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Tales From Topographic Oceans

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Singer Jon Anderson got the idea for Tales From Topographic Oceans in a hotel room in Tokyo, after reading in Autobiography of a Yogi about four categories of Hindu texts. Together with guitarist Steve Howe he worked it out. After weeks of rehearsal, Yes decided to make a double album with four tracks of between 18 and 21 minutes each. It was the first album with drummer Alan White. Keyboard player Rick Wakeman was critical of the concept. At Morgan Studios in London, the studio was set up as a farm.

The album spent two weeks at number one in England. The critical response was sharply divided: some saw it as a symbol of the excess of progressive rock, and later the reviews became milder.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to The Revealing Science of God and follow how a piece of this length builds up in sections.

Track list

  1. 1The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)20:26Apple Music ↗
  2. 2The Remembering (High the Memory)20:41Apple Music ↗
  3. 3The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)18:40Apple Music ↗
  4. 4Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)21:35Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗

Categories: Albums and songs