New book series of Yes Album Listening Guides announced beginning with “Tales from Topographic Oceans” as the first in the series. Following the success of his multi-award nominated, Amazon Bestselling first book about the progressive rock band, Yes – The Tormato Story, Kevin Mulryne returns
with the first in a spectacular new series of Yes Album Listening Guides.
Never one to shy away from controversial topics, Kevin has chosen to begin the in-depth
new series with perhaps the most divisive album of all time amongst Yes fans, progressive
rock fans and classic rock fans. 1973’s epic double album, ‘Tales from Topographic Oceans’,
saw Yes climb to uncharted heights of musical and thematic invention.
Depending on your point of view, this culminated in a creative work destined to define the excess and
pointlessness of the whole prog rock movement or to be crowned as its most intense and
glorious pinnacle. Kevin delves deeply into many aspects of the album – the context and
details of writing and rehearsals, the recording process at Morgan Studios, the instruments
and techniques used to create its unique sound, the critical and fan reactions to its release,
the concerts, venues, live sound, merchandise and scenery of the following tour and much
more!
Kevin has spoken to many people who worked with the band in the period ‘Tales’ was
created as well as co-author Steve Howe. He has also consulted the most highly-regarded
Yes instrument experts and collectors to paint an amazingly full picture of this seminal
progressive work. All this painstaking, original research has fed into the creation of the
centrepiece of the book – the detailed guide to each of the four movements of the album.
Never before has the music of ‘Tales’ come under such intense scrutiny. Kevin has
discovered many fascinating and mind-blowing facets to one of the most important records
of the 1970s and travelled down unending rabbit holes to uncover previously hidden detail.
Also available separately, at time of publishing, will be a 40-page A5 magazine-style full
colour supplement, including newly-annotated black and white and colour photographs,
mainly from the listening guide, a map of important Tales locations and more!.
The Fat Angel Sings 