Close To The Edge

This album is super important for what it is and also what it isn't. What it is is one of the most pure distillations of prog rock and rock's musical excesses (if not necessarily the chemical excesses). But its overwritten, ornate Baroqueness helped to inspire punk music as a reaction against this brand of complex-for-the-sake-of-complex tryhard bullshit. Prog and punk happen to be my two favorite subgenres, so this one is extra meaningful to me. Beloved for three perfect songs (out of a possible three, hah!), if not any semblance of brevity. One more thing before I hit submit: early on in the title track there is a happy, sweet guitar melody that could have been a lead on a Queen song. Much later the same motif returns as a more sinister and dissonant version with ugly-sounding harmonics from a ring modulator. It's fuckin sick and it demonstrates my favorite joke about prog rock. If you don't like what you're hearing, wait five minutes.

An absolute masterpiece of progressive rock. Long-winded gorgeous songs with so many moving parts. It's not for everybody, but it is most definitely for me.

This is one of my all-time top 5 favorite albums. Truly a masterpiece from start to finish. 5 stars.

I worked on this archaeological dig in Israel where two guys who were in seminary to be monks were in charge of dealing with all the buckets of dirt we'd sifted through. They made a complete replica of Tolkien's hobbit shire out of these buckets of dirt. One time I accidentally walked in on them hanging their freshly washed underwear and even though they were fully clothed they were horrified that I saw their underwear on a clothesline. I bet they really liked this album.

I tried. Music from the head not from the heart yo. Listened to some Christy Moore instead though that was banging.

it's literally my favorite album and every time I listen to it it's as exactly good as the first time.

This is it folks. One of the few moments where I can excitedly proclaim that the fans of a genre have made listening to something unpalatable. I have not touched prog rock, because prog rock has some of the douchiest shithead fan bases I have ever met. But this right here is an easy five, from the almost storytelling soundscapes to the beautiful use of old and new instrumentation. And the vocals have a great Glam/Folk Fusion sound that I love.

Such a thrilling album! It felt like an adventure from beginning to end! Beautiful sounds, great dynamics, perfect length, wonderful ambience.

No.

I've only ever listened to Fragile but damn did I love this one. The first track may have been 19min, but it did not feel like it at all. Great prog with a lot of fun influences. Favorite track: "Close to the Edge"

This sounds like good musicians made songs to prove they were good at music. Not for me.

The beginning of the first track was a little too zany for me and I thought that this would be a terribly rough ride. After the first few minutes, it settled down and I started to find some enjoyment. It is still a little at arm's length for me, but I listened to it twice while I was working and was always surprised, and maybe slightly disappointed, when it ended.

Close to the Edge is the greatest progressive rock album ever made. A perfect 5 star record, not a wasted note to be found. Perfection. ::chef’s kiss::

I love Yes! <3

Very very special and interesting. Sometimes it has supertramp vibes, others reminds me of Pink Floyd

Prog is not a four letter word. Embrace the dramatic power.

LOVE the transitions. This album is super cool

Prog at it's best. 10/10

YES! YES! YES! Must listen for all prog fans.

This is already one of my favorite albums

I like a lot of Yes songs, but this album was a hard listen. I imagine this is what it feels like in a schizophrenic's brain

This is Mars Volta right? I mean, it sounds exactly like Mars Volta. Didn’t realise they were Yes fans. Love this. Love it so much. I give it 5/4 stars

I get up! I get doooown!! One of my favorite records ever and maybe THE definitive headphone album of all time. (Pink Floyd doesn’t have a pipe organ, sorry.) I haven’t listened to enough prog to really say this is the high mark of the genre, but it sure as shit feels that way. I really think it has so much to do with Jon Anderson’s voice. The rest of the band all go ten directions at once, but that voice - it always cuts through the mix and invites me in. In some ways, it’s a really sweet record; the main melody of “And You and I” feels like it could be a Cat Stevens song sung in a higher register. I think that’s what makes Yes the G.O.A.T. When they’re at their best, the vocals and melody isn’t there just to support the progressiveness of the composition of what the other instruments are doing. It soars above all that. But goddamn the instruments. Insane. The synthy moment in the 2nd movement of “And You and I” always makes me think of 2001: A Space Oddysey. It’s transportive and catharsis in such a specific way. Ditto that pipe organ in the title track. Craig, I’ll recommend finding a clip of them playing the title track live back in the day. They’re on YouTube. You kind of have to commit to taking in that song without doing anything else for it to click, but if it clicks look out. Also, you know damn well that a bunch of teens saw these dudes playing twenty minute songs while literally dressed in capes and were like, “Yeah, fuuuck that.” And thus punk was born. Which is awesome! But so is Yes.

What a wild ride. Very fun album. Some of early progressive's finest.

There are so many things to dislike about this album. Ridiculously long songs, Anderson's helium-infused vocals, the sheer wankery of some of their vocals. Yet I really like it and it took me a while to realise why. When they get in the groove they rock! Somehow they stay in the groove even through all the key and time changes.

I liked the organ, but that's about it. It's a no for this Yes album.

Only three songs. And yet, all three of them are key songs in their repertoire, ones that have been played now for over 50 years. And I never tire of hearing them. They are perfect songs to me, each member working in perfect sync. It's hard to believe that this was it for Bill Bruford, but really there's nowhere else for him to go in that band. The only flaw in this album is that "Siberian Khatru" fades out, when the live versions have a better ending (at least for me). This is the album I would tell people if they think they know Yes, they truly have not heard them. One of my favorite albums of all time.

One of my favourite albums already so I think you know what the score will be! This is dad rock and I stole it out of my dad's record collection..... These musicians were at the peak of their trade. It's a pleasure from start to finish. If some people want to pigeonhole this and close their ears that is their choice but this is pretty damned near perfect. Constantly changing and reinventing, never dull and played, produced and sang with a skill beyond 99% of todays wannabes. That slow building opening leading the the explosion of sound is like no other. It never lets up and stays with you for the rest of your life if you open your soul.

What do you get when you combine the most creative and deft drummer in rock, the most phenomenal bass player in rock, the most nimble and unique guitarist in rock, the most masterful keyboardist in rock, and the most pure and beautiful tenor to ever front a band? You get Close to the Edge! What a soaring triumph of an album! :) Seriously though, these guys are all complete MASTERS of their craft individually. It's ASTONISHING! The fact that they all managed to be in the SAME BAND is practically a miracle. Yes' bassist was more integral to the band's sound than any other bassist of the 70s; the sound he got out of his bass is unreal; so visceral and punchy. Steve Howe's guitar work is insanely original; he plays so swiftly in a way I have never heard any other guitarist play, and I listen to a lot of guitar! Bill Bruford could play ANYTHING on the drums. Sure, he wasn't as loud as other famous 70s drummers, but he could play more intricate, complex rhythms than all of them by FAR. The keyboardist has literally written symphonies, so that should tell you something lol. And who in rock could belt out high tenor notes so beautifully and sweetly as Jon Anderson?? No other band of the 70s of the world could've written this album. None! The sheer creativity and technical skill it must've taken to write this album boggles my mind. As someone who plays several instruments and knows a good amount of music theory, this album dazzles me. This album is rich in complexity, and each new listen unearths new secrets. Even if you don't like it personally, if you are not exceedingly impressed by this composition then you aren't paying attention... While Yes, for some, symbolizes the excesses of progressive rock, I truly think the highs of Yes' music are among the very highest in ALL OF MUSIC. Period. I never knew how magical music could be until I found this group.

Probably my favorite Yes album that I've listened to

This is our second Yes record out of our first 100 or so. I was really surprised by how much better this one held together for me. The intricacy of the arrangement feels much more melodic and restrained than Fragile. It's like they toned down the goofiness and came out the other side with a much more cohesive and moving record. Now I see what all the fuss is about. Favourite track: Close to the Edge

I’m not really a big fan of prog outside of Pink Floyd nor do I particularly like Jon Anderson’s voice. However the bass goes bwoom.

This one was definitely hard to wrap my head around and needed a second listen. Even as a fan of progressive metal I found Close to the Edge pretty overwhelming. It's easily enough material for two full rock albums pressed into one 18 minute song. The question of how good it is - outside of just being complex - is a different one. While I enjoy the different styles and experimentation, I am sort of missing a feeling of cohesiveness where the different styles and elements would point in the same direction. Another point of objection is the vocals, which are somewhat bland and don't feel like they do justice to the mind-boggling instrumentation. This turned out a difficult one to rate as well. I'd like to give a 4.5, but I'll round it down because the Simon & Garfunkel was sort of awkward.

Well, at least the onslaught of early 80s albums has come to an end (for now), but I'm not sure the emperors of prog rock were really who I envisioned replacing them. But so they did, and I can't imagine a bigger contrast between short and sweet synth-pop cuts and this epic album set in long-form bombasity. I can't really say I enjoyed any of the three tracks, but I have to say I'm quite impressed that they managed to put together an 18-minute-plus song/assemblage, especially given how it sounds like their creative process in the studio was to literally campaign and vote on every instrument and bar at every step. (Less impressive, but totally understandable, was poor Bill Bruford's departure to King Crimson after the album was completed; it's a wonder that most of the rest of the band didn't hibernate for years after a grueling recording process.) One of the things that's struck me with these early 70s albums, and this one in particular, is how different each era has been in terms of what's popular and what's appreciated, both musically and more generally. It's equally baffling to me that this album was so well-received (and purchased), and the same with Joni Mitchell's "Blue", not to mention films like "The Conversation" or even "The French Connection". All of these would likely get little to no attention or traction even 15-20 years later, let alone in the 2020s, but I for one appreciate the chance to listen to these albums that I'd likely never have played if I hadn't heard them when they came out. (I'm also very grateful to Yes that this prog-rock manifesto is mercifully short overall; as a non-fan, this is hard to slog through....)

::wanking motion::

Now I understand why people aren't interested in prog. The shorter the tracks get, the better they are by far.

Yes is one of the few bands who can pull off an 18 minute song. This album is lush, very well constructed and contains moments which sound surprisingly contemporary. With its use of unusual rhythms and jazz fusion like melodic lines, this album pushes hard on what it means to be a ‘progressive rock’ band. At points this album sounds like contemporary indie folk before dropping into a fusion groove. The harmonies give a CSN vibe within a completely new format. Simply put, this album shouldn’t work, but it just does

Does everything right I'd expect out a prog album. Three highly impressive tracks tied together by a central philosophical theme. Probably Yes's best album. Title track is divided in four movements. First movement is a perfect opener, which spiritual nature noises immediately setting off into insane guitar work that sounds so disjointed until abrupt breaks show they know what they're doing. It's symphonic and atmospheric, placing the audience in a position with any number of instruments and noises to shift focus on at any given moment. Vocalists are great, constantly shifting and matching the music. Good pacing, knowing exactly when to change in style to keep the music engaging while still retaining aspects like the chorus to maintain consistency. Geesh, when that organ hits in the third movement, swapping back and forth with the melancholic chorus. Love how the fourth movement largely reverts to the first but ties together the other two movements as well. Everything is tied up nicely in those last two minutes. It's a perfect track with no weak points at any minute in the song. The other two tracks on the second side also have good pacing and follow up on the themes discussed in the title track. "And You and I" is a mellower track, becoming triumphant in the middle. My favorite part in "Siberian Khatru" are the brief instruments about a quarter in, and also the vocal noises later. I don't how they're making many of the sounds in the album, but whatever they're doing it's working, drawing my attention while also being pleasing to hear, never overstaying their welcome.

this record blew me away in a way i was not expecting. 5/5

Masterpiece

10/10. Prog Rock gold.

I love prog. Can’t decide on my least favourite track on Close to the Edge.

not much to say this is a masterpiece

Me acuerdo cuando me cagaba el rock progresivo y me da risa. 5 ESTRELLAS.

Fantastic!

classico

ODÖDLIG KLASSIKER TITELSPÅRET ÄR 7/5

WOW. Was not expecting this at all. I knew they were prog, but I thought it'd be along the lines of Rush. This is a melodic Beefheart or Zappa at double tempo, and clearly influenced bands like Mars Volta and Black midi. Unreal for 1972! Though I will say the vocals are not really to my taste.

prog that doesn't make me want to die

Album incroyable, je n'aurais pourtant pas misé un copec dessus, ce qui me rapelle une anecdote que je vais vous partager. A l'époque où je passais mon examen du permis de conduire, j'ai proposé une très mauvaise performance face a mon examinateur. Le stress de l'examen me poussa a faire une erreur qui semblait éliminatoire. Je rentrais chez moi très déçu, et l'annonce du déroulé de l'examen à mes parents fit l'effet d'une bombe. Ils etaient fous de rage, me repprochant de ne pas avoir assez exercé la conduite avant de passer l'examen. Cependant, quelques jours plus tard, le resultat me parvint sous la forme d'une lettre recommandée. J'apprennais alors que j'avais réussi mon examen d'une courte tête, et était ainsi l'heureux titulaire du precieux sésame, au nez et a la barbe de mes géniteurs. Ceci prouve donc bien que cet album était excellent, et si l'on lit bien entre les lignes, on peut même deviner la note de 4/5.

Ich bin irgendwie zutiefst betroffen, dass es den Tod gibt und damit solcherlei Entdeckungen ganz unverschämt einschränkt sind; und doch bin ich auch von dieser Entdeckung zutiefst getröstet.

I liked it. Very groovy.

12 minutes in, a refrain of “I get up, I get down” climaxes with a church organ dropping blazing mournfully and I’m amazed by authentically raw feeling. Then Yes repeat this a minute later, quartering the force, follow up with some UFO sounds and a trippy gallop that resolves into a concluding segment of hippy healing circle involving that now-cheesy refrain and I’m deflated and laughing at having been tricked. Yes is Yes.

Adventurous.

J'ai écouté cet album dans le train qui allait m'amener au Generator Hostel. Autant vous dire que j'en avais la boule au ventre et que je n'ai pas pu pleinement apprécier son contenu.

Yes! No...still can't get into them. And this album has only 3 songs...

Most often I want my listening experience to be a bit easier that progrock accommodates. Listening to this album really solidified this in my head. I guess I'm **capable** of thinking about what I'm listening to, but largely choose to let my mind wander. Yes, for me, demands full attention. Kind of exhausting honestly.

If Yes were the only prog music I had heard, I think I would hate prog. My esteemed colleague has observed before how fidgety this band are, all musical prodigies with severe ADHD. This album is probably the worst of the lot, so irritating to listen to: 18 minute songs, different every 2 minutes! Get a groove going, motherfuckers, please! The bonus cover of "America" is surely self-parody? I couldn't satirize their style any better. Jon Anderson's vocals really annoy me, with the exception of the incredible sample used in "Dark Fantasy". No.

No

3 songs and 37 minutes. I am not hopeful. I hate music critics. Prog rock is trash. All Yes songs sound the same. The number of rock songs that are both good and as long as Close to the Edge that are good can probably be counted on one hand. It would not make the list. And You and I is starting out better, but the futuristic synthesizer sounds are too much. I could definitely do without the harpsichord.

Just horrendous

No

1. cloze to the edge - 1 2. and you and i - 1 3. ziberian khatru - 1 4. america - 1 5. total mazz retain - 0 6. alternate and you and i - 1 7. ziberia run through - 0

Highly skilled but ultimately dull, egocentric, screeching drivel.

Still no

Det er lite som er bedre enn et godt prog album, og dette er en av yes sine beste, kanskje bare slått av relayer

Masterpiece of prog rock with elements of punk, jazz, funk, folk, and church organ.

5/5

Legendary prog rock. And Jon Anderson's voice is exquisite.

Got this on cd. Perfect classic prog record. 5/5

An absolute masterpiece of progressive rock. Long-winded gorgeous songs with so many moving parts. It's not for everybody, but it is most definitely for me. 5⭐️

an absolute classic prog rock album. The harmonys and melodies here are so uplifting and enchanting and bring me happiness whenevr i listen to this album. The instrumental perfomances are absolute peak aswell. 9/10 Favourite: Close to the Edge Least Favourite: None

the greatest pop band in the world gets 18 minutes out of the greatest pop song in the world. yes have never been the most structurally adventurous prog rock band...compare to the more dizzying, intricate epics of genesis or king crimson or something even less conventional like van der graaf generator, and you'll scratch ur head wondering how they ever became the posterboys for "prog excess" (at least until you hear topographic oceans, but that ones a masterpiece too lol). or god forbid, prog "soullessness"...jon anderson sings like he's just descended from the mountain with a spiritual message that must reach humanity as soon as possible, and the rest of the band matches his tone while still being some of the most individually identifiable and personality-filled lineups in the whole genre, certainly at this point. the only thing more important than the unbelievable releases of emotion all over this thing are how perfect all the Buildups to those releases are. i dont need my prog to be this oriented around The Listener, but i think i always rly appreciate it with yes because it sounds Participatory, they have found the enlightenment i now get to partake with them at the same time, preserved on wax for all future generations. only possible quibble: maybe the title track should have taken up side 2! direct comparisons to it are the only thing holding the side 2 tracks back. from start to finish this is basically what music is all about...and striving actively to be so in the highest potency it can manage in skill, vision, courage, curiosity, and sincerity. if its overrated, its only because contact with it wont actually physically heal you.

This album might be the best prog rock album from the classical age overall. While there might be others that have more to offer in specific songs, but some lesser tracks, this here is all perfection. And I'm not just talking about THAT organ moment in rock history.

Probably the best Yes album we have done, and I’ve really liked them all. I am very ready to become a middle aged prog fan.

Great album! Great lyrics and engaging last song.

I'm such a sucker for prog rock. This music is the wind beneath my wings.

This one's a masterpiece. If Chris Squire doesn't have the best bass tone ever I don't know who does. Albums like this are why I enjoy prog so much. Long tracks that go different places and excellent musicianship. This is probably their best album overall for my money.

It seems pretty rare for an album to be so innovative yet so immediately engaging and fun. How Yes managed to strike that balance here I don’t know, but I do know this is a phenomenal album.

I love prog!

One of the best prog rock records ever

Probably the best Yes album ever.

Wow... it had been many years since I'd listened to Close To The Edge. I have a particular memory of my first and only experience with a joint... it was while listening to this album. Maybe that's why all the nuances of the sound are still encrypted in my memory; I can literally hear this album in my head note by note. Don't do drugs, people, but this album is still fantastic, even more than 50 years later.

Seasons will pass you by... I GET UUUUUUUP, I GET DOOOOOOOOOWN

I like how it goes from really claustrophobic to spacey in a second flat. There were a lot of moments of virtuosity and moments that just sounded beautiful. I’ve never really listened to prog rock, but it’s always seemed like music made by and for people on the spectrum. I gotta ask my mom how much Tylenol she was popping in ‘92.

Just a day after Fragile, we get Close to the Edge. This is Yes's masterpiece and I'll brook no argument on that. Every moment of every long-ass song hits.

This one left a very strong first impression on me, however it's so dense and proggy that I thought it'd need a bit of simmering before I could accurately rate it. ...I ended up listening two more times today. Definitely enjoyed it more with each subsequent play. 3 tracks, 37 minutes, and it's a freaking journey! Having been blessed by Fragile yesterday, I have been heavily Yes-pilled in these past 48 hours, and I certainly can't complain. Standouts: Close to the Edge • Siberian Khatru

This album is just really good and I like it. The piano is so perfect and I adore everything. I can't really describe what it is but there is not a wasted second. Fantastic shit.

Masterpiece

I love old 70's prog and Yes is probably one of my favorites in that genre. Great album I feel like most folks consider this peak Yes but I am a bit more partial to fragile. Surprised I'd never listened to it before but definitely will listen to it again!

Ah my sort of music.

This feels like a step up from the other Yes albums on this list. Some great keyboard playing from Wakeman. I think this might just edge into five star for me.

This is a journey. The ones where you don't even sleep. 5/5

Yes’ fifth album finds the band on top form - performing at the peak of their abilities – Close To The Edge, indeed. While the playing is tight and lucid throughout, many of the arrangements are gloriously out there, Prog at its most ambitious and daring. The 19-minute title-track – in four parts – is a case in point. It’s uninhibited in its scope yet provides focus for everything that follows. “And You And I” – also a four-part epic – is rightly considered a classic of the genre – equal parts mystical folksong and bucolic progressive bliss. Ending with “Siberian Khatru”, a galloping rocker, that builds and builds until its brilliant wiggy finale. There’s no doubt, Close To The Edge is one of the great Prog records, and essential listening for fans of the genre. 10/10

For hard-core Yes fans. This is one of those albums that defines Yes as a Prog Rock leader and also shows their diversity with "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru". Definitely worth a listen even if you're not a Yes fan but a must if you are.

I know prog isn’t for everyone but this is one of the very best albums the genre has to offer back to front, all over the place stylistically and it all works.

One of my all time favorites, the band's best album in my opinion. It was good to revisit.

The rhythm…Sounds to DANCE to! Music that makes you MOVE! It’s a great journey listening to this album. I haven’t had a good sit down to a long song in quite some time, so this was a refresher and an energizer. I love long songs for the space that they create and how a specific sound navigates that space as a complete experience (which is also part of the overarching experience that is the full album.) These songs were dynamic and filled with so much change. For my zoomer attention span, it was also an enriching album to see as a “challenge.” Much longer than the two minute singles we’re used to, these songs really make you sit down and listen. You have to sit with and digest each parts of a song and then the song as a whole. This album is just a blessing to your ears and your brain. I will have to continue to pour over these songs and reconstruct them in my head over and over. Faves: All of em

Fabulous album. Love it. Own it.

These guys are legally allowed to make a three track album of absolute bangers.