Tales From Topographic Oceans

[esimms86]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...1&cvid=4f6a5293894e40de81427c076b64d688&ei=21After reading this article, I had even greater respect (and sympathy!) for Steven Wilson. Also, it's clear that Wakeman is @beerking's kind of guy!

 

[Electric Moo]

I know people that saw that tour live & hated it. And still hate it.

I think side one is amazing. It blew me away when I saw them play it live. Wasn't familiar with the album at all.

The only song I don't like is that giant song, mostly because the gtr sound is annoying. But maybe that's the point of it.

 

[jimfisheye]

I absolutely love the dedication to difficulty from all involved. Highly ambitious. That this gets the Wilson 5.1 treatment all these years later and with the much shorter attention span the collective world has today is beyond all expectations!

I wish there were enough hours and days to listen to works like this front to back more often. The guitar solo coda at the end is still one of my favorite Yes bits. Lots of moments of greatness throughout. Some of the in-between maybe feels like padding but even the slowest moments are better than a lot of recordings. Side 4 or sides 3 & 4 get the most play here.

 

[beerking]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertain...1&cvid=4f6a5293894e40de81427c076b64d688&ei=21After reading this article, I had even greater respect (and sympathy!) for Steven Wilson. Also, it's clear that Wakeman is @beerking's kind of guy!

You are so right

 

[izgoblin]

Frankly I think Wilson's 5.1 remix of Tales sounds totally unfinished. That article seems to explain what I suspected, but in his remix there are synth parts that are way too loud, vocals that get louder half-way through a phase, key parts that are buried including a lot of Wakeman's mellotron, etc. I often like Steven Wilson's remixes, but this is my least favorite of his so far. Sounds like he spent a lot of time on it and then just gave up or ran out of time. The original mix is far more cohesive.

 

[mandrix]

Tales...is one of those epic works that demands patience and attention. I admit it's far from my favorite Yes, but it took some real brass to follow it through.
When I listen to some other music from that era vs Tales, I'm still amazed with Yes. Even with Wakeman's dissatisfaction, he did well on this album.
Anderson was blessed he had a more than willing cohort in Howe.

 

[Bill B]

It's definitely not my favorite but it is part of that 5 core albums (TYA to Relayer) where, IMO, Yes could do no wrong. I listen to this album several times a year.

I had bought the Rhino 12 cd box (2013) with all the albums from Yes to Big Generator. Interesting that the version of TFTO in that box has a long intro at the beginning of the album (maybe a minute or so) where the sound of the surf can be heard before the beginning of TRSOG fades in. I've always thought that was a great way to start the album but have never seen it on any other versions of this album (and I've bought more than a few).

 

[DuncanS]

I borrowed TFTO from a school friend when it came out in '73, I liked it but it was different, then I fell out of love with it. It wasn't until I got it on CD that I fell back in love with it, its a difficult album, its one I have to be in the right frame of mind for, but I am very glad its in my collection. I kind of gave up on Yes after Relayer (which is one of my favourites) until 90125 & then Big Generator renewed my interest.

 

[François]

It's definitely not my favorite but it is part of that 5 core albums (TYA to Relayer) where, IMO, Yes could do no wrong. I listen to this album several times a year.

I had bought the Rhino 12 cd box (2013) with all the albums from Yes to Big Generator. Interesting that the version of TFTO in that box has a long intro at the beginning of the album (maybe a minute or so) where the sound of the surf can be heard before the beginning of TRSOG fades in. I've always thought that was a great way to start the album but have never seen it on any other versions of this album (and I've bought more than a few).

That first song with the extended intro is available as a bonus track on the Steven Wilson remix version of the album. It’s even in surround!

 

[Bill B]

That first song with the extended intro is available as a bonus track on the Steven Wilson remix version of the album. It’s even in surround!

Wow, I did not know that and I have the SW 5.1 BR. How embarrassing that I never check out anything but the primary album in surround on 90% of the stuff I buy. I've listened to it a dozen times but never dug into the extras. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Owen Smith]

I bought the Steve Wilson 5.1 remix of this. I was so completely underwhelmed and dis-interested in the music (irrespective of the mix) I gave it to a charity shop. I hope it was bought by someone that likes it.

 

[jimfisheye]

My initial impressions of the Wilson 5.1 remixes was really positive. Obviously I heard some of the revisionist moves in the mixes. I still thought the new mixes injected some serious life into these works! A few people are giving consistent bad reviews for these. Starting to wonder if I was blinded by some of the ear candy and a little too easy to please! Sounds like I need to put the stereo flat transfers on and crank up the volume.

I also hear little fixes in some of these mixes. A pitchy backing vocal here and a stumble there. Very minute. Or maybe this is also where some of the complaints of alteration come from?

Anyway, I still think these are some of the better remixes I've heard. Especially for stuff done so many years after the fact. Eyebrows fully raised at a couple of the poor reviews! Might agree with some of that in hindsight... Holy shit though, how many mixes even get close to a good rating in this arena?!