CLOSE TO THE EDGE

What have we here?! Potentially the best progressive rock album ever, that's what.

Perfect in every aspect, fulfilling all the requirements for being a masterpiece. This is Close to the Edge, the peak in Yes's Career. And it is very difficult to put in words what a personal attachment I have to it. Anything I can come up with seems to have been said. And that doesn't surprise me, a lot of people connect with this album. It's beautiful yet sharp. It's catchy yet dignified. It's virtuosic yet modest. It's colourful yet thematic. It has the initial wow factor, but remains challenging and interesting for many many listens. The title track is about a spiritual awakening, and that seems to be the best way to describe the song, because I feel like I'm HAVING A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING when I hear it. And that's not a super-fan's exaggeration either. It's just that it's simply a very powerful piece of craftsmenship, it can move anyone. The only people it doesn't affect are those who already decided before pressing the play button that it was "overated" or "pretentious" or "too succesful". It is all of those things, but why is that a problem? The millions of us who have given the album five stars have done so because of the music, the emotion and feeling, not the surrounding statistics. Even those who are immensely turned off by commercial success will find it hard to deny that this album is VERY GOOD. It simply is. And those who are in denial of that will say "The fans are biased". But why are we biased? Are we loyal to the band? In many cases no. We are biased because we fall in love with this music. Some of us overate it, true. It can't be helped. The only way to truly express your love for Close to the Edge is to some how extract the feeling you get from it. The shivers down the spine, the tingling of muscles, the overbearing feeling of positivity and beauty, is a difficult thing to describe without sounding like an idiot, or like Jon Anderson.

'And You And I' is incredibly emotive, strong and colourful, with beatuiful chords and melodies and a soundscape that is to die for. 'Siberian Khatru' is hard-edged and progressive, with interesting structural motifs and bright, angular breaks and themes. 'Close to the Edge' contains all of the above, building in epic-ness to reach it's fantastically orgasmic climax. the exterior artwork is simply green, lush, natural and colourful, a wonderful colour to represent the music. The interior is more impressive. The logo is there, finally! Everything falls into place with Close to the Edge. It is a moment in history, a time capsule, a forty-minute dream. It's an inspiration. It's inspired me to become a musician. I live for this music.

People can disagree about the nature of prog, even the nature of God, but never the nature of Yes.

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