Close To The Edge
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Recommendations/Featured albums
Forum Description: Make or seek recommendations and discuss specific prog albums
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7709
Printed Date: March 04 2025 at 14:45
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Close To The Edge
Posted By: Retrovertigo
Subject: Close To The Edge
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 15:51
| I just heard it for the first time (sue me, I'm new to prog), and it's my favorite album of all time already. The playing, the structures, everything. I hope there's more I can find out there like this! |
Replies:
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 15:59
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Posted By: Arsillus
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 16:09
Yes, it is a great album. 
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Posted By: Lindsay Lohan
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 16:15
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Posted By: Biggles
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 16:16
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First album on first listen? It took me about 3 listens to understand the title track. Truly a genius album, though. ------------- The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe. http://www.last.fm/user/sbonfiglioli/?chartstyle=red"> 
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Posted By: freakmeeko
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 16:23
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Just go widit. I like all the bonus tracks on the new version, Siberian Khatru shows that Wakeman has got the powa.
------------- Keyboardist-bassist. Rick Wakeman>Emerson (Though they both kick it) |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 16:27
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Welcome to the forum - glad to see another Mr. Bungle fan! I also just recently decided to get to know 70s prog and started with CttE and SEbtP. So far, I like it fine, and it's growing nicely ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to: 
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Retrovertigo wrote:Posted By: tuxon
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:08
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Didn't we all agreed on that a long time ago already ------------- I'm always almost unlucky _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Id5ZcnjXSZaSMFMC Id5LM2q2jfqz3YxT |
Posted By: Laurent
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:10
It's the greatst album, ever made my anyone!.  ------------- 
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Posted By: Biggles
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:16
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There's one point in "Close to the Edge" (I forget where, exactly) in wich Rick Wakeman plays 3/4 on one hand and 4/4 on the other. He is no man. He is a God. ------------- The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe. http://www.last.fm/user/sbonfiglioli/?chartstyle=red">
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Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:20
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Yes it is good. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:23
| Its one of the greatest prog albums without doubt.Uncompromising to the extreme but still a beautifull work from arguably the greatest prog ensemble. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:23
It's nice, but it's not THAT big a deal, the way you put it. When he starts improvising in different signatures simultaneously, I'll get interested ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: raindance
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:34
Without any doubt whatsoever, CTTE is the best album of all time of any genre.
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Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:38
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In your opinion. There are lotsof albums that I would prefer if I had to choose ONE album. And even among the big Yes fans there are some who think that some of their later albums were better. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: raindance
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:41
No, it's generally accepted that CTTE is the mother of all prog rock albums! |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:44
Maybe it GENERALLY is the best prog rock album of all times. I only say that there are many (like 50) albums that I would prefer. Please don't try to convince me that I'm wrong, neither will I say anything bad about CttE. It is an outstanding album, but not 100% my cup of tea. BTW: The fact that it is at position 1 on the progarchives list of top albums doesn't mean that much. I mean, ToT is in the top 10, too ... ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: limeyrob
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:47
| Agree whole-heartedly that the tracks are brilliant. Only---------------------I prefer them on Yessongs. This version of And You and I is superb from the first note. |
Posted By: Syntharachnid
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:52
No, the mother of all prog albums is nothing more than a matter of opinion. My favorite is Tales from Topographic Oceans (please don't shoot me), with CTTE coming in second. ------------- 
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:54
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I really like CTTE but Fragile is my fav Yes album. -------------  |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 17:55
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If you must ask: I'm more the KC, VdGG, GG kind of guy when it comes to 70s prog rock. I'd say that ITCOTCK is the album which I would call the mother of all prog albums. But then again there's The Moody Blues ... ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 18:02
I think Close to the Edge is great, but personally, 'Relayer' just shades it for me, because 'The Gates Of Delirium' is just sooooooooo fantastic. ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: Biggles
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 18:05
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I haven't listened to Yes in a while, actually. Jethro Tull has been feeding on me like a mad parasite with rabies lately. ------------- The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe. http://www.last.fm/user/sbonfiglioli/?chartstyle=red">
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Posted By: Losendos
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 18:08
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Individuality is perculiar. I prefer both Fragile and Relayer although CTTE is a great album. I doubt any album could stand up to the reputation of being the greatest Prog album of all time. There are so many gems in the genre and some are great in some areas and others in other areas. ------------- How wonderful to be so profound |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 18:58
| Personally Relayer just pips it for me. As for Fragile... never quite saw what all the fuss was about. A lot of filler on that album. |
Posted By: Tony R
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 19:18
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Bah Relayer is like The Prodigal Son,but I'm not up for forgiving this turgid mess. |
Posted By: Snow Dog
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 19:43
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Agreed. Relayer is the superior album. Gates of Delirium, the best thing they've written and performed! ------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Snow_Dog" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Violenza
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 20:27
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I also just recently heard CTTE for the first time, and its my second Yes album after the Fragile, and I love it. If their other albums are as good I think they might beat out KC as my all time favourite prog band. What should be my next Yes album? Relayer? |
Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 20:56
Yes. |
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 21:04
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This is about the nicest thread I've seen. Good job
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Posted By: jman89
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 21:08
Oh hell yeah! It's Alan Whites second outing with Yes and I think it's his best work out of any album he's done! |
Posted By: The_Block
Date Posted: June 18 2005 at 21:19
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The first track on Relayer has a jazz feel to it. Some great work
by Alan White on percussion. Patrick Morazs' keyboards are adequit and
he proved a worthy sucessor to Rick. Gates of Delerium was their last
foray into the "one side, one song" way of wrighting.(?) Howe, Squire
and Anderson are brilliant as usuall. They are the only band I can think
of where every member is playing a solo all the time. Going for the one would be a good choice as next album if for no other reason than the tracks Awaken and Turn of the Century, arguabley two of their best pieces of work. ------------- Keyboard not found. Press F1 to continue |
Posted By: moonlapse
Date Posted: June 19 2005 at 12:05
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Well, I just bought Close to the Edge a few days ago and think it sucks totally... Actually it's fantastic, I love it. So I bought Fragile yesterday...couldn't resist...and it's great too. Planning on getting Tales from Topographic Oceans and Relayer next. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: June 19 2005 at 20:51
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That is utter blasphemy on this forum. I agree somewhat though, Siberian Khatru isn't quite up to par. I love the title track though. |
Posted By: John
Date Posted: June 20 2005 at 03:48
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I just redicovered CTTE after not having listened to it for ten years. The
title track is definitely one of Prog Rock's finest moments... |
Posted By: CVoss
Date Posted: July 28 2005 at 08:26
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Yeah, I really can see the hype with CTTE as the greatest prog album ever; I seriously had an obsession with it at first (which never has and probably never will completely die off). I must comment that though all three songs are among my all-time favorite Yes songs (and prog-rock songs), I often feel like the only one who says "Siberian Khatru" is the favorite of the three. I don't know, all those songs are ecstasy (sp), yet it's always that last song that really gets me going (last two minutes=greatest rock song fadeout ever IMO). ------------- "No one told you when to run You missed the starting gun" |
Posted By: alan_pfeifer
Date Posted: July 28 2005 at 16:29
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Same here. Alan White is probably the most underated member of Yes. |
Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 03:54
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I like the covers also very much! The outer sleeve of the album is abstract and mystical, while the inner sleeve contains the romantic Dean landscape with all the nice details. Just like the music begins with an abstract wall of sound coming forward, then all the details suddenly burst towards you. I remember Roger wrote in some of his artbooks, that he had an idea of hiding the detailed artwork at the inner side of the album jacket, so one should cut the album open to get to see it!
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Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 04:32
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Most definitely.Hearing my older brothers playing their CTTE and Fragile albums when I was a kid is what got me interested in prog. ------------- |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 05:29
It's kind of sad that I didn't listen to 70s prog as a kid ... I guess that I'd have a different perspective on music if I had listened to that kind of music earlier. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 05:36
It does help. I must say. All of my older brothers were into prog. Just think about it. A great way to grow up. |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 06:57
Nevertheless I grew up in a musical family and started playing instruments at the age of 9 ... when I was about 14, I was already heavily into prog metal like Queensryche and Dream Theater (inevitably). And although I didn't listen to "real" prog back then, I already started exploring other genres like experimental rock (Zappa is still more xep. rock than fusion to me), Fusion (Jeff Beck, Tribal Tech), classical (Orff, Ravel, Dvorak, Holst) or Jazz (Miles Davis, George Gershwin, Thelonious Monk). I think that my perspective may be different, but not necessarily worse. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 08:28
Well, that's certainly not worse! |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 08:33
I also grew up in a musical family and started playing drums at 6.All of my 3 older brothers play musical instruments and 2 of them were total prog heads back in the 70's when they were teenagers and I was a kid.I was exposed to Yes,Genesis,King Crimson,ELP and the like at a pretty early age.They definitely helped shaped my musical tastes,which they came to regret because I constantly bugged them to borrow albums and tape albums for me!! ------------- |
Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 08:58
It seems to me that both Proggy & Mike had very solid musical backgrounds..and it shows in the way you discuss music in the threads, and the way you review...I wasn't exposed to any proper prog until well into early adulthood, because I have no older siblings, and my parents didn't think music was at all important..oh well, catching up now! ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: MikeEnRegalia
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 09:02
I only have a (younger) sister, and she doesn't have any musical background - she can't sing in tune and won't find the "1" in any 4/4 ... at least she says so. But she listened to a lot of weird music as a teen, and she introduced me to Alice Cooper - great music, at least his 70s albums. ------------- https://awesomeprog.com/release-polls/pa" rel="nofollow - Release Polls Listened to:
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Posted By: Jared
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 09:02
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I also just recently heard CTTE for the first time, and its my second Yes album after the Fragile, and I love it. If their other albums are as good I think they might beat out KC as my all time favourite prog band. What should be my next Yes album? Relayer?
I think Relayer is great, as I've said, but don't forget to try The Yes Album...its sometimes seen as the poor relation of those three great early albums, undeservedly so...any album with Perpetual Change, Yours Is No Disgrace & Starship Trooper on, can't be all that bad! ------------- Music has always been a matter of energy to me. On some nights I believe that a car with the needle on empty can run 50 more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio. Hunter S Thompson |
Posted By: TheProgtologist
Date Posted: July 29 2005 at 09:09
I love The Yes Album ------------- |
Posted By: Wormboy
Date Posted: July 30 2005 at 16:38
| Agreed. Arguably the best prog rock album ever. A perfect blend of composition, theme development, movements, virtuosity, and production. Most of all, a really tight whole, and a serious avoidance of w**kery (which Yes seriously got into in later albums). |
Posted By: vava
Date Posted: July 31 2005 at 05:23
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actually i do prefer the yes album over fragile
------------- 
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Posted By: The Hemulen
Date Posted: July 31 2005 at 06:56
| Quite simply, this was the album that made me care about music. Need I say more? |
Posted By: Arteum
Date Posted: August 10 2005 at 18:41
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Sorry, guys, I am going to spoil your happy smilies. I completely agree
with the review below. In my opinion, "Close To The Edge" is nowhere
being among great prog albums. It is, as many pople note, "very messy".
believe me, I tried to love it. I listened to it 15 times and I still
cannot understand what is so special about it. Yes, it's good, but to
give it 5 stars?? 3.5 maximum. Melody in the first track is absent,
singing is amateurish ... In fact, the structure of this album reminds
me of jellyfish -- some pseudo-structure is present, but I fail to
catch either a good beat or melody.There is only one part of it
that I like: the "funeral" section. But this lasts just a few seconds
... And this is considered YES best album! I tried to love other ones, but they are even worse. YES is simply a good average band, not even in top 20 progressive bands. I already wrote it several times, but I am going to write it again (and possibly will start a new thread about it, so that more people might notice it): can anybody name me at least five tracks of this "great" YES that would be at least distantly close to the musicanship and execution of the following by their contemporaries GENESIS: 1. 'Firth of Fifth' 2. 'Supper's Ready' 3. 'Afterglow' 4. 'Los Endos' 5. 'Cinema Show' (especially in "Seconds Out" version) plus many many other excellent tracks. Did YES ever write anything even remotely as great?! Be honest with yourself. Give me examples! I am sure YES would be equally submerged by PF, ELP, PORCUPINE TREE, anything ...! ../Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=1827"> 
../Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=1827 - YES - Close to the Edge (1972)Review ( ../Review.asp?id=42382 - Permanent link ) by Must S. Beard @ 5:55:04 PM EST, 8/10/2005  —
I have a question to impose upon ye all: WHAT is the big deal with this album? If anything
is deserving of the term overrated, this is it. I just don't understand the obsession with this
album. To start off, I'll mention the 2nd and 3rd tracks, which I think are great, and its sad
that these two songs get lumped in with the mess that is Close to the Edge. And You And I
is a mostly beautiful song and Siberian Khatru is a fun sort of dance song. These two tracks
deserve to be on an at least 4-star album, and I feel sorry for them, I really do. All the
while they have to stare into the face of a needless 20 minutes of filth (I use that term
lightly). Now onto the "epic" (which is most likely about nothing). First of all, I must say
what is the need of the separately named parts? Three of them are the EXACT SAME
THING, disguised as different tunes because they have different bass lines (the bass lines
are one thing that I like in this song). Most of the song is spent with Jon hardly singing, just
pretty much talking with a change of pitch here and there. A four-year-old could do that.
Then at the end of the first part, after he says his annoying little "Not right away" part
(which the hilarious, pretentious liner notes call a stroke of genius), the 2nd part starts,
which...is...exactly...the same...as the...first..part. What a stroke of genius. They must
be Gods, at least the liner notes hint at that (the ones for TFTO are even funnier). After
the O.K. third part ends, Rick Wakemen's "amazing" keyboard solo of nothingness begins.
There's certainly no feeling put into it (at least Yes were consistent in this song), and I
shouldn't be one to judge but it doesn't sound like it's technically brilliant either. After this
little ditty from Rick Wakemen's "Godly" fingers ends, I either turn the damn thing off or the
4th part begins, and guess what? It's note for note the same as the 1st and 2nd parts!
Then the song ends and I do a little jig because it's all over. Sometimes I feel like Yes is a
parody of other prog-rock bands, with Jon and his annoying, cheesy vocals and Rick and
his dull, overrated keyboards. Chris and Steve are what make me like this band, and
sometimes even love it (like on Relayer, where most of the time Jon is shoved off to the
side so the real masters can do their work). In the End CTTE= 2.4 stars, AYAI & SK= 4.3
stars.
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Posted By: Eetu Pellonpaa
Date Posted: August 11 2005 at 03:38
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You didn't succeed! Hey, there's even BILL BRUFORD still in it! |
Posted By: MustShaveBeard
Date Posted: August 11 2005 at 16:45
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Says MustShaveBeard
------------- Your life or your lupins!!! |
Damn you! To think I was going to let you join my exclusive club!Posted By: Laurent
Date Posted: August 11 2005 at 18:37
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The boys in Yes were far ahead of their time in terms of Composition, and production. Production-wise, CTTE is miles ahead of any other album from the same era, even DSOTM. -------------
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Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: August 13 2005 at 08:56
Relayer is ace, you also need to hear Going For The One and The Yes Album. |