CLOSE TO THE EDGE

There are many reasons why this album is considered the top prog album of all time on the prog archives top 100. The songwriting is taken to a point of near perfection. The musical virtuosity of the individual members of Yes are uncomparable, escpecially with Rick Wakeman and Chris Squire. The lyrics of the album, abstract as they may be, give each song an etherial quality that only prog should do.

But the real reason this album is usually number one is that it embodies what a prog album should be. It has all the elements that define progressive rock as a genre and places them into a brilliant 38-minute soundscape.

"Close to the Edge" is one of the most well-crafted epic tracks from Yes. It shifts moods from frantic to calm and back again seamlessly as Jon Anderson's voice takes you to places the human mind was never meant to go. "And You And I" is the best yessong I've ever heard. The sheer beauty of this song lifts my spirits no matter what mood I'm in. "Siberian Khatru" is a brilliant rocker, with wicked guitar licks and amazing bass.

Some people think this album is overrated. I see their point, but the fact remains that this is as close as we will ever come to seeing a "perfect" prog album.