Yes: Close to the Edge- 1972

RMR · 02-26-2012, 08:12 AM

Yes Close to the Edge- 1972
RMR Album Rating- 10

Close to the Edge is the absolute pinnacle of Yes’ “Main Sequence” of 70’s progressive rock releases, and it is arguably the finest album from the first wave of progressive rock bands.

1972 was one of the seminal years of progressive rock. In addition to Yes’ Close to the Edge, Jethro Tull released Thick as a Brick, and Genesis released Foxtrot. Not only are these albums amazing, but their corresponding long-format epic songs are some of the best the genre has ever produced. However, there is a really important difference between “Close to the Edge” and the other aforementioned long-format epic progressive songs. Take “Supper’s Ready” and “Thick as a Brick” as examples, they are really just a series of short songs connected together by different musical interludes. “Close to the Edge,” on the other hand, is really one coherent song that actually follows a very typical and straightforward song format: intro/ verse/ chorus/ middle-8/ instrumental break/ collision/ verse/ bridge/ chorus/ outro.

Granted, it’s not quite that simple and there are several other elements built into the song, but it is amazing that Yes was able to take a traditional song structure, stretch it out for 20-minutes, make it incredibly complex, and somehow keep it accessible at the same time. It is a complete contradictory concept to have one of the most complex and challenging rock songs every written presented in a traditional rock song format, but this was the genius of Yes, and it is why “Close to the Edge” works so well. It is complex, yet it is accessible. It is difficult, yet it is simple. It is chaotic, yet it is organized, and in the end, all these contradictions really cancel each other out and create a song that is actually not contradictory at all– but one that is actually completely consistent, balanced and symmetrical. With all that being said, upon initial listen “Close to the Edge” will most likely sound like a complete chaotic mess, and it takes many repeated listens for all the song’s intricacies to make sense. But once you can see through its camouflage of complexity, it becomes insanely catchy— like a good pop song.

In terms of the actual music, “Close to the Edge” is perfect from top to bottom, but there are three sections of the song that really stand out for me. First, there is Steve Howe’s venomously heavy guitar section that really kicks off the song right after the intro. Second, Wakeman’s organ solo is the perfect build up to the song’s main crescendo that climaxes with Buford hitting the cowbell three times as a signal for the rest of the band to start the collision section of the song, which includes a spellbinding keyboard jam session from Wakeman. Third and lastly, the word play that is used in the repeating main chorus is the real magic for me. The main chorus is repeated six times throughout the song. The same words are used each time the chorus is repeated, but the ordering of the words is slightly changed each time. The changes are very subtle, but this subtle word play is the absolute reward of the album for those who are willing to put in the many repeated listens that the album commands. Here are the six variations of the main chorus all built around the same series of words:

Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, down by the river
Down at the end, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, just by the river
Down at the edge, Close by the river/Close to the edge, round by the corner
Close to the end, down by the corner/ down at the edge, round by the river
Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the end, down by a river
Close to the edge, down by the river/ Down at the end, round by the corner

There is much more to “Close to the Edge” than I have mentioned, but the bottom line is that it is one of the greatest progressive rock songs ever composed, and no matter how many times I hear it, it always amazes me.

The second half of the the album begins with “And You And I.” Like “Close to the Edge,” it is also a multi-part suite broken down into three sections. It is not as heavy as “Close to the Edge,” but it does explore some of the same spiritual themes that “Close to the Edge” explores. Then there’s “Siberian Khatru.” It is just as instrumentally chaotic as “Close to the Edge,” but it is even more lyrically chaotic. Anderson has stated on many occasions that he chooses many of his lyrics based on the sounds of the words, not on the word meanings, and “Siberian Khatru” takes this to the extreme (hence the name of the track). Thus, the end result is a completely chaotic musical performance, but at the same time, the song is fairly accessible and even catchy; it’s not logical at all, but like the “Close to the Edge” suite, it absolutely works, and “Siberian Khatru” is an absolute classic in the Yes catalog. It’s also interesting to note that the song stayed in their live set even when they were touring their 1980’s pop albums “90215,” and “Big Generator.”

One last point before wrapping this one up, Close to the Edge has a level of mystery to it that is very appealing to me. One part of the mystery is obviously the complexity of the music, and the other part is the album artwork. Roger Dean’s front cover, although simple, is one of my favorites and combined with the stunning surreal artwork on the inner sleeve, it makes for a spectacular package that fits the music perfectly.

All in all, Yes was basically flawless during their “Main Sequence” of albums that they released between 1971 and 1977, and “Close to the Edge” is the epitome of these releases. It is also, without question, one of the top signatures on the metaphorical declaration document of progressive rock.

Post Script
Jon Anderson based the theme of “Close to the Edge” on Hermann Hesse’s book “Siddhartha,” but “Close to the Edge” is not written as a narrative, nor does it make any references to the book. “Siddhartha” was really just the spiritual inspiration for the song, and the song’s lyrics are for the most part are ambiguous.

RMR · 02-26-2012, 08:14 AM

Just realized that this is my 300th post, and I think a Close to the Edge review is fitting, as it ranks as one of my absolute favorite albums of all time.

Guybrush · 02-26-2012, 09:14 AM

Absolutely wonderful album and when the guys talk about how it was made, it just seems strange that it turned out as well as it did. In the Prog Rock Britannia documentary, Steve Howe and Bill Bruford comments on this. They talk about how they didn't know how to go from one musical theme to the other and someone would just get tasked with getting that done and they'd slap on various musical ideas that they had. It sounded like a patchwork, but the result and final feel of it sounds entirely cohesive to me. To me, it's an album that really balances the knife edge, with melodies solidifying, becoming more fluid, changing, all done at the perfect time in a way that really suits the songs.

It's easily my favourite Yes album

Still! It's not often people have made rock music as beautiful as this.

Push · 02-29-2012, 06:02 AM

Great review... Really enjoyed reading that... I think "Close To The Edge" is one of my all-time favourite albums too... And that's from someone who had his life changed by punk rock when he was a kid!!

metalheadmike · 02-29-2012, 11:02 AM

Great Album. I heard this album when I was young. Didn't like it. As I grew up. I started moving into the progressive realm of music. This is one of my favourite albums in this genre

Unknown Soldier · 03-02-2012, 04:04 AM

Loved that review and yes (excuse the pun here) Close to the Edge is an absolute chaotic mess, but the most perfect chaotic mess probably ever recorded. An album like this needs repeated listens before its really hits you, for many people it never hits them. As for how you can mention Thick as a Brick in the same context though!!! All I can say is shame on you.

Howard the Duck · 03-02-2012, 05:26 AM

toppermost of the poppermost

RMR · 03-02-2012, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

As for how you can mention Thick as a Brick in the same context though!!! All I can say is shame on you.

Come on Solider, I know that I'm one of the few here that is waiving the Tull banner, but TAAB is phenomenal, and although it is certainly different than CTTE, those two are are definitely in the running for the top two prog albums of all time.

Legspin · 03-23-2012, 02:01 AM

Close to the Edge is their best album in my opinion, I find their lyrics a little too indirect and abstract sometimes.
And also, Jon Anderson's voice can grate a little :S

Guybrush · 03-23-2012, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Legspin

Close to the Edge is their best album in my opinion, I find their lyrics a little too indirect and abstract sometimes.
And also, Jon Anderson's voice can grate a little :S

I think the abstractness of the lyrics help prevent the album from turning into a complete cheesefest. I mean, just imagine if they were to tackle the subject in a more literal, straight-forward sense.

The idea that you can just sing words that carry some kind of association you want in your music without necessarily stringing them together to shape meaning in the form of complete sentences - as they do in Siberian Khatru - is a really cool idea, I think.

02-26-2012, 08:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
RMR Front to Back Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 360	Yes: Close to the Edge- 1972 Yes Close to the Edge- 1972 RMR Album Rating- 10 Close to the Edge is the absolute pinnacle of Yes’ “Main Sequence” of 70’s progressive rock releases, and it is arguably the finest album from the first wave of progressive rock bands. 1972 was one of the seminal years of progressive rock. In addition to Yes’ Close to the Edge, Jethro Tull released Thick as a Brick, and Genesis released Foxtrot. Not only are these albums amazing, but their corresponding long-format epic songs are some of the best the genre has ever produced. However, there is a really important difference between “Close to the Edge” and the other aforementioned long-format epic progressive songs. Take “Supper’s Ready” and “Thick as a Brick” as examples, they are really just a series of short songs connected together by different musical interludes. “Close to the Edge,” on the other hand, is really one coherent song that actually follows a very typical and straightforward song format: intro/ verse/ chorus/ middle-8/ instrumental break/ collision/ verse/ bridge/ chorus/ outro. Granted, it’s not quite that simple and there are several other elements built into the song, but it is amazing that Yes was able to take a traditional song structure, stretch it out for 20-minutes, make it incredibly complex, and somehow keep it accessible at the same time. It is a complete contradictory concept to have one of the most complex and challenging rock songs every written presented in a traditional rock song format, but this was the genius of Yes, and it is why “Close to the Edge” works so well. It is complex, yet it is accessible. It is difficult, yet it is simple. It is chaotic, yet it is organized, and in the end, all these contradictions really cancel each other out and create a song that is actually not contradictory at all– but one that is actually completely consistent, balanced and symmetrical. With all that being said, upon initial listen “Close to the Edge” will most likely sound like a complete chaotic mess, and it takes many repeated listens for all the song’s intricacies to make sense. But once you can see through its camouflage of complexity, it becomes insanely catchy— like a good pop song. In terms of the actual music, “Close to the Edge” is perfect from top to bottom, but there are three sections of the song that really stand out for me. First, there is Steve Howe’s venomously heavy guitar section that really kicks off the song right after the intro. Second, Wakeman’s organ solo is the perfect build up to the song’s main crescendo that climaxes with Buford hitting the cowbell three times as a signal for the rest of the band to start the collision section of the song, which includes a spellbinding keyboard jam session from Wakeman. Third and lastly, the word play that is used in the repeating main chorus is the real magic for me. The main chorus is repeated six times throughout the song. The same words are used each time the chorus is repeated, but the ordering of the words is slightly changed each time. The changes are very subtle, but this subtle word play is the absolute reward of the album for those who are willing to put in the many repeated listens that the album commands. Here are the six variations of the main chorus all built around the same series of words: Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, down by the river Down at the end, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, just by the river Down at the edge, Close by the river/Close to the edge, round by the corner Close to the end, down by the corner/ down at the edge, round by the river Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the end, down by a river Close to the edge, down by the river/ Down at the end, round by the corner There is much more to “Close to the Edge” than I have mentioned, but the bottom line is that it is one of the greatest progressive rock songs ever composed, and no matter how many times I hear it, it always amazes me. The second half of the the album begins with “And You And I.” Like “Close to the Edge,” it is also a multi-part suite broken down into three sections. It is not as heavy as “Close to the Edge,” but it does explore some of the same spiritual themes that “Close to the Edge” explores. Then there’s “Siberian Khatru.” It is just as instrumentally chaotic as “Close to the Edge,” but it is even more lyrically chaotic. Anderson has stated on many occasions that he chooses many of his lyrics based on the sounds of the words, not on the word meanings, and “Siberian Khatru” takes this to the extreme (hence the name of the track). Thus, the end result is a completely chaotic musical performance, but at the same time, the song is fairly accessible and even catchy; it’s not logical at all, but like the “Close to the Edge” suite, it absolutely works, and “Siberian Khatru” is an absolute classic in the Yes catalog. It’s also interesting to note that the song stayed in their live set even when they were touring their 1980’s pop albums “90215,” and “Big Generator.” One last point before wrapping this one up, Close to the Edge has a level of mystery to it that is very appealing to me. One part of the mystery is obviously the complexity of the music, and the other part is the album artwork. Roger Dean’s front cover, although simple, is one of my favorites and combined with the stunning surreal artwork on the inner sleeve, it makes for a spectacular package that fits the music perfectly. All in all, Yes was basically flawless during their “Main Sequence” of albums that they released between 1971 and 1977, and “Close to the Edge” is the epitome of these releases. It is also, without question, one of the top signatures on the metaphorical declaration document of progressive rock. Post Script Jon Anderson based the theme of “Close to the Edge” on Hermann Hesse’s book “Siddhartha,” but “Close to the Edge” is not written as a narrative, nor does it make any references to the book. “Siddhartha” was really just the spiritual inspiration for the song, and the song’s lyrics are for the most part are ambiguous. __________________ RMR My music reivew site: RMR Music Reviews

02-26-2012, 08:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
RMR Front to Back Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Richmond, Virginia Posts: 360	Just realized that this is my 300th post, and I think a Close to the Edge review is fitting, as it ranks as one of my absolute favorite albums of all time. __________________ RMR My music reivew site: RMR Music Reviews

02-26-2012, 09:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
Guybrush Juicious Maximus III Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Scabb Island Posts: 6,525	Absolutely wonderful album and when the guys talk about how it was made, it just seems strange that it turned out as well as it did. In the Prog Rock Britannia documentary, Steve Howe and Bill Bruford comments on this. They talk about how they didn't know how to go from one musical theme to the other and someone would just get tasked with getting that done and they'd slap on various musical ideas that they had. It sounded like a patchwork, but the result and final feel of it sounds entirely cohesive to me. To me, it's an album that really balances the knife edge, with melodies solidifying, becoming more fluid, changing, all done at the perfect time in a way that really suits the songs. It's easily my favourite Yes album Still! It's not often people have made rock music as beautiful as this. __________________ Something Completely Different

02-29-2012, 06:02 AM	#4 (permalink)
Push Groupie Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 11	Great review... Really enjoyed reading that... I think "Close To The Edge" is one of my all-time favourite albums too... And that's from someone who had his life changed by punk rock when he was a kid!!

02-29-2012, 11:02 AM	#5 (permalink)
metalheadmike Music Addict Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 127	Great Album. I heard this album when I was young. Didn't like it. As I grew up. I started moving into the progressive realm of music. This is one of my favourite albums in this genre

03-02-2012, 04:04 AM	#6 (permalink)
Unknown Soldier Horribly Creative Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: London, The Big Smoke Posts: 8,265	Loved that review and yes (excuse the pun here) Close to the Edge is an absolute chaotic mess, but the most perfect chaotic mess probably ever recorded. An album like this needs repeated listens before its really hits you, for many people it never hits them. As for how you can mention Thick as a Brick in the same context though!!! All I can say is shame on you.

03-23-2012, 02:01 AM	#9 (permalink)
Legspin Groupie Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Melbourne Posts: 17	Close to the Edge is their best album in my opinion, I find their lyrics a little too indirect and abstract sometimes. And also, Jon Anderson's voice can grate a little :S