Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Yes - Close to the Edge CD (album) cover

CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Yes

 

Symphonic Prog

4.68 | 5061 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

con safo
Prog Reviewer
5 stars What else can be said? This is a true masterpiece of progressive rock, through and through. The album's centerpiece "Close To The Edge" is a brilliant composition featuring outstanding performances by all involved. Classical influence pours out of this piece, and all the themes flow perfectly throughout. From the slow building intro to the atmospheric, ambient section in the middle, the band was overflowing with fresh musical ideas. Though the lyrical subject matter is completely ambiguous, the quality of the music more than redeems it. Jon Anderson, while definitely not the deepest of lyricists, still manages to create some suffice mental imagery. After the calming ambient section, we find ourselves arising from the deep caverns of sound and are jolted by Wakemans thundering organ, and soon enough are treated to one of the finest keyboard solos ever committed to tape. The song then returns to the main theme and ends this gloriously epic piece the same way we began. A classic in every sense of the word.

Side 2 begins with the gorgeous "And You And I" opening with Howe's elegant acoustic guitar, the song follows a simple progression but reaches crushingly beautiful peaks. Howe's soothing slide guitar floats softly above Wakeman's atmospheric keyboard, creating a rich and grandiose musical atmosphere. The final song on the album, the fast paced "Siberian Khatru" is a wonderful song. Squire lays down some excellent bass, weaving in and out of Wakeman's harpsichord, and not to mention the superb guitar solo. After some complex vocal harmonies the song returns to the main musical theme, and brings this masterpiece of progressive rock to a close. Simply put, this is one of the most important 37 minutes of music ever recorded. 5/5

con safo | 5/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Share this YES review

Social review comments () BETA







Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.