Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 11, 2026

Considering the inarguable impact they've had on contemporary prog rock, it's maybe just a little surprising that Yes has never had a Number 1 album on the U.S. charts, and in fact their first two (now largely forgotten) albums didn't chart at all over here, and barely anywhere else. Yes: The Yes Album was their first foray into mainstream success on this side of the pond, followed by Yes: Fragile and Yes: Close to the Edge, all of which continued to grow the band's fanbase. Tales from Topographic Oceans arrived in 1973 and, like its two immediate predecessors, cracked the Top 10 albums over here. This album featured a bit of a lineup change (new drummer Alan White and maybe a little less participation by Rick Wakeman), and an approach that might be jokingly referred to as "nothing succeeds like excess", in that the band, now virtually wallowing in a Certified Rock Star professional life, decided to pretty much go "gonzo" with what was at the time a "double album" filled with long form songs (four, one for each side of the original two LP version) at least somewhat experimental in form, and nary a hit single in sight.

The album's track list (such as it is, with only four songs) can be seen in the screenshots of the Blu-ray disc menu I've uploaded to accompany this review.

Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

There's only a static menu this time around with a Super Deluxe edition. Kind of interestingly, if frustratingly, the disc is authored so that selecting a new audio codec from the actual menu starts the song over. Actually going into the audio options via your remote allows you toggle between some of the codecs without starting the song over, but weirdly not all of the stereo options show up that way (or at least they didn't for me).

Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tales from Topographic Oceans features Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and (three) LPCM 2.0 mixes and is yet another revelatory revisiting of a classic album by the venerable Steven Wilson. The Atmos mix announces both its breadth and height from the get go with the washes of ambient environmental effects that start the album in The Revealing Science of God. Vocals can often be splayed simultaneously through the front and rear channels, but with what sound like individual voices discretely channeled so that, for instance, you can hear some of Jon Anderson's very close harmonies (like major seconds) coming at the listener from different directions in that opening number. You can hear some of the fun repositioning of instruments in moments like the opening of The Remembering where things like the synth noodling at the beginning is clearly positioned toward the rear in the Atmos version in particular. The percussion array in The Ancient provides more clear directionality, with the huge gong wash wafting overhead, but then individual cymbals and the like dotting around the soundstage. Ritual also features some cool panning effects in some of the instrumental accompaniment. As with some of these other Super Deluxe offerings, along with the two surround mixes, there are two LPCM 2.0 versions of the original album, one listed as a 2026 stereo remix and the other as a 2026 stereo remaster, as well as a stereo offering of just instrumentals.

Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This release offers another almost overwhelming selection of bonus items (with the understanding that I'm assuming most reading this review default to the audio Blu-ray as the "main feature"). The "other discs" include an amazing collection of twelve (count 'em) CD's as well as two LPs:

CD 1: Original Album Remastered

1. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)"
2. "The Remembering (High The Memory)"

CD 2: Original Album Remastered

1. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)"
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)"

CD 3: Steven Wilson 2026 Remixes

1. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)"
2. "The Remembering (High The Memory)"

CD 4: Steven Wilson 2026 Remixes

1. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)"
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)"

CD 5: Steven Wilson 2026 Instrumental Mixes

1. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)"
2. "The Remembering (High The Memory)"

CD 6: Steven Wilson 2026 Instrumental Mixes

1. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)"
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)"

CD 7: Rarities

1. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" – Single Edit
2. "The Remembering (High The Memory)" – Single Edit
3. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" – Single Edit
4. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)" – Single Edit 1
5. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)" – Single Edit 2
6. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" – Version 1
7. "The Remembering (High The Memory)" – In Progress
8. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" – In Progress

CD 8: Rarities

1. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" – In Progress *
2. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" – In Progress 2 *
3. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" – In Progress 2 *

CD 9: Rarities

1. "The Remembering (High The Memory)" – In Progress 2 *
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)" – In Progress *
3. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" – Version 2

CD 10: Live 1973

Live at Free Trade Hall, Manchester, England (11/28/73)

1. "The Remembering (High The Memory)" *
2. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" *

Live at Capitol Theatre, Cardiff, Wales (12/1/73)

1. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" *
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)" *

CD 11: Live at Hallenstadion Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (4/21/74)

1. "And You And I" *
2. "Cord Of Life"
3. "Eclipse"
4. III."The Preacher The Teacher"
5. IV."Apocalypse"
6. "Close To The Edge" *
7. "The Solid Time Of Change"
8. "Total Mass Retain"
9. III."I Get Up I Get Down"
10. IV."Seasons Of Man"
11. "The Revealing Science Of God (Dance Of The Dawn)" *

CD 12: Live at Hallenstadion Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland (4/21/74)

1. "The Ancient (Giants Under The Sun)" *
2. "Ritual (Nous Sommes du Soleil)"

*Previously unreleased

2 LPs feature the original album remastered.

Packaging is once again impressive. As may be gleaned from the fact that this includes vinyl albums, this comes in a kind of "multi page" gatefold that measures approximately 12 3/4" wide by 12 1/2" high by 1" deep. The front and rear covers have openings in the top that contain the LPs. The front cover pocket also offers a really nicely produced booklet with some amazing writing by Syd Schwartz and a ton of other info (including lyrics and original liner notes). Inner cardboard sleeve pages offer the Blu-ray disc and CDs.

Yes : Tales From Topographic Oceans Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tales from Topographic Oceans is frankly not my favorite Yes album, but this gobsmacking new edition offers so much content that it's hard not to be impressed. The original album comes newly alive courtesy of the typically fantastic work of Steven Wilson, and the extra material here on the CDs is going to be a treasure trove for Yes fans. Packaging is beautiful and the included booklet has impressive information as well. Highly recommended.