CLOSE TO THE EDGE

"Close to the Edge" is for me the masterpiece to which all other works stand to be compared. I was unfortunate(?) to have been exposed to this album at a very young age. It had led me to believe that there must be many more albums left to be discovered that could contain a magic that equaled or surpassed that of CTTE. 35 years later, I have to admit that it was absolutely .. not the case. It is true that I've discovered SO much wonderful music over the years that I surely might have ignored if it weren't for what had motivated me with CTTE but at the same time I STILL have not satisfied the optimism that I'd had as a child and there is a hollowness that lives with me still. Like "2001: A Space Odessey", Yes's "Close to the Edge" promised a future that never came. They themselves were unable to move past it. If anything, we were driven into a sadder, darker age of music and only now (post 2001) could we begin a more thorough exploration because of the effects of the digital age. I continue to test and sample all that I deem might have the potential to fulfill my lifelong quest for an "OVER the Edge" but, sadly, I am just about convinced ... I will die trying.