I Talk To The Wind: Prog Blog and Reviews

woa I feel silly for not noticing this sooner...just checked Greg Walker and he has the mini LP for a relatively

Edited by jimmy_row - May 25 2008 at 11:41

Review 44, Close To The Edge, Yes, 1972

This album resists all reviewing. Detailing the features is useless, as anyone on the site will inevitably get the album. Explaining how they contribute to the feel is mostly impossible (for me). Nonetheless, I feel obliged to try. I absolutely love this album. I think it's the best thing Yes have ever done, and one of the all-time greatest progressive albums.

Close To The Edge itself is one of the 'archetypal' progressive epics, and yet is not at all 'by-the-books' (as I've seen one review describe it). Firstly, its structure is distinctly like that of a pop song. It isn't as firmly divided into parts as something like Supper's Ready or A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers, but is a cohesive whole at all times.

I suppose the best I can say for this song is that it is simply utterly gripping all the way through. I have yet to, listening to it, think about anything other than the second of music I'm hearing. There is no spot of weakness or single place which leaves the rest feeling any weaker. The Bruford-Squire rhythm section is one of (if not) the greatest rhythm sections, and nowhere is that more evident than on this song. Squire leaps fanatically around the whole range of his instrument with plenty of groove and force, and Bruford's biggest selling-point, a mastery of the little notes, is on display throughout. He also, notably, handles all sorts of drums, which I'm too musically inept to identify.

Over this lead rhythm section, we have effectively got three lead players: Howe's searing, slippery guitar, which switches between its own bizarre style and excellent soloing. The Caped One's obscenely large set of keyboards both provide a backing atmosphere and fully realise the cosmic feel of the album, as well as one of the most uplifting and powerful organ solos ever handled. Jon Anderson, the final piece of the puzzle, contributes an intelligent set of lyrics, both including killer phrases like 'Sad courage claimed the victims standing still for all to see/As armoured movers marched onwards to overlook the sea' and word choices for sound as well as what I like to call 'word feel' (when a word, usually an adjective, is there because its meaning provides a certain feel even if it's not vital to the sense). He also handles his high vocals with a bit of grit that wasn't there in Fragile, and, while this isn't necessarily better, it does suit the song down to the ground. The accompanying harmonies which frequently feature are no less perfect.

Essentially, this is the only line-up that could possibly have pulled off this song, and the whole is indeed greater than the sum of the parts. From the spiritual birdsong opening to the amazing harmonies of the first half of 'I get up, I get down' to Anderson's triumphant 'I get up, I get down' and the accompanying majesty of the Wakeman organ solo to the truly superb use of tubular bells near the end of Seasons Of Man to the final echo of the opener, every single moment is intensely enjoyable, and can withstand breaking down or being seen as a whole with equal resilience. Even as one of the newly initiated, whose musical ear was at the time incapable of distinguishing the instruments, I was gripped by this piece, its polish and its atmosphere and lyrics, and haven't yet been released.

You And I, however, was the piece that really did seal the deal, because, even when I wasn't capable of working out why the title track was so impressive, I could appreciate the lyrical content, distorted/electro- acoustic guitar and gradual build of this one. The bleak 'Apocalypse' title frame a guitar part and vocals which may at first sound cheerful, but with the title taken into consideration take on a certain desolation or hollowness. Superficial appearances of the music and cheerful-sounding lines like 'In the end, we'll agree, we'll accept, we'll immortalise' take on an entirely different feel when the piece is looked at as a whole. Wonderfully convoluted and cleverly done. Anyone with a sense of wordplay and a an overdrive for examining lyrical material must take a look at this.

Wakeman delights in the opportunity to take a slightly more lead role, giving us all sorts of whirly moogage and keyboards. Howe's guitar is incredibly interesting for me, even though I'm a non-musician and usually have an aversion to acoustic chords. Squire willingly generally handles a lower-ranged bass part (excluding a wonderful quick solo on The Preacher The Teacher, which does provide a bit more bottom behind the fuller sections and provide a better contrast for the softer ones. The grandiose Eclipse features another incredible solo from Wakeman, this time dualling mellotron with another instrument, which slows down excellently to Howe's guitar again. Jon Anderson again gives us a superlative vocal performance, and Bruford is intelligent on the drums/percussion side, creating the grandeur every bit as much as The Caped One.

Siberian Khatru is the album's clear rock piece, with an intense organ riff running through the opening, Howe giving us a superb guitar performance, and Squire's bass (especially) driving the piece by both presence and absence. Bruford's percussion choices are inspired, giving an expanding feel to the piece, and both drum-beats and eclectic percussive battery. What really impresses on this one is how a musician can either change instrument without a moment of pause or awkward transition, with Wakeman gliding between harpischord, mellotron, moog and organ, and Howe employing both acoustic and electric guitars. Jon Anderson's vocals (complete with harmonies) and lyrics are again immaculate. Needless to say, again, this is 100% effort, enigma and brilliance, and essential listening.

The remaster includes the single version of America (the complete version's on Fragile, and I've reviewed that there), which is equally great in both formats. A single version of Total Mass Retain doesn't work as badly as I'd have thought it would do out of context, and could be of interest to a Yes fanatic. The two rehearsals/alternate versions of You And I (much thicker bass sound) and Siberian Khatru (some harmonies missed) are actually quite interesting for me (a non Yes-nut), and I don't feel crowded by the bonuses included or feel that they wreck the album as a whole. Overall, a good set of bonuses.

If you don't have this album, head right for your nearest internet-based or non-internet-based prog store, and buy it. I seriously doubt that you'll be disappointed if you don't try to convince yourself that it can't possibly be as good as the hype.

Rating: Five Stars. No question.

Favourite Track: All of them. Going to say You And I for the lyrical interest.

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An entire page without reviews... This is madness

New listens: From H To He was superb. I loved it. A VDGG album, certainly, but different to any of the later ones I've got. Less vocal-driven. 5ish Stars, because they're my second fanboy group. Phaedra was very interesting, though less easy to get to grips with than Rubycon. Not sure how to rate it.

Mini-LP. Hm. I can't play those. Ah well, looks like the financial hit will take place eventually...
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Album Of The Week: Scheherazade And Other Stories - Renaissance. Just when I thought I was safe from Prog Folk...

Song Of The Week: The Vultures Fly High - Renaissance. The inner pop fanatic strains...

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So, how'd I do on that one? Not easy to review, but I think I didn't end up making too big a mess of it.

Next. Something else before Tales, I think, since I need a break from many-star reviewing. Might see if I can decide on something for Script.

More Yes questions:
For those people who didn't like Tales (not me, and not Mick, I know), what exactly was the problem with it? I see a lot of very general 'weren't enough ideas' reviews, but I can't help feeling that some people were just taken aback by the difficult nature of the album and have explained that away as a lack of substance.

Edit: ha, my browser is shuddering at opening the 870-odd CTTE reviews so I can post mine...


Edited by TGM: Orb - May 25 2008 at 11:58

ooohhh...  been looking forward to this


possibly the first Close to the Edge review I'll read in months.. a year... since I've been here hahahah

and reading

Rob, I like it.  not really a difficult album to rate whatsoever.  I brought CttE up a while back when we were talking about the "flawed masterpiece", just because I think they ran out of ideas by the second half of Siberian Khatru, they must play that riff 500 times.  But I will say on it's behalf that it's a good riff at first, and the solo section is as good as it gets; particularly Steve Howe's pedal steel part - you don't hear many able to make it 'swoop' like that and sound so big and graceful.

micky wrote: excellent review Rob.. and you nailed the head. .again.. especially on why 'Close to the Edge' is head and shoulders above any epic out there.. the key is it's structure.  It is, like I've said before and posted analytical analysis of before....it's  an 18 minute long pop song...  and how much more prog can anything be than that. Head and shoulders above anything else anyone did .. or even attempted.

I probably stole that idea from one of your posts . Couldn't find the review I remember you quoting, though. I have a slight preference for Les Porches, myself, because it has a little more imagery and even a 'physical' effect on me. There are not many songs at all that can quite do that (Larks' part 1, Exiles, Les Porches, Echoes' good bits, Epilogo (of Ys)).

jimmyrow wrote: Rob, I like it.  not really a difficult album to rate whatsoever.  I brought CttE up a while back when we were talking about the "flawed masterpiece", just because I think they ran out of ideas by the second half of Siberian Khatru, they must play that riff 500 times.  But I will say on it's behalf that it's a good riff at first, and the solo section is as good as it gets; particularly Steve Howe's pedal steel part - you don't hear many able to make it 'swoop' like that and sound so big and graceful.

I've just never had a problem with that, so can't really comment. It's always seemed to me like an expanding, blossoming wilderness developing into civilisation. The visuals overwhelm my analytical skills. That solo is superb :)

I took a while to get into Tales. Really, I got it before I could appreciate the components, and only loved it after I took the time to just sit down and listen to the album with no other distractions at all. Before that, I found it rather pretentious and vacuous, but everything just came together on that listen. Now I love it to pieces.

Edit:

oh, and I can't forget how 'prog' the titles are...I remember being a prog newbie and looking at the back cover of CttE, I'd never seen roman numerals used to denote sections of a song, made it seem all the more complicated and adventurous when, as you said in the review, it's just a big pop song (or several of them strung together as in AYAI)

Absolutely. I don't know why, but when I first got that album (not too long ago) it had an air of mystery to it because of that (and the album art, actually, which was incredibly well chosen, I thought). And it still does, analysis aside. I'd only really got some ELP (my prog introduction, believe it or not) and a tad of Genesis and Crimson at the time. The sheer weirdness of CTTE (by comparison) was quite a different experience.


Edited by TGM: Orb - May 25 2008 at 12:18

Good job on the SeaTeaTeeEee review! Much better than the one I did... although give me some credit, it was
the second review I ever did . As for VdGG, H to He was the first one I ever got into, you're right - it's way
different than their later stuff.

Anyways, I'm going to "Moving Pictures" my way off to work

Well I just got back and he didn't get me. Maybe I'll pop in that album next.

ooohhhh... an album I have very mixed feelings about.. 

Nooooo!!! Micky, why!? 

Personally I love Crime... to death. I originally gave it a 4 but bumped it up later on. I totally agree with you on
Dreamer though. I like it because I heard it way too much growing up, but I can definitely see where it gets annoying.
I'd be interested to see what you think of Crisis... because I found that one to be way "poppier" than Crime. Anyways,
a great review! Pointed out some things that I didn't even notice until now. If you liked that one though I think
you should give "Even In The Quietest Moments" a shot.


@Micky - love the sig

King By-Tor wrote: Nooooo!!! Micky, why!?  Personally I love Crime... to death. I originally gave it a 4 but bumped it up later on. I totally agree with you on Dreamer though. I like it because I heard it way too much growing up, but I can definitely see where it gets annoying. I'd be interested to see what you think of Crisis... because I found that one to be way "poppier" than Crime. Anyways, a great review! Pointed out some things that I didn't even notice until now. If you liked that one though I think you should give "Even In The Quietest Moments" a shot. @Micky - love the sig

yeah. .I thought today was a good day to break out a new sig

I'll give the album a fresh listen tonight..  I'll be fair and say they aren't exactly a favorite group of mine, thus don't get many listens. Really. the only album that I really did take to was BiA.