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Yes

Tormato

Review by Gary Hill

An album that is rather maligned in fan circles, Tormato is a bit pop oriented, but really has some wonderous moments. The bass sound on this one is a bit experimental, having a very processed approach, and although the majority of the songs are more accessible, there is a spirit of prog rock jamming that creates an openness and spirit of virtuosity throughout.

 Yes on Tormato were Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: The Early Years Volume 2 at garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-The-Early-Years.

Track by Track Review
Future Times/Rejoice
This is a triumphant sounding bouncy number with somje strong guitar work. The cut features a bridge that drops the intensity before building it gradually back up. The segment that heralds the change between sections is quite dramatic.
Don't Kill The Whale
This is a somewhat funky rocker that seems a bit contrived by today's standards. It is still a very good song, and features a strong vocal dominated segment towards the end. That vocal segment is followed by a potent guitar driven outro.
Madrigal
Based heavily on the sound of the harpsichord, this is a rock ballad that features some strong acoustic guitar work.
Release, Release
Yes' take on heavy metal, this is a very hard rocking number with a driving beat. Still, it features many quirky changes to make it trademark Yes. In fact, it evolves into very strong prog jamming.
Arriving UFO
Based on somewhat silly lyrical subject matter, this is nevertheless a quirky little prog rock number. It really explodes toward the end in a progressive rock jam that simply keeps reinventing itself.
Circus of Heaven
This cut musically tries to create a circus sound with the sensation of pure wonderment. It is fairly successful in this attempt with its meandering patterns.
Onward
This pretty love song is quite mellow and simplistic, but still a good cut.
On the Silent Wings of Freedom
This cut starts with a rather gradual building based on quirkily tempoed drums. This intro features some incredible guitar soloing. The entire song continues on in this pattern, as a very potent prog rock jam.
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