CLOSE TO THE EDGE

As the description of 3 stars states, this album is good, but definitely non-essential. The title track is, in my opinion, the worst track on the album. It starts off great, with excellent drumming from Bruford and complex guitar from Howe. As the song progresses, however, Anderson's vocals prove to be sloppy at best, and at times quite annoying. The middle chunk of the song is quite airy, with not much happening, then thinks become bogged down by bloated organ work from Wakeman, but it does get slightly interesting when he starts throwing in bits of synth. Overall, Bruford and Squire provide excellent musicianship, and Wakeman and Howe have their moments, but its just not consistent enough for an 18+ minute song. Anderson has a few nice vocal moments, but again, its just not consistent. Wakeman's keyboard work is often sloppy as well. The next song, 'And You And I,' the second best on the album, is done very well. A very good listen. The last track, 'Siberian Khatru,' is my personal favorite. Howe's guitar intro work is possibly one of my favorite moments from him. Overall a very consistent track in terms of musicianship, with very likable vocals from Anderson.

In my opinion, this album gets its stars from the two latter tracks on the album, with the first track being one of the most overrated progressive songs of all time.

3 stars