When did Tales really “click” with you?

[The New Esthe]

[Enlighten]

I’ll let you know when it happens.

[soundchaser09]

thats a tricky thing to answer, i remember at first i wasn't impressed, I found the revealing slow, the remembering very slow, the ritual ploddy, the ancient technically overblown (though it was my favourite track back then, now its my least favourite, not because i like it less but i like the others more.)

Its definitely an album that took me a long while to appreciate fully, side 1 and 4 did grow on me quite quickly, especially after hearing live versions. Side 2 took an age, but now i really appreciate it, its no CTTE but its a fine song.

[Yesjim]

I was too young to notice anything unworthy upon first listen. And too stoned not to like it. Took me into another world, magical Yesmusic, etc.

[Yorkshire Square]

After listening to it for forty years, I still find it a flawed diamond, over-reaching, lacking focus, bloated.

I first heard Ritual on Yesshows. After that, a listen to the whole album was, and still is, a disappointment.

[Kevin W]

When I bought the Steven Wilson remix. I had ignored it for years, but when I played a crisp and clear version of it I realised that it was, in fact, years ahead if its time. Listening to it in the 2010s somehow made more sense than when I first got in to Yes in 1987.

[madbear]

I borrowed it from a kid at school. first play: "weird". secod play: "awesome."

[Ash Armstrong]

First time I heard it. Live, all of it, in November 1973.

[Gilly Goodness]

Told this before but my 12 year old self received via airmail an import copy on the day of my sister's 18th birthday party in May when the FA cup was on telly at night so I moved her hifi into my bedroom as the young adults mingled over drinks in the livin' room.

Lost in the music and followin' the lyrics I was spellbound and transported. My sister came into see me and asked if I wanted to join the party but I said I was fine. Like a pig in mud, actually. Did finish to catch the end of the football. Can't remember who played.


Just googled. Leeds V Sunderland. Big upset 1-0.

What a night!!!

[Homemade Parachute]

I swear I've been listening to this album for over thirty years now (which feels like almost as long as side two…), and every time I vacillate on whether it's an intensely flawed masterpiece, or a flawed intense masterpiece, or something in between… It's funny, but CttE comes across as such a wonderfully integrated album, and is rightfully at or near the top of almost every list of prog masterpieces, but then you hear about the making of it, esp. Bruford's reaction and wonderfully sardonic description of it, and none of *that* comes through. Here, though, you can kind of hear the differing degrees of commitment and engagement from (cough cough) certain members, and even Jon Anderson's self-mythologizing* isn't enough to make up for that. It doesn't really make any sense, the album notes just kind of get in the way, it's stuffed, it needs editing, and yet and yet and yet… Tales can be a journey or a train wreck, and everything great about prog and everything mockable about prog, and if I last another thirty years, I'll probably keep listening to it. I'm deliriously glad they made it, almost as delirious as they must have been themselves to make it.

(*Subject for essay: who had the bigger reality distortion field: Jon Anderson or Steve Jobs?)

[Soundwaveseeker]

Tales I loved straight away. I got into Yes the last week of 1984 and finally bought Tales in June 1985. In fact I purposely waited till I had most of the other Yes albums to get Tales, it just intrigued me. By then I was no stranger to the side-long 'epic', already knowing stuff like Tarkus and Rush Hemispheres and of course CTTE, Gates and the Yesshows version of Ritual. But four of 'em? On a double album? And the cosmic album cover, with the fish and all? I was going to save the best for last, but weakened and went ahead and got it from Waxie Maxies with only the debut album and Tormato left to buy.

So what did I do? I listened to it in reverse. Ritual first because I already knew that one, then worked backwards. Not sure if anyone else ever did that. It was ridiculously humid that afternoon in Maryland, I remember it vividly. I know Tales gets a lot of stick for being 'pretentious' or padded or over the top or whatever, or that rock mag critics didn't like it or band members didn't like it or whatever, but back then I didn't know about any of that stuff. Back then it was just another part of my world at the time and I liked it because it sounded good to me and worked up my imagination and I didn't know or care about any outside opinions about it.

First impressions of it back then during that summer when I listened to it a lot? If I remember:

Ritual: studio version good but preferred the Yesshows version with Moraz. The Yesshows version is cut right in the middle to make a 'part 1 & 2' for side three and four. here's where I first heard it all the way through.

The Ancient: a song in two parts - a really out there and intense first half and a serene acoustic second half. 'Ancient' imagery in the first half, like The Dark Crystal or the like. Music of the elders or something like that.

The Remembering: dreamy and romantic in some way. Evokes images of the sea/ocean

Revealing Science Of God: I remember thinking it had a lot of vocals, like it was an interesting very long vocal pop song. I was bowled over by the Wakeman moog solo towards the end.

Tales is still probably my second, third or fourth favorite Yes album.

[luvyesmusic]

When I heard and saw it performed life, a few years back. What were the chances that that would happen? Pretty slim to none.

YES/the boys surprised me by pulling it out of the early 70's mothballs. This group is so special to me in many ways. Missing out on the early shows, and still seeing some of the magic, and uniqueness of this band, decades later. Relayer? We will still have to wait and see.

[Gilly Goodness]

Another story I've told was visitin' a good mate from school in our uni days. He was startin' to write reviews etc. Anyhoo, found him and his girlfriend lyin' in bed listenin' to Tales. Both were blown away. May have been post coitus. He later became the head writer for Rolling Stone Australia interviewin' people like Bowie and Bono. What I liked about him was he was always a McCartney fan when it was cooler in the 70s to be a Lennon guy. So even non-YES fans could appreciate the epic fantasy. It's a trip. Like Godspell. DSOTM. A classic from that era. Will live on. For its darin'. Ambition.

[Chrisklenox]

I knew I was in the right place after listening to The Revealing Science of God for the first time. That track still never fails to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I would not want to live without this album.

[Mr. Holland]

Till this day it has never clicked fully. I love side 1 and 4 (although I agree with Yorkshire Square, that the Yesshows version of Ritual is far superior to the original studio version), but side 2 and 3 remain a mixed bag for me. I find The Remembering, even though it has some beautiful passages, too repetitive and the one side that could have benefitted from some editing. The Ancient feels too structureless to me. As if it's experimental for experimental sake. Except for the beautiful "Leaves of Green".

So, I'm actually wondering, has it never clicked, or has it clicked, but it just doesn't completely work for me?