Disco de Yes: “Close to the Edge”

I don't think that enough good things can be said about this 1972 album, which many feel was (and is) the definitive Yes album. In fact, Bill Bruford also felt this way and left Yes after Close to the Edge to join the ranks of King Crimson. He was quoted as saying that the band would never top the perfection of Close to the Edge. As a huge Yes fan (they are my favorite prog act), I personally feel that this album is simply superb. Although subsequent albums would also feature greatness, Close to the Edge works incredibly well as a complete work that fuses album cover art, music, and lyrics together in one seamless totality.

The group members at this point include the classic lineup of Chris Squire (bass, vocals); Rick Wakeman (mellotron, moog, Hammond organ, piano); Steve Howe (electric, acoustic guitars); Bill Bruford (drums and percussion); and Jon Anderson (vocals). I should also note that Eddy Offord (as the producer) was also considered to be part of the band and in fact appears on the back cover as a "sixth" member. I think it goes without saying that all of the musicians in Yes were positively top shelf and were true virtuosos. The individual and group ensemble work on close to the Edge is breathtakingly complex and the arrangements are incredible - everything flows from one piece to the next seamlessly.

The magnum opus Close to the Edge (18:50) is a fantastic composition that more or less follows a sonata form. This is an incredible piece of music and an excellent structural analysis of Close to the Edge is provided by Edward Macan in his book Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (1997). Squire's thunderous and lightning fast lines on his trebly Rickenbacker bass that can be heard in the introduction to Close to the Edge always thrill me - he is indeed a master. And you and I is somewhat shorter (10:09) and is a delicate and spacey piece with loads of acoustic textures and great mini-moog work from Rick. The closing track Siberian Khatru is very vigorous with searing guitar playing from Steve and provides a nice contrast with the softer track And You and I. Jon's high-pitched and ethereal voice soars above it all and imparts a very uplifting feel to the music.

A great deal has been written about what the lyrics to each of the songs on this album actually mean - if such a thing can be done. One interpretation states that the album focuses on the spiritual quest. In fact, the narrow and somewhat treacherous looking bridge leading to the idyllic "world" depicted on the inner gatefold has been suggested by others to reflect the great difficulty associated with reaching an elevated spiritual plane. Although I feel that the album can be interpreted a number of ways, I am a Biologist and not a philosopher and I am going to stop this discussion here before I overstep my bounds.

The remastering job by Rhino is stupendous and brings me back to the days when I used to listen to this album on vinyl as a teenager. Although I miss the "large" cover art and looking at that bridge and "wanting" to get to that other place while I listened to the music, this remastered effort is the next best thing. This package features loads of liner notes, reproduced cover art, lyrics, and a ton of color photos of the band. The sound quality is also excellent. As far as the bonus tracks go they are OK but do not add much to this masterpiece - I could have done without them in fact.

All in all, this album is regarded by many to be one of the finest moments in the recorded output of Yes and I do not disagree. Very highly recommended along with all of the albums from the Yes Album (1971) to Going for the One (1977).

This is a classic album. A classic. A classic of it's and every other genre. It's all to easy to sneer at progressive rock but not quite so to sneer at the superlative playing exhibited throughout this fine disc. 'Close To The Edge' features the classic Yes line-up of Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Rick Wakeman - a line-up that was soon to fall apart as first Bruford left to join Robert Fripp's King Crimson and then Rick Wakeman de-camped after the release of their next LP 'Tales From Topographic Oceans'. Things would never quite be the same for Yes after 'Close To The Edge' but who on earth could follow such a record? From the jungle noises at the opening of the title track which give way to a claustrophic and utterly chaotic piece of Steve Howe acid guitar brilliance; through the elvish combination of majesty and subtle folk touches that is 'And You And I'; to the closer 'Siberian Khatru' which provides us with one of Steve Howe's greatest riffs - this is an amazing piece of music from start to finish. Jon Anderson's lyrics are as obtuse as ever but they never mar the playing of a virtuosic group, riding the peak of a wave of creative genius, playing with breathtaking musical exuberance.

Close To The Edge is undoubtedly the greatest of all Yes albums (and that says a lot), and its beauty is entrancing every time I listen to it. The title track consumes an entire side of the record version, and is the ultimate progressive piece, ever. How many bands can successfully climax with a church organ solo? Just one, Yes. Jon Anderson's lyrics are as vague and confusing and utterly beautiful as they ever get. He sings excellently, with wonderful melodies. Steve Howe imparts his EXCELLENT guitar chops to the album on not only his traditional Gibson hollowbody electrics, but also on electric sitar, pedal steel guitar, and acoustic 12-string. Wakeman is full of power, at his best with the band, undoubtedly. The Hammond organ in Close To The Edge is definately the best I've heard. He also gives us exceptional MiniMoog parts and solos. Chris Squire, my favorite of the Yes-men, is unbelievable. This album inspired me to buy a Rickenbacker bass guitar, and I have spent over a thousand dollars on effects and amps in pursuit of Squire's fat, rich, and clear tone. His style is brilliant and creative. Bruford, the final piece in the band, not only meshes well with Squire and the others, but adds his wacky but oh so creative jazz influences. What a inimitable creation. Deserves more than 5 stars.

Words simply cannot describe the wonder that is `Close to the Edge' (1972). Yes--at this point consisting of vocalist Jon Anderson, drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman--were trying desperately to top their breakthrough release `Fragile,' also from 1972. The result was a bastion of musical synergy that had not been topped before then and would not be topped afterward by anyone, even Yes themselves (in any permutation of their lineup, which shifted several times after this album).

On this album, the band functions more as a unit than in any previous release. Gone are the individual showcase works, the indulgent solos, and the restraints inflicted upon the band by record producers. Now insanely popular and possessed of two very solid releases, Yes decided to shelve the mantle of popular expectation (something to which they never really adhered in the first place) and simply make music for music's sake. Instead of truncating their powers of musical expression into cookie-cutter formats (even considering that music written on the scale of Yes's "standard song format" would be epic-worthy in the hands of most other bands), the band took their time on this album to say everything they needed to say, whether or not the music ever made it onto the radio.

It didn't, but that doesn't matter. Die-hard Yes fans, and just fans of profound music in general, fell for this album hook, line, and sinker. There is something genuine about this music that captivates; the length of the title track, for example, is not forced but necessary. The lyrics are presented more as an instrument in themselves than as the main vehicle of expression; the actual instrumentation serves as much or more to the effect of broadcasting just what the band were trying to say.

I could write a novel about this album, but now I will attempt to describe, in detail, each of the tracks on the original album. Significant of the time, there were only three.

1. "Close To The Edge" - Words fail me when trying to explain the appeal of this absolute masterpiece among masterpieces. I must warn prospective listeners that this track might not seem very appealing the first time you try it. Make sure you listen to it free of interruptions and distractions the first few times. By the third time, I assure you, something will click, and you will finally "get" it. Oh, I envy those who embark upon this journey on that magical time when it finally opens itself to them. Even the most complex minds will find this work fully encompassing, and it requires every last one among the brain's slew of resources to totally appreciate this music. This, I believe, is what contributes the sense of nirvana that listeners of this piece of music all report.

The beginning is unassuming enough, a crecendo of sounds from nature, accompanied by a celestial, LFO-derived synthesizer pad. Then comes what might be the most intense entrance in all recorded music, an almost cacophonic wash of sound that seems not to be held together by anything, yet boasts an underlying structure that keeps it from falling apart. Several heavenly vocal breaks stab into this entrance, and then a longer, sustained vocal chord signals the transition to the next movement. A guitar figure--a motif that appears time and again throughout the work--plays triumphantly above a complicated bed of instrumentation. After this figure takes its time asserting itself, a truly irresistible rhythmic figure takes over. This serves almost as an obbligato throughout the piece. Then Jon starts singing. Oh, what singing it is! It has been compared to rap, though I think it is far too high-brow (and, let's be honest--civilized) for that comparison. Plus, there is an actual tone to the words, even if their meaning is totally incomprehensible. At least every second one isn't an expletive (can you tell I disapprove of rap?). Don't waste your time trying to figure out what they mean, and don't read the lyrics when you first listen to the music. This will only distract you; you don't need to know a single word from the song to reach the aural bliss so many have affected from this work.

After this movement is explored to completion, a softer, pensive movement begins after an effective segue. This is the infamous "I get up I get down" part of the piece, the instrumentation of which makes the listener feel as though he or she is immersed in the depths of a clear, calm sea. As this section reaches its double climax, Rick blasts into action on a tremendous church organ (set to full plenum), then employs a trick he used on his first solo album, `The Six Wives Of Henry VIII': He doubles the organ bass--a little thin-sounding in the recording--with the deep growl of one of his Minimoogs. But even before the full impact of this effect is felt, several metallic blasts ensue and the piece propels itself into the next and final movement.

This movement serves as a sort of recap of the others musically, though its beginning is dominated by Rick Wakeman's finest recorded solo. As a keyboardist myself, I realize just how difficult this was to play. Wakeman is without a doubt the best keyboardist in the history of the craft. The climax of this final movement is the most monumental and uplifting in all of music, and its anticlimax/falling action reflects the sounds of nature that begin the piece. Wow! Is everybody still with me? The ride's not over yet...

2. "And You And I" - If "Close to the Edge" was Yes's most complicated epic masterpiece, then "And You And I" was certainly the band's most beautiful work. Written by Jon to his wife, this may well be the most esoteric and gorgeous love song ever penned. Clocking in at just over ten minutes in length, and coming in four parts, this song is breathtaking--the climax will inspire chills. Beginning with the soft sounds of Steve tuning his twelve-string guitar, the piece meanders through myriad musical marvels before ending on a quiet note. I'm a little winded after describing the title track, so you're on your own to fill in the considerable gaps in this description.

3. "Siberian Kahtru" - The words are nonsense. Understand this before you go any further. This song is a straight-up rocker, in that weird brand of rock trademark to Yes. The beginning riff is irresistible, and its permutations throughout the work are never boring. The middle solo section employs some unconventional instrumentation, including a sitar and a harpsichord (played brilliantly by Wakeman). The ending is dominated by an almost jazz-scat type vocal run, then comes a fade-out of instrumentation. All in all, this is an awesome song, fully on par with the other two on this album.

The bonus tracks don't really add much to the album, but contrary to the bloody murder some reviewers have been screaming, these tracks don't detract from it, either. You see, compact disc players have been equipped since their inception with a wonderful button it seems these people haven't yet discovered: "Stop."

The remastering on this album is sterling. While it's true there are things I like about Joe Gastwirt's work on the 1994 remasters (Wakeman's keyboards have a more organic, analog quality that the Rhino remasters lack), there are things I don't like about the old standard as well. On the whole, Gastwirt's work sounds sort of fuzzy and indistinct. The instrumentation sort of slides in, whereas on the Rhino remasters, each instrument or vocal part enters without apology. Plus, there was a little hiccough on Gastwirt's version of "And You And I" (just before the bass drum/bass part comes in just after timecode 1:12) that was corrected on the Rhino release.

All in all, this is a must-have staple of progressive rock. This album is legendary, and when you hear it to completion, you will know why. Even so, if you're new to Yes, I wouldn't start here. Go for `The Yes Album' (1971) or `Fragile' (1972), both of which are five-star albums, albeit more accessible than `Close to the Edge.' If you like what you hear, then there's no reason why you should dislike this release. In a sense, it's not a departure from the earlier two releases, but an extension. `Close to the Edge' explores just what the band would do in an ideal, limitless format, as opposed to the more radio-friendly arrangement that made the previous releases successful.

Don't waste another minute. Buy this release at the next opportunity, and just say "Yes!" to what is undoubtedly the finest progressive rock album ever recorded.

I first discovered progressive music through the newer guys, like Transatlantic and Spock's Beard, as well as prog. metal bands, like Dream Theater and Queensryche, so naturally it was just a matter of time before I was lead to this album here. Yes were one of the very first prog. bands, and probably one of the best. "Close to the Edge" is often credited as their classic album, and though it took a couple of listens to fully appreciate, I can certainly see why.

The album consists of three epic suites, which go by quite fast. The 18-minute title track starts off with tranquil rainforest noises, before exploding into a cacophonous barrage of notes. From there, it moves into four distinct parts. I think part 3 is a little too slow, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. For such a long song, it goes by very fast. The next song is "And You And I", which is more soft and tranquil, with some great acoustic guitar. The album ends with "Siberian Khatru", a very bass-heavy jam song. Very upbeat track. The rhythm section really shines here, with Chris Squire's funky basslines and Bill Bruford's awesome (but subtle) drum solo around the 5-minute mark.

3 songs, 37 minutes of awesome music. However, the reason I had to work with this a bit is because of Jon Anderson's vocals, which are, um, weird. Maybe it's just because I'm accustomed to hearing Neal Morse with this kind of music, but at the first listen Jon's vocals just seemed weak and thin, totally out of context with the amazing music backing him up. Even Geddy Lee, who has been criticized as a "whiny-voiced geek" has a much more powerful voice than Jon. But, while I'll never consider him a great vocalist, I am getting used to his style, and as I listen to this more and more, I'm sure it will become less and less of a big deal.

If you like progressive music, this album is mandatory, but you probably already have it, unless you're new to the genre, like me. But if not, get it. And, if you like what you hear here, you need to get both albums from Transatlantic. They not only carry forth the legacy of oldschool prog., but improve upon it in a myriad of ways.