Join host Pete Pardo for this massive prog concept album battle - it's Yes 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' vs Genesis 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' !!! #yes #genesis
I’ve actually always thought side 2 of Tales as being the most cohesive song from a sonic perspective. They take their time and do a lot of building up and building back down, but when they reprise the melodies later on in the track, there are some amazing moments.
I had the same thought process.... Lamb takes it for me, without taking anything away from the brilliant, stellar moments and whole parts of Tales. Alan White is an amazing drummer and ritual is so damn cool.
It's a draw for me.Love them both so much.You're right Pete, The Lamb is more cohesive and less patchy than Tales but Tales has moments of absolute prog brilliance that leans towards mystical qualities.Two desert island records for me!
Not even close for me, The Lamb takes it by a long shot. While there are great moments on Tales, I’ve always thought The Lamb was one of the most unique and coolest sounding albums I’ve heard, and it has 3 of my top 5 Peter Gabriel- era songs, The Lamia, Back in NYC, and The Carpet Crawlers. If it were Relayer or Close to the Edge, this would’ve been much closer.
The Lamb was a Rock opera that could also be enjoyed casually as a nice collection of tunes. Tales was an album for smokiing herb, melting your body into chair and becoming one with the glorious universe.
I just discovered this video. Very cool, Pete! I've heard Topographic Oceans more. I love Revealing Science, The Remembering, Ritual and the Leaves of Green part of The Ancient. I remember hearing The Ancient many times, thinking "Come on, Steve. Remove that electric guitar from your shoulder and strap on the acoustic already!" I just heard The Lamb at work. A co-worker was listening to it so I decided to give it a spin myself. Sides 1 and 2 drew me in more. Side 3 it sounds like they for in a rut (particularly non The Waiting Room) and by side 4, they came out of the rut.
Tales from topographic oceans is my favorite album from yes. To me there is no comparison Tales by a mile. The lamb lies down on Broadway is a excellent album and is one of the greatest albums of all time but yes definitely gets my vote for the better album. Greetings from Atlantic City To all of the yes fan's around the world. Remain in light.
The Lamb is definately more accessible but Tales has more mindblowing, stellar passages. The Lamb has some filler & Tales forces the listener to wade through some wankery to get to the prized flurries. I give the edge to the Lamb.
I vote for Yes but it's just because I am a "Yessie" and have liked them for nearly forever. Tales is not one of my Yes faves but The Revealing Science of God is an epic prog masterpiece IMHO. Prog was in an interesting phase at this time. Kind of peaking if groups were making double albums with 20-minute tunes! All the best and really like the album battles--super job!
My vote goes to ‘The Lamb’. It’s such an adventurous album. I can’t say I understand the concept (I’m not sure Peter Gabriel did either!) but the songs are great. Probably what I love most though is Gabriel’s singing. His vocals have a real rasp to them and are quite venomous at times, almost prefiguring punk by a couple of years. He’d cut his hair shorter and started wearing a leather jacket onstage as if he recognized something new was in the air. I always loved the story of Rick Wakeman getting so bored playing ‘Tales...’ that he ordered a takeaway curry and ate it onstage while he was performing.
Hey, there! I’m really getting into and enjoying your videos. Great work! As far as these two albums, I wasn’t wild about the overall concepts of each. Individually, the Lamb has some of Genesis’ most exploratory and innovative music. Tales has some of the most beautiful musical passages Yes has ever committed to record. I would go with the ‘Lamb’ since I found it more accessible. ‘Tales’ took some time for me to get acclimated but it’s become one of my favorite albums of theirs. Both albums have flaws but they.are daring, bold genius works .
I am no Yes fan but Tales From Topographic Oceans pleases me and the cover sleeve is magniicient especially the vinyl one. In this unique case I favor Yes over Genesis.
Richard Pilhofer I don’t think of it as being that crazy, it’s really only side 3 that becomes truly experimental, but the rest is mostly just nice Yes music that’s been pulled through a taffy machine.
jlmoses16 I mean listen to the parts in Revealing Science of God where the vocal harmonies are just slowly ascending and descending a major scale and tell me that isn’t apt lol.
Hi there Pete, What a great battle. However as much as I absolute adore Yes' output at this period in their catalog... the Lamb for me is a desert island disc. One of the ultimate double albums from my favorite band Genesis... best with Gabriel in my opinion. Tales is a great album but I find harder to absorb out of all the prog favorites for some reason. Yes, there are some beautiful moments but as a whole... a little long.. and more difficult to take in at one. The Lamb however is a delight every time. It may be not be Genesis' ultimate moment... because Selling England is a masterpiece... this double album helping is incredible. Just like the Wall was for Floyd this was for Genesis. So we are on the same wavelength on this one. Great series as per usual. Love the passion you exude about Prog. It is indeed about the music. Thank you, Tino
You've got my attention. I met Jon Anderson and his wife in San Antonio years back and got their autograph. A guy back at the hotel asked me where they were and ran off to find them. As we were leaving through a back door of the hotel, I saw that he had them cornered in a hallway and was trying to convince Jon that TfTO could be a great single album if only he'd edit it down. I heard Jon saying "What you're suggesting is impossible...". I hung my head in shame for having played a role in that, and we walked on by... Personally, it's my favorite Yes album. Oh and a few years back I saw an AMAZING Genesis cover band recreate their tour show of LLDoB, having obtained permission to recreate the awesome sets as well...
In my opinion they are both imperfect records, ambitious as they are. That said, I would choose The Lamb. Tales has its moments, but it meanders and becomes a bit bogged down at times. They never seem to regain the kinetic energy that Close to the Edge had in spades. I mean, I like Tales, I'm a big Yes fan. But I think Relayer was better. The Lamb is wonderfully strange. I've become more and more fond of it over the years.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is definitely more palatable. Tales From Topographic Oceans is more complex but complexity doesn't always win it. Weird thing about The Lamb is I started to get into it right after I read the book Gangs Of New York,(not the book of the movie but the original history book) and I didn't realize the coralation until much after. I guess the book kind of preped my subconscious for the old Genesis album I never heard at the time.
They are both two of my favorites. I saw THE LAMB performed at the beginning of the tour before the album was released. A radio station played all of side 1 a week before the show and I taped that, so it was nice to know 1/4 of the album. Then they encored with "Musical Box" and "Watcher of the Skies." Incredible. I had been absorbing all of Genesis' catalog throughout late 1973 and all of 1974. The Lamb shows were in November and I could hardly have been more excited for my first show. Also at this time I saw Todd Rundgren's Utopia do their entire debut album, my first Todd show. I missed the TALES tour and got into the album in mid 1975, but it was incredible to see Ritual live at that time, and later 50 minutes of Topographic Oceans on the 2016 Topographic/Drama tour. TALES is my favorite of the two, although fans have bitched about both for being too mellow and melodic, and alternatively bitched about "The Ancient" for being too strange. So yes, there is a conservative streak even in prog fans. "The Ancient" was my immediate favorite from the album because of how instrumentally audacious it was, but I learned to love all of the tracks especially "The Remembering". When the Lamb was released I felt it was a lot of shorter songs strung together (and some, like the title track, rather commercial)-- not really many epic tracks like "Dancing Out with the Moonlit Knight" for a such a long album. But as with Howe on TALES, Banks on THE LAMB is just on fire with ideas. I also like Gabriel taking over lyrical chores on the album and felt he never did as good a work until Security. I can't really complain about either, both being my favorites by a long shot by both bands. Long form albums usually mean taking more chances, and that's what I like.
I saw both tours in 74-75. The Lamb had not been released yet, but they played it start to finish. The recreation of The Lamb by world trib band The Musical Box must be seen to be believed. Seen it at least five times.
I have owned Tales since the 70s and had not listened to the vinyl in one sitting ever.Its in perfect nick.Until a few months back I purchased both Tales and Lamb on CD the same day.For the next 3 or 4 days I was driving people silly playing these albums right through.As many have said Tales would have made a great single album:.Lamb for me.
As The Lamb is one of my all time favourite albums, it wins this contest by miles. However I am a big fan of TFTO, if only just for The Revealing Science of God and Ritual which are glorious.
It’s apples and oranges as far as I’m concerned. Two completely different ideas approached in completely different ways. The only common denominator is the amazing musicianship on both sides. I’m a bigger Yes fan but I love both unconditionally!
Like choosing between children. Impossible. It's apples and oranges on almost every level. I recently talked to both Anderson and Wakeman about Tales and got some great new insight. I'm just glad I live in a world where both albums exist. Alas a bygone era for creativity.
Relayer is excellent. I would have liked to see Moraz continue on with YES for a few more albums. I love GOING FOR THE ONE - but what would have been the next Moraz album with YES?
Hey Pete, As someone who saw both of these live and a big fan of both bands still to this day, like you l as well I’ll choose The Lamb hands down overTales. I probably have been to over 250 concerts in my 60+ years and this still rates as my number one concert of all time. The only draw back was the album wasn’t released till after the tour in the US so not knowing what to expect made it even more of a trip.
I never bought either but liked what i heard from The Lamb...via KSAN. Saw Yes for the Tales tour at Winterland. Only time of the 10 or 15 times i went there a Quadraphonic system was used. We had under the balcony seats, stage right with the 'surround' scaffolded set of speakers about 25 feet away. When they kicked in, we knew it. It was like the sound was funneled right at us!! That said, tunes that were announced from Tales were probably the low points of the show. Just seemed long and boring. Found it interesting that Relayer was more 'compact'.. Good move ! Genesis for the win.
First time I heard both albums I thought wow this is superb. I agree Tales has it's moments of brilliance especially Howe's guitar. Lamb flows well and is my favourite Genesis album.
Good Hawkwind t-shirt. You must have 100's of rock band shirts, judging by your videos. BTW, as much as I love Yes, t has to be 'The Lamb...' on this contest.
For me, Tales is to be in contact with my spirit and the whole Universe because have incredible passages that literally make me goose bumps. Agree with those who say this is the best album of Yes. The Lamb is more "earthly" but I love it too
Going to have to get Lamb. Still have Yes Topographic on cassette, still works. Always loved the acoustic guitar breaks Steve Howe does on one of the songs. Sounds very Spanish guitar influenced.
The Thing With Tales, it needs a lot of listening but is brilliant after that. The Lamb Needed a Steve Howe or Kieth Emerson for me anyway but I have always listed Genesis 6th in my top 5 Proggies. 1.Yes.2. ELP 3.Tull 4.Floyd 5. Gentle Giant then Genesis.
The Lamb wins this one by a long way. It’s a masterpiece and I’ve always thought Tales was the album where Yes stretched themselves a bit too far and the results were distinctly erratic.Despite the obvious line up changes along the way I still find it amazing that these two bands eventually made albums like 90125 and Invisible Touch I suppose in some ways that’s the real definition of the word progressive.
I remember going to the concert where Yes played the full ‘tales’ , the musicianship was evident but was a little boring without a break. They also played some of the hits, a very long concert so you have to admire the bands’ and audience members’ stamina.
Really good comparison. Never thought of the Gabriel/Wakeman exit as a point to consider. I had read that Pilgrims Progress was an inspiration for the lamb. Great video!
Tales absolutely. I'm swept away hearing something new every time. Also, the first part of the Ancient is truly sonically amazing. If Anderson's metaphor for life is the cycle of water, then here we witness the agony of death as evaporation. Howe pointed out that it is two separate songs with different key structures and timings played on top of each other. You can feel the yearning struggle pulling in different directions. Only after this do we get the gentle rain of rebirth falling on the leaves of grass. Is the movement in the head?
Tales is definitely one of those albums where you have to listen to the album at least once to fully appreciate it, especially to the casual listener, because it may come off as long and boring as first, but it's definitely one of Yes' more underrated albums that is perhaps its most beautiful album.
I have an essay in the works regarding these two albums. They are what I consider the "big ones" of prog, the longest, deepest, most eccentric and extravagant in the history of prog. In addition, the supporting tours for both albums were unprecedented as the setlist focuses on those albums in their entirety. The lamb tour was fairly well received whereas the '73 british leg of the Tales tour was kind of a trainwreck due to the set pieces in british venues at the time (old and dumps), and touring Tales before its release and playing all 4 pieces caused a fairly negative reaction.
That's what happened to me out here in LA when they came to the Shrine Auditorium in early '75. I hardly knew the album and then they played it in it's entirety plus adding Musical Box & Watcher of the Skies as encores.
Lamb, because IT's less pretentious and streetwise as opposed to Tales sometimes hippie dippie vibe, but for me Tales is Yes' most trippy and strongest musical album. Both LP's are absolute masterpieces but Lamb is more universal and meaningful, despite Yes' grand intentions on Tales.
I absolutely love both. Tales took me a little bit to get used to it, but now I love it to death. Yes is my 2nd favorite band of all time and Genesis is my 3rd favorite. The Lamb is my favorite Genesis album and Tales is my 3rd favorite Yes album. Some people may be turned off by Tales due to the song lengths and that to some people it sometimes spirals out of control. I love all of it personally. I love all of The Lamb as well. If I really had to pick one it would be Tales, but not by a huge margin.
Lamb…clearly! Love the Hawkwind T-shirt…never heard you mention them on any of your videos, positively or negatively. Great band. Saw them twice. Once at the last ever Stonehenge free festival in 84. Please do a Worst to Best of their albums, please!
I was pretty obsessed with Tales for a long time. It's not an album about perfection, where every note is right in its place, it's much more of an intimate and spiritual exploration, a journey. Parts of the Ancient in particular seem kind of similar to Larks Tongues Part One, and Jamie Muir even had something to do with inspiring Anderson to explore the Autobiography of a Yogi. But I would suggest a person wanting to get into Yes to start with Close to the Edge or Fragile, as those albums are more concise. I also love The Lamb, there's so much variety and inspiration on the album from Fly on a Windshield, Back in NYC, Carpet Crawlers, Slippermen - all bring something completely different and compelling to the album. I don't find myself listening to it all the way through. Can't say which is better as to me, they're like apples and oranges.
Totally agree with Mr. Pete here that tracks/sides 1 and 4 of "Tales" are excellent but that the album as a whole is a bit too long and meandering. (Some of the experimental cacophony on track/side 3 leaves little doubt that by this point guitarist Steve Howe had ceded all control to the psychedelic mushroom overlord in his life.) But "Lamb," as great as some of its tracks are, also has a lot of filler and boring passages. Both albums clearly then would have benefited greatly from some judicious editing. That being said, for me Yes is the winner of this contest by the slimmest of margins only because I am a much bigger fan of that band.
If you want to be charmed it's Tales if told a good story Lamb. Also if mesmerized Dark Side, if uplifted Passion Play, if thrilled Octopus. All the albums were so well done then.
Everyone loves The Remembering and for good reason. It’s a brilliant song. I think The Revealing Science of God is the most underrated song in prog rock history. It’s beyond beautiful. And as far as Lamb, The Lamia is one of the most beautiful pieces on the album. It’s gets overlooked. As of right now, I prefer Tales. But it’s very close. It’s both bands best efforts in my opinion.
The Lamb, hands down. Tales was a chaotic mess only Anderson had desire to go through and it shows in the music. The Lamb was Gabriel's baby but he knew how to lure the rest of the band into the trip with them and what we had as a result was a revitalised Genesis without baroque tales and british folklore, a Genesis taking a giant leap ahead of what could have been Genesis' natural evolution with Gabriel. The Lamb showcases Tony Banks at his finest despite his hate for this album.
Tales is a good album but as a long time fan of the Lamb, I have to go with that one as not only my favorite Genesis album but also my most adored concept album ever.
I agree with you and the majority here, "Lamb" is more accessible with more concise songs. While I do like "Tales" I often find Anderson's new agey lyrics opaque, he could be singing anything. I do like track 3 the most interesting, more experimental.
I appreciate them both equally, and consider both the pinnacles of the careers of both bands. I bought the domestic releases within a few weeks of each other in early '76, the UK imports in '82, the first CD issues (which were sonically depressing!!) in '88, the great sounding remasters in '03, & the surround remixes in '18.
Being a Genesis fan, this wasn't a contest. While there are some Yes tunes I like, I would not call myself a Yessie. The Lamb easily wins this for me. Hacket's guitar was sounding great on this record. Tony's mellotron is all over this album. His keyboards are absolutely stellar. Rutherford's bass is wonderful, especially on "the fly" right before Hacket's awesome guitar solo kicks in. Fantastic record!
great battle, but I give it to The Lamb. Oddly, I rank The Lamb (5th) lower numerically than Tales (4th) in my Genesis vs Yes rankings. Although it's splitting hairs.
Lamb is considered Genesis' high-water mark, until Phil took over, whereas Yes peaked elsewhere, on other albums, prior and future. No surprise that Lamb wins this. Fish Out of Water blows them both out of the water (see what I did there?).
Tales is great. It does meander at times, but that’s the point! What’s great about Tales is that when I put it on, I have to listen to the entire album.
Never listen to this Yes album so I'm picking Lamb. Alway liked sides 1 and 2 but have never got into most of sides 3 and 4. Probably should give them another listen
I saw the Topagraphical Ocean tour at the Los Angeles Forum somewhere in the mid 70’s, it ranked somewhere near the top of the list of the most boring concerts I’ve ever seen.
When I acquired lamb lies down in 74, it stayed on and off of my turntable for 4-5 years! Quadrophenia and lamb were my favorite lps forever!! Tales is a beautiful classical Yes masterwork..Lamb all the way
I totally agree with Rick Wakeman's take on it. They had a bit more than an album of decent material but rather than whittle it down to a single fantastic album, they decided to pad the thing into a double album....Thus, there are "meandering" bits. Bits that Rick found so boring he left the band. I edited the album, and my abridged version is one of my favorite prog albums. Others have as well. Tons of edits floating around. I think LLDOB is perfection. The songwriting is concise. There is no bloating or padding or skippable tracks. Just my opinion.
I knew as soon as it started he was gonna pick lamb… personally I need to relisten to both and really learn oand start digging the melodies. Currently listening to yes in order up to close to the edge.
Yes was trying to equal close to the edge with tales and fell short in my opinion. Genesis on the other hand was on fire. Now if you put Close to the edge up against Suppers ready it would be Close.
This is uncanny. I bought both of these albums on the the same day as my birthday present in '77 or '78. I was very disappointed with Tales but quickly grew to love The Lamb which is still my favourite Genesis lp. I have tried to get into Tales again but it's just lacking in so many ways, sounding like they cobbled together every musical idea they had, no matter how weak.. I think they got it right with Relayer which I feel many fans denigrate due to the absence of Rick Wakeman.
