CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Yet another candidate for my favorite Yes album, and the first one I heard. I bought Fragile and Close to the Edge on vinyl at the same time, tried Close to The Edge first, and my taste in music was changed forever. I'd heard some progressive rock songs on the radio before, and I even had and loved some Genesis albums, but to hear another band doing this kind of music with a slightly different approach really changed things for me. From the ambient fade in to the nearly atonal jamming that ensues (featuring some of Rick Wakeman's most original keyboard work and Steve howe's most original guitaring) to the spiritually reachful and complex yet catchy song portions (complete with the most wonderful melodies) that make up the piece that takes up all of Side One, the song "Close To the Edge" is one of the most thought-out and classically composed rock songs you'll ever hear. And the same can be said of the two songs on Side Two! The question is, is it still rock? Of course! Nothing like the gettin' down guitar intro to "Siberian Khatru" (which reappears again later at just the right time) or the in-the-absolute-depths-of- space synths sounds in the majestic sections of "And You and I", (which is a truly beautiful love song in and of itself) or the tricky, jazz-influenced drumming that energizes the title track so well would have come from Beethoven, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, or even Bartok, even if the forms the composers from that world are known for are all over this album. Any rock'n'roll fan who may be new to the idea of proggresive rock and/or is craving more substance than what you'd find in a typical rock album (especially if you're looking into the future from the early 70's and reading this review) would be well served to start here. As a side note, Close To the Edge does contain some of Yes' best playing and vocal interaction.