Reviews (page 5 of 8)
corto pero bueno
Prog frogs do not get girls. Elite incel music
liked this more than I thought I would. easy listening!
I enjoy the artistic nature of their music and use a respect for the different sounds used throughout each song.
2 5
Lítið um þetta að segja. Samt fínt
My rating 2.8. Not my cup of tea. I guess I don’t get cerebral rock.
Feels like it is building towards a climax that never gets here. Incredible musicianship, but not much fun to listen to.
3/5. canción agregada a la playlist "total mass retain"
Pretty good. Obscure stuff but ok.
not my favorite, but fine. i think if i had gotten more into prog as a teen i would love this. 3 stars
This started off rocky - in the sense that I didn’t like it - but it grew on me. Nice for zoning out. Very complex things happening with both vocal harmony and arranging.
I'm over 50 and have listened to music my whole life but still don't have a good understanding of 'prog.' I think this is. I like a lot of it, but find it a little jarring. I get into a flow and then it takes a hard left. I saw someone use the phrase head not heart, I think that applies a little bit. The one long song (ha) was good, the one in the middle I liked the best. I will give this another listen down the road when I'm in a different mood and see if it lands better. 3.5
Hmm another Yes album that sounded a lot like the first one I had. I don't hate it, I appreciate the art !
If the 1,001 book's assertion is correct that this album is the apotheosis of prog, then I'm not as anti-prog as I thought. Throughout this project I've been far less hostile to it than expected, and Close to the Edge continues that shocking precedent. I mean, it's still not my thing. But I appreciate the artistry involved and find it surprisingly palatable. 3.5 stars.
Like a lot of the prog stuff - fantastic playing, some really cool riffs, just lacks the vital edge. Little wimpy.
The Spotify link linked to a version that doesn’t have the title track on it so you will have to search if you want to listen to it, which I recommend as it is a great example of early prog rock. I was not expecting a Yes cover of a Paul Simon song and that was a different take on things. More pluses than minuses on this one.
Very wanky, like a bunch of virtuosos got together to show off their talent, but neglected to actually be creative about it. In the realm of show-off pieces the album is pretty good though
Why so many 10 min long songs?
Yes has very distinct music that if you are in the mood for, can be quite good
I liked this more than I expected. Probably not something I'll come back to, but overall enjoyable.
I get the love. I get the hate. Ultimately it’s not my style of music. They are a very talented group for sure.
I feel like a broken record with all the “a highly recommended group that I’d supposedly like but just never got around to.” It certainly does have many ingredients that suit my palate; virtuosity, breadth of style, complex composition, looong-ass songs. And yet… it sounds so dated. Which seems like an idiotic critique. But I can’t figure out how to explain it any better. It’s like all the prog attributes are cranked to max. Maybe I prefer a little more variety there? I don’t love the vocal either. But that’s another criticism I usually hate. There’s def sthg here & I’m sure there’s some Yes for me. But this doesn’t seem to be it. I’ll say 3 &a quarter
My mom used to listen to Yes growing up, the album with Owner of a Lonely Heart. I thought it was a pretty great song at the time. I think overall they make some really cool sounds, stuff that is in another world from what I hear today. That being said, this was not my favorite album
obviously they're very skilled players. kinda frustrating to start it off cause there'd be a couple minutes I'd really be into and then they'd lose me with the next couple minutes. enjoyed the second and third tracks more, but still this just veers a little too prog without anything else to keep me coming back. glad for the opportunity to finally check out Yes tho.
esperaba algo progresivo, pero se borro, je mmm me gustó hasta ahí, es la voz de rush pero una instrumental mas progresiva, no me termina de gustar a pesar de q a mi en general siempre me gusto, masomenos, es como que divaga mucho mas de lo q deberia y se pierde en el intento de experimentar
And You and I //
rock progresivo, un poco disco, piola
Album #36, Yes, Close to the Edge ⭐⭐⭐ Prog. I don’t know where I stand with prog. I used to hate it. I probably still do. The closest I get to prog is Can and Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, two bands I absolutely love. I also like music that isn’t really prog but clearly takes influence from it, like Black Midi. But pure, on-a-drip straight into the veins prog, I don’t really know about it. So this was my first time listening to Close to the Edge. I’ve heard loads about it, and this is a review after just one listen. The good things are obvious. The musicianship is phenomenal. I know their bassist, Chris Squire, is considered one of the greats, and you can hear why. The rhythm section is spectacular. Some of the grooves they lock into are fantastic. There are also some really beautiful passages across the three tracks. There’s a lovely string section in the first track, and some cool guitar work in the third track. It’s hard to pick out individual moments, but there are definitely parts I enjoyed. I just don’t really care for this style of music. The constant segues into something else, the feeling of musicianship for musicianship’s sake. I need a bit more than that. I’m not saying the band doesn’t have more going on, but I just don’t get it. I don’t really get what the message is supposed to be or how I’m meant to feel listening to it. I don’t get much emotional weight from the songs. I’ve no idea what they’re about either. That’s fine in theory, but it just doesn’t resonate with me. I’m definitely more of a punk person. And to be fair to prog, we probably wouldn’t have had punk if it wasn’t reacting against this kind of music. So I do give it some credit for that. There are highlights on the album, but there are also a lot of moments that feel completely inconsequential to me. I don’t need a massive church organ solo appearing out of nowhere in the middle of a song. I just don’t really see the point of it. It gets three stars because there are some genuinely great moments. But honestly, I just prefer choruses.
Not my fave of theirs, but it is Yes
3.5
Very good prog rock. Unfortunately I'm just not really into the genre. But it's not bad
“Yes”? More like, “Okay, fine.”
Favorite Track: Close to the Edge
To be listened to
While there are some masterfully crafted instrumental parts, which remind me of the later works of Casiopea and Japanese jazz fusion in general, I am not vibing with the vocals and overall product. Still, it's a great record.
Nice listen but not something I need to listen to everyday.
prog rock isn't really my jam. it was fine though. not offensive to listen to, but nothing that blew me away.
I'm just now realizing that Yes is an electronic jam band. Rather than a guitar, sax or banjo solo, they have synthesizer and keyboard solos. I'm starting to understand it now. The funniest thing about Yes is finding out that my father-in-law is into them.
Bukv kao da slusam jednu pesmu od sat vremena. Nije lose.
Some songs I enjoyed as Inused to like Yes and others seemed a repetitive line…I found unattractive g
I liked this album I'm just going to base it off what I was able to get through. If I end up listening to the other 4 hrs (!) worth of B sides and remixes included on the the super deluxe version and it's worth updating, I'll come back and do that. What I was basically able to do was disc one and half of disc 2, which is different versions of the songs on disc 1. I liked the songs, but the thing about prog rock that I don't like is that it gets to a point that I like what they're doing then switches to a completely different thing at the drop of a hat. This happens in other genres, but I feel like there's always more of a bridge or linking element in them. Overall had some really nice moments, but nothing to hang onto. 3/5
Some of the worst/most ridiculous guitar riffs ever recorded. Still a really solid album Best Song: And You and I Rating: 6.5/10 Stars: 3/5
Correcto
#853. It's interesting, I'm just not interested. 3/5 fine.
This was a cool listen overall and I really enjoyed some of the moments. Wish it were in smaller song size pieces to really be able to appreciate those moments better. I feel like relistening would be a whole undertaking. But it was cool!
Yes somehow get a pass from my usual antipathy and anger for 70s prog rock. Getting mad at their songs seems too much like being worked up over Zippity Doo Dah.
3.0
I kinda liked this. I put it on for a long drive out to the exurbs and the 2003 remaster sounded great in the car. 3.5
This was fine. Very proggy. Very 70s loooooong songs and very unstructured but mathy.
The alternate versions were better
Found this a real struggle to break into with the 18 minute first track a mental block. Once you crack it open, it’s decent. Each of the longer songs feels like a journey and plenty of transitions into different styles and sounds, experimental without being jarring. Prog fatigue is real but this album was worth pushing through.
I definitely vibe more with this flavour of Yes. Its a snapshot of pure prog-rock in a concept album which takes you on an interesting, psychedelic, sonic journey. I listened through twice and somehow transports me to a world of old school fantasy movie soundtracks. I still find the vocals a bit grating but they seem to fit nicely with the chaotic variety of music as it progresses through the album. I definitely respect what they were trying to do here and I wish more modern bands would take more risks and just be more weird and original. There was a lot more going on for me in this album than other Yes offerings but I found it more interesting than I did enjoyable.
Mi è piaciuto, anche se meno dell'altro album loro, o forse lo devo solo ascoltare meglio
Each song is a symphony with like 3-5 movements. Here’s the thing, it’s like queen-folk-funk mix with some experimental stuff that is a little questionable. Some of the movements I really like and some I hate, but the good ones aren’t good enough for me to justify listening to the whole like 10-18 minutes of each song.
Not bad, pretty good.
Administrative point: the album listed on this page is the original release from 1972, but the image shows the deluxe edition. I listened to the original release (three tracks). The title track might be the longest running song I’ve ever heard, even longer than “Inagadadavida”. Hearing “And You and I” takes me back, although I haven’t heard it in decades. Of course the radio version was shorter than the 10 min album version. This record was another enjoyable listen, but the title track was too forgettable for me to warrant a higher rating.
Wild, epic prog-rock! I respect the audacity of it. The music is constantly morphing and packs in a lot of sonic surprises. It’s sort of ridiculous at times, but I like that. These guys seem like eccentric music nerds who put all of their energy into the music. You can feel the passion. “Siberian Khatru” in particular is awesome! Also, I can tell that a lot of my favorite indie bands — Grizzly Bear, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective — were clearly influenced by Yes. And for that I’m very grateful. There are a lot of words on this album too. I couldn’t absorb the lyrics in addition to the music on a first listen, but I’d be curious to know what they’re singing about so passionately.
When this first started, I was so excited to hear the ambient synth drone and the various SFX like birds chirping. I was sitting there, (a few minutes ago) with a large glass of water on a Monday morning just getting my day and week started, and I was thinking "man this is a nice way to start the week. I feel calm, I feel relaxed.". Now I know the band "Yes" and I know they are proggy classic rock, but I don't know this album and I guess I figured it wouldn't be that farfetched for them to have a song that is ambient drone, but I was pretty let down at the 1 minute mark when the band broke into their traditional sound. Which is pretty unfortunate, because I think it sounds really sick actually, like a classic rock version of Mastodon. But I guess that's just a lesson in experiencing music, and even when you are presented with something that you normally really like, you gotta be in the mood for it. After a few minutes though (3 minutes in) I feel more accustomed to the sound and I'm enjoying it more. By the end I like it, but it fits into this weird experiential bucket for me where I tend to listen to albums on this list while I'm doing something else and my attention is a little split. It won't be like 90% attention on something else and 10% attention on listening to one of these albums, but more like "I'm doing something with my hands like doing the dishes, while I am more intently listening to this album". So that's what's going on here, but more often than not with these proggy records I feel like I need to put headphones on and stare at a wall while ingesting the music. There's just so many changes and shifts in feel that it's seldom that you get a song that you can sink your teeth into and get comfortable with before it changes.. with this album I hear something that I start to like and then it changes, and then changes again, and then teases something else before changing in a completely different direction. The milieu and era of these albums is really important to note with this. In 1972, 8-tracks were just becoming an option for newer cars, so most people were listening to the radio... and many of these records / songs weren't being played on the radio that often, with their ~18 minute long epic single tracks. These records were meant to be listened to in concert, or on vinyl in your house while you sit and listen. It doesn't affect my rating, but it does color it a little I think. I really like the "Yes" font. It's really unique and I think you can really pick it out, even if it didn't say "Yes" there's a good chance you would be like "ah that's a font for a band isn't it".
Yeah, nah... Just too much.
I like Yes, well several songs by Yes anyway. I've always thought that prog rock was modern classical music. None of the Yes songs that I like are on this LP.
Not bad. But I think I get this fix from other places.
kind of liked it. lots going on
I quite enjoyed Close To The Edge. It certainly has been a while since i last listened to Yes seeing as they were one of the very first bands i listened to on this whole project (In fact, The Yes Albums was only my 5th album on this journey) but i am still aware of how their albums are structured. They are typically these sort-of mini songs which are combined into one big song. I thought that this sort of structure still worked here and the songs themselves are all pretty enjoyable. Granted, they can get forgettable especially seeing as they can get lost in the shuffle with the other songs but i still enjoyed my time with this album, even more so than The Yes Album. Best Song: Close to the Edge Worst Song: And You and I
Way back this was an album I listened to a lot. I haven't listened to much Yes in recent years so listening again is a little surprising. I still enjoyed the music but I'd forgotten how tinny/high-pitched it was and not just Jon Anderson's singing. This is even with Chris Squire on bass. I'll listen again (and I'm going to see what remains of Yes in a few months) but I'll have to acclimatise myself to the lack of bass!
3/4
Better than ELP, but still not a fan of prog.
Brings back memories of discovering "Art Rock" in high school with the other stoners. Nice little nostalgia trip- didn't listen to the extended edition, 40 minutes is enough. These guys could play their asses off and they sure wanted everyone to know that.
Very nice
expected more
Oooooh its a bit much for me
A good album I liked And You And I the most.
2/3. I knew the title track already, but had never listened to the other two songs. CttE is a prog classic for a reason, and that chorus at the beginning and end is so catchy and melodic. And You and I was a bit sleepy for me, might need a few more listens there, but Siberian Khatru was a fun discovery, pretty groovy.
Nice but it all sounds like the same song.
Cool psychedelic record
I feel like this was one hour of the same song on repeat. It definitely sounds like how I would assume the 70s sounded.
Not their best album
Don’t push me cause I’m
This is talent, but it's not for me. Pitchfork: 9.0 Rolling Stone: Top 500 Albums #445 Best Songs
Enjoyable enough. But also, like, these songs are too long? I know it's superficial of me, but I get annoyed with song lengths like this on songs that really could be split into multiple tracks.
= The Beatles
Grand, meandering, long form compositions that no doubt are dripping with my musicality and talent. There are definitely moments in here, it's just that you have to be willing to listen to 10+minute tracks to get there. Patience is the only way to approach this one, and if that's not what you're looking for, it's going to probably miss you
Listening to this list I came to the realisation that I really don’t, with some notable exceptions, like prog rock. Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, early Queen, Zappa, Rush are most of the exceptions. What they all have in common is songs. Sure there’s complex harmonies, obscure time signatures and diverse melodies but there are songs. You can sing them. You can dance to some of them. You can remember them. Yes should be one I dislike. I like Yes. I find that Yes has songs as supposed to onanistic ramblings. A magnificent rhythm section in Bruford and Squire. Great guitar playing by Steve Howe and exquisite harmonies by Anderson. Wakeman on keyboard and what more do you want? 4 stars with one taken off because I wanted to hate it.
Fav Song: Siberia I can always trust Yes to be lost in the sauce (affectionately)
Knowing that Yes is prog rock, and that all their hits are on other albums, I was dreading this one. Started with great news: this album is only 37 minutes and change. Immediately hit with bad news: there are only 3 songs on this album. Hoo boy. It's not terrible. It's nowhere near as pretentious or annoying as say Genesis or King Crimson. But if grunge was the stoner kids starting a band in their parents' basements and garages, prog was the theater kids doing it, and theater kids are really weird, man. Influence 3, I guess. Quality 3. Intangibles (I hate where this is going) 3. Hits: the album charted with no single - wild 2. Again, I didn't hate it 3.
It's Yes, thus hella prog, which indeed it is. I really enjoy the more ambient moments. There's excellent portions throughout. It's prog though, so it's always changing and doing too much overly-complex stuff all over the place. Plus some of the synths on here are straight dorky. I've always liked the singer's voice. The cover of "America" is an interesting take. "And You and I" is great. I like listening to Yes. I'll never be a full-on prog dude, but it's usually fun to listen to.
"Oh, another 1970s prog rock album. Great." Surprisingly I actually liked this one.
Experimental, kinda liked a few. Would be distracting in a bar but really neat to listen to on its own.
If you're not into prog-rock or experimental jazz, the first three minutes of this record are going to be a real challenge for you. I don't think you'll like anything after that either, but those first three minutes are definitely going to take you "Close To The Edge" of your mental fortitude. The title track is eighteen minutes long and takes up the entire first side of the record, even though it feels like five different songs. Only "And You And I" and "Siberian Khatru" made up the original B side, and then there are four bonus tracks for anyone who still hasn't had enough. Those bonus tracks do contain a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America", which might be enjoyable for casual listeners. The instrumental landscapes are expansive and exciting, and the tempo stays pretty high so it really feels like you're on an adventure! However, the vocals start to wear on me after a while. It's like the adventure has a tour guide who keeps squawking facts and anecdotes over the PA while you're trying to look at the scenery and there's nothing you can do about it. I guess it's hard to plead for a "less is more" vocal approach in a genre built on ornate sonic excess. Prog rock is for nerds! But this is an important listen to appreciate context for the backlash that gave us a lot more low-brow rock and roll (and punk!) in the 70s. Ironically, I hear the roots of post-rock in prog too, but that won't develop until the 90s as a reaction to all the low-brow rock and roll (and punk!) of the late 70s and 80s. A fun ouroboros to explore in a (quite nerdy) future discussion!
That was just unnecessary. We've already reviewed albums from this era of Yes' catalog. No need to cram it down our throats. Maybe listen to their 80's mid-to-late-career megahit album, "90215" instead.
Solid 3...nothing amazing, sometimes it feels like it is trying too hard but I think that is just part of the progressive rock vibe.
It's hard for me to really get into prog rock. These songs were so long and kept losing me, but I appreciate the epic feel of it. There's a lot of heart here.
I enjoyed this. A Yes album that I don't own or have heard before. It did however deliver as expected. Proggy, technical and self-indulgent, which I'm OK with. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
Our third yes album and they're still not a particularly standout band to us. This one did not start off strong but got better as we continued to listen and landed somewhere in fine territory.
I enjoyed this album but I’d put this below the other 3 Yes albums I’m familiar with ( fragile, debut album, and 90125). It’s just alittle too much. Like all of their albums are wild and overly complicated whether for good or bad. And usually I’d say it works and that’s part of their charm, but this album definitely challenges that. Mainly the song that really stands out the most, the opening track, has this repeating key progression in the background of like the first several minutes and it became grating pretty quick, but I did enjoy Siberian Khatru the most. Also this isn’t necessarily a complaint just an observation, there’s like several different versions of this album and each one is pretty wildly different which is kinda crazy. But I do believe this specific version with 7 tracks is my favorite version. But if you like yes this is a must listen, but if you already know u don’t like Yes than this will be torture cause it’s a lot even for them.
It was decent. Not the vocals, vocals sucked, but I enjoyed it overall
This is maybe a bit too proggy too quickly for my liking but once you get over the initial mental mess it settles down. The cover of America on the deluxe version is unforgivable, though.
Hey, I remember seeing this album a few weeks back when rifling through the book. I thought I hadn't deleted the entry for Willie Nelson's Stardust at first. The jury's out on what this could be going from the cover, though I'm getting a bit of a psychedelic feel from the lettering. Guess I've got nothing else to do but bust this one open. Prog rock. Shoulda knowwwwnnn. I can't imagine there being an album on the list with fewer tracks than this one, which makes it exceptionally difficult for me form a consensus on the music. Anyways, this was solid. As I've said many-a-time before, I will always be partial to albums that have a cosmic sound, of which this definitely fits the bill. The guitar performances on this are pretty distinctive and admirable, though truth be told I get pretty lost in how expansive these tracks are. Still, I had a decent time listening to this one overall. "Close to the Edge" succeeds at being cool despite having such an immense runtime. The bouncy instrumental goes a long way in keeping the music engaging, and the vocals aren't bad, either. The atmospheric stuff during the latter half of the song loses me, but for what it is, it's decent. "And You and I" is a nice, relaxing break from the previous track. Those reverberating acoustic guitars are surprisingly quite effective, and I like the cosmic synths near the end of the track. Book time. Nothing much of note in there. Wikipedia says that this album charted well and has a good critic backing. Yeah, I guess I can bat for this one. It's pretty unique and has an admirable level of ambition. I cosign this inclusion.
Not bad
I am really trying to be a Yes man. I am almost there, but within Prog rock, there are other band I like more, and they also have a different vibe.
It was cool, enjoyable, and on par for the time period. I appreciated that there were only 3 tracks. However: they were marathon tracks lol
This is a fun, quirky little album. Three tracks amounting to just under 40 minutes of entertainment. The music is spacey, the vocals are like frolicking through an Irish pasture. It’s very orchestral and cinematic at times, creating a really engaging mood. Uplifting throughout and keeps my attention. I dig it.
I liked Yes a lot in high school and tho I like them less now, there are still moments on this album that still slap But I bet this album doesn't connect with even the Phish heads in this group not only bc of the generational divide and the super hippie lyrics, but it's so organ/keyboard-driven and Phish and most other modern prog rock are more guitar-driven or at the very least, not keyboard-driven.
maybe
I like prog rock but I could never really warm to the Yes for some reasons. Their musicianship is amazing and it is also a well produced album. Perhaps the songs themselves aren't that memorable and melodic, and it's very much 'head' music instead of 'heart' which makes it less interesting to me. I haven't got this problem with most other prog rock band (for instance, Genesis is one of my favourite bands). Well anyway it was a good listen and appreciate their talent but it'e only 3 stars.
I guess I love Yes now.
I’m never going to actively listen to yes, but this wasn’t a chore. The early track was some interesting prog. The standard Prog complaint though - way too long.
The was early Yes. Still good, but their later stuff was more polished and more entertaining.
Complex for the sake of being complex, but I guess that’s prog in a nutshell.
Their fifth album. Prog Rock. This is clearly complex and requires highly skilled musicians to compose and play. The album is brilliantly whimsical at times yet also over the top. I cannot deny it's magnificence on many levels. The opening track alone is a journey. However I can also understand why a group of kids just behind this generation stripped music right back to it's simplest two or three minute track form, as this kind of album is just not accessible to the average kid with a guitar in his garage in the working class mid 70s areas.
this was funky~ an 18 minute meeting!
This is one where if I gave it more time, another 3-4 listens, it MIGHT get bumped up to a 4 stars....maybe not. Some great beautiful moments on this album but a lot a floating and meandering and jagged noise-making as well
Pretty crazy record and NJ turnpike reference. Yes I enjoy but they can be hard to grasp sometimes. 3.5/5
Technically impressive and stratified I guess, but deep down I couldn’t feel a soul
Great progressive rock sounds. Definitely will take more than one listen to "get it". But, overall I liked it!
What in the prog rock is going on here? Certainly no lack of effort here, but I can't get there in terms of calling this Yes's greatest album or anything. A lot going on of course, and I think I enjoyed side two compared to side one, despite the fact that this side is more folk and traditional rock-oriented compared to the rest of the album. I found "Fragile" slightly more memorable as an album I guess.
Pretty interesting. Didn't generate a strong attraction, but it's clearly something special.
Is this album supposed to be only three songs? I clicked on Apple Music and my mouth dropped at seeing an almost 19 minute track. The whole album keeps glitching too so it won't let me even play or listen to it, oddly enough. I found it on YouTube and wtffffff hahahahah I knew Yes was weird, but I am 2 minutes into the 18-minute song and OVERWHELMED. This is a great track for listening to for this assignment, but I could not drive with this album on. I think I would freak out. I think the bass parts and the harmonies are always such a standout of this band. It almost feels like psychedelic madrigal music. Like if knights had mushrooms they'd have made this kind of music hahaha.
This is 100% the step before Rush. I actually enjoyed it more than I enjoy Rush by far. Not a ton of variation sonically or lyrically but solid air guitar songs.
Is this The Mars Volta?! I LOVE how the title track starts and then settles in. This is some solid squiggly prog rock. I feel like it meanders at times to its detriment but overall I really enjoyed this.
I mean it was ok but the start of the first song was too much. 2.6
Great classic album. Didn't click with me as much as some of their other stuff but at least a 3.5
I cannot believe I am giving Yes a 3, but some parts were nice
And You and I was the track I was most familiar with, but it’s all standard Yes prog stuff.
Great
I don't mind a bit of prog. I don't love a LOT of prog though and this list does seem to have a bit more prog than it probably needs. I hadn't heard this before and it's pretty good; like the best prog I've discovered so far, plenty of good stuff emerges from the long, thick clumps of music that sort of chug away. But it's always just buried so deep within these needlessly long and elaborate passages. I do understand why people love it and I can imagine it being pretty mind-blowing when it all emerged from the jazz and rock of the 70s. But I think at this point I get the gist of it and we're just adding context for the sake of it. There are some great moments but I'm not going to be coming back to plough through all this to find them with much regularity.
Bra prog, liker stemmen til Jon Andersson.
Fav: Siberian Khatru Least Fav: Close To The Edge Takes a while but when it hits it’s quite good
Interesting sounds but pretty forgettable. Maybe the coolest yes album? But idk if im ever gonna listen again. THREE
The excellent drum work merits a third star. The not-so-excellent vocals almost took it away.
Not generally a fan of songs over 7-8 minutes long, beyond that and it’s basically just a jam session. Good luck trying to play an 18 minute song on the radio today.
Technical insanity.
Always liked Jon Anderson’s vocals and this album showcases it well. Good musicianship but a little overindulgent. Not as bad as I remember it tbh
sure
I love Yes. I can’t say I love this. I suppose I love certain Yes albums. The last song was the best.
Not quite the brand of Prog I like, but was glad I finally listened to this in full.
Just lostened to forst song but it was fire
Have always enjoyed Yes’ sound. Not going to listen every day, but glad this one was on the list. 3.5
Like all Prog Rock one listen probably doesn't do the album justice, first time listening to this, lots of moving parts, lots of great moments. Needs many more listens to really enjoy.
70s rock. Inspired by by the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha. Their greatest success. Quite the magnum opus. Realky varied and quite beautiful.
Like, don't Love. It still reminds me too much of growing up with my asshole older brother. Also Like, don't Love.
I like prog rock, I think, or maybe I like the idea of prog rock? I love Yes the first album, or at least one song! Same with King Crimson to be fair. I can listen to Rush all day long.
They are clearly talented, you can hear a lot of later music in this but by itself, not my thing.
Very grand album. I think I enjoyed the second side over the first. The first side definitely had its moments, but the parts in between felt too much like filler. Great vocals and instrumentation, but overall, the album drags at points. After listening, I stepped back and questioned if I really got an album’s worth of music from the runtime it had.
Not bad.
You like prog? This is prog. Some of the proggiest prog of the time. So prog.
I like the theory of Yes more than the actuality—the sudden changes of rhythm and instrumentation are a little jarring to my ear. 3.5
Exactly what you’d expect from early yes. Ultra proggy, great musicianship. The whole time I just thought I’d so much rather be listening to Rush.
It's ight.
Overall, not bad. I started skipping through songs at the end of the album, but I like listening to the instruments.
It was fine. If anything, I liked it more than I thought it would. I've never been a prog rock guy. These guys are super talented, but this isn't something I'm going to listen to again.
neat
In a nutshell: sticking to their lane, and having fun while doing it. Overall: 6/10
Overlong songs, but at least they sounded good.
Kinda bummed I didn't love it all, but there were some great moments.
The critic’s darling of the Yes catalogue. The British 2112. Or is 2112 the Canadian “Close to the Edge?” The year is 1972 which has already delivered like 25 albums. Do you think we’ll be this obsessed with 2025 in 2078? Will I be alive in 2078? Will the planet be habitable in 2078? A whole lot of digits in there, and now dread of the existential variety is colouring my Tuesday morn. Yes, whisk me away to a simpler time. Before women could have credit cards, and when the lack of cell phones had serial killers putting up generational numbers. Huh. Maybe every time has been plagued with issues. Close to the Edge - Oh this puppy is gonna be long. Almost 20 minutes of prog rock ahead of us before we reach track 2. I have my 16 sided die ready to roll. Rolling a solid god damn 5 right now. This musicianship is insane. Oh no. The reggae break is so unnecessary. Why does every white man insist on “taking it to Kingston?” For a song that started so well, this trailed off into lame territory for me. And You and I - More reggae in parts. The bass is the MVI for this band. Is MVI some sort of medical acronym? I should’ve paid more attention in community college. I would imagine my writing is evidence enough of that epiphany. Anyway, this song was fine. Siberian Khatru - What a cool song title that is immediately let down by gentle singing. A cosmic closer that is kind of schizophrenic in A three song album. Crazy. Anyway, the bass on this record hovers around me like a biblically accurate angel, embodying dizzying complexity, whilst also swaddling me in comforted bliss. The singer is like a hyperactive child attempting to remove me from my trance by shouting “watch me watch me. I can sing lamely.” If this was an instrumental album we may be approaching 5 stars. Yes’ strength isn’t in songwriting, but rather their bold and fascinating instrumental ideas that truly embody the “progressive” part of prog rock. This album was ok. Too many songs getting in the way of some incredible instrumental music. And I know I’m fifty years too late, but I plead with the white boys of the world. Please stop the ska/reggae madness. Close to Edge was good, not great and maybe that’s why this review was so boring? Who knows. On to the next. 2.5-3 HIGHLIGHTS: Yes and No.
Boring rock opera
I’m kinda shocked that I didn’t hate this, as I fully expected to. I only listened to the 1972 edition though. No way am I listening to prog rock for over an hour if I don’t need to. The music itself on this one was less useless noodling than lots of other prog rock, I must admit.
I do wish we'd had the Yes album "Fragile" as the first album from this group. Close to the Edge is good, but it isn't built for a one time listen. I'll be back, but I prefer Fragile and I consider myself fairly tolerant of prog rock in general (except for Genesis - stupid lambs on Broadway). That said, isn't it amazing you can really hear how a band like Rush could evolve from listening to albums like this? Call this one 2.5 rounded up to 3 for now.
This was a lot. Kudos to Yes for being able to make these songs - it takes a lot of artistry and skill - but this was too much into the prog rock side of things for me.
My third Yes album and the third to get a 3/5. I like Yes just fine. I think this is definitely the strongest of the three I've heard. One of the better examples of a genre I otherwise totally despise.
I really like fragile better but still this album is really good to listen to as music, not as good at being background music
My brother and his frat buddies were once caught goofing around in there woods and charged with "conduct that serves no useful purpose" and I feel like this album could be indicted on the same charge, if for slightly - and maybe only slightly - different reasons.
Some beautiful passages, and impressive overall in its ambition and musicianship. Actually quite short and sweet, considering. I did get a wee bit bored now and again.
more like No. I dunno, it was fine, enjoyable enough but their other entries were better. After finishing this one it just doesnt seem memorable, its kinda wishy washy in places, like it tries to be experimental and weird, but comes back down to cool and funky (End of And You and I directly moving into Siberian Khatru) it can give a little whiplash.Still worth a listen, at least.
Not as good as the other Yes albums we’ve gotten but still enjoyable in parts. Some of it sounded really sloppy though, which was weird. Overall this one probably didn’t need to make the cut
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good. Not breaking any ground for me.
Impressive jamming for sure.
Close to The Edge is exactly how Len’s 9th wife, Petunia described their relationship. 2.7 3/7 Siberian Khatru
Solid prog album. Good melodies. Sometimes it was a bit too polyphonic spree of notes but overall I enjoyed it.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Very psych but can also hear some jazz and other influences. Definitely an early prog album.
Progressive rock like this is cool, but I can only listen to it in small doses. This was very exemplary of that genre and I did enjoy it for that but I don't think it's one I would put on again. But then again, I do put on the Dead...
Not my fave. A cover??
Not horrible, but these top-heavy prog albums with a 20 minute song to start are difficult to listen to.
Not bad, entertaining while working.
Pretty solid. The whole package sounds more like The Mars Volta than I was expecting. I enjoyed the amazing tone on those classical sounding bass parts.
Pleasantly surprised. Solidly interesting from beginning to end.
Space jazz!!!
Not my favorite Yes album. 6.5/10
Rating: 6.5/10 The technicality of this album is truly impressive. What's less impressive are a lot of the riffs and musical ideas on here, oftentimes not memorable or just too long. Despite this, the ideas that work are great and musicianship is stellar throughout.
Fine overall. Adequate noodling. I prefer one or more of their other albums that have already appeared on this list.
You know who’s very Close to The Edge? A man by the name of Bono.
The album playlist is short, but why are the songs length long???? The first one being 18 mins. 😭
I liked this but it isn't something I'd listen to on my own. Prog rock is interesting at the least. Long songs that change so much, at one moment I'd be realing jiving to it, then it would change up and get more dissonant and I'd be less jazzed about it. My favorite part is when the voices start harmonizing and it turns into a organ chord. Pretty sweet. Standouts: Close to the Edge Rating: 3.5/5
ach manoo, han am mentig verschiwtz bewerte und darum banger souly album vum netig nöd chöne bewerte, sorry brööös. Das gester isch mir leider nüm so present gsi. aber gmüeetlich bim namal dri gumpe. da chan mir nöd vill degege sege. aber hed mi au zwenig abgholt zum legend si. gemmer mal 3 puntolinos
solidi büetz, aber nöd mega close to the edge zumne 4i
Same as the last album --> it was...ok. Not my style but i didn't not like it. Not going to listen to it again. Nothing stood out
Yes had me close to the edge a few times. .semit wef a egde eht ot esolc em dah seY
Good album but I can't see myself listening to it again
2.5
is this what prog rock is? this did remind me of Rush a bit . at first i though this was too weird but I warmed up to some of it...
Self indulgent as all good prog should be.
Prog rock. Enough parts to keep it interesting, but nothing on the scale of Roundabout.
Better that I expected. Nice surprise.
Not the biggest fan of the delivery but the guitar is cool
Meh. Nothing special here.
Unlike the last yes album I had on here that was all things I hate about prog rock; extended soloing self indulgence with no relationship to song structure, winding, meandering lost in the wilderness going no where slowly this is after a few listens much more listenable. Never going to be a prog fan though. Yes could still do without the keyboard solo that takes you out of the song, elongated music intro etc. but for a genre I just don’t like it was ok. 3 Star, for the album ignoring the travesty cover version of Paul Simon’s America, that did piss me off and did want to give it 1 Star This is a classic example of prog rock, displaying all the genre brings. Please stop asking me to listen to it. If I just accept its all head music rather than heart and leave it at that. I just must be too thick. There are nice bits of structured song then it just transitions into self indulgence listen to me play before returning to the “song” that kills it dead for me. Making it seem every second of the 18 plus minutes. The shorter songs are more structured and more to my taste. Not as bad as the last Yes album which was all self solo and little actual song structure, but that's faint praise as that 1 made me want to hurt myself. I would after 3 listens have given this an average 3 Star but I had the misfortune on 1st play to go into the travesty that they did on the bonus tracks of Paul Simon’s America and that just pissed me off so 2 Star.
It’s competently done, but doesn’t really appeal to me
It's a 3.5 but really thought I would hate it and didn't. The guy's voice is alright and though jam band style, it's pretty nice.
Siberian Khatru is the highlight for me. Otherwise I’m just not as super into Yes as much as thought I would be, given how much I like a lot of “prog” music.
I'm sure if you go into an obscure record shop somewhere, all the bearded men behind the counter would be nodding along sagely while this plays over the speakers. You have to have a 'musical ear' to get this. Simpletons don't understand. Prog rock is music in its FINAL form. The truest music in existence. Actually, this got better as it went on, so ignore some of the snark above. It's still definitely a bit wanky, but some of the music and themes are good, and parts of it sound properly epic - particularly as they bring in those cool synths.
good
¿Otro de Yes? Creo que es el tercero. No ha estado mal, me guardo "And you and I" y "America".
Missing a single.
Not their best 70's album.
more prog wankery, impressive but obnoxious 2.5 rounded up
2.75 Nice and proggy, but this list is just saturated with these groups.
I've heard Yes listed amongst other bands that I like, and the snippets I've caught here and there were enjoyable; I'm interested to give a full album a listen. The trick with prog-rock is balancing the "prog" with listenability. Though typically technically impressive, it's not always enjoyable. To what side of the balance will Close To The Edge lean? The first 3 minutes are a bit scattered with some fun "aahs" unexpectedly jumping in, though things take a majestic turn around the 3 minute mark, and evolutions henceforth are more melodic and tangible, with an epic 3-over-2 section and closer on side 1. Vocal harmonies are on par with Queen's best. I wish the drummer did more; there is so much to explore and feel, and he follows along but may benefit from driving a bit. Prog is not known for minimalism. It does seem Yes is more driven by the keys; they are on display throughout the album, but more evidently forefront on Side 2's "And You And I", which totters between simple,scaled down arrangements and lush, wide sections to blow your mind. Thoroughly enjoyable song. The bassist and guitarist heard me and took offense, and they decided to step it up on the closer "Siberian Khatru." The keys are still busy, but they play a more supportive role. Again, the full range of volume, expansive or minimal arrangements, fast and slow tempos, uplifting or moody vibes, straight and odd times, are all thrown in and necessary for full exploration in this song as well. It may be more impactful to have a song that is just fast or just expansive; it would allow the simple and the complicated to both shine more and offer more variety. Great musicians, great melodies. Good album.
I ended up listening to the much longer remastered version of this album by mistake. I feel like this album demands more of me than I can give to it. It's so dense that it begs to be explored with full attention, and that's hard for me to muster these days. Mom's be multitasking. But I feel like with subsequent lessons I would be finding cool new things each time. Compared to the last album, “The Yes Album,” this one had more funky grooves (at moments). You can't exactly dance to it with all the weird time changes, but I appreciated how it balances its high-minded prog ambitions with some earthy, kinetic playing, just delivered with English art-rock precision instead of for the dancefloor. 3.5
Lots of impressive organ and guitar
It is YES and prog rock, so it wasn't all bad, but on the other hand it is not one of my favorite YES Albums. Those albums would be FRAGILE (which also came out in 1972), 90215, and Big Generator. I personally would not have included it on this list.
I don’t care much for early yes. I like the stuff from the 1980’s best.
Thank you Family Guy for giving me the perfect review to give any progressive rock album. It insists upon itself.
And You & I is probably my favorite of the three.
This started out rocky, but did eventually settle down into something fairly enjoyable. Sounds more like look how clever we are and the tricks we can do jammed together than actually serving the song a lot of the time. Over indulged wank like this is exactly what punk was pushing back against.
The first song is quite interesting, but the second song feels slow and drags a bit. The final song is cool (I really like the harpsichord) but also very long.
This is #day136 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... okay, I must admit, almost half a year later, I decided to give this another chance. The other day, I discovered there's an Edit Ratings section on the site that lets you modify your initial score, and that turned into a bit of a rabbit hole. Now I'm slightly confused about how I've been rating albums on this journey... Anyway, I'm not a prog rock fan, like, by no means, but if we're talking about genre staples that you must hear before you die, this might genuinely be one of them. Still, I'd never choose to put it on again, at least not by my own will. I'm changing my rating and giving this a 3 out of 5. It's just way too prog for my ears, no matter how open-minded I try to be in this challenge. Looking forward to #day137.
Yes’ “Close To The Edge” is a progressive rock masterpiece, with an exceptional production that highlights the virtuosity of the musicians and the complexity of the compositions. Each track is rich in textures and elaborate arrangements, creating an immersive listening experience that captivates the listener. However, the album’s length may be a challenge for some, as its excessive length can lead to moments of dispersion and fatigue, overshadowing the musical genius rather than celebrating it fully.
You know, I could actually get into some of this. And then the music gets all coked out and I can’t keep up. It’s good, but it’s way, way too much. So much cocaine!
This felt like it had a lot of potential to be cool, but somehow ended up feeling kind of insufferable. Maybe worth another listen on another day.
-i like this quite a bit more than the other Yes album I got last week (?). I’m still a bit divided on prog rock as a concept, I have kind of a love-hate relationship with it… but this was really interesting. maybe didn’t appeal to me as much as it did to some but def some of the best work I’ve heard from Yes -Favorites are Close To The Edge (The Solid Time Of Change) and Siberian Khatru
I don't get it right now, but I'll listen again someday
Like an over complicated elevator music
And You and I was pretty good. Whole thing was fine in the background. High 3.
Supposedly one of the great prog albums, on par with the best of King Crimson and Pink Floyd, among others. In that case, I'm a man of poor taste because I was neither that impressed nor moved by this.
A classic prog rock record but a bit too messy for me. Still influential!
I got more into this as it went on. Nice composition and transitions.
Fine but way too long of songs.
3.5/5. Long songs, but I think it works. I would not mind coming back to this.
Meandering and uninteresting to me. The extra tracks on the rerelease are more interesting to me.
Wauw, dit was een nice album, heel veel instrumentale dingen die gebeuren en een soort super maximalistisch album! Wacht, dit is nog steeds het eerste nummer!??!?! En eigenlijk gaat dat de hele tijd door, de muziek is vet maar jezus waarom duurt elk numme zo'n 10 minuten? Dat is echt veel te veel van het goede als je het mij vraagt. Word America nou trouwens gesampled door Simon & Garfunkel? Of is dat andersom?(Blijkbaar andersom, thanks Whosampled) maar ik denk dat dit een van de weinige keren is waar ik de S&G versie beter vind. Elk nummer heeft hele goede momenten, maar is uiteindelijk te langdradig. Ik heb geen hekel aan progrock, heb meerdere progrock albums 4 sterren gegeven, maar dit vind ik niet helemaal mijn ding. FAVO: Close to the edge(laatste 4 minuten), Siberian Khatru,
Long and drawn-out but the band is talented enough and has enough ideas to keep it pretty good. 6/10
Previously rated: Fragile (5/5) The Yes Album (4/5) *********************** I liked bit and pieces here and there. I wish it was broken up into more tracks so I could add a couple of them that I liked. Nothing here is as memorable as the other two albums I've heard so far.
Groovy
Weird & out there & surprisingly neat. Idk, I should probably give it a 4, but I'm giving it a 3.
I enjoyed this in a mad "prog-it-was-the-70s-why-not?" kind of way.
This first song is long. This whole album is kinda weird! But like okay?
3/5
Prog rock banger if you’re about it
Prog rock can be real hit or miss. This is clearly a prog classic, but Close to the Edge feels like a bit of navel gazing from Yes.
So very prog, but I do appreciate a runtime significantly under an hour. It was too prog for me, but still more enjoyable than I expected.
I need to listen to this again. I just listened through my phone which was probably not doing it justice. Will give it another go on big speakers one day.
Favorite Track: And You and I
A notable Prog rock album but there are definitely better from Yes’s contemporaries
Ok ok ok not that bad
Let's just say that I wasn't over the moon to have more Yes so quickly after the last one. However, this one was loads better! It was so much tighter and more disciplined, and fundamentally less proggy than the other one. It came in at a nice tight 37 mins, and while I'm glad it wasn't much longer, I didn't particularly wish it was shorter.
Two long songs - more suites than just single tracks. It is what is to be expected from Yes, though not as strong as their other albums. Enjoyable.
3 - I thought this was very interesting, and I feel like I know a lot of Yes' bigger songs. This was very experimental and didn't hit the same for me
Chat GPT, write me some enigmatic lyrics an unspecified journey to a majestic place. Don't worry about making sense, just make it go for 40 minutes. The music is interesting though.
Liked much of it
This is a transition album from Yes being great to a quick decline into totally pretentious prog rock without good songs. 1971 saw The Yes Album and Fragile released, when I was 15 and then 16. Both are wonderful albums, and us “cool kids” were way into them. Sure, some of the lyrics were a bit out there but with rocking tracks like Yours is No Disgrace, I’ve Seen All Good People, Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise, we overlooked any lyrical craziness. Then as junior year of high school started, CTTE dropped. We were ravenous for it and the diehards loved it. I thought it had its moments (parts of side one, almost all of And You and I), but the lyrics were ridiculous and the songs were not as good as on the previous two albums. Then a year later the double-album (with 4 tracks, each about 20 minutes long) Tales from Topographic Oceans was released and was awful, and things continued downhill after that. 3.5 rounded down to 3 based on what followed #illogical
Good
Mediocre.
Honestly it's a bit of a new, but it feels like that is on purpose, and as long as I don't try to fight it and just go with the chaos it's not unpleasant. Standouts Siberian Khatru 3/5
7/10
this sounded like a jam session in a good way. Pretty fun 70s album.
Groupe connu, par leur tube "Owner of a Lonely Heart" plus récent. J'ai découvert bien plus tard les premiers albums du groupe (Fragile, Relayer et celui-ci), et j'ai été agréablement surpris par cette différence de style par rapport aux albums plus récents. Dans celui-ci j'aime bien "Siberian Khatru", mais moins les autres morceaux. C'est difficile d'être pertinent sur une face de disque ... Pour moi les seuls groupes qui ont réussis cet exploit sont Genesis ("Supper's Ready") et Rush ("2112"). Ici je trouve le milieu de Close to the Edge très ennuyeux, même si le chorus de clavier qui suit est plus intéressant. Et cette nouvelle écoute ne m'a pas fait changer d'avis. Cet album n'a donc pas rejoint ma collection ... =>3/5
Who actually wants to make a 20 minute song? Or listen to it?
Neat. The movement of the tracks was pretty slow but not tedious. Seems ahead of its time.
There were bits I quite enjoyed. Maybe on a different day it could score higher.
I found it interesting enough, the cover of America wasn't bad but it didn't hold a candle to the original. Didn't hate it, didn't love it, less Yes and more Meh
Not a huge progressive rock fan. It’s good for what it is. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
Experimental, didn't really love it but didn't really hate it either.
Kind of interesting. Kind of jammy and electronic.
Initially thought I never heard of this band, but “And You and I” reminded me of a song from the movie Almost Famous. Yep, they are on there lol. Seeing an 18 min opening song annoyed me. Got sick of the vocals by the end of the album.
Experimental much
another piece from the experimental period of Rock and Roll.
Honestly it's a bit of a mess, but it feels like that is on purpose, and as long as I don't try to fight it and just go with the chaos it's not unpleasant. Standouts Siberian Khatru 3/5
I have a sort of best of double album by this lot, so I sort of new what I was going to get. And I wasn't exactly disappointed nor was I overjoyed. It's OK, but not what I would call outstanding. It's mid-range, so the score must match. 3 it is.
3.8
I knew we were in trouble when I thought the 16th minute of track one surely was the halfway mark of the whole album. Okay now at Siberian Khatru and thinking they just a very long to get into the swing of things. There's so fricken jazzy guitar playing going on here. Nope we're back to bad prog. Tantalisingly close to a great album but it never finds its course. The half star is a very rare move for me but would give 3.5 if i could
2024-07-18...
An 18 minute song is ridiculous!
Not Yes' best work in my personal opinion
Yes are another band I feel predisposed to like because of my Dad, and some bits of this were alright. Other bits were a bit dragged out but it wasn’t the worst things I’ve listened to out of this list so far (67 albums deep) and maybe there are better Yes albums to come?
3 songs
This was really great considering I had no expectations going into it. Really enjoyed their version of America
I liked this album, I spent a lot of time trying to think of why they sounded so familiar and Grant said the song America and it allllll clicked
new to me. Almost baroque or symphonic? I Didn't love it at first but wasn't paying attention. It grew on me after listening like 3 times.
Yes has been underrated throughout history IMO because of the Dead and other jam bands of that era. Very solid band; excellent album!
A three but that is maybe a little bit based on how I remember Yes. Innovative as they were, some sounds seem very dated.
Technically very competent but no real emotions evoked. As a result it was hard to stay focused on the long haul experience each song offered.
Edging is cool
My first impression on seeing the album consisted of 3 tracks spanning 37 minutes was this may be a bit of a journey. Indeed, it was a bit of a hazy experience, I think it would be enjoyed better with the accompaniment of some psychedelics but in the absence of illicit substances this was a bit meh.
It’s ok. There are better Yes albums.
This is kinda a meh Yes album in my opinion.
Interesting album. Some of the segments are great, but it does ramble at times. Overall good, just not the easiest listening. 3/5 Might listen again
As with many orchestral songs, there are parts I like and parts I don’t. But at the end of the day, there was almost nothing memorable about this album, except for the concept.
I rather enjoyed most of this one. The WEEyooooo keyboard sound is a little grating, but the bass and drums are fantastic throughout. I do feel like “America” is a miss, and kills the journey of the first 3 songs. Pleasantly surprised over all.
It’s classic Yes…there is no mistaking it. They make it feel grander and bigger than I think it really is. I get the one side, one song thing broken up into parts. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. They have a great sound at shows up in their more rock/pop songs later.
Interesting. I didn't hate it, but these hour long albums where the band mostly plays with some splashed in words is interesting and not my cup of tea.
pretty good, early prog.
Fun album
I found this a bit of a chore to get through. I'm not the biggest fan of 15 minute + soundscape-esque songs but I can see how others would like this.
Sit down and prepare yourself for an 18 minute long progrock song as the opener.
I really didn't get this - it just wasn't for me.
steven wilson probably loves this album
3+
I feel like I am saying this too much across this whole project.: this is pretty good stuff. I love prog rock, but i dont think this is the best effort, even just within Yes' catalog.