CLOSE TO THE EDGE

My only complain about this album is it finishes too fast-- leaving me to desire for more. The title track feels like the shortest 18 minute piece compared to many other prog rock pieces of similar size. Its beauty lies in its ability to appear simple when the actual works are very complex. There is another issue with this album. The recording of this album, the balance of the sounds beat most of the contemporary recordings. The sounds of all the sections-- the guitars, drums, bass, mellotron and keys and voices are crystal clear. Compare this with most other albums of 1972- 73, this was really great. In fact the recordings of CTTE, Fragile & Tales were fantastic. In contrast, both of Genesis' Selling England by The Pound and the Lamb could sound even better if they adjusted the sounds of Hackett's riff & rhythm parts. I have tested Close to the edge on non-prog rock listeners who would pick the rhythms very easy and would not get bored (they seem to percieve I get up as a different song). this convinces me of the universal appeal of this masterpiece. This is a must have for anyone who really loves cross-cultural music.