CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Since the first time that I listened to Close to the Edge, I knew that I was experiencing a masterpiece. Astonished, I bought the CD only a few hours later. This album is not only the magnum opus from Yes, but one of the greatest achievements of progressive rock. Although it has only 3 songs, all of them are extremely tight and cohesive; not a single second is lost, every note contributes to the final outcome. Symphonic, indeed! The title track is a 19-minute epic. The philosophical lyrics were partially inspired by the novel Siddharta (Hermann Hesse) and the music is extremely well-built and exciting (especially on Rick Wakeman's organ solo at the end of "I Get Up, I Get Down"). "And You and I" is a beautiful suite, with great guitars and a touching chorus. "Siberian Khatru" is the most upbeat track, with funk accent and amazing bass, keyboards and drums.