CLOSE TO THE EDGE

So that's the picture how I see it: take an experimental musical genre at its peak; take a band from that genre which is always releasing records evolutioning its concepts from its predecessors. Now, that's the interesting question: how long can this band do that?

I would say 3 or 4 records tops. The fact that this band released the good 'Time and a Word', then had an incredible evolution with the excellent 'The Yes Album' and then released the great and different 'Fragile' is already something remarkable. Besides having an increasingly complex concept, YES were playing tighter on each record.

It would be completely understandable if their next record were not as good as 'Fragile'.

It's hard to define 'Close to the Edge'. I read many reviews and opinions about this record, but the best one I saw is on Bill Martin's book, 'Music of Yes'. That's how he starts the chapter which discuss the album:

"... and then perfection came ..."

YES did an amazing job on 'Close to the Edge', once again showing an even more incredible evolution on concept and playing. I am not a big fan of long songs, I think most of them tend to loose themselves, but that's surely not the case of the title track. This 18 minute opus, the first of this length delivered by the band, is a musical journey that has a blowing beginning, turns things slower with an exquisite middle and reaches its climax with a wonderful end. More than that: its high complexity and arrangements are played masterfully by all the musicians.

'And you and I' is an emotive song, very different from the title track. And it's also wonderful: once again, its structure is amazing, and the orchestral-type arrangements are perfect.

'Siberian Khatru' is more of a rock song, but in this case too all YES trademarks are present: great playing, great structures, great arrangements.

All in all, this is a perfect record to me. There are very few records I would rate 5 stars, but this is surely one of them. It's original, ambitious and still fresh. I wrote this review as a tribute to this masterpiece as I think most readers already know it. But if you still don't, go listen to this and enjoy it! And again, and again, and again...