Yes has, more recently, been presenting 1970s-era albums in their entirety on tour, including Close to the Edge and Fragile. There’s one, however, that apparently isn’t up for consideration.
“I don’t think Topographic Oceans,” Yes’ Chris Squire says via Technology Tell, “because I think there are about three people who would actually be coming to the show.”
One of the more divisive projects in the Yes discography, 1973’s Tales from Topographic Oceans was presented in a one-song-per-side format, with each focusing on a different class of Hindu scripture. The album shipped gold to the UK, a first in that country, but arguments over the direction of the band eventually led to keyboardist Rick Wakeman departure after the supporting tour.
“I’m being sarcastic,” Squire adds, “but it definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, that’s for sure, and of course you’re talking about to do an undertaking like that. We did do it back in the day when we finished the album, but that’s a good hour and a half worth of music there, and to eat it all at once, in one sitting, is a bit of a mouthful. And so we probably won’t be singing that.”
Yes’ latest tour will include music from a new release, titled Heaven and Earth, during the encore. That Frontiers Records release — due July 8, 2014, it’s Yes’ first since 2011’s Fly From Here — will likely push back the concept of visiting any additional legacy albums in concert.
“There has been talk of doing other albums, and [1980’s] Drama was mentioned as one of them,” Chris Squire says. “But as far as I’m concerned, that’s sort of more secondary to presenting the new material this summer. That’s really my main focus, is to be able to do as much of Heaven and Earth as possible on the tour. And we’re all looking towards that as a goal, I think.”
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