I just wanted to take a second and say THANK YOU for showing me these wonderful songs. It would be quite difficult for me to navigate the many years of this band without all of you wonderful people. Your assistance and support is not forgotten

THE ENTIRE ALBUM IS A MASTERPIECE. DON'T LET ANYONE TELL YOU ABOUT FILLER and unnecessary parts. The LP never ceases to amaze me on many levels. Every moment is a moving adventure that is best heard sequentially to appreciate the profoundness of the entire deep experience. Inspired by a section of Paramhansa Yogananda's book "Autobiography of a Yogi" that describes the four-part Shastric scriptures, this song is about creation, the beginning of life, thought, our power, of love and all of the things which bring happiness to our lives which often seem forgotten and lost by the human race through negligence. It's a very thought out visceral experience musically and lyrically starting with the sound of where life began, the ocean. The opening Chant/Prayer "Dawn of light..," is the perfect way to begin this amazing journey

TALES FROM TOPOGRAGHIC OCEANS IS A MASTERPIECE❗️❗️❗️😎

My first Yes concert in 1974 - Played all of Close to the Edge followed by all 4 sides of Tales. Hard to beat.

I’ve been listening to this album since 1974, in my book Yes crowning achievement.., unsurpassed scope, magnificence, compositions… a spiritual experience..

All the comments from Rick that I have read said that there was a lot of beautiful music on this album. He just felt like it was padded in places. Like it could have been the greatest 3 sided album ever made (my paraphrase). I prefer to think of that great quote, "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for." But if this record IS a not quite perfect work (and that's a big IF), it's a glorious collection of risks that I'm SO glad they had the spirit to take. My life is so much richer for their adventures.

Mike Portnoy: "[Jon] called me up to tell me he had an idea of doing all of side one of …Topographic Oceans! Talk about jumping off the deep end! Of course, [Transatlantic] were thrilled at the idea and challenge. But once we began rehearsing the material at soundchecks each day, we realised how unbelievably unorthodox and complex the composition was. “I can honestly say that learning The Revealing Science Of God was the biggest challenge I’ve ever had! I cannot imagine how this music was composed. It’s almost like, ‘OK, do this 5⁄4 riff 11 times and then do this 9⁄8 jungle groove five times and then let’s do 13 vocal stabs into a keyboard solo and then drop into an acapella vocal part in free time, etc.’ There was no way to remember these twists and turns unless you had written it. “But once we began rehearsing the piece with Jon, he was conducting the transitions and the tempo changes and then suddenly it all made sense. I always wondered how Jon’s musical contributions fit into the equation of such virtuoso musicianship in Yes, and from this I was able to see that he was the centre of it all. He was the glue that held these four incredible individual musicians together.”

Yes 💥 unconditional love

This album is highly controversial even among fans but I personally love it 😃

Ritual, Nous Sommes du Soleil. My favorite one from this album.

Beautiful side of music. Never understand any hatred of this album; it's what art in music is all about. I appreciate any band that pushes themselves to the limit

My favourite YES Track. Excellent 🎸 Keep Rockin'🎸 Ronnie Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Ladies and gentlemen Chris Squire and Yes the greatest show on earth. If you listen carefully to this album you'll hear Squire singing upper octave harmonies. One has two ears and one mouth so apply each proportionally hint. 🙏🍁

August 16, 2024. I'm watching you listen to "The Revealing . . . " and it's SO SO good to watch how you react to it. This has been my all-time favorite album since '74. You catch all the right stuff in it. That makes my heart glad. So many people just don't get it. Carry on, man. I love that it's working on you the right way.

The lead keys work is Rick's, but some of the chordal pad layers and linking passages with washes of synth or Mellotron were done by Alan White. He was a pretty good piano player too.

Glad to see you enjoy this first side so much, Lee! The cool thing is that many people like sides 2&4 the most but then 3 is the most percussive, so your drummer mind will - I think - really like it. I love the whole album and believe you will too. Regardless I'm looking forward to experiencing it with you. I'd say take the other the sides in order because... why not?😃(yeah, there's my smiley face, as requested😉) Hang in there, brother!♥️

11:34 - that slow, atmospheric opening section to a new chapter of the track, it really is like turning the page of a book and we are out on an open plain, or overlooking the sea, at dawn and waiting for the sun to rise. The warm, fluid groove they create here is amazing - I love how Alan comes in one pulse beat later for each time with that bass drum, it makes the music feel like multiple planes are phased on top of each other...Steve comes wandering in with his guitar, it feels very peaceful. Then when it moves on into that brief, sweet ARP keyboard groove at 12:33 - you'd think they would be moving on to some more singing, a bit faster - but instead they just go back to the same chord progression, the same mood and offer us another variation of it, with Steve's exquisite guitar picking and the music slowly gathering more momentum, like waves, before finally opening out at this lovely vocal melody at "They move fast, they tell me". I always loved this, and it's so great how they return to that "dawn mood" to do another variation of it, they trust the music enough to just remain in it for another minute, where most other bands would have left it and moved to a faster section. 🎶

In my humble opinion, one of the Most Perfect Songs in Rock History!! It gives me chills!! I can hear it over and over again... Totally AWESOME!! ❤❤💕💕😊😊

YES adds years to your life....just keep listening....

YES❗️❗️❗️The greatest band on this or any other planet❗️❗️❗️😎

This whole album has continued to get better and better over the 45 years since i first heard it. It's a masterpiece.

so wonderful to see the joy on your face listening to this song, it takes me back 40+years ago when i first heard it, a CLASSIC

I heard this live once. It was incredible.

Please hang in there! Your not alone! Many of us do feel that way too, or have felt overwhelmed at some point. And your right- if you feel like quitting or giving up…just let your heart feel the love you have for your little one. Your heart will over flow(sappy I know).. but Yes and my love for my daughter has kept me going All my life(she is 38 now & gave me an incredible granddaughter)❤ I really Think it’s great so many Young music lovers react to the is era of music that shaped All music from here on… Let Yes lift you…you experience Yes…not just hear it! Keep up the good fight!

"Close To The Edge", "Gates Of Delirium" and "The Revealing Science Of God" are some serious trips. You could be listening to them like, forever. And that´s not to say that the rest of their catalogue is any worse. Genesis and Yes are definitely my two favourite bands, they´re huge.

I am always ready for YES!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

We...The Yes Community are very spiritually based.....and Yes expresses our philosophy and views on Life and Spirituality which is about "LOVE." And now you are a part of that community.

BTW I saw the beginning of the US Tour in 73 before they stopped performing Side 2 and 3. It was the first time YES had a Massive Set designed by the album cover artist Roger Dean and his brother Martyn. They entered through a stage tunnel to mic stands and monitors camouflaged to look like underwater mounds with lights inside plus larger sea formations around the band & Rick's keyboards including a large automated shell or crab shape behind the drums that opened. Not to mention their use of dry ice during the heavenly passages. Sadly there isn't any film footage of the shows but the fact that we were Tripping made the entire experience quite overwhelming visually and deeply moving. What I remember most is my constant flood of tears and almost 3 hours of profound & overwhelming intense emotional bliss.

Wakeman was so unhappy with this album that he left the band. When Jon Anderson played Wonderous Stories for him, he said it was the most beautiful song he ever heard, so he came back. Lucky for all of us, Patrick Moraz was their keyboard for one album, and that album was Relayer. Going for the One was their next album, when Wakeman came back, and once again, we are all lucky for that too. Quite a bizarre turn of events, in the ever changing lineup of YES.

😃 A little late to the party but there it is. Love watching a new generation discovering this unique and talented band. And this band works like a therapist. And is cheaper. I feed off of their positive creative energy.

Masterpiece Number 1 of a 4 part Masterpiece album by the Masters of all music! YES!!!🤩

🙂 God Bless YES

Brother I'm in tears 😭 listening to this, this music hits me to the core! This is on a Spiritual level. It's why YES is my favorite band on the planet Earth 🌍

The Keys to Ascension Live video of this is quite clear for your future consumption. I like it anyway. Heh ty sir for reaction! 🙂

My favorite album by my favorite band. Enjoy my friend.

Tales From Topographic Oceans is my favorite album ever so thank you for this one!!! 👍👍👍❤️❤️❤️

A bad attitude about this gem of an album started with haters in the guise of “rock music critics”. I was a critic back then and fell immediately in love with this masterpiece. I quit the business feeling shame for being connected with the paid detractors of anything they were told to hate. And they were told to hate this. Nothing personal, just business. Right. Tell that to these 5 geniuses that broke the music barrier withthis album. Rick didn’t hate all of it. He felt some of it was redundant. Blah. They were on a hard time restraint. Forced to stop when they needed time to fix parts. But to my ears and mind, it all flows beautifully and progressively. YES eternal

Spot on about this being their most ambitious song, IMO it's their peak, they are architects, and this track is a catherdral.

I also thought RICKS work on this song was amazing 😊

This song saved my life more times than I am able to count. Quite seriously. ❤ 😀

Wakeman just shines on this! Some of his best work of an amazingly vast catalog! Congrats & thanks for the great reaction. Best to you and your viewers❣

My first time seeing Yes Live, all revolves around my very first introduction to, ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’. (TFTO). The very first time I heard this Album, was 'Live', at Leicester’s 'De Montfort Hall', UK, my hometown venue, in its entirety, (All 4 sides), on the 26th Nov' 1973. It was less than 2 weeks before the Album was officially released in Dec' '73. I was just 17 years old. Imagine that. And I’d already been a fan for 3 Years. I remember reading in the Music Papers I used to have, ‘Sounds’, ‘Melody Maker’ and the ‘New Musical Express’, they said it was a big gamble that ‘Yes’ were taking, playing the whole Album Live, as some of the earliest Shows on the ‘TFTO’ Tour, were pre the Album coming out. So, as a 17 year old, there with my friends, standing right at the front, near the Stage, we were mesmerised, watching and listening, open mouthed in amazement, so close to our Musical Heroes. Almost within touching distance of Jon, Chris, Rick, Steve and Alan. It was mind blowing, scintillating to see. I’ll never forget that night. The Roger Dean style Images we all had on previous Album sleeves and the Posters all over my bedroom walls, had come to life, on Stage, before our very eyes! And we were blown away at the performance and the musical sounds from ‘TFTO’! I couldn’t take my eyes off Jon, there just above me on Stage. We were transported to another world. It was incredible. We were also lucky enough to get the whole of the ‘Close To The Edge’ Album too that night! With ‘Roundabout’ as a encore. So what a Show that was! But when I bought the ‘TFTO’ Album, just a couple of weeks later, I took it home and had a extra special smile on my face. Because, I knew what was coming! Incredible. And I’ve always Loved it. I still get goosebumps at the Opening Section of ‘The Revealing Science Of God’, as Jon’s voice comes in and the Music builds up to that amazing Crescendo! Fabulous. Awesome. Mind blowing! These are just my own personal feelings. And to think I saw Jon Anderson Live, just a couple of months ago, in London, (July 2023), performing with the ‘Paul Green Rock Academy’, from the US. And Jon still sounds as incredible as ever, aged 78. I agree with you, Rick is phenomenal on this Album. I’ve heard him say he’s grown to like it a lot more over time. We will be seeing Rick Live too, next February, 2024, performing’Yes’ Classics and his own Solo work, ‘Journey To The Centre Of The Earth’. 🎶❤️🎶

Glad you enjoy Yes. Give Time and a Word a spin. Keep positive man.

My love of yes comes from my love of BASS guitar.

Guitar work is beyond fantastic

Jons voice Ethereal

You’re a brave man doing a reaction to this long piece, but I’m so glad you took it on! Yes came in for a lot of grief from the music press when they put this out. But as the years go by you can appreciate the virtuosity of these five guys. Totally agree with your Rick comments and great to see you reacting to his last solo here. Still sends shivers down the ol’ spine. Thank you Lee, made my day 😎

It's YES at their most untethered. Its fully intended to be listened to while transcendent.

This was an amazing song to introduce us to the 4 sided masterpiece! Nobody knew what to expect 😄

This entire album is a glorious masterpiece!! You don’t just listen to it, you experience it!! 🎶❤️🎶

🤩

Best vocal album by far by them.

Can’t tell how many times I’ve listened to this. This is my song. Nice reaction! You picked up on those little squeaky keys’ on that awesome transition to the power section. I can’t describe exactly why I love it but some how it is so effective at giving a sense of deep space reaching g across the vastness.

This album is in my own top ten albums since always. Each time I listen to it I'm 16 again. You said their most innovative. Well I place Sound Chaser before on that and then The Ancient from the same album. Nice you liked it. All the best to you.😀 Get in associations or clubs to make new friends if you can. Concerning next song from this album: do them in the order…

Such an important part of my life this album , and indeed this band. They form part of the big four for me : 1. Genesis 2. Pink Floyd 3. YES 4. Jethro Tull Many years of listening to 'Tales' , has made me appreciate it's beauty and technical expertise of the members of the time.... particular shout-out to Alan White on drums for making his YES debut on this. For me their best album. 😍

the keyboard solo on this song is one of the best ever recorded

It's what Beethoven and others would have prayed music would evolve into.

😊

So many things were going on with Rick at the time, he was working on his second solo album the Six Wives of Henry the Eight, and was aggrivated that the album was taking so long to complete and the songs had so many reapeating sections and he thought of it as padding. The truth is that Tales has the best work Rick ever did for Yes, not counting Close to Edge. Side 2 in particular has Rick best atmospheric work. By this time in Yes' story Rick was more interested in his own carrier as solo artist. His departure gave the opportunity to bring Patrick Moraz and gave us Relayer to me their most progressive album.

The most underrated Yes album, so far. A masterpiece.

Some times one truly needs Yes!

😁This album is so cool, heard it a zillion times, still love it.

This album is all over the place but in a good way. Hope to see you react to the next track!

This entire album is like a ride down a meandering river, you just have to go with the flow, relax, feel it, understand. Yes always have a crystal clear concept of what they want to achieve and convey. I feel sorry for those that fight it with their preconceptions of what else it should be or should have been. The realization is that it it is perfection and is (as always) greater than the sum of its parts. Glad you appreciate it.

Things will get better. Hang in there, you are doing everything right. Trust yourself.

The whole album is great! I am very glad you reacted to this. Thanks and greetings from México City.

I have been waiting to see if you would get to this song. Well done, NOW you are a Yes brother! I still draw bits from this album cover today, subconsciously. WOW great to see you digging in... Check out the inside of the cover. It's illuminating...

Great reaction! Next up: The Remembering-High the Memory. A personal favorite of mine! Wait until you hear the vocal harmonies on that song!!! To me, it's some of the greatest singing yes has ever recorded!

Agree that this is some of Rick Wakeman's greatest work. 😀

'vWhat happened to this song we once knew so well?' I wonder, but glad I hear it again today, thank you. 😃

:) My understanding is a lot of the push back came because Jon and Steve already had the skeleton of the whole album written, thus relegating Chris, Rick and Alan more to the roles of helping develop and flesh out the material. Rick also thought the concept of the album was too artificial. Jon says Rick was more interested in his solo album at the time. I first heard this about 40 years ago, and was instantly captivated. I probably listen to this album the most from Yes

😊😊😊

Not just Prog...but music taken to another level....

Never give up, ever.. 😊

Lee , we've all had our stuggles , giving up is not an option! You are touching a lot of souls with your reviews. :) From what I kmow, Rick didn't have a lot of play in some of the tracks to this massive album,so he could" eat a sandwhich" while waiting for them to use him again. Could be wrong and am sure someone will correct me if need be.

keep it pushing man!! life may be tuff right now but things will soon be up for you 😊🙏

such a great album.

While your alive always a chance for things to get better. Bro . Even in the darkest times look how far youve come😁

4 sides (pieces) of pure genius. I can vouch that there's a lifetime of listening herein. Ps you are fortunate in listening to the remastered extended version. PS this side is for synth lovers especially. You'll soon realise why 😊

You did what you needed to do in order to grow beyond the situation you were in....I did the same several times....I have moved in the Foothills of the Sierras....which my friends of 20 years think I am dead....lol.....because i have outgrown the parties and social life....my kids are your age.....many friends are dead....but I am here with my Heavenly music of Yes and old school Rock n' Roll....you are in a good Community...The Yes Community.

For his part, Wakeman had genuine misgivings about the general direction of the material. “Yes was heading towards avant-garde jazz rock and I had nothing to offer there,” he observed in 1974. “We had enough material for one album but we felt we had to do the double.”

I love your honesty L33

😊 more genius

A masterpiece.

Good album to escape reality for a while.

There’s always … Gates of I Delirium.. I would say, that’s one of Yes most ambitious songs….jaw dropping!

Yes has a special sound for sure. This album is another experimental masterpiece. "A Part We Offer is Our only Freedom". Like in "Carry On/Questions" from Crosby Stills, and Nash "Rejoice, Rejoice, we have no choice, but to Carry On"

😃😃😃😃😃

The best side of the album it took me decades to like let alone love. This and side 4. Also looking forward to Epping Forest! Makes a Monday a little bit tolerable. This side contains some real gems and peaks ❤

Rick didn’t realise what a valuable asset he was to this album, he hated it and felt like most of his parts was just padding Those of us who love Tales, saw it as a perfect landscape to this incredible story telling music. Apparently, he now, is proud of Tales…….. Rick got there in the end🙄 I love your reaction to Yes music, you’re such a genuine soul. 👍 P.S. Great job on Identifying the Beach Boys sound on this, Yes we’re very influenced by them.

This album touches the soul of each listener…very spiritual …😎

😌

😀 Yes cited Beach Boys as an influence so maybe you are on to something. "Turn of the Century," (live, 35th anniversary tour).and I'll throw my vote again to Todmobile's "Awaken," with Jon Anderson. (It's helped me a lot thru bad times). P.S. We're here for you! Congrats on 5K.

New Years Day 1976 I did 5 hits of micro dot. Listend to Tails for 12 hours straight. My favorite Yes album since then.😂

Hey I enjoyed your story 🙂 and of course this a bit out there Yes experiment of an album. But hey, all of their stuff was a little like that, and at the time called self indulgent nonsense. Glad you took the time for this, all I can say is I eel your pain, I had one of those today, all we can do is live through it, as it will make us stronger as we continue our journey. My pick, as you have already done the ones I love, is Machine Messiha, from Drama. Have a Good one 🙂

This album is a very uplifting and maybe spiritual album. I am not a believer in a god but there is a consciousness in nature and the planet that this gives me hope.

My 2nd favorite Yes Album. 1. Relayer 2. Tales of Topographic Oceans 3. Close to the Edge...

😀😀😀

😃

😊😊😊❤