Originally published in Loudersound.com · November 2025
Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess comments about Tales from Topographic Oceans (excerpts)
ArticleMike PortnoyJordan Rudess2 min read
Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)
When Transatlantic did a special set of Yes songs with Jon Anderson on my Progressive Nation At Sea 2014 Cruise, little did we realise what we were getting ourselves into! Jon had told me he wanted to “keep it simple” – then a few days later he said he had an idea for Side One of Topographic Oceans. Talk about jumping off the deep end!
Of course, we were thrilled at the idea and challenge. But once we began rehearsing the material at soundchecks each day, we realised how complex the music was. All of us were more than capable of playing the parts, but the composition was so unbelievably unorthodox and complex.
I can honestly say that learning ‘The Revealing Science Of God’ was the biggest challenge I’ve ever had! I cannot imagine how this music was composed. It’s almost like, “OK, do this 5/4 riff 11 times and then do this 9/8 jungle groove five times and then let’s do 13 vocal stabs into a keyboard solo and then drop into an acapella vocal part in free time...” There was no way to remember these twists and turns unless you’d written it.
But once we began rehearsing with Jon, he was conducting the transitions and the tempo changes, and suddenly it all made sense. I always wondered how his musical contributions fit into the equation of the virtuoso musicianship in Yes, and I was able to see he was the centre of it all. He was the glue that held these four incredible musicians together.
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Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
It was a very free-spirited album. In the grand old days of prog, especially with Yes, there was a wisdom and comfort in everything they brought to us. Even within its wandering nature, it’s a beautiful release; and if one has the patience, there are so many memorable catchy melodies and melodic sections. The sounds themselves – like the classic Mini Moog synthesiser from Wakeman, Anderson’s golden voice and Howe’s signature guitar – all shine through. This is an album that could only have existed in 1973, when the world was a much different place!