CLOSE TO THE EDGE

Reading the previous reviews I discover quite some controversies. It's rated from brilliant to a piece of trash. For me the album is brilliant, my wife considers it a piece of trash (but she likes the Carpenters, and they are not my thing). So it seems that people have different tastes. And this album is certainly controversial. Now, not all controversial albums are brilliant, but most brilliant albums are controversial. The interesting thing is that most of the people that rate the album three or less stars like "And You And I" but dislike "Close to the edge". AYAI is indeed a song with heavenly sounds, probably much easier to appreciate than CTTE. But it lacks the complexity and - to my opinion - geniality of CTTE. It's "just a beautiful song". The concept and style of CTTE were, certainly at that time, a novelty. Now there are plenty of bands that have made albums and songs in the same way. Maybe there are even better songs but to start with something new requires creative minds. And therefore I think this is a classical album, a must-have, and a milestone in progressive rock music. And that has not so much to do with taste. Siberian Kathru is another beautiful song, more complex than AYAI but also with more energy. With these three songs the album is also in balance: the controversial CTTE, the enrgetic SK and the evrymen's friend AYAI (even my wife likes it!) So, five stars, first because it's a classical and second because it's my taste.