CLOSE TO THE EDGE

That would come with the next album. But CTTE is a great album any way you slice it and a great starting point for newbies along with Fragile.

The title track is one of Yes' greatest epics. CTTE is complex, well-played, full of emotional peaks and interesting twists and turns. There is nothing like the moment when Howe first kicks in the guitar riff live. How perfect!

Bruford is great as usual but was about to get the famous phone call from Mr. Fripp with a question that went something like "Had enough fooling around yet? Ready to make some real music?" That's not the exact quote but it was in that vein. While it was sad to see Bill depart, Alan White would prove to be more than adequate down the road.

"And You and I" is another classic Yessong beginning with one of those perfect Steve Howe acoustic moments that hook any young person to the band. "Siberian" is the weakest of the three tracks but still not bad.

CTTE, Topographic, and Relayer would mark the zenith of the band Yes and these three albums combined would produce six epic tracks in the neighborhood of 20 minutes long each. All six are outstanding examples of explorative progressive music. Some consider these tracks to be bloated and boring-I humbly disagree. They are gorgeous and they define progressive rock in its most fertile and highest quality period.

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