I have always loved Tormato, one of my favorite Yes albums. I also like the sound, bright and trebly and never fails to put a smile on my face. A fun, high-energy album of compact songs that compromise on depth and complexity not at all.
Tormato is an absolute classic, love it. i like the album cover too. We may differ on our opinions on this album, its all very subjective. A simple case of you say Tormato and I say Tormato.
OK here's the deal. Other than the incredible TOTC and iconic AWAKEN, I was disappointed with GFTO and TORMATO after the Ultimate Divine epic RELAYER BUT>>>> over time I learned to appreciate them more and more. I've never been a big fan of the POP sounding sensibilities of PARALLELS even though Steve ends it with a bang! As an EPIC fan, my main issue with TORMATO is that there isn't an EPIC song. When I first heard ON THE SILENT WINGS, I thought it would be the missing EPIC but after the incredible CHRIS INTRO, it floundered into a Steve R&R GENERIC jam and never unleashed into something more profound and groundbreaking. A total missed opportunity IMHO! Nevertheless I now find Tormato overall to be their odd and most interesting "QUIRKY" YES album of the 70's. They play their ASSES OFF on all those usually odd arrangements! Even the UFO stuff is still very UNIQUE in terms of Prog. Still I rarely listen to the album YET I find the songs to be oddly entertaining and full of true YES virtuosity in a strange sort of way! LOL Although RELAYER is their last great full album Masterpiece EVER, I've been able to give Tormato some slack over these many decades! ALSO around 77 many extraordinary new Prog/Fusion bands hit the scene and I got completely distracted from my familiar YES along with the other floundering great old timers of the genre.
In Tormato, there are some really good ideas and energy. The only problem was actually the sound of this album, and sometimes the writing. Everybody was playing too much notes together and wasn't listening to the others. The interesting thing is the demos that we can find on the remastered album. They could have done a so much better album. Perhaps was the lack of a producer a problem.
Tormato is overall an excellent album Release Release is a Masterpiece and On the Silent wings of freedom is right there with some of the best songs in their catalog in my opinion
Chris Squire's bass sounds fine . Thats not the problem . I can hear a cigar faced label guy harassing the band . " Look , guys . We are ready to wrap this up , and invest a tidy sum on promotion for it . But guys . Try and make it sound like JOURNEY , okay ? They sell alot of records ... "
I actually loved this album right away and saw their Tormato tour in Toronto in 1979. Glad you have warmed up to it. Circus Of Heaven gets a lot of flak but I think it's a sweet song. I've always loved Yes but they are in my top 5 bands of all time now. Also love Jon Anderson's early solo albums.
I always loved this album as a teenager I excepted the style change in there musical lives.Even with new members I excepted the progression of the groupe and was extremely glad when they came back to the mix of the originals.
Personally I thought The Ladder & Magnification were excellent albums, Open Your Eyes had some good tracks too but overall it was a lot like one of Jon’s Solo albums.
Haha I had a good laugh on you doing this review really cool.. I never got in to this Yes Tormato album, I even did not know the song "Don't Kill the whale" was from this album because I always liked that song (because of the wales) I had it on single.. I have to revised this Jam ... next time I want to hear your "Tales" story ! thank you !
@@TheProgCorner awesome that would be nice.. are you familiar with the channel from "Michael P Dawson" on youTube? he did last year a review for the Tales From Topographic Oceans Yes I recommend it to watch this !! he is going deeper into the 4 songs and the music
guys let's keep these albums tight, ok it won't close to the edge but there are gems inside that must now be discovered if it has not been done at the time .YES FOREVER , PER SEMPRE yes ( in Italiano)
Tormato was actually the first vinyl album I ever bought. It is 6 out of 10 points. I saw Yes for the first time live in 1989 when they named themselves Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe. Great show. Actually the Union tour was also in the round in 1991. Best Yes concert I have ever seen with an 8 piece band and Awaken in the setlist.
I'm a big fan of Tormato. Love it "Release, Release" great track. I like the pressing that was released by Friday Music sounds good to me. Have a great weekend.
Rick Wakeman used the PolyMoog on Tomato which was one of the first polyphonic synthesizers. Although it could play multple notes it was actually a pretty cheap and cheesy sounding keyboard. He also used a Biotron instead of the Mellotron and Tormato is one of the few albums ever recorded to feature a Biotron. The same year Tormato was released the Prophet V came out which pretty much made the PolyMoog obsolete and the very next year the Fairlight sampler came out which definitely made the Biotron obsolete. These keyboard sounds as well as Chris Squire using the Mutron on pretty much every song on this album give it a unique sound unlike any other Yes album. BUT the biggest contributor to the sound of Tormato comes from an article in TapeOp magazine with tape archivist Brian Kehew: Have you had any crazy technical issues? We were going through Yes' Tormato tapes. Producer/engineer Eddie Offord had started the album -he had done most of the Yes records and I know from working on his tracks that he used Dolby A a lot. These tapes don't say Dolby A, but Tormato is a famously bad-sounding record. They parted ways with him mid-course and somebody else finished the record. So I'm looking at the tapes and it doesn't say Dolby A anywhere on them - it's typical that they note that when encoded - but I said, "Hold on a second, let me put Dolby on this." And everything - except for some of the later overdubs - sounded amazing. I went, "Aha!" I think we realized what happened. They went to somebody else and the other person didn't see Dolby on the tapes. Because that record did sound kind of murky... Thin, flat and terrible. I accidentally discovered the bad secret of it: that it could have sounded a whole lot better.
I have heard that about the Dolby settings. I’m sure that didn’t help either!!! As it stands, it is a fascinating look at a great band struggling to progress. But God bless them for trying and isn’t that what Prog is all about? 👍👍👍
When you are a die hard YES fan you learn not to think about the album or albums before. YES never did. Tormato was a very poorly produced album. Personally I like this album from day one. The tour was incredible! In the round, the star of lights above, I saw several shows. The songs done live were great. Glad your opinion changed Scot. Wish other fans did the same. I disagree with you Scot about Circus of Heaven. Love it. Jon's imagination is just wonderful. Damian's vocals at the end were phenomenal. The crowds loved it! "Oh! It was ok!! But there were no clowns, or lions, or tigers, no bears, candy floss, toffee apples, no clowns." How can you not just love this? Unique, creative, magical. I think this song paints a picture while being played like no other YES song! Just one more reason why I don't and won't rank YES albums or songs.🦁🐯🐻🍭🍎🤡😎
Nice overview! I agree that "Onward" is beautiful, but I don't agree it's the best thing Chris wrote. I LOVE "Fish Out of Water" - a prog classic IMO. Would like to see your review of it.
Hello. I bought Tormato around 1984 or 1985 on vinyl and I was not so warm as for the previous album or the rest of the Yes catalogue. Then I get rid of it at some point but bought it again on CD about 2 years ago and now I enjoy it a lot. It is not bad at all!!
please do the follwing with Drama which is for me one of their best even if anderson and wakeman quit the band at that time it's an intersting fusion between two bands (buggles ) strictly different but not so far Squire was so smart giving the band a new pulse with Horn and Downes ...Drama is a masterpiece ....
I felt the same way Scott when I bought it on release in '78. Although at the time I really loved Future times/Rejoice & Release release, Don't kill the whale, Madrigal & Onward I thought were good tracks as well. Liked the first part of On the silent wings of freedom till the transition which I thought was poor & the remainder uninspiring. Arriving UFO & Circus of Heaven I thought were poor compositions. Putting it in perspective, understandably they ran out of inspiration & enthusiasm which they received with Horn & Downes on Drama & Rabin on 90125. Like Genesis, ELP & Floyd their early to mid 70's output was so brilliant it could never be matched thereafter. In an ideal artistic world without commercial pressures they might have had 3 years break after Going for the one & returned with something excellent & inspired, who knows? Kudos to Steve for keeping the band going, who knows what the future holds for them? Cheers
The album is just very different for Yes. But there's some nice stuff here. 'Rejoice' is a mini epic and 'On the Silent Winds of Freedom' is a great end to the album.
I like this album, not their best, of course, but agree with some other comments that it's better than most of what came after. Onward is a special song and really like the guitar lead on Arriving UFO.
The Word Is Yes - 3 Disc Yes Live Box Set has on Disc 2 and 3, 78 Future Times / Rejoice, Circus Of Heaven & Heart Of The Sunrise (Oakland) The Big Medley (Inglewood) 79 Hello Chicago, Roundabout & Awaken (Chicago). All from the Yes Tormato Tour! There is no Rick playing The Circus Theme intro on this live version of Circus Of Heaven and this song on the Tormato Album is way far too high for the vocals to reach (IMO), however a rework of some of Tormato with the current Yes line up would be welcomed!! Great Video!!!!!!....P.S. The Yes,Tormato Album Cover is no better or worse than Obsession UFO or Love Drive the Scorpions Art Work (IMO).
I could really go for a nice bowl of Tormato soup, right about now! 🍜😉 There's an amusing anecdote about that round, rotating stage Yes used for the tour. Apparently one time the mechanism that rotates the stage broke down and a bunch of roadies had to climb under the stage and rotate the thing by hand! Sounds like something straight out of _Spinal Tap!_ 🤣🤣🤣 As for the album itself, I never thought of it as a bad record, but as you pointed out, compared to all the masterpieces that came before it, it was a bit of a letdown. The sound quality absolutely sucks, IMHO and it could really do with a remaster by Steven Wilson. I'm sure that would improve the album tremendously. My favorites on here would have to be "Future Times/Rejoice", "Madrigal" "Arriving UFO" and "Onward". What makes this album special is it would be the last time the classic lineup of the 70's would record and tour together for a very, very long time.
Steven Wilson really needs to get his hands on those master tapes - if they’re still around. I know Going For The One’s masters are gone but maybe Tormato could get the Wilson treatment one day!!!
Love Tormato. My go to Yes album. Minus the awful COH. Some great , great energy in there. The lyrics are kinda mad...but who really cares? One of those albums that, in my mind, everyone jumps on the bandwagon to slag off.
Loving Yes through the 70's I did fall off after Tormato (am I missing a pun?) I think it's a good album, though. ......the day the circus came into town.....
I have a real soft spot for Tormato as it came out just as I was getting into Yes. As you say I think part of the problem is the sound choices , the Polymoog and Birotron sound tinny and cluttered with Howes guitar and the harmoniser on the bass sounds like Chris ‘s new toy that he just over uses. I do really like On the Silent Wings , especially the bass , live at Wembley 78 recordings it sounded even better.
Getting into Yes, even though I like both 70s' and 80s' Yes I find myself gravitating towards the Rabin stuff more, strangely enough! But I do have respect for the classics (Yes Album, Fragile, Edge, Topographic). Maybe I'll give this one a try.
@@TheProgCorner Seems that with every prog band that goes more accessible in the 80s' it's still prog to a degree, I've seen this with Yes and Genesis particularly (those are my main two), but Rush, Belew-era Crimson, etc. lest we forget all the supergroup's like Asia. Unfortunately many snobs dismiss prog 80's ventures as a 'money grab' or 'bland' or similar. But every progband I've seen go in a pop direction nailed it! EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Even ELP with Love beach! In a Yes example, take something like 'Leave it' on 90125 with the Acapella stuff. Not even a regular 80s'band would have thought of something like that.
OMG I Hate this Album!!! It is a total Turd from this Amazing band! But it is Not their worset! But YES IT IS BAD!! It is about #2 of their Worst! Talk is #1for me. In the 90's this album was very RARE, because it was so Bad! It was hard to find back then! You had to special order it!! I Still LOVE this Band though! And this is History!
I've been reassessing Tormato too. It's a mixed bag, and the Polymoog just doesn't work, nor does the Biro. But like you, I skip The Circus of Heaven. Now do ELP Love Beach.
@@TheProgCorner The first side of Love Beach is so awful, it took me twenty years to get the second side. Emerson himself said the album failed because they did not tour the material. As her put it, we lacked the courage of our convictions. In the bad album sweepstakes, I'd say Tormato comes out well ahead.
I've always enjoyed Tormato. Sure, it comes as a surprise after Going for the One which features Awaken of which I think is the best prog rock song ever. But look at that time in '78. ELP are gone, Crimson are gone, Gentle Giant went pop and that Genesis "thing" from 1978... Even if Tormato is their weakest 70's album it's still the best progressive rock album from 1978 from a classic band. Not bad at all
awaken best prog rock song ever? wow. even if it's not the best prog rock song ever your props for it make me think i'm going to have to listen again. oddly my opinion of the best prog rock song changes several times a day. right now it's steven wilsons song home invasion/regrets#9. a few days ago i was convinced it's a star and beanie g and the rose tattoo by hall and oats was the best prog song ever. even though it's two songs. and by hall and oats. todd rundgren and his utopia band play on the album.
Not a single album post 90125 can touch Tormato save for the Keys material. If you look at 1980 backwards then you may see it as weak. Looking from The Quest back and it's a part of the classic era which ended with Drama.
Still trying to catch up on your vids day by day. I love these upon further review videos because prog is something that often needs many listens to really get. This album and the very early Yes albums get some unfair criticism because the albums in between were absolute masterpieces. I really like this album. Brings back some great memories for me. Just judging it on its own merit and not compared to the masterpieces. 7 on its own merit and a 9 with the associated personal memories. ✌️ and prog!
@@TheProgCorner Anything Peter Hammill/VdGG related would be my first choice but I've been obsessed with the band for the last 10 years. Something just clicked them out of my heavy prog rotation to foremost. Maybe it's the honest way PH deals with mortality and other serious issues without being preachy. No, we aren't getting any younger and have to live in reality past 50. It is nice to see some younger people finding this great music. For me personally anything PH solo unless you can do his whole career in 15 minutes🤣 For your channel and it's success and since they are still popular maybe Works by ELP. Reactors seem to stop at BSS. Don't think you need to do Love Beach 😁 Your ELP top albums was my next stop. Don't think you have covered Gryphon yet. You're like Justin you're in this for the love of the music only. You did HTM for crying out loud! You are into the eclectic of the eclectic area. Maybe prog of certain countries. Italy, Germany and the entire Latin American prog scene need further review. The commenter VdGGmouse is a prog encyclopedia. He could name dozens. You have such a great intuition for this but those are just a couple ideas. Good luck whatever you do choose I'm sure you will do a great job at it!✌️
I can promise you this: I will definitely be doing a VDGG episode and an Italian Prog episode or two!!! Probably end up doing a PH thing on its own. Pawn Hearts and Godbluff are two of the best albums I’ve ever heard. So I guess I’ve given away my Top 2 there!!!
@@TheProgCorner Wow, how cool is that! I always tell Justin he is the best but I guess now he is the co-best🙂 Hammill's brain just breaks my brain. What a genius! He was writing such deep stuff when he was in his twenties😮 When I first saw you do the ukulele intro I thought the opening of A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers on ukulele would be such an interesting juxtaposition of tone. People don't usually think of dark psychological intrigue when they're playing the ukulele😁 I will alert VdGGmouse and gang. You just did David Jackson a solid I guess it is Peter Hammill's turn. So extremely influential but also so unknown compared to his influence. People pigeonhole him when they hear something "dark" written by him or only is most angry sounding voice. They don't know the side of him that wrote the beautiful Love song Vision among others. Deeply misunderstood by many like the whole prog genre. Switching gears there is a very unknown duo Fuhrs and Frohling. You may have heard of them. Their album Ammerland contains some of the most beautiful and ethereal music I have ever heard. Good luck Scot and keep the faith!
Well, I like Tormato! Not my favourite, but I enjoy most of it. The sound is not good, everything is overarranged for sure. There are absolutely no great songs to add to the Yes catalogue. But! All in all, it's Yes, and there is always something interesting to listen to. In my case, a few songs that I like a lot. I really love Circus of heaven. I like the melody, the singing, the arrangement by Wakeman is awesome. It certainly adds to the fantastic, otherwordly, nearly creepy and cheesy atmosphere of the story. Dig it. Future times/rejoice. (6/10) Don't kill the whale (5/10) Madrigal (8/10) Release, release (8/10) Arriving UFO (5/10) Circus of graven (8/10) Onward (7/10) On the silent wings of freedom (6/10) That makes it a 6.63. Not great, but it's OK. Some of the later Yes albums didnt make it up to 6 I'm afraid!
I think the fact that I now confess to actually liking Circus Of Heaven is a minor miracle and kind of points to where certain fans were at in 1978. I wasn’t ready for Yes to change. So I hated it. But happily - I was wrong!!!
It's my favorite bad albums of all times (yes, I can enjoy and admit it is bad at the same time) and yet in my Top 5 Yes albums that I listen to the most. On the other hand, Circus of Heaven is one of those worst songs in the history of mankind. I'd still love to hear a version of it that didn't have the Dolby recording mistake in it.
we are the same age. i disagree with you. although i am just a big music fan and a layperson compared to you. i couldnt wait to get my hands on going for one when it came out. apart from parallels and wonderous stories i never cared for it. i still dont care for going for the one. i got tormato when it came out. i saw them in the spectrum in the round. i love tormato accept for the songs i dont like. i love futuretimes/rejoice, release release, arriving ufo, and silent wings. they remain some of my favorite yes songs.
In fact 1977-1979 period unlike the public opinion, was great for prog and experimental music and Tormato is one of those albums that i prefer over all neo-prog and modern prog albums. 1978 >>> All 1983-2022 (3000-4000-5000-1000000) prog.
Take off "Circus of Heaven", which is complete shite(!!!!), and it's not that bad. Plus if you get the remaster it has some excellent unreleased tracks, If they had replaced the wretched "Circus" with "Everybody's Song" it'd been a LOT better. All in all it's their weakest up to that point, but it's still a really good album, and I like it quite a bit.
the numbers are not so bad but the production is flat.... offord was probably completly stone when he mixed it .... so may be Sir Steve wilson should remix it to give more srength on it
A large part of the flat production was that it was recorded in Dolby but the tapes were not labelled as such. Then it got mixed without Dolby turned on. I don't know why after all these years, there hasn't been a release that tried to correct this year.
Ghastly album and the moment I stepped away from Yes. Within one minute of the first track starting Steve Howe’s playing is at his brittle slightly off key worst. Production is flat and lifeless. Just awful. And I love Yes.
Sorry dude but even after revisiting this album after 44 years this album still totally SUCKS! "Silent Wings Of Freedom" is really the only decent thing on it. In all honesty, I saw the band's demise coming on the album before it Going For The One and no way on this earth is that a solid album either and the only track on that album that resembles what I would call YES Music is "Awaken".
@@TheProgCorner I do like "Turn Of The Century" as well on that album but then again I have always been a sucker for Howe's acoustic playing. I do totally agree that after Relayer they did start to lose it and I think the break they had in between to do their solo projects may have had an effect on it all. But then again I remember when Relayer first came out I honestly thought it was the most futuristic album ever and they may have reached the point where there was no way forward so to speak.
