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.

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

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

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.

No.

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

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

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"

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::

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 love Yes! <3

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

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

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.

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

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.

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 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.

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.

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

Probably my favorite Yes album that I've listened to

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

Fantastic!

classico

ODÖDLIG KLASSIKER TITELSPÅRET ÄR 7/5

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

::wanking motion::

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

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

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

10/5 probably one of my top three albums of all time. Excellent!

4.5/5

The best of 70s prog rock opera

Great album

nice

even siberia goes through the motions ‼️

I was exposed to this album not too long ago. An 18 minute song sounds crazy, but it's truly a treat to listen to. Fun instrumentals and vocal work! 'Close to the Edge' is my fave, but out of the 18-minute behemoth, the organs around the 12 minute mark are just amazing.

Good album. The trick with any good Progressive Rock composition is to make the listener wanting more despite the fact that song takes up a third of the album. Close To The Edge definitely left me wanting more.

me when the rock progs or something

I genuinely think that Close To The Edge might be the greatest song ever written. I don't think there's another song that combines four separate prog masterpieces into one mega epic that never drags or gets stale. One of the most satisfying musical payoffs by the end, and that's not even mentioning the grand organ interlude. Side B is also excellent, and manages to not feel tacked on despite Side A being the obvious star

Best progressive album ever.

Another great album by this group. I can definitely recognize where some of my favorite bands got their influence.

Hmmmmmm, I started listening to this - deluxe edition, and something was off. So I went to the original from 1972. 3 songs. 37 minutes, 42 seconds. Now THAT'S the way I remember it. Beautiful from beginning to end. Saw them at the Aire Crown in Chicago on this tour, and it was magical. Thank you Randy Kolb for introducing me to this band, way back when!

A prog classic! I was originally introduced to Yes via radio in the 80’s during their pop phase (90125). I always loved hearing “Owner Of A Lonely Heart” when it came on my little tape player/radio. Little did I realize what a long wild musical ride Yes had been through to get there. As a young musician starting out in the 90’s, I began hearing the old heads of that time speak about the prog genius that was 70’s Yes. I remember thinking, the ones that did “Owner of a Lonely Heart?” Eventually, when I started down the prog journey from “The Yes Album” to “Tales From Topographic Oceans” my musical brain exploded. “Close To The Edge” is the center piece of this 5 album run of incredible prog installments and it might be my favorite. To this day I still find new things to love about this album and Yes in general so for me this is an easy 5.

Im rating the standard edition album- What’s not to like here? 18 minute songs? Well that’s fair, but let’s just pretend there are multiple songs and that this is like any other concept album. The original version is only 37 minutes, and in those minutes you get some extremely over-produced and over-worked prog rock. Only, as with most music that is touched too much that it turns to dust, this comes across as meticulously polished. It’s an adventure of sound, a foray into so many elements and themes, but stays true to its quirkiness. The production is spectacular and the fidelity is high. I am reminded of Crime of The Century in so many ways when listening to Yes. Both bands just explore their sounds so deeply. Giving us fun and unique music. True gems.

Wow. Quite different and interesting prog rock. Just 3 v long tracks (18, 10, 8 mins), first couple kind of broken down into a few parts/movements (but v much all flows as one track). Some crazy instrumentation - just track one features a crazy keyboard solo and some phantom of the opera style organs (amongst so much more). My fave completely new discovery since starting this (about 10 albums in).

The most prog that ever progged.

Welp, it's time for my final Yes review. And would you know it, I happened to close things out with their best album! Well, best album I've heard, that is. Close to the Edge is amazing! This is far and away the most cohesive Yes experience I've gotten thus far. Everything that I loved about Fragile and The Yes Album is even stronger here. I think what really makes this album work is that there really isn't any filler. There's only 3 songs, all of which are excellent. Compare this to an album like Fragile which had some smaller, less interesting ditties in between the big masterpieces like "Roundabout". Given the low song count, I might as well say something about all 3 songs here. The album starts with its centerpiece, the title track. Yeah this song is a masterpiece. If you wanted to play one song to someone to show them what makes prog-rock so special, "Close to the Edge" might be a good pick. Everything just works, and the 18 minutes are absolutely warranted. I love "And You And I." This one's just such a pleasant listen. I wish I could say more, but I think it really speaks for itself. Finally, "Siberian Khatru" is the album's closer and it's also great. It's probably the most fun song on the album and it serves as a great way to end the album. Jon Anderson's vocals add to the wonder of the instrumentals perfectly. The instrumentation is so technically impressive it's almost unbelievable. The pacing is really good somehow. Albums like this are why I love prog rock so much. There's so many crazy ideas at play that shouldn't work, and yet they do. And it's amazing! This is the kind of album that changes a person's perspective of what music can be. It's not that for me because I've already been exposed to these kinds of songs, but there's no denying that Close to the Edge is an absolutely mind-blowing album that I can't help but love. 5/5.

I’ve really enjoyed the music of Yes that I’d heard before this one, so I went in with some optimism. In a classic prog manner, this is three tracks with a total runtime of 38 minutes. It’s a really journey though, starting pretty frantic, but soon finding the mellows and areas to rock out too. There’s certainly a place for music that easy to listen to, but it’s great when you come across something like this where they clearly wrote things very differently to most musicians. I quite loved this. It’s hard to pick a favourite track out of the three. It’s great as a whole package.

Yes!

tämä albumi oli niin hyvä että porukka loi uuden genren nimeltä punk joka yritti tasapainoittaa hyvän musiikin sellaisella määrällä paskalla että koko ala ei koskaan palautuisi.. kyllä, sanon minä tälle albumille. edge on the edge kokoajan niin lähellä origasmia.. poppistara kuulee tämän pää räjähtää, pää ei kestä tämmöstä musiikkia . järjetöntä sanoo, täysin järjetöntä. nyyh nyyh, nyyhkyttää vaan.. nyyhkyttää menemään.. mahdotonta ymmärtää käsittää m-mit- mitö t-t-t-tapahtuu samalla jon anderson: i get uuup. i get doo oouwn, i gt uup. i get dooown. (doesn't give a shit) nykyään on hiphop, Ennen oli tämä!!! close to the edge

Quizas el mejor en su género

GOAT

Here we have an album that will make you feel like you're journeying through a secret, funky world in the clouds, with build ups and payoffs that stick with you long after you're done listening. Easily in the top 5 prog records of all time, and undoubtedly the best Yes record.

Close to the edge, down by a river is where you’ll find a quintessential prog rock spirit journey that sounds and feels like an endless freefall into enlightenment.

This is my favorite Yes album and probably my top prog album—if I don’t count Floyd as prog. Sure, a lot of prog can be self-indulgent and excessive—something fans love and everyone else loathes—but this album, aptly titled, stops just short of crossing that line.

Gave this an honest focused listen while raking leaves. And I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed this record when I could give it the attention needed. The intricacies of the arrangement and harmonies are captivating. A totally different and more enjoyable experience than just “having it on”.

1977, and my school buddies were aligning themselves with either punk or heavy metal. Not me... I was getting into punk....and Yes. And Close To The Edge was the album that grabbed me. OK, it was everything that Punk was rebelling against, but....man... the masterly musicianship, the fourth dimensional lyrics, the sprawling expanse of music. Can't they both co-exist? Like Sweet and Sour? Listening to it again in 2024...it's still activating those thoughts...but, bygod, it's overly pretentious. Thoroughly enjoyable, but like a Sticky Toffee Pudding, there's just too much in there.

But never at the edge... At the edge you fall.. Said a dark voice appearing from the dark abyss... The voice was..... syd barret who made this album... His soul... his vision of psychedelic rock is the reason we are standing here at the edge.

Not my favourite Yes Album, but that's like saying chicken is not your favourite pizza topping. It's still pizza.

Probably the best Yes album and probably the best Prog record too

Even if it was just the title track it would be a 5, the other two are just a bonus. This is why i'll always love longer songs, you just get to fit so much in, it becomes a real journey rather than just a quick little musical fix. Prog at it's peak.

Si on m’avait donné un bidou à chaque fois qu’un excellent album prog de Yes avait été généré directement après un autre classique de prog rock, j’aurais deux bidoux, pis je serais très satisfait de ma situation

Yes Extremely original and beautiful and meaningful music for me. I used to listen to these Yes albums from 71-74 religiously. I got into this in middle school and it was one of the first things that really blew my mind and opened me up to what music can be and what a band can do. Each song is such a journey. The composition and playing are incredible and also the mix and production. Love all the peaks and valleys and textures

Opening track is seriously amazing, one of the best prog tracks of all time in my eyes. The rest of the record is great too but that opener still manages to blow them away, which makes this album a fantastic listen.

This is an absolute masterpiece of progressive rock. It's not only incredible as an album, but also important for what it meant to the genre as a whole, and how it inspired the albums that followed. It's meant to be listened to as a whole—it doesn't work any other way, in my opinion (although the first track is a mind-blowing on its own as well). 5 stars

Their greenest. Features probably the best song of all time, and two more songs that are also most likely in the top 50. Undoubtedly a 10/10 album - an absolute masterpiece.

Yes and King Crimson are my two pinnacles of a genre that has I think has incredibly high highs and not a lot else that I really have clicked with. I’ve also only listened to a small sample size of both of their vast discographies. But the albums I like of them both, I think I could listen to forever. This album specifically goes to so many fascinating places. I love the organ and bass sounds specifically on the first sprawling song and I love the way that song shifts to highlight different sounds. It’s pure sci-if!

100% (10+10+10/30) Fav: Close to the Edge, And You and I, Siberian Khatru Least: N/A Must-Hear? Hell yeah

Everything that's right and wrong with prog, except all the wrong things are somehow right. It's preposterous, pretentious, ridiculous and whatever other -ous word you wanna throw at it, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The title track is so over-the-top that it would be laughable if it weren't so damn sublime. It is the best prog song that can ever possibly exist. The fact that this was a massive hit, and that these guys sold out stadiums playing this cacophony blows my mind.

If I could pick one album to erase from my memory just so I could experience it again for the first time, it would be Close to the Edge.

Here is Yes' most ambitious album to date, with two multi-movement songs and one regular (9-minute) song. The result is an album that feels larger than life, and perhaps the greatest prog rock album of all time? It gives Pink Floyd a run for their money, I'll say that much.

Another classic YES album. Loved it.

My favorite Yes album, Rick Wakeman is absolutely mental in this

One of the iconic albums of Progressive rock. If you look on the internet for “best prog albums”, this will be in almost everybody’s top 3. For good reason. It is my #1 prog album, certainly top 10 overall. I’ve had this album (in multiple formats) since the 70’s, it is an old friend. We don’t get together as much as we used to, but it’s always a good time when we do. Stick to the original track list (1st 3 songs), the way it was meant to be presented. You can listen to the bonus material independently, their version of “America” is worthy. This is an easy 5/5.

Now back to your regularly scheduled prog I love '70s prog and this is a high watermark of that era. Easy five for me.