Tales From Topographic Oceans

VINYL FORMAT. 180g vinyl. Recorded at Morgan Studios, London, England. Digitally remastered by Joe Gastwirt. For prog rock's detractors, Yes's Tales From Topographic Oceans is the genre's nadir. For admirers it is an artistic pinnacle. Whichever camp you're in, it is hard to deny the sheer chutzpah necessary to undertake this sprawling epic. Though broken up into four sections, Tales From Topographic Oceans greeted 1973 listeners as a single composition spread across four sides of a double album. This was unprecedented in the world of mainstream rock. For the band, it was the closest they would ever come to a true fusion of classical structures and themes with rock-oriented instrumentation and sensibilities. The lyrics are typically elliptical and spiritually oriented, and many a bad trip was probably launched by trying to interpret them. The real pleasure of this album lies in the elaborately textured, harmonically sophisticated interaction between keyboardist Rick Wakeman, guitarist Steve Howe, and highly melodic bassist Chris Squire. All three were at the peak of their instrumental prowess on Tales From Topographic Oceans, and listening to them interact is like watching a fine athlete excelling at his chosen sport.