YES "Tales from Topographic Oceans" - A Retrospective | 50 Yr. Old Classic PROG
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- #Yes #TopographicOceans #ProgRock #DeanWolfe #interview
►part 2: • Pt2 YES "Tales from To...
►This special Featuring interviews with 5 RUclipsrs: Scot Lade (prog corner), Andy Edwards, Barry Robinson (classic album review), Jim Newstead, Larry Graves (Canadian Studmuffin), and a special appearance by Prog dog's big brother Greg Salmela!
In this video Canadian Guitarist/producer Dean Wolfe interviews RUclipsrs about Tales from Topographic Oceans 50th Birthday.
A LITTLE ABOUT ME: I'm Dean Wolfe, a mostly self-taught Canadian guitarist/composer/multi-instrumentalist/singer/producer/performer. I started out as a full time musician, on the road at age 17 for two years, then went part-time ever since, while holding day careers including chef and spiritual health care while raising a family.
As a producer I've made hundreds of my own songs for media and award winning documentaries etc. I've been in several bands including a prog/jazz fusion act nFuze, performing in International Jazz festivals and jazz clubs. I mostly abandoned the prog genre in the 90s but have returned to it now with vigour 30 years later. So much prog! My own prog band was rejected by record labels as "too progressive' in the late 80s, so i detoured into grunge, pop and alternative instead (then folk / acoustic fingerstyle guitar and ambient electronic as well). At the end of 2022 I fell into a shoegaze rabbit hole (so you will see lots featured here.)
For the entire series of 'React to Modern Progressive Rock' Playlist #1 click here:
• React Mix 1 | Modern P...
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Playlist of ALL my guitar lessons (Prog Rock, classic rock, Police, Sting etc.)
• "The Sound of Silence"...
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►Now there's a part 2!: ruclips.net/video/VFEFXnPlrpY/видео.html
My favorite album ever!!!
Me too!
Thanks for letting me be part of this. Hopefully others take the time to check out the album and love it like we do.
Larry! You’ve convinced me- “the Ritual” is the side I really got into- but I’m going back from the beginning! 🍷
Thanks for participating Larry!
I remember Jon Anderson saying in a interview: There never would have been Awaken if Tales would not have been made!
That's interesting!
Hey Dean, fantastic video. I feel honoured to be on here alongside such distinguished luminaries! Thank you for asking and including me. I'll share away!!!
Hi Jim, I’m a long-time follower of your channel, it was great to hear you on progdog…
@@federov100 Thank you!
thanks Jim. You brought so much to it- I thank you!
@@JimNewstead Hey Jim! Such a great album. Glad to see you here!😎
Jim, so cool to see you with Dean! You two are my favorite prog reactors on RUclips! (I actually discovered you because of Dean...) Hope you guys can do more collabs in the future! 🤝
Jim is here, Scot is here. 2 of my favs! Cheers to TFTO!!!😎
And Dean put this together Jeff. Follow Dean, he loves Yes too!
@@JimNewstead Thanks Jim! Hope you are feeling better.😎
@@jeffschielka7845 you guys, you guys got to get a room lol
I spell my name with 2 t's, just so you know 🙂 Oh, you were referring to a different 'Scot'. I was confused there... for a sec... Eh, you probably didn't even know my real name is Scott😱😎🙂
I loved Tales from my first listen. All these years later it is still in heavy rotation. Tails was my third Yes concert and one of my favorites. I got to meet Allen White, Rick Wakeman, and Steve Howe. Quite a night for a teenage yes fan.
Wow, you met them at their musical and intellectual peaks perhaps!
When this came out, I was already a proto-prog consumer as well as a flower child hippie interested in Indian philosophy, and so as I was memorizing the lyrics and music from Tales, I also read and re-read Yogananda's truly wondrous great autobiography, along with Hesse, Watts, Lao Tzu, Bhagavad-Gita, Buber, Leary, Ginsberg, Ram Dass, and all the other things fellow hippies were devouring and transforming their lives. The prog people, like folks here, seemed to have bigger brains, and it may have been the challenging lyrics and sentiments that eased that along. But that people are celebrating it 50 years hence brings high joy to my heart. Nous sommes du Soleil!
I read most of that book at my wife's prompting a few years ago, with no idea of its connection to tfto
@@deanwolfechannel I read it in the '70s, but still remember certain chapters that stood out as particularly marvelous. "Outwitting the Stars", "The Law of Miracles" and one that may have had Astrology in the title. The essence of miracles is light. Something like that. The talk about Kriya Yoga was also interesting. Heady days those '70s. There is an audiobook of it on RUclips.
Great show always been my favorite yes album
The video is a great tribute to the album, glad I could contribute
so glad you did!
Great job guys! By far my favourite album ever, along with The White Album by the Beatles.
White album is also supreme double album, yes
Loved it since it was released. Absolutely a classic. My friends and I were in our teens when this album was released, and I will never forget our days of experimentation with LSD listening to all 4 sides while watching a perfect Spring sunset. To me, there is a trilogy, that being, CTTE, TFTO, and Relayer. Awaken, was a summation of all three.
Rick never accepted that for most of his fans this was his best keyboard work. The majority continued to follow his career waiting for something similar to that work of art to appear. Tales for me has been my Universe connection, and I hear it since 1974!!!! I´ve grown with my spirit content by this music (Close, the Revealing, The Remembering and Awaken)
This album is a journey and takes you away from pop garbage. Headphones needed and you can drift off to ancient times.I Started listening to YES with this album as well as Yessongs and completely was sold [ Helps if you like fantasy stuff] I got the previous albums withing four days and my all time favourite album the following year - Relayer. The thing about Yes, if I was to list my top 15 albums of all time , I 'd have Relayer, Close To The Edge, Fragile and this in that order. 1 ,3, 6 and 13
Thanks for this guys
Great job!
Thanks!
Greatest of all time.
No album makes me feel as good about life as "Oceans" does...
I can't explain it.
Not going to waste any more time trying to explain it..
THANK YOU GUYS! This was wonderful! I saw & cried Tripping through this full album TOUR and had deeply anticipated the album's release which I only listened to in its entirety for decades. I'm so TIRED of the WAKEMANIZED drenched delusional criticisms of this MASTERPIECE! And ironically Rick did some EXQUISITE work throughout the ENTIRE album! To me the Neysaying says more about the psycho-epistemology of Critics more than anything else. The WHOLY TRILOGY of YES are CTTE, TALES & RELAYER. In their own unique way EACH can still send me right to the Edge of and then over into PURE BLISS into a SEA of TEARS! I am so SAD for those who don't get it so, like the group commentary by "Sea of Tranquility" which I dismissed most of their commentary as unworthy of my time! Conceptually TALES, it is brilliant & so SOPHISTICATED, in terms of writing, performance and arrangement. The LYRICS again are wonderfully poetic & METAPHORICALLY attuned perfectly with the complexity and abstract Nature of their Music. Each side does EXACTLY what it's particular theme was intended to express through an incredible layering of VISCERALLY visualized, moods, textures sounds and atmospheres > 1. Manifesting from within the Oceans RSOG*** is about the awakening of LIFE and the becoming aware of the beauty of it's ever evolving Creations around us and through our own ever -awakening evolutionary progress we are naturally obligated to love the world and protect our environment every moment moment moment of our cherished existence > 2. Initiated with an innocent melodic lullaby, The REMEMBERING*** ebbs & flows as if upon the waves of dreamlike nostalgia. Slowing it gradually SWELLS as if set adrift on the SEA of MEMORIES eventually rising up & towards a torrent of intense GRATITUDE. This one takes me to a similar bliss as AWAKEN! It saddens me that many don't have the patience to hear the subtle overlapping currents deep within the structure of this GEM! > 3. Then suddenly we're ABRUPTLY thrown further back into our deeper & mysteriously mystical Ancestral past via one of their MOST adventurously FUNKY and transcendent epics EVER! THE ANCIENT*** is truly YES at their most PRIMAL & TRIBAL. I always feel as if thrown back within the unknown roots of my DNA where again NATURE is GOD, directly present & revealed via the power of the SUN resulting in the life giving Force of green leaves & tranquility! > 4. RITUAL*** hits with an intense jolt of finality! and we're reintroduced melodically to the recent journeys that help us to arrive at a place of CELEBRATION & joy for having come full circle after an exhilarating transcendent CEREMONY honoring EXISTENCE ITself! TALES is a PERFECT MASTERPIECE that was EDITED DOWN to it's quintessential elements (NO FILLER nor Arbitrary noodling, NO DOUBT!
Thanks for your substantial comments!!
Yes 🤙💪👍
Probably the most massive LP of all time, hidden into a double album.
One of the things that’s incredible is that AFTER the bashing they go to Relayer which is not exactly a retreat into more commercial waters. In a way they doubled down
Seems so!
TFTO is my favorite Yes album, I can understand why some not enjoy it but for me it's pure epic bliss.
and just go with that. It's what it means to you that is important.
Don't forget the percussion...
Nice gentlemen
I’ve gotten into classical over the past few years and I didn’t realize how much prog prepared me for it. Not sure I could ever appreciate Beethoven’s ninth or Mahler’s symphony of a thousand or Wagner’s ring cycle without albums like Tales or Mike Oldfield’s Anorak in my background.
Finally a panel that gets it
Wow... love this... who's that handsome bald chap at the beginning? Great video. shared it on my page.
Thanks
I actually don't think Relayer would've existed without TFTO!! And many fans seem to rank that higher over this album! I personally love Tales. It's a beautiful album. I guess The Ancient gets very Stravinsky-esque but the song also closes with a beautiful acoustic number from Steve with Jon teaching some profound Buddhist mantras! Overall it's a very good album which you just need some Adderall and a great attention span to fully immerse yourself into this classic!
Tales grew on me over time. I liked The Ancient most when I first heard it... eventually The Remembering became one of my fav Yes songs of all time (even though it's kinda hated on as boring). I think I had a weakly mixed release and also not the best system at the time so I felt it to be lacking in energy, sound-wise... although it's really missing the crisp driving bass and drums I was used to and loved in Yes... So I was pretty 'meh' about it for a while. My best experience with the album was driving home one morning with the sun slowly coming up from the dark in a very quiet car with a nice stereo. In this 2 hr moment the album was perfect as the stars and morphing landscapes set the stage for a great listen. (probably mostly because I was trapped and couldn't so easily give in to my bad attention span lol)
The greatest album of all time.
Only heard it at the start of this year. Pretty quickly became my favourite Yes album. Sincerely puzzled by the negative reputation. It's not that hard a listen, there are constant moments of beauty and excitement.
yes fans generally have had too much time on their hands!
@@deanwolfechannel that's certainly true in my case
Top 3 album for me alongside JT's A Passion Play and PF's Animals.
I love this album-and saw the live version on tour
Nice. Did they actually do all 4 sides live - do you recall? Where did you see the show?
@@deanwolfechannel we went to the Spectrum in Philly ( where we saw Yes probably four Tim’s, also Pink Floyd, ELP, Black Sabbath, and loads of others thru the 70s).
Yes performed all four songs- with inflatable props and lasers, took a break and them played hits for another 40 or so minutes. The next night-when some friends attended something went wrong with some of the props so they only performed sides one and four and spent a longer time playing hits from previous albums. But we saw a fantastic show.
@@ronfisher5259 wish I could install your memory of the shows...
I, myself, am not a Seven Wilson fan, but if it got them to listen, so, be it.
This is a masterpiece start to finish. Because it is truly that, it is not for most. If that sounds snobbish- how many people truly love Don Giovanni? It is what it is. If you can’t understand it, why give an opinion? Wakeman has a right of course- however - since his criticism he has played it on stage many times.
TFTO was my introduction to Yes . Hoo-boy ! Talk about jumping into the deep end of the pool ......
Really? And how did you take to it the first time around?
We don't even need to try, we are one
We could think about the Beatles' most creative period of 1966-67, which produced three (single) albums, but honestly, they could have never made "Tales" themselves. Genesis had their great period of 1970-73, making five good albums during that time. King Crimson had a stretch of six albums between 1969-74. But the ambition of "Tales" and its quality throughout are unrivaled. People who don't like "Tales" simply have little or no musical imagination.
Dream team here! Well done!
I’ve always loved Tales, YES IS BEST!!!
Speaking of great drummers, of course I think Ksnsas’ Phil Ehsrt is among them. But unfortunately, as with Kansas in general, he is grossly undervalued. But I don’t think you’ve listened to enough yet to appreciate my opinion. Is there anyone out there who agrees?
Fair question Janice. Dont worry, I'll be listening to more Kansas
I agree about Phil and Kansas in general. Any band that can recruit Steve Morse, even if for just two years, is doing something right
Where is part 2 of this?
sorry I have scrapped the idea of a part 2. However, Relayer is turning 50 now so I want to do a similar type video for that. Stay tuned...
Jim Newstead brought me here. Great stuff, for sure. For me, TfTO ranks 5th or 6th in my ranking of YES albums, with Close to the Edge, Relayer, Fragile, The Yes Album and Going for the One being 1st through 5th. I go back and forth with 3 & 4, as well as 5 & 6. I get confused when YES fans rank other albums of theirs over these 6, except for TfTO, which I get why some YES fans don't like. Then again, I don't really get it. I'm confused why Rick Wakeman didn't like it, and said they were 'padding the music' to fit the album. In one sense, I get it, but in another I don't. I don't get how one of the greatest keyboard players in rock music didn't like this album, so much so that he left the band, but if Rick didn't leave, would Relayer have been as good without Patrick Moraz? I'm not really sure. It's almost as though it was necessary for Rick to dislike it and leave, so that they could make Relayer in the way that they did. Strange how 'fate' works sometimes... isn't it.
I like Relayer so much more thanTFTO it is easily my favorite non-Bruford album.
@@jameshannagan4256 I put Relayer over TfTO too
Relayer is a wonderful album. It's different from TFTO for sure. I think we're lucky Yes made such unique/distinct albums during their peak phase of the 70s. In such a short time they covered a whole lot of territory.
I never liked this album as much maybe I should give it another chance. I am a huge Bruford fan even though I like Gates of Delirium I always liked the albums with him much more than with White. The first time I took LSD we listened to Tales but that night was a mess even though it sounded good but sober not as much. What is the parts that sound the most like their 2-6 albums maybe I will give it another shot. I just found out Jon Anderson listens to Radiohead and had some very nice things to say about them.
Albums
Do you know any brasilian prog rock band?
If not, i indicate to you:
TERRENO BALDIO, SOM NOSSO, BACAMARTE and
MOTO PERPETUO
Listen CD again - bonus tracks sounds better with clear Alans drums. Problem with original material recording and mixing :(
It should have been cut down to fifty minutes. There's so much unnecessary repitition, synths washes and noodling. That they played the entire album at live shows is unconscionable and testing everyone's indulgence tolerance. Nice sleeve though.
Thanks for the comment. i think Andy nailed it in the video- they came off of a peak with CTTE and wanted to top even that- but not everyone was on board (Rick) whereas for CTTE all were on board. I notice that they started playing all 4 sides but started to drop that shortly into the tour. They must have sensed it was too much for lots of people. I think it's a great album myself and wouldn't change a thing- it is what it is.
Repetition, for that see rock/pop songs, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse chorus until fade. The UK shows that I saw with all of CTTE and TfTO were unbelievable. Shame so many rock fans have short attention spans, their failing not the music. Nice to see the copy/paste criticisms.
Bit of an echo chamber, this comments section.
Sounds not so good as previously big albums - no Bill Bruford - Alans drums sounds unclear
Try the Steve Wilson remix on a decent music system, the drum sound is fantastic.
I first heard Tales around 1984 at age 15 and hated it. It all sounded rather pointless to me. To be fair I'd only heard Drama before Tales and the two albums barely relate, stylistically. Over the years, I've come to love The Revealing Science of God. It's not up there with CTTE structurally IMO, but certainly a powerful piece. The rest of the album leaves me cold. If I consider it a bit of a parody it becomes almost listenable, but reading the sleeve notes it appears that Anderson and Howe took this project deadly serious. I'm sorry, but for my ears it's mostly twaddle. I like 'songs' and they are sadly lacking on Tales, and the extended atmospheric noodling is not that interesting. The concept is too lofty, spiritual, unrelatable and quazi intellectual.
appreciate all the diff viewpoints, cheers
TFTO is a mediocre smear of aural wall paper. A bloated, self-indulgent mistake that to this day I blame Jamie Muir for loaning that book to Jon Anderson at Bill Bruford's wedding to give Jon the inspiration to make this album. "The Ancient" has some interesting moments, but the rest of the album is forgettable for me.
Sadly too many listened to Rick's nonsense which was whispered into his ear by his (so called) journalist drinking pals. Rick wrote off the album which , as it happens, contains his best playing in Yes. Rick was more interested in his solo career, with snazzy solos hiding the lack of content and trying to help you forget the godawful singers and lyrics, now there is poorly written stuff The nonsense about repetition and padding are old tropes used to batter the album by rock music critics, who wouldn't know anything about proper composition if it got up and slapped them in the face. The use of themes, reusing them in different key settings, allusions to other songs, tempo changes et, etc. It is all there.
Never liked it. Overblown and boring to the point of irritation. It is ugly, tasteless wallpaper. I never bothered with yes after this and still don't like them. Yessongs is all you need from these guys. Waste of time and talent.