned thing...

:kitty: "runs away and hides..."

[hailhail]

onto my 3rd vinyl
my 4th tape
and 4th version on cd
LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ALBUM
CONCEPT, MUSIC ,PLAYING ,COVER, IMAGES ON COVER ,STORIES BEHIND IMAGES ON COVER AND MOST OF ALL LISTENING TO IT IN A ONER

[gathernear]

onto my 3rd vinyl
my 4th tape
and 4th version on cd
LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS ALBUM
CONCEPT, MUSIC ,PLAYING ,COVER, IMAGES ON COVER ,STORIES BEHIND IMAGES ON COVER AND MOST OF ALL LISTENING TO IT IN A ONER


Welcome to the site, hailhail. I couldn't agree more.


Larry

[Robbie693]

Quite simply a masterpiece ! Shame Rick Wakeman got a liitle bored with it. Didn't he used to eat curries from the top of his keyboards because he was so bored ? Now that's class.