Tales from Topographic Oceans [Original recording remastered]

Product Description
Full title - Tales From The Topographic Oceans. 2003 remastered, reissue of 1973 album with redesigned booklet (digipak/slipcase), restored LP art, archival photos and new liner notes. Includes 2 bonus tracks 'Dance Of The Dawn' (studio run through) & 'Giants Under The Sun' (studio run through). Elektra.

Tales from Topographic Oceans,Yes,Elektra / Wea,Album Rock,Pop,Pop/Rock,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop

Tales from Topographic Oceans [Original recording remastered]

Average customer rating:

stunning
Back to the 'Topographic Oceans'
Must have item for Yesfans
great album
Great music performed honestly...and I do think very well.

Tales from Topographic Oceans
Yes
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Relayer
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The Yes Album

ASIN: B00007LTIA
Release Date: 2003-08-26

Tracks:

The Revealing Science Of God Dance Of The Dawn
The Remembering High The Memory
The Ancient Giants Under The Sun

Tracks:

Ritual Nous Sommes Du Soleil
Dance Of The Dawn (Studio Run-Through)
Giants Under The Sun (Studio Run-Through)

Album Description

Full title - Tales From The Topographic Oceans. 2003 remastered, reissue of 1973 album with redesigned booklet (digipak/slipcase), restored LP art, archival photos and new liner notes. Includes 2 bonus tracks 'Dance Of The Dawn' (studio run through) & 'Giants Under The Sun' (studio run through). Elektra.

Customer Reviews:

stunning.......2007-06-28

Having seen this masterpiece performed live (and Yes CAN play their music to the letter), it has always held a special place in my heart...it had been years since I listened to it, but it all came back...a stunning piece of rock history

Back to the 'Topographic Oceans'.......2007-06-15

From the time I first started listening to FM radio, way back in 1980, I was always fascinated by Yes. I didn't know much about them, but I was hooked the first time I ever heard "Long Distance Runaround/The Fish."
Then a neighbor who was also a fan bought a copy of "Tales From Topographic Oceans" and very graciously loaned it to me...and it became my favorite Yes album at once. It still is. If the Who's "Tommy" was the first rock opera, I would venture to call "Topographic Oceans" the first rock -symphony-. Its four movements roughly follow symphonic form, although a bit slower than a classical symphony; the notable exception is "The Ancient," which is -definitely- a scherzo, especially at the first! One can even detect recurring themes, introduced in "The Revealing Science of God" and later developed in other movements.
As always, Jon Anderson's lyrics are quite surrealistic, but like the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins or e. e. cummings, they are easier to understand if they are read as clusters or word pictures. And the music that surrounds and interweaves the lyrics is so unbelievably complex that even now I can listen to this album and hear something new; that's a rarity for any piece of music at any time, and if I were to give one reason for buying this album, that would be it.
Caveat auditor(let the listener beware), however: if you aren't at least somewhat familiar with classical music, you might find this album tough going at first. But if you give it a chance, I think you will find your perseverance rewarded.

Must have item for Yesfans.......2007-05-23

I have had this on vinyl, first issue CD, first remaster, and now this Rhino remaster. This to me was the first Yes album that really sparkled in terms of sound quality and production. It could almost have been recorded in 1994 as much as 1974. Despite the misgivings of some fans and critics, there is great music on this album. The Remembering is a bit short on ideas, but Ritual is one of my absolute favourites, and which Yesfan couldn't thrill to the stereo pans at the beginning of The Ancient. The studio run throughs are interesting if not essential. I did enjoy some of the passages on the early version of The Ancient - sounded quiet different but would have worked equally well. What isn't made clear in any documentation i have seen is that there is an additional minute or so at the opening of The Revealing Science Of God. i think this first appeared on the version on The Word Is Yes, and it is a welcome addition. Do you need this? It is marginally better than previous versions, but i wouldn't be without it. With sleevenotes, additional material and beautiful packaging, i think it is worth it, especially at such a good price. Long live Yes!

great album.......2007-05-19

being this and other works platformed before my present later times . officially through my scope band members from p floyd , g dead , l zepplin , and such others must of made some phone calls to these guys classifying ya took it .

Great music performed honestly...and I do think very well........2007-04-25

From the number of reviews here, it's obviously a sort of "rite of passage" for many prog reviewers to put in their two cents on this album, and it's high time for me to add mine too. For some 30-odd years now, I've revered TFTO as one of my TOP FIVE albums of all time, and I'll try to explain my reasoning for that here.

First, if you never bought into the basic concept and scope of the album, you probably never had the patience to sit through this very demanding (and some say excessive) music long enough to experience its true beauty, and surely nothing I say here will convince you to try it again. Yet I'm still astounded that some self-proclaimed prog heads never realized that this was probably THE MOST progressive album of its time (keep in mind, this was 1973!) - for just how long did you expect this talented quintet to remain content to simply rehash their established (though successful) musical style on new studio releases?

Second, you have to understand that Yes got their positive vibe and harmonies from 60's flower power, hippie, folk-rock (listen to their debut album, a mere four years earlier) - but they electrified it, and played it in an angular fashion using odd time signatures, following the influence of 20th century classical music on their compositional style. That influence manifested itself in the way they wrote longer suites of music (numbered almost as if they were short concertos or symphonies). Think "Starship Trooper", "And You And I", and of course "Close To The Edge". Was it really that much of a stretch for us to see them attempt to expand this form to the max on the very symphonic "Tales"?

This is a magical, beautiful, sophisticated album performed as only the virtuosos of Yes could play. O.K., there are admittedly moments of excess (e.g. parts of "The Ancient"); and the fact that each "song" or movement occupies a full vinyl album side smacks somewhat of artificial structuring. But there is just so much excellent songwriting here too, and I challenge any veteran listener of this album to deny remembering some great lyrics or melodic hooks. (I can probably hum the whole album for you from start to finish, including the great solos!) And one certainly can't refute the mysticism and abstract optimism of the lyrics, which typically include a lot of word-painting and poetry as well. The lyrics are augmented by some of the best three-part vocal harmonies the band has ever done. (Listen to "Ritual".)

Excellent debut for Alan White on drums (which really sound great on this remastered version). Incredible guitar layering and solos by my favorite guitarist. ("Go get 'em, Steven!") Lots of piano and lush synth and mellotron washes from Wakeman add a dreamy coloring to much of the music. Squire's bass may be toned down a bit in the mix, but he's endlessly inventive on this album, and his solos comprise some of the album highlights for me personally.

When all is said and done, it doesn't really matter if you feel as I do about this album - it was undeniably controversial, even within the band! So it's no surprise that this album just won't succeed with some listeners (though I do object to those reviewers who join in on the lynching simply because it feels good to find fault with these seemingly "arrogant and pretentious" innovators of music). Even I am not above admitting that there were some subsequent Yes albums that really missed the mark for me too. (Open Your Eyes indeed!)

This was an ambitious undertaking by Anderson and Howe, and perhaps too spiritual, deep and cerebral for the halfhearted prog fan. (There is no humor to be found here.) But for the ardent fan of thoughtful, serious, meaningful, uplifting and emotional progressive rock played with unparalleled virtuosity, TFTO was a virtual masterpiece in its genre, and the uniquely inspirational magnum opus from a truly progressive band that was in its prime and seeking perfection.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9/10; Performance = 9.5/10; Production = 9.5/10; CD length = 10/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.3 ("5 stars")

Average customer rating:

Nothing Quite Like It
Time to travel, baby
Music for Mystics and Seekers alike
In the days of summer so long,we danced as evening sang their song
Has its moments, but I don't listen to it often

Tales from Topographic Oceans
Yes
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Close to the Edge
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ASIN: B000002J20
Release Date: 1994-10-04

Tracks:

The Revealing Science of God: The Dance Of The Dawn
The Remembering: High The Memory

Tracks:

The Ancient: Giants Under The Sun
Ritual: Now Sommes Du Soleil

Customer Reviews:

Nothing Quite Like It.......2006-07-10

I would say that this is the least of Yes's absolute masterpieces (_The Yes Album_, _Close to the Edge_, _Relayer_, _90125_, and maybe _Fragile_), but that wouldn't quite catch what this piece is all about. This unfolds almost glacially like a Sibelius symphony with a few schizoid stretches thrown in for good measure. This is Yes's most ambitious album and if you take it for what it is, the truest thing you might be able to say is that it is their most mind-expanding album. It's extreme length led Rick Wakeman to disavow it as a misguided project, but he was always the one with the most questionable judgment in the "classic line-up." If you have a few hours to sit back and let your mind drift, there might not be any better album in the history of rock. The only rivals in genres related to what Yes is doing here have names like Stravinsky and Bartok, not ELP or King Crimson, neither of whom were able to make a work of quite this breadth, scope, and intriguing execution.

The whole suite starts out meditatively with the whispering tones of "The Revealing Science of God/ Dance of the Dawn." Again, no rock album I can think of builds this slowly short of some of the stuff coming out in post-rock lately (and it's arguable if that's rock). This isn't the kind of album I'd play on the way to work--you wouldn't even get past the build-up. And that's another thing that makes this album such a treat. If you are able to clear your agenda to be able to digest all of this, well, I would certainly call it an enriching experience. One that only comes at special times for most of us in this hustling, bustling world.

Things pick up a little with "The Remembering/ High the Memory." The band starts to "rock" around the ten-minute mark of this with a trademark Steve Howe workout to help the band soar. The stops aren't completely loosed until "The Ancient/ Giants Under the Sun" with a kitchen-sink jam that has Alan White hitting sheet metal (!!!), among many other thrilling turns this song takes after the unforgettable gong and bells intro. Actually, this song has Alan White's best drumming short of "Hold On" on _90125_, amongst a storied career. Eddie Offord was pretty much at his producing best here encouraging risky moves like these, his touch setting Yes apart as well as he had on previous classics.

The whole thing goes back to shimmering evocations on "Ritual/ Nous Sommes de Soleil" and ends the entire suite with our minds contemplating hearts of sunrises and other such transcendent signifieds that Yes is unparalleled in interrogating musically. They only had a few releases that measured up to this one afterwards, so this is pretty much Yes at its peak.

Another review elsewhere says that this isn't for every Yes fan, but I have to disagree. It's not for every MUSIC fan, as thick as the world is with AC/DC and Britney Spears devotees. But as far as a Yes fan goes, you really haven't heard Yes until you sit with this one and let it work its magic on you. Actually, I think this one may very well be the "gauntlet" of Yesdom and progdom. While it may not be jam-packed with extreme scintillation from second-one to second-last like _Close to the Edge_, this is the kind of composition that builds up to the chills. When they come, the musical moments are absolutely unparalleled and they transport you in ways like none other that you have ever felt. Just say Yes!

Time to travel, baby.......2006-02-27

Boy, this album feels like that special moment when you finally reach the top of a mountain. Everything you ever wanted in an overblown progressive rock album can be found here, and more. See that? I used the word "overblown" and meant it in a good way! This band was excellent in the early to mid 70's, and I don't consider the exaggerated musical ideas a bad thing, in this case.

One thing I think is extremely special about this album is how the entire thing does a wonderful job putting pictures in your head. It succeeds BIG time doing that. For me, those pictures are of exploring the universe. I was always fascinated with the planets in our solar system, and watching the moon in the sky and all the stars twinkling out there, ever since I was a child. Also, I enjoyed thinking about what it would be like if human life was able to exist on places other than Earth.

I used to love going home from school and begging my mom to take me to the library, in the hope that they added more books about the universe. Boy that MUST have been years ago. I began to hate school when 7th grade rolled around. But all the mysteries of the things that might be out there in the universe really are fascinating, and good music can help make the images and thoughts in my head more rewarding.

As a child, I also used to love thinking about what it would be like to discover things that other humans haven't discovered yet. Just the thought of being on another planet and looking under rocks and finding life, or looking at craters and jumping around in them, or the idea of having an entire planet to myself! These are some of the thoughts that kept my mind occupied as a child. And you know, I'm not ashamed to say I still think about these things today, though not as often, since as an adult you have other, more realistic things to think about. Don't worry, I don't do drugs or drink any kind of beer or alcohol- I just like music that allows me to think.

I don't know if I'd call myself a Yes fan but I'm certainly a fan of this album, and I can say with complete certainty that I've never heard anything like this before. This album has been waiting for me since I was 8 years old and I just didn't know it, and now at the age of 25, I'm finally hearing it (well, I downloaded it two years ago and heard it then, but I wasn't fascinated with it like I am now). Hearing the album on compact disc is the correct way to listen to it.

I also should state that I don't consider the music on this album, or the music on ANY album, to hold the answer to life's greatest mysteries. I don't know what happens when I die, so my enthusiasm for this album is based on the music and the images it puts in my head (and childhood memories). I don't consider Yes musical Gods, or whatever. Just a talented band with their very own sound. I don't think anyone can dispute that.

What you have on Tales from Topographic Oceans is a grand total of four songs. Probably thinking it must be a short album, huh? Nope. Each of the four songs is nearly 20 minutes in length, and each song is filled with some of the most fascinating far-out space rock psychedelic WEIRDNESS ever put on tape. It's important to note that what may appear as noise at first, will turn into many many rewarding musical ideas over time. Remember this, if you happen to have trouble getting into it.

I think these guys do a slightly better job of the "picturing yourself traveling through outer space" thing than Pink Floyd. Then again, Floyd is more about drifting gently through space and admiring the beauty of the planets below, whereas the music of Yes can be known as "observing and studying the planet landscapes".

I really don't know which of the four songs I like the most. By the way, doesn't it suck how this album is 81 minutes long? That means it's a double album. If it was only a couple minutes shorter it would have fit on a single CD. They probably could have shortened a couple minutes somewhere and I wouldn't even have noticed (but I bet hardcore Yes fans would have picked up on that and would have immediately came here to mention it, hehe). I guess it's not a big deal. I'm just a picky guy when it comes to these things.

The always-interesting music on this double, delightful album does a fine job helping me think about something I'd like to do when the weather warms up. That is, go to my bathroom closet, grab a towel, run to the field right next to my house, lay the towel down and lay on it, and watch the stars above while listening to this album on headphones. I have to wear glasses now, so I better bring those, too. I agree it's a silly thought, but as a human being I can have my fantasies no matter how silly they may be. It would be even sillier to walk out there tonight in the freezing cold and try this experiment. No music is worth freezing your ass off!

Well, I can't continue talking about nonsense throughout my review- I have to mention the main course- the music. Is it good? Yes, it's better than good, it's Tony the Tiger great. I have to worn you, though. If you have no experience with progressive rock music or any kind of complex music, you may be in for a very difficult listen. This is Yes taking a genre of rock as far as it can go, and some people have a problem with the complexity. It's important that you understand "anything can happen at any time" when you listen to this album. It's not simple verse, chorus, verse, chorus, it's more like sitting back and watching a town carnival take place and taking notice of all the activity. If you buy this album and don't like it, it would probably be a good idea to keep it anyway. You never know when it might finally click.

I also recommend you buy it even if you AREN'T a Yes fan, because these guys are doing something special here. Really, the only part of the album that rubs me the wrong way is right at the beginning of "The Revealing Science of God" when Jon Anderson seems to carelessly ramble what seems to be one note smashing your head for a couple minutes, but then he stops and the music changes into something much better and more noticeably, into something VERY unusual. The album is loaded with pretty and distinct guitar playing and I like how many times the guitar twirls around, making it feel like you're doing somersaults in outer space (let me remind you, I don't do drugs!) When Jon Anderson returns on vocals after that rough beginning, he does a pretty darn good job, and he continues to do a good job for the rest of the album. So please don't write the album off if you can't get into the first couple minutes of track one. One moment on the album I want to mention that really pleases me is a part a few minutes into "The Ancient". The music temporarily switches into something weird, and it sounds like pretty ballerina music with sound effects of washing machines doing jumping jacks in the background. In case you needed any more proof I'm a weird guy. ha!

Pretty much the story of this album is "expect the unexpected". Frequent musical changes, happening nonstop, challenging your mind for pretty much the entire 81 minutes. I hate when people say you have to be a nerd to appreciate this band, or whatever. No. I'm not a nerd, and I'm not a smart man by any stretch of the imagination- I just like music that challenges me and helps me think about things, and as a progressive rock album you can't get more of a challenge than this (if we ignore Van Der Graaf Generator that is!) But one thing is for sure- you don't have to smoke pot to get into this album. You may need to have a vivid imagination, but that's all you need. Or, if you hate the sound of the electric guitar you might hate it, but let's not be silly!

I know some people can't get into Yes (like EVERYONE in my family) and I have to wonder if maybe the music is just too complex or too strange for them. Sure, Jon Anderson's voice is an acquired taste, but this band is simply too bizarre for many people. But I think Tales offers something different. The music on this album flows beautifully, whereas on other Yes albums the band sometimes wanks and rambles. I can only think of a couple moments where that happens on here, and they are over before you know it.

Buy Tales from Topographic Oceans and find out what it's like to hear something truly fascinating.

Music for Mystics and Seekers alike.......2005-12-01

Easily one of the finest pieces of music ever conceived. Along with Olias of Sunhillow, Awaken, Close to the Edge, Wondrous Stories and Madrigal. This is music for souls who want to go inside and see face to face the source. If you don't get the lyrics, I understand, but as a mystic one can see where Jon has been and where he is going. If you read the writings of the mystic saints, past and present, you will see the same landscape that Jon writes about. Saints like; Kabir, Hafiz, Shams-i-Tabriz, Rumi, Tukaram, Paltu, Sarmad, Mira Bai, Tulsi, Bulleh Shah, Nanak, Arjan, Sawan Singh and many others, that spoke of the internal 'landscape' and it sounds like Yes lyrics. This background will give you a greater appreciation for Jon's lyrics; and when someone says that they are confusing, pompous, silly or worse yet, meaningless one can only fold their hands and wish peace to be upon the heads of our brothers and sisters who 'having eyes do not see'. Please forgive me for sounding pompous myself, sinner that I am, but stranded as I am on an internal desert island this music gives me great comfort. Pound for pound the finest band ever! With Love.

In the days of summer so long,we danced as evening sang their song.......2005-08-01

This album is a masterpiece . The lyrics bring you to a world of wings ,wind, and distant drums . Tales From Topographic Oceans is a perfect title . It would have been nice if the songs were on one cd ,but it's 2 minutes too long. The music is brilliant as it changes paths trough out the twenty minute songs.This is definitly in the top 5 of best Yes albums originally released in 73, following Fragile (another masterpiece).
The four songs awaken your your mind to new musical heights . Chris Squire's bass riffs really bring the songs together, Along with Jon Andersons mind numbing vocals . A must have for any classic rock fan .

Has its moments, but I don't listen to it often.......2005-03-25

Tales From Topographic Oceans to me is like Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here (and particularly Shine On...) in the sense that both have some good musical moments stretched out over too much time given to it. In another way it's like Genesis' Lamb Lies Down on Broadway in that they had four sides to fill, and they were going to fill it come hell or high water.

There are certain passages that are gems in the YES lexicon, but there seems to be a lot of extra, that wasn't intended to be filler I suppose, but it certainly isn't engaging (to me at least - and thanks to the age of the ipod I put YES on shuffle and have it in the background while I work and I was surprised by how many passages on TFTO capture my divided attention, so it's not all bad by any stretch). Though, with a straight through, undivided listen, by the end I feel like I've been around the same block a couple of times with a few mini-loops along the way.

Attention span isn't the issue as I dig many other album-side or double side epics. But this stretches my patience. Putting four 20 minute tracks together seems contrived. If not, and the whole album as an entity in itself, why couldn't the multiple statements be broken up even more? There obviously was an attempt to say "we showed how mighty we were with an album side, this will really show you what we're made of!" It seems to have a lot of form over function in its track layout. Genesis' TLLDOB perhaps is improved by having the 4 sides fractured into more songs.

Perhaps if the material were segmented more logically, the music would have been better than it turned out to be. To keep the 4 song layout intact, it has a great feel that some of the musicians were merely along for the ride instead of adding punctuations of their own to make a combined statement as with the highest points in YES' output.

What Peter Gabriel did to Genesis' with TLLDOB, Anderson and Howe did to YES, make a very self serving double album that perhaps confused the other members and left them outside the box and the overall music suffers.

Still it IS YES and that counts for a lot in maintaining 3 stars.

Average customer rating:

Tales is Art

Tales from Topographic Oceans
Yes
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Relayer
Going for the One
Fragile
90125
Close to the Edge

ASIN: B00000DOXS
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Revealing Science of God - Dance of the Dawn
Remembering - High the Memory

Tracks:

Ancient - Giants Under the Sun
Ritual - Nous Sommes du Soleil

Customer Reviews:

Tales is Art.......2006-09-12

"Tales" is a deeply philosophical album that is not for the meditative faint of heart. While much music is created to be toe-tapping and easy to sing to, "Tales" is in that genre usually called progressive rock, in a sub-genre that requires intense analysis to understand. The result is an album that is inaccessible and incomprehensible to a casual listener. In order to understand this music you must read the lyrics and listen, and listen, and then listen some more. Even then you might fail to gain a glimmer of Yes's intent.

"Tales from Topographic Oceans" would have to qualify as one of the most if not the most deeply complicated rock music ever created. Again, if you are a casual listener the complexity of the music can be frustrating or boring. However, if you consider that classical music is often complex, and to be understood requires extended focused listening, it should be of little surprise that Yes took that complexity for its own in the development of this music, creating a symphony in four movements.

The first movement is titled "The Revealing Science of God: Dance of the Dawn." The lyrics have no meaning, and they also have meaning. Confusing? Oh yeah. Understand that the point of the movement is to get the listener to realize that there are bits and pieces of knowledge, and understanding is something that rarely, if ever, comes all at once. Jon Anderson uses the sound of the words to create an almost subliminal meaning. The whole point is that you are to realize that we do not understand, but we have to keep trying to understand. Also, when you find meaning, know that you found it within yourself.

The second movement is "The Remembering: High the Memory." This song is about the breadth of knowledge that is available to humankind and to any one individual. However, the song is also trying to say that while that knowledge is available, each of us can only access that knowledge when it becomes a part of our personal knowledge, and more than just having it as personal knowledge, it must be accessible and understood to be useful. Another way of saying this is that we have realms of knowledge that are potentially available to each of us. However, only that knowledge which we personally understand and can access will be of any value to us.

The third movement is "The Ancient: Giants under the Sun." The concept of this song is relatively simple compared to the first two movements. This song pushes through the envelope of recorded time to access forgotten knowledge from civilizations that came before. While the song is relatively easy to understand, the music is more interwoven and complex, and intertwines elements that are intended to evoke those earlier cultures. Therefore, the instruments flavor this movement with musical elements from around the globe to help give the feeling that the song of our knowledge is made up of many parts from many people. While the music sounds relatively simple, it is as technically detailed and complex as any concerto or symphony I can recall. While Steve Howe's guitar may be pivotal in this song according to Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman's keyboards are essential to the ethnicity of the various portions of the music. This track is an incredible composition. This movement adds to the seeking of the first movement and the understanding of the second movement that there is knowledge yet available to be discovered from all cultures and civilizations that may no longer exist, but that understanding is still available if we know where and how to look for it.

The fourth and final movement is "Ritual: Nous Sommes Du Soleil." This composition is relatively accessible philosophically because it is a description of the human condition. This piece is intended to communicate that we have the ability to seek knowledge and understanding. Part of that knowledge and understanding is the constant struggle between good and evil, and how that struggle plays a part of how we view that knowledge. However, this piece also reinforces the earlier movements in that we have the ability learn and to understand granted by a higher power.

I've read that Rick Wakeman complained that there was too much filler in this composition. I suppose that could be said of many of the classical compositions by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bach, and on and on. However, I've also read that Steve Howe thought that this was some of his best work ever. This work is magnificent in conception and scope. It is not readily accessible to the casual listener. The very best way to understand this music is to get a bottle of really good wine, sit in the middle of the room in a recliner, turn out most or all of the lights, and listen and feel. Start by paying attention to the emotion and feeling of the words, because that was the intent of the lyrics. Once you begin to understand what was intended, then this work becomes accessible. It is one of the most incredibly complex pieces of music I have ever heard, and I have listened to everything from classical to death metal. This music is not for everyone, but those who can get into it, it is fantastic.

Note that there are several versions of this CD available. You may wish to survey the versions available to determine their price and availability before buying.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

JAPANESE VERSION THAT ARE NOT !

Tales from Topographic Oceans
Yes
Manufacturer: Wea/Warner
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000AN111
Release Date: 2003-09-22

Tracks:

Revealing Science of God -- Dance of the Dawn
Remembering High the Memory
Ancient Giants Under the Sun

Tracks:

Ritual - Nous Sommes du Soleil
Dance of the Dawn [Studio Run-Through][#][*]
Giants Under the Sun [Studio Run-Through][#][*]

Album Details

Digitally remastered Japanese version.

Customer Reviews:

JAPANESE VERSION THAT ARE NOT !.......2005-12-31

WATCH OUT WITH THIS ALBUM DON'T BUY IT. IT IS EXACLTY THE
US VERSION PRINTED AND MADE IN THE US # R2 73791 ONLY WRAPPED WITH A JAPANESE PAPER. IT'S NOT PRODUCED AND REMASTERED IN JAPAN. BUY THE DOMESTIC VERSION MORE CHEAPER IT'S THE SAME CD. VERY DISAPOINTING AND NOT HONEST.

Average customer rating:

Indulgent? Who cares!!!
Tales From Topographic Oceans + HDCD = YES Heaven
The Most Ambitious Work of Yes

Tales from Topographic Oceans
Yes
Manufacturer: Wea International
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005LK1Q
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

The Revealing Science Of God Dance Of The Dawn
The Remembering High The Memory

Tracks:

'The Ancient' Giants Under The Sun
Ritual Nous Sommes Du Soleil

Album Description

Part of the 'Yes Original Jacket Series'. Japanese limited edition HDCD remastered reissue of 1974 album, packaged in a miniature LP sleeve.

Album Details

Digitally remastered HDCD Japanese limited edition release in a limited LP-style cover.

Customer Reviews:

Indulgent? Who cares!!!.......2003-08-13

I concur with Mr. Hicks.
This HDCD edition makes it possible to enjoy this work with far greater clarity and dynamic range than with any previous CD edition.
The mini LP sleeve is just a sight to behold. You may need a magnifying glass though!

Tales From Topographic Oceans + HDCD = YES Heaven.......2002-02-13

For those who love this album, the recent Japanese issued HDCD version is just what the doctor ordered. Finally, the veil of muddiness (especially in the drum/percussion department) is lifted to a large degree. While not "crystalline", the production/sound is as good as it has ever been offered to the buyer of this album. It easily surpasses the sound quality of the 1994 remaster. A bit pricey ... but if you _love_ this album, like I do, consider buying this Japanese HDCD version. It's the best quality (presently) version of this much maligned album. Long Live TFTO!I LOVE IT!

The Most Ambitious Work of Yes.......2001-10-10

Again I'm the first reviewer of a piece of art. Where are you looking at, people?.
The group is the classical, except for Alan White which replaces Bill Bruford with an unsuspected talent.
This is a four movement work, 20 minutes each. Everyone are Anderson-Howe-Yes' compositions.
The Revealing Science of God is the best of them, beautiful and consistent from the first to the last note. By the other three the group tries to groove into the soloist abbilities of those great musicians.
The Remembering is the most quiet, though it has rocking parts in the middle to avoid you fall asleep. Wakeman overcome with synth parts resembling the horizon landscapes that the cover mix between the lyrics. I think there's no piano on the whole record, and his approach is mostly "ambient-new age"-like.
The Ancient is based on Howe's guitars. This is the most experimental work of the entire Yes discography -but at a time compositively solid- ending with a spanish guitar solo derivated of course from Fragile's Mood for a Day.
Ritual is the piece to show Squire's bass skills, but also includes experimental percussion-synth parts, and calm songs to balance the whole piece.
Through opus like that progressive music have prooved it's point: rock with new instruments could be so qualified as the best composers of history.