CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Yes, Close to the Edge: one of the most revered albums in prog. Reading some of te reviews here I wouldn't be surprised if people worshipped it. Well, although I am very new to prog I can confirm that most of this praise couldn't be more deserved. When I heard this I was amazed by the way it was so different from other non-prog bands I was used to at the time. The 18 minute title track is a work of genius, and not a single second is boring. The intro is amazing and one can already see the virtuosity of all these musicians. Then Anderson's unusual voice comes in and it's all epicness (is that a word?) from here on. It includes solos from all the instruments, and to me Wakeman's keyboard playing stands out the most. Also, being a bassist myself, I admire Chris Squire's work here a lot. But of course we can't forget Howe's incredible soloing, and Bruford's excellent playing. My favourite part is the dreamier section: 'I get up I get down'. This is very refined, with possibly the only lyrics on this album that make any kind of sense.

And You And I, is the next song, which sets a very nice mood, kind of happy yet atmospheric. I don't find this song sticks in my memory much, but it is hard to do so while surrounded by two masterpieces.

Siberian Khatru is the closing song, with some very catchy bits, some more outstanding performances... and it's very fun. I like fun music. Again i love Squire's playing here.

If, like me, you have the 2003 remaster, you will have the several bonus tracks. While this is good music most of it is already on the main album and cannot add anything to such a masterpiece.

Another thing to mention is the artwork. The front cover is very striking, yet simple with a logo that i like a lot: very fun like the music. The inner design is also very good. It portrays a detailed landscape with lots of waterfalls, that suits the music a lot.

So, I have to say that this album must get 5 stars, because, while not being my favourite album ever, it is undoubtedly a pure masterpiece, with a lot of originality, and it has inspired many modern bands that I listen to (in fact this disc is what proved to me that Dream Theater are influenced by more than just Rush.)