Tormato
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Album Summary
Tormato came to life in 1978, born out of a band in flux but still burning with that unmistakable Yes fire. Released on Atlantic Records in September of that year, the album was produced by Yes themselves alongside engineer Eddy Offord, a trusted collaborator who helped shape the band's sound across some of their most celebrated work. The recording sessions unfolded under the weight of internal tension — Rick Wakeman had moved on, and the keys chair was now filled by Tony Kaye, the man who had been there at the very beginning, back when Yes were still finding their footing. That full-circle energy is woven into every groove of this record, and what emerged was an album that captured a band navigating change with their ambition very much intact.
Reception
- Tormato peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart, a solid showing that nonetheless signaled the band's commercial peak had passed from the towering heights of the mid-1970s.
- In the United States, the album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200, confirming Yes still commanded a loyal and sizable audience even as the musical landscape shifted around them.
- Critical reception was mixed, with some reviewers finding the album less cohesive than earlier Yes masterworks, though it still earned gold certification in multiple countries — a testament to the band's enduring draw.
Significance
- Tormato stands as a pivotal crossroads in the Yes story, capturing the band in the act of stretching toward greater accessibility and tighter song structures while never fully letting go of the symphonic progressive rock complexity that made them legends.
- The return of Tony Kaye to the keyboard chair gave the album a distinctly different sonic personality compared to the elaborate, orchestral grandeur that Rick Wakeman had brought — earthier, more direct, and quietly revealing of where the band's sound was heading.
- Recorded during the seismic cultural shift brought on by punk and new wave, Tormato reflects the late-1970s pressure on progressive rock to evolve or be swept aside, making it a fascinating and honest document of a genre — and a band — in real-time transformation.
Tracklist
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A1a Future Times 83
4:05
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A1b Rejoice —
2:41
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A2 Don't Kill The Whale 181
3:55
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A3 Madrigal 178
2:21
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A4 Release, Release 99
5:40
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B1 Arriving UFO 120
6:02
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B2 Circus Of Heaven 129
4:28
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B3 Onward 64
4:00
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B4 On The Silent Wings Of Freedom 165
7:45
Artist Details
Yes is one of those bands that came straight out of London in 1968 and proceeded to rewrite the rulebook on what rock music could be, blending classical sensibility, jazz complexity, and pure cosmic imagination into a sound so lush and layered it felt like the universe itself was playing guitar. With founding members Jon Anderson and Chris Squire steering the ship, Yes became the undisputed kings of progressive rock, delivering epic masterworks like Fragile and Close to the Edge that proved rock music could be as ambitious and sophisticated as any symphony hall experience. Their influence cut so deep that generations of musicians — from arena rock giants to new age experimenters — still carry the fingerprints of Yes all over their work, cementing their legacy as true architects of the progressive rock movement.
