Yes-Tomato

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Tormato - Atlantic 1978
5 (8) 
Best song: Onward 

03_Madrigal
06_Circus_of_Heaven
07_Onward
08_On_the_Silent_Wings_of_Freedom


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Ok, now this is just a bit too much fun. I'm all for the band enjoying themselves in the studio, but somebody had to bother to come up with some decent songs. And I'm all for assimilation of trends, but not at the expense of good taste.

Three problems abound here. The first and most critical, of course, is Anderson's songwriting. One might have guessed with Going for the One that he hadn't lost a step in writing more normal songs, but hoo boy one would guess wrong. There's one start-to-finish good track on here, one, and Anderson did not write it. Yup, Onward is a beautiful Squire ballad, with nicely moving lyrics and a lovely vocal melody - only the slightly inappropriate synth part mars it in the least bit. But the rest, ALL of the rest, is significantly flawed in some way.

The second problem is the arrangements. You know, I've enjoyed Yes' virtuousity and creativity in their arrangements as much as anybody. I like Howe's active guitar lines, I like Squire's hyperactive bass, I like Wakeman's synth meanderings, and I like White's take on polyrhythms. BUT NOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME. You cannot have success with everybody trying to solo and be overactive at once without somebody somewhat holding down the fort, and that is what utterly annihilates this album. It's like the egos of every band member suddenly flared up into an unstoppable beast, with all of them constantly trying to outdo the others (well, sort of - Howe is active on the album, but there really isn't a single decent guitar solo to be found). The result is that it is rare indeed on this album for anybody to be laying a solid foundation for the other members - I understand that that's more or less how free jazz works, but at least when it occurs in that context, it isn't over banal pop tunes that sound as if they were thrown together in about ten minutes.

Along the same lines is the choices of tone by Squire and Wakeman throughout. Squire's bass tone sounds hilariously stupid throughout the album, forcing itself higher in the mix without the additional benefit of actually doing something halfway interesting (though he pretends to, of course). But what is far worse is what happens to Wakeman, who somehow loses all semblances of good taste in his keyboard pallete. The sounds he coaxes from his various kinds of synths must have sounded dated a week after the album was released - perhaps he thought this would help make the album sell better, but in retrospect they're a large part of the reason this album is their weakest of the 70's.

Finally there's the problem of production. It's HORRIBLE. It's dry and papery, and none of the instruments cut through with any sort of crispness. This also doesn't help the vocals - for the first time, Anderson's voice actually comes close to annoying me, as he shows neither force nor any sort of ethereality in his singing. More importantly, though, the lack of any sort of decent seperation in the instruments, combined with the fact that they're all galumping out in a nonsensical manner, results in a cacophonous mess throughout.

Ok, don't get me wrong - there are some aspects of the album that enjoy, as I haven't given it a two or three. Future Times, once you get used to the annoying instrumentation and production, is reasonably enjoyable (until, of course, it cuts into its second part, the dull Rejoice). Madrigal is somewhat pretty, with a nice harpsichord underpinning it. Circus of Heaven actually has some gorgeous vocals, the only time on the album I can say that, and the arrangements are surprisingly pretty. Release Release has some interestingly tricky guitar work at times, and is (in theory, at least) whacky enough to work. And the concluding On the Silent Wings of Freedom has a fairly interesting introductory bassline, and the rest of the intro isn't horrid either.

On the other hand, Madrigal has an alarmingly awkward vocal melody. Circus of Heaven has extremely trite lyrics and another awkward vocal melody, not to mention that I can easily understand how many would be annoyed at the chiming in of Jon's son Damian at the end. Release Release has horridly corny arrangements and a ridiculous "live" drum solo near the end that short circuits any enjoyability it might otherwise have. And OTSWOF ... eek. The lyrics are stupid beyond words, and that's only compounded by the fact that the song has COMPLETELY lost steam by the fourth minute or so. I, for one, cannot STAND those "majestic" sounding chimes in the middle of the song, as the track does absolutely nothing to justify such an attempt at majesty. And this horror lasts for eight minutes, of course.

Oh, and two of the other songs pretty much blow start to finish. Don't Kill the Whale has more stupid lyrics (it's quite interesting that, as soon as Jon started trying to write "normal" lyrics, he suddenly couldn't think of anything decent to say), not to mention that it's the band's attempt at disco. Not that disco is necessarily bad in and of itself, of course, but when compounded by arrangements this cheezy and lyrics this trite, this song is a definite pain to listen to.

And then there's Arriving UFO, which is slightly fun to listen when on, I guess ... until your brain kicks in in the slightest and lets you know what a dumb song you've just heard. The melody is of decent quality, and the lyrics might be funny in their own way, but then there's Wakeman. The "alien" noises are a bit of a hoot, but the rest of his keys are annoying and cheezy enough to make me want to bang my head against a wall. Where did your sense of good taste go, Wakey?

Indeed, where did your sense of good taste go, Yessy? I mean, I guess I can understand enjoying the fact that Yes is "having fun," but I want good songs. And well-constructed arrangements. And production that doesn't make my brain cramp. Not this, thank you.

(addendum: 06/04): For what it's worth, the 2004 remaster of this album fixes the production problem quite thoroughly. I still have complaints about the songwriting and the arrangements, naturally, but the remaster at least sounds very good. Bump that version up a point, if you will. 

Send me your thoughts


Confus1997@aol.com

what are you talking about? on the silent wings of freedom is one of my favorite yes songs!! the keyboard work, the drumming, the bass work! are you deaf? it is definatly the best yes song under 10 minutes by far. when you hear jon sing "on the silent wings of freedom" you get goosebumps all over.. wake up!! 

(author's note): Unfortunately, the song has three big problems. First of all, Anderson's lyrics, rather than hitting the mystical etheriality that always made them work, come dangerously close to hitting Tony Banks-ish levels of bombastic juvenilia. 'Silent Wings of Freedom'? Please. Sounds more like Kansas to me.

Second of all, just like on the rest of the album, there are too many notes being played. I know that sounds like a strange thing to say about a group like Yes, but on previous albums, everybody in the group knew and mostly embraced their roles. In other words, they recognized that while they could still be technically impressive, somebody would still have to 'hold down the fort' in some way. However, on this song in particular, it sounds like EVERYBODY'S TRYING TO SOLO AT ONCE. And that just doesn't work. Really, there's virtually no cohesion in this song.

Oh, and the third problem with the song is that by the end, it has completely run out of the steam it had in the beginning.


Nick Zales (zales@execpc.com)

'Of course, there are people who actually like this album. Whatever. There's a name for these people, and the name is "fruitcakes." '

Yawn! The word for the day is the reviewer is BORING with his head up his Chris Squire doll's ......

Cleophus63@aol.com

Clearly as reviewer you take yourself far too seriously.

(author's note): That's why I'm here. Hee. If you don't like it, make your own site.

Your mind is closed and rigid.

(author's note): Perhaps, but at the same time, if one's mind is too open, his brains can fall out.

If you read the lyrics of say "Release,Release" a great, high energy R + R song,you would understand in the context of the time the song was written, the doors were being closed and the song is a wakeup for people enlightened in the '60's to not let the doors shut.

(author's note): You listen to Yes songs for lyrics??? Wow ... In any case, as interesting as the lyrics may be, it doesn't hide the fact that I just don't like the actual music of the thing, right down to the idiotic drum solo near the end.

Release,Release, Silent Wings of Freedom and Onward are wonderful songs that show the variety of depth that Yes has. Too bad your elitist views can't allow you to let the artists have the freedom to roam and explore, than conform to your almighty standard.

(author's note): Don't you people actually read my reviews? For one thing, I praised Onward - it's the best song on the album, after all. It's beautiful.

And elitist my ass. Have you ever met a true Yes elitist? The kind that won't listen to anything the band did after Relayer (if that late)? If I were an 'elitist' there is no way I would enjoy Going For the One as much as I do, nor 90125, nor Open Your Eyes (Yes, I like that album! Ha!)

Next caller please .... 

Laurent MASSE (masse@geocean.u-bordeaux.fr)

OK, here Chris totally sucks for me. The material is not that bad, but generally he fucks it up totally with his "cat-gone-through-a-mixer" lines all over the place. There was a good idea at least in the ascending triplets of "Circus Of Heaven", but what does he do with it? Oh my God, he'd been so busy concentrating on fast riffing for all these years that he never actually cared to make the notes speak for themselves, and the result is a total disaster. Flat, ridiculous, any beginner would do better with this. Ok, I'll stop with him. In fact, I must confess I listen to this album more often than other ones. I suppose it has something to do with the overall relaxed and humorous atmosphere making for an interesting diversion in their discography. As for the actual songs, apart from the unbearable (IMO) random cacophonous "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom" (gone through a mixer, really!), none is really good, but none is really bad either. Just plain mean. I don't have any problem with Rick's keyboards, at least he's having more fun than on TFTO. And even if it may sound out of place on a Yes album, "Don't Kill The Whale" is nevertheless an interesting pop song. On the up side, I like "Release, Release", "Future Times/Rejoice" and the first part of "Circus", on the down side, "Madrigal" is too short to really develop its potential and "Onward" sounds a little lifeless. And "Arriving UFO", what is this? I really feel Jon is serious about the aliens, but Rick mocks him with his weird arrangements. Anyone agrees? 

"Anzalone, Philip" (Philip.Anzalone@viacom.com)

How can you say you are a Yes fan and not like this album,I love every song here and would rank it right near the top of all Yes albums. Onward was my wedding song and I feel this is the kind of album you definitely put on and leave on for the duration. 

Terry Shea (sheaterry@earthlink.net)

I think you need to give this album another listen and don't listen to it on an old scratched vinyl copy with cheap headphones!?This is one of my favorite Yes albums.?The only thing that really makes it suffer is 2 very weak tracks that should have been left off:Circus of Heaven and Onward(the live version on KTA is far superior).?The rest of the album is phenomenal, and the songs all complement each other and yet provide a nice contrast too.?I love Wakeman's playing on this album.?On The Silent Wings Of Freedom may be the best track Yes has ever done!?I have never heard?a bass guitar sound like this before-esepecially in the intro.?I love how the lead parts keep changing between the bass, guitar and keyboards while still maintaining the flow of the song.?The only negative on this song is White's drumming.?I'm not real crazy about it.?Can you imagine if Bruford had played on this track??The other trac! ! ks may not be quite as good, but how could they be??What have you been listening to this on anyway??A Close'n'Play?

"Sittinger, Brian D" (brian.d.sittinger@lmco.com)

I really waited for a while before I bought "Tormato". I now know why.

Let's start with the positive points. Some songs do work on this record. "Future Times" actually is decent (despite poisonous synth tones...). "Madrigal" although short, is still pretty (the harpsichord works!). Finally, "Onward" has to be the best song on this album, although simple in form. But, that's its charm. It has a creepy quality among it, too. Also, most of "Release, Release" is engaging (even given a dopey drum solo with cheers!!). "Arriving UFO" especially before the UFO takes off, and the beginning portion of "On the Silent Wings of Freedom" contain great passages.

Now, for the negatives. Corny synth tones (more consistently and worse than those in "Wind and Wuthering"?). Out of place base guitar effects! Too much soloing; they're out of place!! And some of the song arrangements are downright bad/cheesy:"Arriving UFO" (first 2/3), latter half of "On the Silent Wings of Freedom". Finally, some of the lyrics, although unintelligible in the past, become downright silly "Don't Kill the Whale" (most of the music in this I acutually don't mind)!

Very inconsistent. A high 6 out of 10. The end of the classic Yes period. (But, I count "Drama" era as distinct from Yes-West!)

Daniel and Corine Bosch (dcbosch@optusnet.com.au) (5/29/02)

Wha'happen??? So soon after the triumph of "GFTO" came this thoroughly unadverturous, often downright silly, album. Not their worst (only "Union" could EVER get that dishonour!) but pretty bad. Best of a bad bunch? "Madrigal" is nice, despite what some have said, I don't mind "On The Silent Wings Of Freedom", at least instrumentally they are stretching the wings a little. "Circus Of Heaven" is just irritating.

Vandermeer (bkvander@telus.net) (7/06/03)

Wow, I really disagree with you on this album. I love Tormato. I applaud the boys for trying something different. Both the sound and lyrics are more down to earth than any album since probably the debut. But that doesn't make it bad!

The album gets off to a tremendous start with Future Times/Rejoice, a wonderful tune that always gets me moving my feet. White's drumming really moves this track along nicely leading up to the beautiful Rejoice finale. I consider it the best on the album, and one of their best of all time-why isn't this song considered a Yes classic? Madigral is also wonderfully pretty with Wakeman's perfect choice to use a harpsichord that add's to the beauty. Cirucs of Heaven is some of Anderson's best singing ever, and I'll never tire of the first part of the song (I admit the second part is weaker-although the spoken part of Anderson's son doesn't offend me. I'm all for a bit of humour). Release Release rocks nicely and I always enjoy hearing it. Arriving UFO has a nice vocal melody with slightly over the top instrumentation, but I like it nonetheless. Don't Kill the Whale is a nice short dance song and Onward is a pretty if unmemorable ballad. Finally the one song I do agree with you is weak is the closing On the Silent Wings of Freedom. To me, it's the only weak song on the album for the reasons you mentioned.

Overall I give Tormato an 8 (12). It's just a great feel-good album that shows Yes lightening up and experimenting a bit. I always look forward to putting it on. As for your complaints, I just don't agree. Anderson came up with beautiful melodies on almost every track here (except for maybe OTSWOF). The arrangements are just fine, maybe going over the top a bit on Release Release and Arriving UFO. But even there, I don't think it ruins the songs. Finally, Anderson's voice sounds just fine, and is a highlight on FT/R, Madigral, and COH. I think this album clearly shows the classic Yes line-up can be just as good without side-long tracks, pretension, or mystical lyrics.

"Eden, Scott C Mr (Contractor) MONROE" (scott.eden1@us.army.mil) (4/21/04)

I have always really liked this album.? Clearly it is not in the same vein as some of their earlier works.? However, when I listen to it, I'm not comparing it to other albums.? I'm listening to it as is and as such I really like it.? I would hands down take this over Yes' first two albums.? Indeed, it would feature higher in my than personal rankings than TYA and Fragile, though each of those have some incredible songs on them (A Venture, Perpetual Change, and South Side...).? I find Tormato to be fresher sounding than their first four albums.? There is something about the sound and feel of this album that I really like and feel at home with.? Maybe that is the important part with music.? The feeling an album gives us plays as much of a role in our appreciation of it as the songs themselves, if that makes sense.? Maybe it has to do with the time in our lives when we first heard a piece of music and the feelings we have about our life at that point.? For me, and many others, this album closes the book on the true Yes period.? That may play a role in my liking this album as much as I do.? It was their swan song and it brought a sense of closure that I may not have felt if they called it quits after GFTO.? Having heard the music from the Paris sessions that followed the 1979 tour, the band made the right decision to break up.? If you do not like Tormato, your opinion may change if you heard the Paris stuff.?

Though I really like Tormato, I think Yes was on a downhill slide as a live group from 1975 onward.? I would take any live recording from 71-Sept through 1974 over any post 1974 period.? The Tormato tour was pretty weak, though I would say the same thing for 1975 onward - increasingly so as the years went by.

[ Note however that I am not the typical fan.? I think Starship Trooper, I've Seen All Good People, and Roundabout are pretty lame.? As such, my opinion may differ drastically from yours. ] 


	 					
	

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