Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans [Japanese Ed. 2CD] (1973)

Year: December 7, 1973 (CD Jul 25, 2001)
Label: East West Inc. (Japan), AMCY-6296/7
Style: Symphonic Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 40:58, 40:11
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 305, 299 Mb

Charts: CAN #22, US #5, JPN #37, AUS #15, FRA #9, GER #27, ITA #17, NLD #10, NOR #18, UK #4. FRA & US: Gold.
"Tales From Topographic Oceans" is perhaps one of the more controversial progressive rock albums, and for good reason. Some loathe it, some love it. I fall into the second category. I find the album to be a triumphant work of art from tip to toe. This album is divided into four movements, each taking up their own side on one of the two discs. Each of the four movements has it's own unique characters, and each movement explores different motifs while developing those that have come before. Not only does "Tales" have an incredible contrast in musical styles, but it also has a very large range of emotions that are displayed throughout the whole two discs. Each movement is perfectly placed, and the album is brilliantly formatted.
"Tales From Topographic Oceans" is a concept album based upon Jon Anderson's interpretation of four Shastric scriptures from Paramhansa Yoganada's "Autobiography of a Yogi". Many deem this concept to be an overblown and self indulgent move from Jon Anderson, but Yes really had nothing to lose after releasing the universally acclaimed "Close to the Edge", and new ideas were needed in order to create an album that was to be in any way as good as its predecessor. The concept alone is enough to make some people roll their eyes, but Jon proved it to be successful by creating Yes' strongest and most spiritual lyrics. The concept alone has gained notoriety among critics and fans, and tales of the infamous "curry incident" have long since been shared, in both fondness and in mocking.
I think that an ocean is the greatest non-musical comparison that I can make with this album. The music moves in waves of sound, that create immersive and dreamy atmospheres. Each movement creates an atmosphere that follows the next, like a musical journey. What makes "Close to the Edge" so special is that the emphasis of the music is on the atmosphere that it creates rather than the technical capability of each of its talented contributing musicians. "Tales From Topographic Oceans" takes this to an almost dramatic new level. At times I feel that the atmosphere is so exaggerated that it almost completely strips parts of the album of musical structure, and this is the point when you know that you have moved your art to a point that is further than the its literal nature.
(full version: sputnikmusic.com/review/57017/Yes-Tales-from-Topographic-Oceans/)

01. The Revealing Science Of God - Dance Of The Dawn (20:23)
02. The Remembering - High The Memory (20:35)

01. 'The Ancient' - Giants  Under The Sun (18:37)
02. Ritual - Nous Sommes Du Soleil (21:33)

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CD2:     FilesPayout     UploadyIo     KatFile

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