{"id":14453,"date":"2016-08-29T15:20:28","date_gmt":"2016-08-29T14:20:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rockhaq.com\/?p=14453"},"modified":"2017-01-10T18:12:39","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T18:12:39","slug":"album-review-yes-tales-topographic-oceans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockhaq.com\/1546951672250\/?p=14453","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Yes – Tales From Topographic Oceans"},"content":{"rendered":"

Album Review: Yes – Tales From Topographic Oceans by Nathan Brooks<\/em><\/p>\n

Less is more; a saying found in fortune cookies from Chinese takeaways across the country. Evidently, Yes don\u2019t eat much Chinese food. After scoring two home runs in 1971 and 1972 with <\/span>Fragile<\/span> <\/em>and <\/span>Close to the Edge<\/span><\/em>, Yes felt it was time to go bigger. Literally bigger. In 1973, Yes released their sixth album\u00a0<\/span>Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>boasting a staggering 81 minute running time. Nearly double that of Pink Floyd\u2019s legendary album\u00a0<\/span>The Dark Side of the Moon<\/em><\/a><\/strong>,<\/span><\/i> and monstrous compared to the mere 37 minutes of <\/span>Close to the Edge<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i> But is bigger better? And if less is more, is more less?<\/span><\/p>\n

At this point, I need to clarify that I love Yes. The early \u201870s saw them produce some of the greatest records the progressive rock genre has to offer. They stood out from the rest of the prog crowd thanks to their focus on <\/span>music<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>Unlike other bands from the time (I\u2019m looking at you Emerson, Lake & Palmer), Yes weren’t simply flaunting soulless technical skill. Instead, they combined\u00a0that with exceptional creativity and each member\u2019s unique sound, creating music few could rival. Unfortunately, in 1973, this all changed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Album Review: Yes – Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/h5>\n

Following <\/span>Close to the Edge<\/span><\/em>, drummer Bill Bruford made his departure from Yes. This was brought on by his frustration with their new songwriting approach. Developing <\/span>Close to the Edge<\/span><\/em> was a tedious affair and the lyrics were starting to lean heavily on mysticism. Fortunately, despite dealing with big themes, <\/span>Close to the Edge <\/span><\/em>never toppled into pretension. Unfortunately, Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/em><\/span>\u00a0fails to retain this balance. Lyrically, Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>is a needlessly complex, irritatingly ostentatious and ultimately incomprehensible mess. Based on a footnote from <\/span>Biography of a Yogi <\/span><\/em>– a 1946 book<\/span> describing the four bodies of Hindu text – <\/span>TFTO<\/span><\/em>\u2019s <\/span>concept is coated in more self indulgence than the Oscars. Even vocalist Jon Anderson didn’t fully understand it, a<\/span>nd he came up with the concept.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately for me, lyrics aren’t a deal breaker, provided Yes display their usual musical prowess. Sadly, this is where the album\u2019s length lets it down. Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/em><\/span>\u00a0<\/em>is only made up of four tracks, but none of them lasts less than 18 minutes. Now, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with long songs. <\/span>Close to the Edge<\/span><\/em>‘s<\/span> title track fills half the album and is, for my money, their magnum opus, because it harnesses every second perfectly. Sadly, no song on <\/span>TFTO<\/span><\/em>\u2019s<\/span> earns its length. There’s <\/span>so much filler<\/span><\/em>, <\/span><\/i>a lot of it from Steve Howe\u2019s horrendously tedious guitar solos. Chris Squire\u2019s bass playing is also uncharacteristically dull, lacking the energy seen on previous albums. It\u2019s like they were both kissed by Dementors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Anderson’s vocals are the driving force behind the best moments<\/h5>\n

That said,<\/span> Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/span> <\/em>isn’t without its moments. Many of these are provided by Rick Wakeman, whose keyboard riff at the start of <\/span>The Revealing Science of God<\/span><\/em> is one of the best things he’s ever produced. New drummer Alan White also flexes some impressive muscles at the start of <\/span>Ritual<\/span><\/em>. Yet\u00a0<\/span>Jon Anderson\u2019s vocals are the driving force behind most of the best moments. Often epic, sometimes beautiful, Anderson’s voice is the soul of this album, even if it deserves better lyrics. Unfortunately, these moments (as numerous as they are) are smothered by the length of the songs. There’s no definitive riff or melody that holds each track together, like the recurring \u00a0‘Father\u2019s Shout\u2019 theme from Pink Floyd’s <\/span>Atom Heart Mother Suite<\/span><\/em>, <\/span>or the many elements on Yes\u2019 own Close<\/em><\/span> to the Edge <\/span><\/em>that flow throughout that track<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>Instead, every song feels like multiple different (admittedly very good) songs awkwardly glued together.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, Yes\u2019 \u00a0sixth album is an ambitious failure. It aims for grandeur, but only succeeds with lengthiness. It sets its sights on significance, but only manages indulgence. There are, however, instances of genius shining through. It\u2019s enough to warrant a listen, even if it isn’t enough to break the thick tedium that clouds this album. It isn’t Yes’ worst release by any stretch (*cough* Open Your Eyes<\/em> *cough*), but when all\u2019s said and done, <\/span>Tales From Topographic Oceans<\/span><\/em> is an album flawed by its own\u00a0ambition.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Less is more; a saying found in fortune cookies from Chinese takeaways across the country. Evidently, Yes don\u2019t eat much Chinese food. After scoring two home runs in 1971 and 1972 with Fragile and Close to the Edge, Yes felt it was time to go bigger. Literally bigger. In 1973, Yes released their sixth album Tales From Topographic Oceans, boasting a staggering 81 minute running time. Nearly double that of Pink Floyd\u2019s legendary album The Dark Side of the Moon, and monstrous compared to the mere 37 minutes of Close to the Edge. But is bigger better? And if less is more, is more less?
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