CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Well; stating the obvious; is no fun. So this is the way it went for me with this pages´s Top 1 of 10 unmovable (almost) Monster! The first time I heard this "small-wonder" I was around 12 and in a 90 minute cassette tape; as a filler; of a hand written "CHICAGO" album recorded in that tape. "Chicago" was a USA 70s band very popular here in Mexico at the time. Normally in 90 minute cassettes there was a 20 minute "void" when you recorded 2 vinyl project; so the guy who lent it to me filled this "time" with "Close to the Edge" the 1st song of the album we all know now very well . But it was an untitled "filler recorded by chance". Well, I thought , "CHICAGO" really went overboard with this piece, in fact I prefer this song by far above the others. So I went to my favorite "IMPORTS" corner store (there were only 2 in the whole city of Mexico) named: Yoko-Quadrasonic, to ask for a "Chicago" album which had a song that sung- close to the edge down by the corner, close to the end down by the river......This guy, the owner (musician and founder of the RIO scene here in Mexico, Walter Schmidt) explained to me patiently that there was no such thing. He then instructed me about this Prog Monster release by this British band named "YES". (in fact here in Mexico we call them groups not bands, because here, there is a native genre that goes by that name). Anyway he was still waiting for the arrival of this record. By chance a month later I travelled to Houston Texas USA and "imported" it myself. It blew my mind, I instantly became a Yes fan (as in fanatic) and of course an up to this day a Roger Dean admirer. So what can I say, encountering this Progressive Rock Masterpiece, by chance, when I was 12. From there I went all ways, from the music of the now 100th years celebrated Stravinsky's "Firebird" suite to the music of Central Africa (literally). And of course, everything that comes in between. To me this was the future, and it looked amazingly promising. *****5 STARS --Young composers do not overlook this work, most "Prog" music is meausered by it.

Like it or not- a "MASTERPIECE" of Prog.