This Day in Music History:Yes/Tales from Topographic Oceans (12/07)

On this day, in 1973, Yes released probably their most controversial album of all time, Tales from Topographic Oceans.

Most people either love it or hate it. I think it is a complete masterpiece which is over the heads of most people, but that's just my opinion. It also has what I think is the single greatest album cover of all time.

I have previously covered each side (it's a double album) in depth in these posts:

The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

The Remembering (High the Memory)

The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)

Ritual (Nous Sommes Du Soleil)

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This Day in Music History (09/20): Yes/Tormato and Yes/The Ladder

On this day in music history, Yes was at it again (they love the month of September apparently) with not one, but two different albums released on this date.

First, in 1978, Yes released Tormato, which had a few decent ideas, but overall was basically crap.

The original album title was to be Yes Tor, referring to a geological formation in southern England. The photographs taken by Hipgnosis for the album cover were seen as so unimpressive that Rick Wakeman (RW!), in frustration, threw a tomato at the pictures. The cover and title were adjusted accordingly. No, really. That's how it got its name.

Friday and the Random 10 (Bringing Back the Goatee Edition)

Well here we are once again, staring at another Friday. It's also the last day of February which means The Moody Blues and Yes are eligible to come off the disabled list next time around. Taking a look at last week, it appears no one new was banned either.

I don't know how I'm feeling right now. Kinda meh. Oh well, let's roll out the music and see how things turn out. As usual, the rules and whatnot are up there ↑ at the top. Oh, and I've decided to bring my goatee back so this week's music should rock!

And the survey says...

The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

Tales From Topographic Oceans (Side 1)

I'm not even sure where to begin on this album. The most obvious part of it is the size. When Yes used a whole album side for one song on Close to the Edge, it wasn't that drastic. Other groups had done it before (ELP for instance). But a double album with only four (!) songs? Each side has one composition and this is where a lot of Yes fans jumped off the bandwagon. It was too much. It was over-indulgent. It was a lot of nonsense.

It is a complete masterpiece, which one doesn't listen to, but experiences.

I love this album. I think it was the best work Yes ever did. It is awesome and mysterious. The lyrics are magical and mystical. The music is perfect. It takes you to a place far away and through time. Cosmic is the best description. I mean just look at Roger Dean's cover:

The constellations in the sky are the Zodiac signs of all the band members. The pyramid of Chichen Itza in the distance has a monkey in front of it that's the same design as the one on the Nazca plane.



The rock formations are from various locations in England, including Avebury and Stonehenge.

There is even a reference to Easter Island:

But the coolest thing to me is the fish, or at least one of them. Besides the fact that they seem to be swimming in air (especially since there is water flowing from the rocks in the middle), they are all alike except one towards the bottom. That fish is a coelacanth. These fish are called "living fossils" because they basically haven't evolved in millions of years. They still exist live, but they have also been found in fossil form. Did you notice the rock?

 I could go on forever about why I love this album cover. Doesn't it make you wonder what's inside though? You're expecting something magnificent and that's what you get. The album is based on the four Shastric scriptures of middle eastern philosophy, which is probably why it gets lost on everyone.

SHRUTIS: The Revealing Science of God can be seen as an ever-opening flower in which simple truths emerge examining the complexities and magic of the past and how we should not forget the song that has been left to us to hear. The knowledge of God is a search, constant and clear.

The Revealing Science of God: Dance of the Dawn