An exciting part of seeing a favorite album get the “Super Deluxe Edition” treatment today is that it’s no longer just about repackaging the familiar. You get immersive surround and Dolby Atmos remixes, yes, but you also get archival rarities that add real context and depth to the music’s legacy. That’s exactly the case with Rhino’s new 12 CD, 2 LP vinyl, and 1 Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition of Yes’ 1973 progressive rock magnum opus, Tales From Topographic Oceans.
An album that has long divided and enthralled listeners, Tales From Topographic Oceans is often cited as either one of the greatest progressive rock albums ever made or the point where the genre as a whole lost its way. I land firmly in the former camp. A fan since the mid-1970s, it remains my favorite Yes album and sits comfortably in my personal Top 5 albums of all time.
The Super Deluxe Edition delivers a genuinely expansive experience, starting with an excellent, widescreen-sounding 2 LP remaster of the original mix mastered by Bernie Grundman, with vinyl pressed in Germany. The 12 CDs dig deep into the archive; spanning the original master, Steven Wilson’s 2026 remix, instrumentals, rarities, and multiple live recordings, while the Blu-ray adds new Dolby Atmos and 5.1 surround mixes. Taken together, this is less a box set and more a deep, rewarding immersion into Tales From Topographic Oceans.
Back in 2016, a 3 CD / 1 Blu-ray edition of Tales From Topographic Oceans set a high bar, featuring Steven Wilson’s first 5.1 surround mix. That release revealed layers and details long buried in the original stereo presentation, offering a fresh perspective on the album while still sounding unmistakably like TFTO.
Ten years on, Mr. Wilson not only fine-tunes his 5.1 presentation of TFTO, but his new Dolby Atmos mix offers a new way to experience this music. While the surround mix delivers much discreet channel glory with interesting use of rear channels for percussion, synthesizers, guitars and even washes of gongs and such — the new Dolby Atmos mix delivers a more three dimensional immersion.
Wilson tends to keep Rick Wakeman’s keyboards in the height channels, often creating a lovely aura of beautiful synthesizers enveloping the listener. Alan White’s drums have much more height and realism now. The vocal mix is lovely with rich harmonies filling the room.
For the naysayers who often dismiss TFTO’s challenging third movement (“The Ancient”), you might want to revisit it in Dolby Atmos as this may be a demo disc candidate. Seriously, its quite astounding at points as the mix gets especially intense during the drum-heavy battle sequences. This is Yes at its most King Crimson-esque, with a healthy dose of Gentle Giant thrown in. So, if you are new to TFTO, don’t expect to hear “Roundabout” or “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” This is wilder and weirder music, requiring a certain level of engagement and stamina on the part of the listener. But its totally worth the effort!
The archival live recordings are a genuine highlight, many sourced from guitarist Steve Howe’s personal collection, and they sound remarkably good. More importantly, the performances dismantle the tired myth that either the band or audiences weren’t committed to TFTO. What comes through is a group fully engaged, pushing the music forward with conviction, confidence, and real momentum. Even the album’s most vocal critic, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, dives into improvisations and variations that go well beyond the studio versions, adding fresh perspective and fire.
In the end, the audience verdict was unmistakable. Tales From Topographic Oceans reached number one on the UK charts and climbed to number six in the US, clear evidence that listeners embraced music this ambitious. As far as I can tell, the album has remained in print in one form or another ever since—hardly the fate of a supposed misstep.
Where to buy: $124.98 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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