A look at the best prog albums through the years

Part 16: Prog Poll through the years 1982

Top 10 - Here is the prog poll for definitive albums of 1982.

The prog genre was still struggling but there were some solid additions to the scene as this list of 10 albums shows. I could not even justify 15 albums on this exceptionally weak year of prog.

Signals – Rush

Peter Gabriel 4

Time To Turn – Eloy

Fact and Fiction – Twelfth Night

Five Miles Out – Mike Oldfield

Enter K – Peter Hammill

Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch – Frank Zappa

Eye In The Sky – Alan Parsons Project

The Broadsword and the Beast – Jethro Tull

Three Sides Live – Genesis

 The Results:

Signals – Rush	17	[21.79%]
4 - Peter Gabriel	17	[21.79%]
Time To Turn – Eloy	10	[12.82%]
Fact and Fiction – Twelfth Night	1	[1.28%]
Five Miles Out – Mike Oldfield	8	[10.26%]
Enter K – Peter Hammill	1	[1.28%]
Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch – Frank Zapp	2	[2.56%]
Eye In The Sky – Alan Parsons Project	4	[5.13%]
The Broadsword and the Beast – Jethro Tull	5	[6.41%]
Three Sides Live – Genesis	5	[6.41%]
OTHER (specify in post)	8	[10.26%]

The Others:

Music from a New Society - John Cale

Beat – King Crimson

Famous Last Words –

Chase The Dragon – Magnum

The Dreaming - Kate Bush

This was a mediocre year but the poll itself was close for a while:

I posted: Another dead heat

need more votes - help me out here proggers!

After this the votes poured in for Rush. (well four came in and it was ahead by a single vote!)

 and then at the last moment -

4 - Peter Gabriel

Signals - Rush

WE HAVE A DRAW!!!

Reviews:

****

“Signals” is the Rush album that was sandwiched in between two incredible Rush albums and as a followup to the masterpiece “Moving Pictures”, perhaps Rush’s finest hour, this was a tough album to appreciate. The album tends to be a transition to the synthesized 80s domination. The power trio were always a compelling listen during the 70s, with lengthy progressive classics, and lyrical beauty, but in the 80s the sound changed. Gone are the epics and weirdness to make way for the new 80s sound. In 1982 the top prog albums were 4 - Peter Gabriel, Time To Turn – Eloy, Fact and Fiction – Twelfth Night, Five Miles Out – Mike Oldfield, Enter K – Peter Hammill, Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch – Frank Zappa, Eye In The Sky – Alan Parsons Project, The Broadsword and the Beast – Jethro Tull. So amidst this slew of albums Rush produced something very special and really cemented their reputation as one of the greatest bands in rock history, proving they could use a current sound and still produce high quality songs. Rush use synthesizers in droves on this but still remain progressive which is a feat in itself. They remain true to the odd time sig changes that have made them so endearing over the years. 

The first track ‘Subdivisions’ has a crystal clear sound, strong synths and the time sig definitely is unusual. The melody is pleasant to the ears, and tends to grow on you over time. I must admit when I first heard this album I was not all that impressed as I prefer the heavier side of Rush and this felt very safe. However, over the years I have really been enamoured with the new sound of Rush on “Signals”. 

‘The Analog Kid’ is another synth soaked track with a quick cadence and complex structure. Geddy Lee is wonderful on vocals effortlessly ploughing through the octaves on every track. He was at the peak of his skills at this stage. 

The guitar work of Alex Lifeson is always jangly and at the same modulation as the synths. There are no brilliant riffs to speak of rather he holds back and simply carries the songs along on strong melodic rhythms. The sound on songs such as ‘Chemistry’ is rather radio friendly but it is still one of the better albums in the 80s as far as prog is concerned, as the 80s were the most difficult era for prog. Rush survived on albums such as “Signals” due to the consistent quality. Every song has a strong melody, Lifeson’s continuous guitar embellishments and the powerful percussive work of Neil Peart, particularly impressive on ‘Digital Man’ with its half time feel and time changes. This track also includes one of Lifeson’s best lead breaks.

Surprisingly of all the prog 80s albums of 1982, Rush were still able to produce an album rated the most highly on many prog album lists, including on progarchives. It is little wonder with treasures such as the incredible ‘The Weapon’. The lyrics here are powerful on the topic of a soldier’s thoughts in nuclear war time, or it could be a terrorist planning a crime; “The knowledge that they fear is a weapon to be used against them, he’s not afraid of the judgement, he’s a little bit afraid of dying, and the thing that he fears is the weapon to be held against him.” The instrumental break is a darker sound, layers of synth and phased guitar lead break, with sporadic drumming accents. 

‘New World Man’ is a fan favourite with catchy hooks and some strong melodies that are memorable. The track appeared on many live sets over the years. This is followed by a lesser known song, exclusive to this album alone I believe, ‘Losing It’. One of the interesting components of the music is the use of a violin by guest maestro Ben Mink. The slow pace of the song is alarming after all the rock and I will admit it is not a high point of the album. However the violin trading off with Lifeson’s pitchy harmonics is a treat.

The album concludes with ‘Countdown’ featuring radio controller voice overs “T Minus 20 seconds and counting”,  and supersonic space shuttle effects. It was written in honour of Space Shuttle Columbia where the band were invited to the launch. Given the disaster of Challenger  the song has taken on an added potency. Geddy Lee’s voice is crystalline echoing over the steady beat with compelling lyrics; “Circling choppers slash the night, With roving searchlight beams, This magic day when super-science, Mingles with the bright stuff of dreams.” Later as the song builds to the actual lift off the lyrics are rather portentous, taking on a darker aspect in context of the fateful Challenger launch; “The air is charged, A humid, motionless mass, The crowds and the cameras, The cars full of spectators pass, Excitement so thick you could cut it with a knife, Technology, high, on the leading edge of life, The earth beneath us starts to tremble, With the spreading of a low black cloud, A thunderous roar shakes the air, Like the whole world exploding, Scorching blast of golden fire, As it slowly leaves the ground, Tears away with a mighty force, The air is shattered by the awesome sound, Like a pillar of cloud, The smoke lingers high in the air, In fascination, With the eyes of the world, We stare.” The whole song now brings to mind the disaster of Challenger exploding and the people staring up in disbelief at the white billows of smoke; an image that has been ingrained on the world. When the radio controller counts down to the engines starting up, and the shuttle lifts off, it brings a lump to my throat and of course this was written before the Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight, which occurred January 28, 1986. For me this last song is an underrated Rush classic rarely heard and criminally never included on the plethora of best of Rush compilations. This song, along with ‘New World Man’, ‘The Weapon’, ‘The Analog Kid’, ‘Subdivisions’, and ‘Digital Man’ are excellent additions to the Rush catalogue and make this an album that is very worthwhile.

So in conclusion while this may not be the greatest Rush album by a long stretch there is still a lot to savour on “Signals”. It took a while for me to appreciate the importance of the album in context of the mediocre music churning out of the 80s but the album stands up as a testimony to the incredible skills of the band who demonstrated they could be a dominant force in the 80s, building on the legacy left behind in the 70s.      

Part 14: Prog Poll through the years 1980

Top 15 - Here is the prog poll for definitive albums of 1980.

The new era of prog began on shaky ground but still some albums dominated as this list shows.

Permanent Waves – Rush

Peter Gabriel 3

Memento Z Banalnym Tryptykiem - S.B.B.

Drama – Yes

Levitation – Hawkwind

Tangram – Tangerine Dream

A Black Box – Peter Hammill

Colours – Eloy

Defector – Steve Hackett

Q.E.2 – Mike Oldfield

Duke - Genesis  

Silent Night – Saga

The Turn of a Friendly Card – Alan Parson’s Project

Harmonium En Tournée -  Harmonium

Yesshows - Yes

The Results:

Permanent Waves – Rush	33	[38.37%]
3 - Peter Gabriel	9	[10.47%]
Memento Z Banalnym Tryptykiem - S.B.B	5	[5.81%]
Drama – Yes	7	[8.14%]
Levitation – Hawkwind	4	[4.65%]
Tangram – Tangerine Dream	2	[2.33%]
A Black Box – Peter Hammill	1	[1.16%]
Colours - Eloy	3	[3.49%]
Defector – Steve Hackett	2	[2.33%]
Q.E.2 – Mike Oldfield	1	[1.16%]
Duke - Genesis	7	[8.14%]
Silent Night – Saga	0	[0.00%]
The Turn of a Friendly Card – Alan Parson’s Project	2	[2.33%]
Harmonium En Tournée - Harmonium	1	[1.16%]
Yesshows - Yes	4	[4.65%]
OTHER (specify in post)	5	[5.81%]

The Others:

 

Short stories - Jon And Vangelis

 

 

Rainy Sundays...Windy Dreams - Andy Irvine

 

As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls - Metheny

 

Rush absolutely dominated the competition:

 

AND THE WINNER IS...

 

 

My Review:

 

 ***** Permanent Waves is the latest album I have purchased of Rush, due to the fact that with my other Rush Cds I had somehow accumulated all but two tracks from this album, at least live versions and some on compilations. However, I am glad I bit the bullet and got hold of this as its an absolute masterpiece and quintessential Rush. It is become one of the top 5 Cds in my Rush collection. The main reason this album works so well as there are no filler tracks. It is a new style of Rush in comparison to previous efforts but it is surprisingly mainstream yet still keeping the aspects of prog.

The first track, 'The Spirit of Radio' was a massive hit for the band and it is easy to see why. It has some of the most endearing and memorable guitar work from Alex Lifeson. Listen to that phased out lead work in the intro, and the way the time signature instantly changes only to kick into a standard 4/4 riff. Geddy Lee's high soprano vocals have never been better and you have to love the lyrics: "Begin the day with a friendly voice, a companion, unobtrusive, plays that song that's so elusive, and the magic music makes your morning mood." This example of crazy alliteration that evokes a quirky sense of humour has defined the Rush sound. The track works effectively as a radio jingle promoting the medium, no wonder it was a top 20 UK hit in 1980, one of the greatest rock singles ever. It even features a startling reggae breakdown towards the end that shouldn't work but Rush makes it work because they are masters of song structure. After the words "Concert hall" we hear a crowd roaring, which really adds to the overall effect of the track. Lifeson's wah wah guitar solo is amazing. A short blast of the opening riff and then it ends abruptly.

The next track 'Freewill' is also a terrific prog track with an excellent melody that stays in your head, notably the melodic chorus "you can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice, if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice." Great stuff and a live favourite. Another notable track and the main reason for my interest in the album was the standout epic 'Natural Science'. It clocks in at a little over 9 minutes and is a type of multimovement suite with variations of light and shade in three sections. I had heard this on the live "Different Stages" but this, the studio version, way outclasses the live version for production value. Wind chimes, tubular bells, atmospherics, jagged guitar riffs and all manner of instruments merge together on this epic to produce one of the finest recordings of the band.

In conclusion, Permanent Waves is an essential purchase and a good starting point for those interested in Rush.

Part 11: Prog Poll through the years 1977

Top 15 - Here is the prog poll for definitive albums of 1977. In the year punk tried to kill off prog, there were still some treasures but as you can see the list of classics was thinning out.

Wind & Wuthering – Genesis EDIT: (1976) release officially

Animals – Pink Floyd

Songs From The Wood – Jethro Tull

Ocean - Eloy

Rockpommel's Land – Grobschnitt

Quark, Strangeness and Charm – Hawkwind

Jet Lag - Premiata Forneria Marconi

Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre

Enigmatic Ocean – Jean Luc Ponty

The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome – Van Der Graaf

A Farewell To Kings – Rush

Seconds Out – Genesis

Rare Birds - Hoelderlin

Elegant Gypsy- Al Di Meola

Playing The Fool Live – Gentle Giant

Wind and Wuthering is a 1976 album I discovered, another case of being told incorrect info on a website. Very annoying. But Animals still way ahead.

 

The Results:

 

Wind & Wuthering – Genesis	17	[14.05%]
Animals – Pink Floyd	41	[33.88%]
Songs From The Wood – Jethro Tull	12	[9.92%]
Ocean - Eloy	5	[4.13%]
Rockpommel's Land – Grobschnitt	2	[1.65%]
Quark, Strangeness and Charm – Hawkwind	2	[1.65%]
Jet Lag - Premiata Forneria Marconi	0	[0.00%]
Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre	1	[0.83%]
Enigmatic Ocean – Jean Luc Ponty	2	[1.65%]
The Quiet Zone / The Pleasure Dome – Van Der Graaf	1	[0.83%]
A Farewell To Kings – Rush	20	[16.53%]
Seconds Out – Genesis	6	[4.96%]
Rare Birds - Hoelderlin	1	[0.83%]
Elegant Gypsy- Al Di Meola	1	[0.83%]
Playing The Fool Live – Gentle Giant	3	[2.48%]
OTHER (specify in post)	7	[5.79%]

 

As usual a lot of posts requested other albums for the best choices and here are some of them:

Forse Le Lucciole Non Si Amano Piu - Locanda Delle Fate

National Health - National Health

Univers Zero – 1313

 

Going For The One – Yes

There was a good fight from Rush in second place but the overall vote was obvious:

Animals – Pink Floyd

My Review:

****Pigs Might Fly, Impossible and Preposterous, but Pink Floyd Makes It A Reality

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell states, "all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. Pink Floyd were inspired by the thematic content of the novel, an anthropomorphic socio political saga of looking at the world differently; perhaps politically it only applies to the politics of the day, however this biting satire could apply to the politics of today. In Water's conceptualisation in this world you are either a pig, a sheep or a dog. Dogs are the corporate predators that have a no compromise attitude, are devilishly cunning and run in packs with survival at the top of their highest priority. 'Dogs' is the best track on this album taking up almost the entire side one of the vinyl at about 17 minutes, it has some of the most searing guitar that David Gilmour has played in his career. The lead solos are highly emotive ranging from soft, gentle and mellow to frenetic and aggressive. The lyrics are poetic and absolutely encapsulating, "I gotta admit that I'm a little bit confused. Sometimes it seems to me as if I'm just being used. Gotta stay awake, gotta try and shake off this creeping malaise. If I don't stand my own ground, how can I find my way out of this maze?". It is a mesmirising song, with melancholy vocals and exciting synthesiser from Wright, some of his best material is captured on this album, which could be viewed as almost a paean to his genius; RIP Richard.

The album is bookended by 'Pigs On The Wing' which has a memorable Waters vocal and soft acoustics. The pigs on this concept album are of course the tyrannical moralists who are motivated by power, that corrupts absolutely as usual, and they have the ability to go to the top of the hierarchical ladder despite who they tread on to get there, but it's lonely at the top. They are focussed to impose their estranged worldview on the other animals. The story is one of corruption with all its negativity, and deception, that will ultimately drag the antagonist to their doom. The tracks are best heard as part of the whole rather than as separate entities, they work well as bookends, and I count them as part of the lengthy tracks that require these short pieces to make sense.

Moving on to other pigs, there are three different ones that are visualised in the surreal 11:30 track that has some very nice melodies, and mordant lyrics; "Hey you, Whitehouse, Ha ha, charade you are. You house proud town mouse, Ha ha, charade you are, You're trying to keep our feelings off the street. You're nearly a real treat, All tight lips and cold feet, And do you feel abused?" Of course this was Waters attack on Mary Whitehouse, self confessed moralist of the British public who had committed some onslaught on Pink Floyd for their stage antics and lyrical nature. Waters' literally spat at a fan on the DSOTM tour which made headlines and of course led to the inspiration of "The Wall" stage show where a giant wall between the band and the audience was erected. Interestingly enough, much of the music on "Animals" was already written and performed on the DSOTM tour; 'Dogs' was known as 'You Gotta Be Crazy' and 'Sheep' was actually titled 'Raving and Drooling'. I am kind of glad they changed those titles.

So who are the three different pigs on Pigs (three different ones)? It is no secret among Floydians that pig 1 was the business pig, the lying, cheating, thieving fat suit that deceives their way to the top of the business rung; pig 2 is the politician, Thatcher at the time, who had already, along with Whitehouse, copped a heap from UK TV on "The Goodies"; and pig 3 was Mary Whitehouse, as has been mentioned, who was scared witless that the British public were being perverted.

The concept was further enhanced with the iconography of the album, the enigmatic pig flying above the smoke stacks of Battersea Power Station became an image of the band never to be forgotten. Pink Floyd literally got a pig to fly when the ropes gave way and the pig sailed in to the heavens; perhaps a fitting tribute to the band bucking against the pigs of the music industry that were jumping on the punk band wagon.

The fatalistic concept always works for Pink Floyd as it echoes the bleak psychedelic music, but there is a real sense on "Animals" of a ray of hope, the way Gilmour plays with those uplifting chords and melodic notes, Wright's soaring keyboard swoops, Waters' pulsating bass, and Mason's exceptional percussion embellishments; you could not get better than the virtuoso genius of this lineup. However, I always felt that "Animals" was one of the darkest Pink Floyd adventures primarily due to 'Sheep'. There is a section in this track that disturbs me everytime and it is the part where a very doomy synth is heard and a voice over narration. It is almost subliminal but if you listen closely you can hear a parody of The Lord's Prayer with a nasty twist; "With bright knives He releaseth my soul. He maketh me to hang on hooks in high places. He converteth me to lamb cutlets, For lo, He hath great power, and great hunger..." The sheep are the passive followers, docile and innocent, the common man, headed for the slaughterhouse to be chopped into little pieces (reminiscent of 'One of These Days'), exploited by the dogs and pigs. The exploitation continues until the sheep rebel and rise up against the oppressors only to be exploited again, a vicious cycle. In a sense Pink Floyd themselves. The sheep in the novel gain a consciousness when they see the corruption of the rich corporations, and they rebel, as Pink Floyd rebelled against the trash music of the late 70s by producing music like this. Of course the irony is the communists could never do such a thing or they would be slaughtered too, and Pink Floyd are well aware of these ironies, even making fun of themselves, after the incredible success of "DSOTM" and "WYWH". They had to face these corporations who wanted a piece of them too. The band had already touched on this theme on "WYWH" especially, 'Have A Cigar' The 'communist' record companies wanted the band to conform to the music of the day; they refused and the result was "Animals".

To conclude every part of this album is equally important to the rest. The music is lengthy, complex and houses a framework of some of Waters most scathing attacks on the music business and politics. When I first heard this on vinyl as a teen I just did not get it. I was confused by the high concept, the visuals puzzled me, and it is nothing like "DSOTM" at all, or "WYWH", except it was sandwiched in between "WYWH' and 'The Wall" as a transition to both, and I think a lot of us were expecting something akin to the previous masterpieces, which it is not. However, I listen to this today and it jolts me every time. The concept is Orwellian, the music is psych and symphonic prog, the vocals are exquisite, and this album paved the way for the grand concept masterpiece of "The Wall".

More polls being posted tomorrow. I have just collated some interesting results 

Part 8: Prog Poll through the years 1974

Top 15 - Here is the prog poll for definitive albums of 1974.

An undisputed golden year of prog with incredible albums unprecedented in prog history. Really getting hard now but this is a good list to go by I think:

Starless and Bible Black – King Crimson

The World Became The World - Premiata Forneria Marconi

Hatfield And The North - Hatfield And The North

Mirage – Camel

Hamburger Concerto – Focus

Welcome Back My Friends... Emerson Lake & Palmer

Köhntarkösz – Magma

You – Gong

Hall Of The Mountain Grill - Hawkwind

Red – King Crimson

The Power And The Glory – Gentle Giant

Red Queen To Gryphon Three – Gryphon

The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – Genesis

Relayer – Yes

Crac! – Area

The results:

Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Starless and Bible Black – King Crimson	2	[1.69%]
The World Became The World - Premiata Forneria Marconi	2	[1.69%]
Hatfield And The North - Hatfield And The North	3	[2.54%]
Mirage – Camel	14	[11.86%]
Hamburger Concerto – Focus	2	[1.69%]
Welcome Back My Friends... Emerson Lake & Palmer	3	[2.54%]
Köhntarkösz – Magma	3	[2.54%]
You - Gong	2	[1.69%]
Hall Of The Mountain Grill - Hawkwind	2	[1.69%]
Red – King Crimson	21	[17.80%]
The Power And The Glory – Gentle Giant	5	[4.24%]
Red Queen To Gryphon Three – Gryphon	1	[0.85%]
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway – Genesis	27	[22.88%]
Relayer - Yes	26	[22.03%]
Crac! – Area	2	[1.69%]
OTHER (specify in post)	3

There were others many thought to include:

 Crac! by Area was supposed to be in the next year's poll but was listed on another website that I cannot trust now... Oh well it did not stand a chance anyhow.

L'Isola Di Niente – Premiata Forneri Marconi (it’s the Spanish Original Version of the one in the poll)

Hero And Heroine – The Strawbs

Crime of the Century – Supertramp

Queen II - Queen

Well it was a stalemate = A mexican face off between

and King Crimson were nipping at their heels too

what a year in prog

Finally it all came down to one vote!

Vinyl side one
1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" – 4:55
2. "Fly on a Windshield" – 2:47
3. "Broadway Melody of 1974" – 1:58[5]
4. "Cuckoo Cocoon" – 2:14
5. "In the Cage" – 8:15
6. "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" – 2:45

Vinyl side two
1. "Back in N.Y.C." – 5:49
2. "Hairless Heart" – 2:25
3. "Counting Out Time" – 3:45
4. "The Carpet Crawlers" – 5:16
5. "The Chamber of 32 Doors" – 5:44

Vinyl side three
1. "Lilywhite Lilith" – 2:40
2. "The Waiting Room" – 5:28
3. "Anyway" – 3:18
4. "Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist" – 2:50
5. "The Lamia" – 6:57
6. "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats" – 3:06

Vinyl side four
1. "The Colony of Slippermen (Arrival - A Visit to the Doktor - Raven)" – 8:14
2. "Ravine" – 2:05
3. "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" – 3:32
4. "Riding the Scree" – 3:56
5. "In the Rapids" – 2:24
6. "It" – 4:58

My Review  :

  **** Review #536

Runner up by one vote is:

Relayer - YES

 

My Review:

Part 6:Prog Poll through the years 1972

Top 15 - Here is the prog poll for definitive albums of 1972.

An amazing selection with new bands absolutely dominating the prog scene and legends releasing masterpieces never bettered. This was ridiculously hard to come up with only 15 but here they are:

Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Per Un Amico – Premiata Forneri Marconi

 

 

Uomo Di Pezza – Le Orme

 

 

Lady Lake - Gnidrolog

 

 

Argus – Wishbone Ash

 

Poll Choice	Votes	Poll Statistics
Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso – Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso	2	[1.67%]
Neu! - Neu!	1	[0.83%]
Waterloo Lily – Caravan	0	[0.00%]
Thick As A Brick – Jethro Tull	20	[16.67%]
Space Shanty - Khan	3	[2.50%]
666: Apocalypse of St John – Aphrodite’s Child	3	[2.50%]
Darwin! – Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso	3	[2.50%]
Three Friends - Gentle Giant	2	[1.67%]
A Tab In The Ocean – Nektar	4	[3.33%]
Close To The Edge – Yes	47	[39.17%]
Foxtrot – Genesis	23	[19.17%]
Per Un Amico – Premiata Forneri Marconi	1	[0.83%]
Uomo Di Pezza – Le Orme	2	[1.67%]
Lady Lake – Gnidrolog	1	[0.83%]
Argus - Wishbone Ash	1

 

 

I had to remove Others option as I made an error. However there were a few suggestions:

The Moody Blues’ Seventh Sojourn

 

Agitation Free’s Malesch

 

 

Herbie Hancock's Crossings

 

 Jean-Claude Vannier's L'enfant assassin des mouches

 

 

William Sheller's Lux Aeterna

 

 

Uriah Heep’s Demons & Wizards

 

 

 

AND THE WINNER IS...

The WINNER IS by a huge margin:

Close To The Edge – Yes

 

 

 My Review:

***** 'Close to the Edge' is one of the greatest albums of all time.

It features the showpiece title track that spans the entire vinyl length of side one, a masterstroke in its day that was repeated by many prog artists and continues to be used to this day, notably Mars Volta, Dream Theater, and Spock's Beard. 'Close to the Edge' centers on the them of getting as close as possible to enlightenment toward a cosmic consciousness and suggests in order to achieve this we must break free of the cycle of the social system that causes turmoil. This theme is based on Hesses' 'Siddhartha', a favourite of Jon Anderson's. The journey from materialism to spiritualism is captured by the use of sparse orchestral arrangements, featuring primarily Wakeman's organ phrases and the spacey guitar of Steve Howe. These minimalist feminine sections are augmented by the masculine rock sections balancing out the quieter moments. The multi-movement suite shifts metrical patterns throughout and climaxes with the huge wall of sound that is essential Yes. There is a wonderful blend of pipe organ and Moog synthesiser building to a crescendo. The sonata form structure is powerfully realised, utilising an opening theme, transition, a second theme, and a final closure. Mozart put to rock. The track is captured perfectly on live performance from 'Yessongs' and 'Symphonic'. Both pieces are masterfully executed.

'And You and I' is my favourite Yes track, after 'Starship Trooper', and it balances out the epic and the last track perfectly. It begins with the beautiful acoustic vibrations of Howe, a real beauty that meanders like a flowing stream. Then we are thrown over the waterfall as the majestic wall of keyboards bursts through like sun bursting through dark clouds. The vocals are simply awesome throughout. The next section allows the mini epic to breathe and changes a new direction that keeps the metronome working overtime with changes in time signatures. Then the last movement is the apocalypse which is a soundwave of multi-layered textures and nuances. This is absolutely incredible music and the live experience captured on 'Tsongas' DVD sends chills down my spine everytime as the gold lights hit the audience and they stand in ovation as Anderson raises his arms like some demi god.

The final track is also excellent; the hard rocking 'Siberian Khatru' that features excellent guitar riffs and that pounding Wakeman motif with chaotic punctuation.

3 tracks of utter brilliance, this is an album that stands the test of time.