Tormato (studio album) by Yes

A bit of a messy album and it's clear to see why the band splintered after this, though there are still some redeeming tracks!

A lot of Yes fans give this album a hard time. I think the main reason is that it was a big change in direction for the band who at the time were striving to respond to new tastes bought about by the punk / new wave movement by adopting a less reverent and more spontaneous approach. Gone was the cathedral like majesty of their previous album Going for the One, replaced with a more direct lyrical style on songs like Don't Kill the Whale, Arriving UFO and Onward which had not been present since their early years. The tracks were shorter and less polished with little of the instrumental noodling of previous albums.
But if you can get past all of that, there are some great moments here. Future Times / Rejoice is classic Yes with mystical words and a driving rhythm. Madrigal has some beautiful intertwining harpsichord and guitar. Silent Wings of Freedom has Chris Squire at his best and the aforementioned Whale / UFO / Onward are all strong songs.
Sure, the sound is ropey and at times the arrangement is messy - but listen with an open mind and you shall be rewarded!!

Check out my charts for my ranking and reviews of all the Yes albums and the pick of their solo offerings......

From AJSki2fly 06/30/2020 15:57

It is a long time since I heard a friends copy of this album, and one that was missing form my Yes collection. It is as i remembered, a rather good album. I note that some on here have given rather negative comments or views on the songs, I think quite unfairly. There are some very good compositions and the last track could easily be classed as Fusion or Jazz/Rock, if you are familiar with Brand X you will understand this. There are some very good guitar and keyboard lines, and Mr Anderson sings and expresses the songs well IMO, even though others may disagree. Yes it is different than Yes early output, but that is to be expected after 10 years, it is certainly better than some of the review comments on here and perhaps a second listen by some is needed to appreciate it a bit more.

This platter is a nifty lil toe tapper

Having just picked up an excellent copy on vinyl from a second hand store, I am actually pleasantly surprised. This album is slated in the same vein as Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door and I was intrigued by what is undoubtedly a pretty crap cover compared to previous releases. Starting with the cover, the album was actually going to be called just Yes Tor (a tor is a rocky outcrop akin to a small mountain on Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor, Exmoor). The guy in the suit with divining rods works and links with the inner dust jacket where a number of Tors are bisected by lines, perhaps ley lines and this concept in turn does relate to some of the tracks like 'Arriving UFO'. The story goes that the sleeve photographer thought something else was needed and threw a tomato at the cover, then photographed it! On the back of this the title of the album was expanded to tormato which surprisingly the band signed up to. So on to the music, Rick Wakeman's keyboard sounds are criticised a lot as 'cheap timbres'. I disagree, in fact some of the sounds he produces on the Polymoog and Biotron are superb. Others criticise a non cohesive approach where the musicians are trying to shoehorn ten minutes work into eight minute tracks. Again, I disagree. There are several really excellent tracks on this album. I think it is important to remember with all artists, time moves on and they need to stay fresh and explore new ground. So on that basis I don't compare Led Zeppelin In Through the Out Door with Led Zeppelin 2, Genesis Duke with Selling England by the Pound or Rush Signals with Moving Pictures. I rest my case.

Much of Yes' output has stood the test of time admirably, particularly when compared to some of their peers. Sadly, this is not one of those albums. The synths sound of their time and the riffs are dated. Even Jon Anderson's usually timeless vocals sound like they belong in the era the album was recorded. All this could be forgiven if there were some decent melodies or arrangements, but these are few and far between. Most of the record comes across as an extended, semi-experimental jam, and not a particularly fruitful one. Fair, but not essential listening, by any stretch.
Best tracks: Future Times/Rejoice, Onward

From luigybetis 04/17/2018 19:06

This album is not so bad, it is quite enjoyable and yes, it is not as the previous ones, but it gets creative in my opinion. 7/10.

A flat and uninspired album with a terrible cover. It misses any kind of spark and the band seem completely uninterested. It's not surprising that Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman jumped ship after this. Messy and unfocused.

Some pretty dire songs on here. Scraping the barrel a little I think. Onward, although it is quite nice, is a little cringy and soft for me. Silent Wings is the standout for me, with a nasty baseline and some weird keyboard and bass interplay near the end. Pretty nifty, maybe not quite as grand as their best material though.

From flamingyesdept 04/30/2016 11:54

Onward is just beautiful.