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On this day, 1 December 1973, prog rock giants Yes played Cardiff’s Capitol Theatre on the band’s Tales from Topographic Oceans Tour.
Tales from Topographic Oceans was the band's sixth studio album, released on 7 December 1973. It marked a change in their fortunes and polarised fans and critics alike. The double vinyl set was based on Anderson's interpretation of the Shastric scriptures from a footnote within Paramahansa Yogananda's book Autobiography of a Yogi.
The album became the first LP in the UK to ship gold before the record arrived at retailers. It went on to top the UK charts for two weeks while reaching number 6 in the U.S.,and became the band's fourth consecutive gold album.
Keyboardist Rick Wakeman was not pleased with the record and is critical of much of its material. He felt sections were "bled to death" and contained too much musical padding. Wakeman left the band after the 1973–1974 tour; his solo album Journey to the Centre of the Earth topped the UK charts in May 1974.
The tour included five consecutive sold-out shows at the Rainbow Theatre, the first time a rock band achieved this.
It is a fragmented masterpiece, assembled with loving care and long hours in the studio. Brilliant in patches, but often taking far too long to make its various points, and curiously lacking in warmth or personal expression ..."Ritual" is a dance of celebration and brings the first enjoyable moments, where Alan's driving drums have something to grip on to and the lyrics of la la la speak volumes. But even this cannot last long and cohesion is lost once more to the gods of drab self indulgence. —Melody Maker review of Tales from Topographic Oceans, 1973
Setlist
Introduction
The Firebird Suite
(Igor Stravinsky song)
Close to the Edge
Siberian Khatru
And You and I
Close to the Edge
Tales from Topographic Oceans
The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)
The Remembering (High the Memory)
The Ancient (Giants Under the Sun)
Ritual (Nous sommes du soleil)
Encore:
Roundabout
Yours Is No Disgrace
