CLOSE TO THE EDGE

The famous Close to the Edge manages to live up to most of its lofty expectations. While not my favorite from Yes, it does deliver an excellent sampling of prog. Taking a structured approach with three long songs, instead of the menagerie of short tunes present in Fragile, each track has a different style that balances the album out. You have the deep, cosmic voyage of Close To The Edge, after which you can relax to the softer And You And I; closing it out is faster, more energetic Siberian Khatru. Though typically overlooked, Khatru is quite possibly my favorite song of the album. I'm particularly fond of Wakeman's harpsichord solo.

Is this the greatest prog album of all time? I have no idea. There are many I like more. However, it is definately an excellent album, and worthy as being mentioned as one of the greats of the prog world. It also makes the best introduction into Yes' more progressive albums.

(As a side note, this the second and final album with the classic Yes lineup. Truly a shame it couldn't have stayed together longer. )