CLOSE TO THE EDGE

I have the strange perspective around here of having never heard _Close to the Edge_ until I came to ProgArchives a few months ago. As strange as that sounds, I liked Yes but never was as interested in them as Genesis and just hadn't taken the time to explore the catalog. The sample here, dominated by the chaotic intro, didn't pull me in either.

However, recently, a friend of mine lent me the disc in preparation for our going to the Yes In the Present concert. My first Yes concert, which was to feature _Close to the Edge_ in its entirety. So I vowed to know the disc well prior to the live event. I listened to it over and over. I came to tolerate the first 3:30 or so, and enjoy the music, especially And You and I.

Then came the concert, Siberian Khatru was the first song after the lead in stuff over the loud speakers. Powerful, energetic, great start to the concert. And You and I was good as I expected. But the transformative moment was the title track. The piece was so overpowering and uplifting with a great crowd just floating on the I get up, I get down. Truly a highlight experience and I've seen alot of concerts in my time.

Since then, I've listened to the album 10-15 more times, and as has been said so many times, there isn't a wrong note in the whole album. Each of the three songs work so well alone, and together somehow impossibly make each other better. I love Relayer as well, but the same things can't be said, it has sections that are a little too long, a little too noodly, despite having some unbelievably good music. It just doesn't hold together in the perfect way Close to the Edge does.

So the only question left is how to compare it to my all time favorite, _Selling England by the Pound_. After 15 years of Peter Gabriel fanboyism, with that album being untouchable, I actually wonder whether I might have to rethink things.

But this is certainly among the albums that define the term masterpiece of progressive music

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