Tormato

[David Momberg]

What YES am I listening to now?-TORMATO!!! The most misunderstood and underrated YES album ever!!! I guess you either love it or hate it-but "Release,Release" has always been a personal favorite-it's so INTENSE. But also, it was the best show of theirs I ever attended-IN THE ROUND! It was awesome-what I can remember that is!

[Devotee]

Just listened to it today on the way home from an aggravating day at the studio! Huzzah! I'll be there when the "ship" arrives!

[Dragonfly]

Originally posted by David Momberg "Release,Release" has always been a personal favorite...it was the best show of theirs I ever attended-IN THE ROUND! It was awesome-what I can remember that is! Are you saying you saw the TORMATO tour and got to see one of the few performances of "Release, Release"?! That would be, like, the Holy Grail of YesExperiences.

I don't suppose there's a boot of this song out there. Anyone???

Dragonfly :fly:

"Show some signs of appreciated loyalties."

[R'tanys]

I had Onward played at my wedding. (The song my wife and I danced to at the reception was I Hear You Now) Somewhere in some dead letter office somewhere sits an invitation to my wedding for the members of the band. I never expected them to show up, I just thought it would be nice for them to know they were being tought of during the most important day of my life.

[ANTIOCH]

I would tend to agree that the "Tormato"-'In the Round' tour showcased YES at their absolute tightest from a playing standpoint.
Who knew what was about to happen, but listening to "Madrigal Mystery Tour" (and thank you; you know who you are) demonstrates how together the band was musically. It's magnificent !

[rhammill]

Release, Release is indeed available on boots - several in fact:

Rochester
Buffalo
Boston
Boston (two different shows)
Providence
Springfield

Actually that is all 6 of the live performances ever...(so far)
Like nearly everything on Tormato it sounds better live.

Onward was our furst dance at our wedding.

Randy

[Futuretimer]

I guess we all get started (present tense, as it is still happening for so many young people!) in different ways...mine was when my older brother bought this cassette tape called "Tormato" of this group called "Yes" (or was it the other way around, my first thought?)...then he pressed "play" and that fabulous theme by Rick and Steve (now I know, of course) comes on, followed by this incredible bass and ..the rest is history 20 years later....not the best on my list, but Tormato is still the most especial...

[Jackaranda]

I consider it the biggest letdown in Yes' career. After making such a great, great album with a killer tour, they went straight to the pits. And it was never the same after that.

The tours, in 78 and 79, were really good. So was the Union tour, which also backed a very weak album......Go figure....Jack

[Jackaranda]

The Tormato songs were so much better live. The tours were great, and the songs just souded so much better.

I don't know....The material definitely wasn't quite as strong, but I think a lot of my problem with the album is the production (GFTO souded SO much better) and there seems to be no real direction.

Rabin said Big Generator suffered because of the success of 90125. Maybe the same can be said of Tormato, coming after such a great album and even a critical succes. Rolling Stone even liked Going For the One!!!

[JohnPaul]

I've always thought that the transition from CTTE/TALES/RELAYER into the GFTO/TORMATO/DRAMA eras was probably a little bit of an influence of finances.

YES ALBUM, FRAGILE started a good cash flow, CTTE/TALES/RELAYER were very expensive and didn't have hits..

GTFO.. each song a masterpiece into a collection which keeps the long song, short ballad and a strong potential radio hit .. though, I don't believe GTFO charted on Billboard (please correct me if I'm wrong)..

Which then led back to songs.. trying to recapture a spark in the YES ALBUM/FRAGILE days and/or a cost saving measure as short songs are less expensive.

Plus, all the similar progressive bands were doing shorter songs and getting airplay, shorter songs get more airplay.

The variations of Yes-isms is actually one of the finer qualities of their legend to me. Even though some songs are just not as pleasing as some others..

For me, most of those are in the Trevor(s) era.. Though I think of them as masterful musicians and definately proud members of Yes.

[YesNY]

I think TORMATO holds it's own up against GOING FOR THE ONE. Likewise can be said for BIG GENERATOR up against 90125. Rabin may have been right about BIG GENERATOR's poor reception by the record buying public, in part, from following a commercial and critical (to an extent) success like 90125. TORMATO seemed to suffer a similar fate, having followed the acclaimed GOING FOR THE ONE.

A tangent: Heres to hoping the band sees fit to put a little spit and polish on the fabled Paris Tapes, from the GFTO/TORMATO period, and releases them on CD to tide us over until the next studio release!

[timcoffey]

This is my first post. Tormato hodls a special place in my heart. It not only was my first Yes concert, but the first concert I went to at the Spectrum in Philadelphia in 1978. I was only in 9th grade. I had the good fortune of an older brother who was 5 years older who took me to the concert. I returned the favor in 2002 by taking him to last year's concert at the Tweeter Center in Camden NJ. Now, my six year old says his favorite album is the one with the tomatoes on it. I told him if the band is stil arond when he is at least 10 or 11,I'll take him to a concert.

[Dragonfly]

Welcome, timcoffey. I hope you're able to keep your promise to your son!

TORMATO holds some firsts for me, too, as it was that album along with RELAYER that introduced me to Yes. They were both loaned to me by my, then, brother-in-law. Wow, was that an eye-opener! RELAYER remains my all-time favorite YesAlbum and TORMATO is still very important to me.

I know I'm very much in the minority on this one, but I like TORMATO better than GOING FOR THE ONE.

I prefer "Madrigal" over "Wonderous Stories". It has more “magic” to it. It’s more “fantastic”.

It wasn’t until KEYS TO ASCENSION (the live tracks) that I even began to tolerate "Turn Of The Century" let alone like it (which I now do). There was something about Jon singing about specific characters (with cheesy names like "Roan") that just put me off.

At the time, "Awaken" was "just another YesEpic” to me and seemed a bit sterile compared to "Close To The Edge" or "Gates Of Delirium" (both of which I’d still rather hear). I have come along way on this one, though. I think the UNION tour was where it kicked in. This song was a perfect choice as it was much better suited for the 8-man lineup than any of the other epics. Bill and Trevor, in particular, added colors to "Awaken" that were never there before and have since dissipated. I am eternally grateful for the live video of this tour! It’s the best this song has ever sounded.

"Parallels" doesn't come close to either "On The Silent Wings of Freedom" or "Release Release" (let alone the pair of them).

Never liked “Going For The One” (and still don’t care for it). Always liked “Future Times / Rejoice”. Loved “Onward”, “Circus Of Heaven” and, especially, “Arriving UFO”.

My only real complaint about TORMATO is "Don't Kill The Whale" and even there I like the closing "Cetacei" section.

I've always liked this album more than its predecessor. It’s much better for fantasy-based escapism – a trait I always associated with Yes, but for which GOING FOR THE ONE is poorly suited.

Dragonfly :fly:

"Arriving thru the eons of times immortal power of the future to behold. Vessels of a different impression, none that we could ever hope to have known."

[timcoffey]

Thanks for your message. I am here at work now and supposed to be billing hours. I think my first Yes album I heard was the Yes album in the mid 70's when I was a kid vacationing in Avalon NJ (about 20 mikes south of Atlantic City). There were lifeguards who lived on my street in this shack and I heard them play Yours is no Disgrace. As I got older at the shore, in 1978 I had my first girfriend and will associate CTTE with my last year of elementary school as well as And You and I. From there my Yes fandom started.

Relayer was also one of my favorites as my older brother turned me on to it. GFTO/Awaken was also a theme album for me in high school. I think Tormato was special because it was the first new album that I heard as all of the other material was a few years old by that time in 1978. Well enough for now see you in other posts.

[PO]

Originally posted by Dragonfly
Welcome, timcoffey. I hope you're able to keep your promise to your son!

[At the time, "Awaken" was "just another YesEpic” to me and seemed a bit sterile compared to "Close To The Edge" or "Gates Of Delirium"

"Parallels" doesn't come close to either "On The Silent Wings of Freedom" or "Release Release" (let alone the pair of them).

Never liked “Going For The One” (and still don’t care for it). Always liked “Future Times / Rejoice”. Loved “Onward”, “Circus Of Heaven” and, especially, “Arriving UFO”.

My only real complaint about TORMATO is "Don't Kill The Whale" and even there I like the closing "Cetacei" section.

I've always liked this album more than its predecessor. It’s much better for fantasy-based escapism – a trait I always associated with Yes, but for which GOING FOR THE ONE is poorly suited.



I agree with a lot of what you said. Thank God we didn't have the Internet at the time. Music was judged on .... music!

Tormato kind of had a retro feel at the time of getting back to the Fragile sound but with newer instruments. Chris's wah-wah bass sound (an envelope filter) hadn't been used since TFTO on The Ancient.

Parallels is lame. I can tell it was written by a bass player. Release, Release and Silent Wings ... are far better compositions and rock even harder. I don't like the drum solo in Release, though. The exit from the solo is good, though.

Awaken came off as a retread attempt at a CTTE or GoD. Great song, but it was somewhat of a cult-ish song at the time and throughout the yuck-o 1980's. It was a real surprise to hear Awaken on the Tormato tour! No one thought it would be played. It just didn't hold up to their earlier epics. Remember, we still were in a head-spin from CTTE, Tales, and Relayer.

Future Times was far fresher in approach and feel than anything they had done in a while. A great opener to an album. Excellant in concert. I loved it since the first time I heard it.

Circus of Heaven was very imaginative at the time. So light and lilting.

Radio play on these two albums was limited to Wonderous Stories. I vaguely recall hearing Don't Kill the Whale once.

I always felt that Arriving UFO was the silliest thing they have ever done. Some nice melodies, but a throw-away.

So, yes, Tormato easily holds up to Going for the One. The tour for Tormato was their best, aside from Relayer and Tales. Those were the top three. I just LOVED the Tormato Tour.

BTW, the Squire/White solo made it's debut on the Tormato Tour. The "format" has been largley the same ever since

[timcoffey]

BTW,I was flipping around channels and came around on VH1 Classics the video on Madrigal. Kind of wild to see Wakeman dressed up like he is in the court of King Louis playing a harpsicord. It is ironic that now on tours the only piece to be played from Tormato, or at least appreciated is a Squire/White duet from On the Silent Wings of Freedom. Oops, forgot about Don't Kill the Whale. Oh well back to work.

[Dragonfly]

That "Madrigal" video is included on the GREATEST VIDEO HITS disc. So is "Don't Kill The Whale".

I understand that "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" was a concert staple throughout the TORMATO tour. It seems like it would have been a natural to include on the YESSHOWS double-live album.

It's a shame that the whole band aren't playing it together these days. I will say, however, that just hearing the "WhiteFish" version is still amazing in how much it grooves. I was really blown away (until I saw Steve and Rick just standing back there off to the sides chatting when they should have come forward and joined in!!!)

Dragonfly :fly:

[timcoffey]

You guys really know a lot about the band and music. I am not a musician but rather a novice music historian. I see Tormato as Yes, last album ( and also chronologically) for the 70's era for album oriented rock "aor" or arena bands. Events have a way of being defined by the decade that they are in and have the tendency to evolve into new things at the end of the decade.

For Yes and many other "aor" bands, 1978 was a watershed year. Just look at Zeppelin's,In through the Out Door, and the Who's Who's Next. Tormato ,and especially Release Release, were directed at the ever changing taste of listeners - the new wave perhaps. At the same time, that new wave like the Police, Elvis Costello started to fill up my record bin.

Unforunately, or perhaps fortunately for Yes, the band went through its first major change with the departure of Anderson and arrival Trevor Horn of the Buggles. I thought back then about the change in the band's line up as saying "now come on this band should not be like a sports franchise signing up the hot athelete at the time like it was a major trade".

Not suprinsingly after Tromato, the band would go trough so many changes. I liked Drama, but soon with the end of high school and collage, I got into the new wave of music. I got older and got back to my roots. I am proud to say that Yes' music is for me, and sometmes wish I was a old enough to really appreciate the band's best albums from 72-74 when they came out.

[spedblavio]

Originally posted by paostby
Parallels is lame. I can tell it was written by a bass player. Well, I don't agree that it's "lame"; I happen to like it a lot.

But interesting point about it being a song "written by a bass player". I hadn't thought of it that way. For that matter, I've haven't always played close attention to who was credited with which songs.

But yeah, it occurs to me now that with a slightly different arrangment replacing Howe's guitar with something else (sax?) and of course Chris singing lead, this song could easily have been at home on Fish Out of Water, including the pipe organ.

[Emops]

The thing that really turns me off is the keyboards. It sounds like Alvin and the Chipmunks singing! The only time when it really works for me is in Rick's solo in Don't Kill The Whale.

Aside from DKTW and OTSWOF (both of which are great IMHO), I don't care much for Tormato. For me it sounds like you'd imagine it to sound by looking at the cover- just a bunch of stuff thrown onto a wall without regard as to whether it will stick or not. And as for Circus of Heaven...I don't think there's anything that bad on Union.

And the picture of the band...heh heh...did Yes join the Hell's Angels?

[SonicDeath10]

tormato is weaker for me, but there are parts that are enjoyable. on the silent wings of freedom is one of their weakest epics for me. the ballads are beautiful on this album though. future times and rejoice are great ways to open the album. for some reason i LOVE don't kill the whale, but i seriously think i'm the only person in the universe who does. some of the other songs are REALLY spastic, almost like Yes tried to do "normal" songs again, but kept realsing that's really boring, so they purposefully messed around with the time signatures and instrumentation.