CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Close to the Edge. Pure musical perfection. Yes's peak and one of the only album I could honestly call a flawless masterpiece. Nearly every second is beautiful and emotional, while maintaining complex symphonic melodies, while maintaining diverse sounds and instruments. Everything about this album screams perfect. The title track epic along with And You and I are very deep, image provoking songs that you really do "feel" the music. The closer is the most complex, which would make it less emotional, but this is far from "technical wankery" as bands like ELP and Dream Theatre are so fond of repeating. It was an interesting idea to end this epic album on an upbeat note, which seemed to work so well. There is a kind of music like Porcupine Tree where the music really has a soul, and listening may really be a personal experience, focusing less on the time signature and complexity. Whereas bands like Dream Theatre of course are masters of the time signature, creating seemingly unplayable complexity, but the music doesn't seem to have much of a soul to it. Yes has found the perfect balance between those two different types of music, making a mesmerizingly beautiful psychedelic sound, while also playing with time signatures and counter melodies that keep it very interesting. That image on the inside of the gatefold artwork is a perfect example of how the music feels, and the place it takes you if you close your eyes. I simply could not name something at all bad about this album, though it isn't my favourite album of all time, it ranks within my top 5. An absolutely essential, flawless work of music.