Close to the Edge vs. Supper's Ready

Which one of these Prog classics do you like better? "Close to the Edge" by Yes, or "Supper's Ready" by Genesis? Hands down, my vote goes to CTTE. Even though I love Genesis more, I have to admit that "Supper's Ready" is inferior to CTTE for the following reasons:

1. CTTE just has more memorable sections and better melodies. Supper's Ready can get kind of boring and some of the melodies aren't that interesting.

2. CTTE feels like one long song... the different sections flow together really well and the lyrics from the different sections are all related to eachother. Meanwhile, "Supper's Ready" just feels like a bunch of different songs put into one long track. Some of the sections seem out of place (like Willow Farm). I really wouldn't consider "Supper's Ready" as being a song... it's more like a suite/mini-rock opera.

Also, I think the first part of CTTE, with that intense dramatic rock section, is maybe Yes's finest musical moment. Raises the hair on my neck when I hear it. "Supper's Ready" doesn't have even one section that comes close to the brilliance in that part. Honestly, I can't really understand why so many people love "Supper's Ready". It's not even in my top 15 for favorite Genesis songs. So many other songs of theirs are much much better: The Knife, The Musical Box, Watcher of the Skies, Return of the Giant Hogweed, White Mountain, Dancing with the Moonlit Knight, Firth of Fifth, Fountain of Salmacis, Looking For Someone, Get Em Out by Friday, etc.

I'd agree with you completely.  Close to the Edge takes precedence over Supper's Ready 9 times out of 10 in my book.

The classic battle that never ends: CttE vs. SR

After a couple years of classical training and music history in college, I still regard Close to the Edge as among the finest achievements in all of twentieth century music, along with Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Foxtrot is just a really F-ing good album.

In my humble opinion, Supper's Ready by a mile. To be honest, I never really "got" Close to the Edge. I always thought it was a fairly repetitive and uninteresting song. Supper's Ready, on the other hand, I find extremely powerful, beautiful and engaging.

Supper's Ready easily. I used to skip the entire album just for that song. I can't say I've done the same for CttE, in fact I have skipped it more than once.

Edited by A Person - May 17 2010 at 23:51

I prefer the greater sense of unity that comes with Close to the Edge.  Supper's Ready, great as it is, is kind of a patchwork.

richardh wrote: I regard Suppers Ready as the best prog track ever recorded. The Apocalypse section is amazing (Marillions' pale imititation Grendel was once described famously as apocalypse in four four) but also emotionally involving which is a rarity in prog. Almost brings me to tears.The whole work is really a build up to this section (based loosely on the Book of Revelations).   Close To The Edge I regard as the best out and out prog album ever. No one peice(or musician) dominates and  a superb example of ensemble prog.

I agree, I love CttE but the spine tingling, hair raising moments are all in Suppers Ready for me... It also contains my fave bit of prog ('I know a farmer...' etc).

Close to the Edge, but not by much. Although I feel that Peter is a better overall lyricist than Jon, I guess the music on the Yes track moves me more.  

Edited by Ronnie Pilgrim - May 18 2010 at 07:13

I think both are perfect three star albums, Close to the Edge perhaps four if it had been recorded properly. I never understood the fuzz about these albums, it seems to me people like it so much because everybody else does.

I see Close to the Edge as the all-time prog masterpiece album. However, this one goes for the album, not for the individual tracks. Both Close to the Edge and Supper's Ready are masterpiece tracks with a memorable section in it (I Get Up, I Get Down vs. Apocalypse in 9/8), but if it comes to choosing, I have a slight preference for Supper's Ready.