The Von: Tales from Topographic Oceans

Showing posts with label Tales from Topographic Oceans. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2018

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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Thursday, September 20, 2018

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...

Ritual: Nous Sommes Du Soleil

And now we finally make it to the last track from Yes' double album Tales from Topographic Oceans. This song is probably the most known because it was played in concert for years.

To me, this song always evokes memories of the aftermath of some huge event. Like you've just had a great summer, but the energy has wound down. The warm feeling is still there inside you, but you know that situation is over and it's time to move on to other things. Maybe that is the ritual of life, running from the highs to the lows to the norm. Extremes to the means. It also contains one of my favorite lines from any Yes song: "we receive all we venture to give".

It's not a rushed song and flows at a slow pace. I could do without the drum section in the middle, but the ending is completely beautiful (starting at 16:55).

Tantras: the ritual seven notes of freedom to learn and to know the ritual of life. life is a fight between sources of evil and pure love. Alan and Chris present and relay the struggle out of which comes a positive source. Nous Sommes du Soleil. We are of the sun. We can see.

Lyrics

Nous sommes du soleil we love when we play
Nous sommes du soleil we love when we play

Open doors we find our way, we look we see we smile
Surely daybreaks cross our path and stay maybe a while
Let them run, let them chase, Let them hide between
Constant doors will open eyes as life seems like
Life seems like a fight, fight, fight

Maybe I'll just sing awhile and then give you a call
Maybe I'll just say hello and say maybe that's all
Hurry home as love is true, will help us through the night
Till we're coming home again our life seems like
Life seems like a fight, fight, fight

Catch as we look and use the passions that flow
As we try to continue
We receive all we venture to give

Maybe we'll just stand awhile and surely we can call
Dreams are said to blossom courage, constant to the soul
Change we must as surely time does, changes call the course
Held inside we enter daybreaks asking for asking for
The source, the source, the source

Sent as we sing our music's total retain
As we try and consider
We receive all we venture to give

All we say is our soul constant sight listener
We won't tender our song clearer, till we sail
Then I will be there
And I will be there
As clearer companions shall call to be near you
They move around tell me that
Move around surely sing
As they don't seem to matter at all, at all at all

Hold me my love, hold me today call me round
Travel we say, wander we choose love tune
Lay upon me, hold me around lasting hours
We love when we play

We hear a sound and alter our returning
We drift the shadows and course our way on home
Flying home - Going home

Look me my love sentences move dancing away
We join we receive
As our song memories long hope in a way
Nous sommes du soleil
Hold, me around, lasting ours
We love when we play
Nous sommes du soleil
Nous sommes du soleil
Nous sommes du soleil

Monday, May 6, 2013

The Ancient: Giants Under the Sun

The next song on the Tales from Topographic Oceans double album (previous tracks can be found here and here) is a mix of wildness and beauty called The Ancient: Giants Under the Sun. Steve Howe begins the piece with a primal guitar journey through the past, with Jon all the while adding previous names of various gods. It concludes with the "Leaves of Green" section beginning at the 12:30 mark in which Steve transfers over to acoustic guitar, which is pure majesty.

PURANAS: The Ancient probes still further into the past beyond the point of remembering. Here Steve's guitar is pivotal in sharpening reflection on the beauties and treasures of lost civilizations, Indian, Chinese, Central American, Atlantean. These and other people left an immense treasure of knowledge.

Lyrics

As one with the knowledge and magic of the source

Atuned to the majesty of music

They marched as one with earth

Sol, Dhoop

Sun

Ilios

Naytheet

Ah Kin

Saule

Tonatiuh

Qurax

Gunes, Grian

Surje

Samse

So the flowering creativity of life wove its
Web face to face with the shallow
And their gods sought out and conquered, Ah Kin

Do the leaves of green stay greener through the autumn
Does the color of the sun turn crimson white
Does a shadow come between us in the winter
Is the movement really light

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does on child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
along without you
along without you

Where does reason stop and killing just take over
Does a lamb cry out before we shoot it dead
Are there many more in comfort understanding
Is the movement in the head

And I heard a million voices singing
Acting to the story that they had heard about
Does one child know the secret and can say it
Or does it all come out along without you
along without you
along without you

Monday, April 29, 2013

The Remembering: High The Memory

Tales From Topographic Oceans (Side 2)

Side One of this double album was covered here.

The Remembering. All our thoughts, impressions, knowledge, fears, have been developing for millions of years. What we can relate to is our own past, our own life, our own history. Here, it is especially Rick's keyboards which bring alive the ebb and flow and depth of our mind's eye; the topographic ocean. Hopefully we should appreciate that given points in time are not so significant as the nature of what is impressed on the mind, and how it is retained and used.

Lyrics:

As the silence of seasons on we relive abridge sails afloat
As to call light the soul shall sing of the velvet sailors course on
Of the velvet sailors course on
Shine or moons send me memories trail over days of forgotten tales
Course the compass to offer into a time that we've all seen on
Into a time that we've all seen on

High the memory carry on
While the moments start to linger
Sail away among your dreams
The strength regains us in between our time
The strength regains us in between our time
As we shall speak to differ also the ends meet the river's son
So the ends meet the river's son

Ours the story shall we carry on and search the forest of the sun
We dream as we dream! Dream as one
And I do think very well
That the son might take you silently
They move fast, they tell me
There's someone, rainbow
Alternate tune

In the days of summers so long, we danced as evenings sang their song
We wander out the days so long
And I do feel very well
That the evenings take you silently.

They move round, Sunlight, seeing ground
Whispers of clay - Alternate ways

Softer messages bringing light to a truth long forgotten on
As we shall speak to differ also the ends meet the river's son
So the ends meet the river's son

I reach over and the fruit of life stand still
Stand awhile we search our past we start anew
The music sings of love you knew

We walk around the story out in the city running free
Sands of companions sides that be
The strength of the meeting lies with you
Wait all the more regard your past
School gates remind us of our class
Chase all confusion away with us

Stand on hills of long forgotten yesterdays
Pass amongst your memories told returning ways
As certain as we walk today
We walk around the story out in the city running free
Days pass as seconds turn they key
The strength of the moment lies with you

Don the cap and close your eyes imagine all the glorious challenge
Iron metal cast to others - distant drums
Force the bit between the mouth of freedom didn't we learn to fly
Remember to sail the skies - distant suns
Will we reach, winds allow
Other skylines, other skylines to hold you

Relayer - All the dying cried before you
Relayer - We've rejoiced in all their meaning
Relayer - We advance we retrace our stories

Like a dreamer all our lives are only lost begotten changes
We relive in seagull's pages - outwards ways.
Things are all in colors and the size of others shall send you forward
Arrange to sail you toward a peace of mind
Will we reach, winds allow
Other skylines, other skylines to hold you

Relayer - All the passion spent on one cross
Relayer - Sail the futile wars they suffer
Relayer - We advance we retrace our story, fail safe now

Stand on hills of long forgotten yesterdays
Pass amongst your memories told returning ways
As certain as we walk today
Press over moments leaving you
Out in the city running free
Days pass as seconds turn the key
The strength of the moment lies with you
Out tender outward lights of you
Shine over mountains make the view
The strength of you seeing lies with you

Ours entrance we surely carry on
And change the passing of the sun
We don't even need to try we are one

And I do think very well
As the truth unfolds you silently
They move time

Rainbows, Sunlight
Alternate tune, Alternate tune
Rainbows, Soft light
Alternate view
Sunlight, Tell me, Someone
Alternate view, Alternate view, surely, surely

Monday, April 22, 2013

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.