Yes - Close To The Edge

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Rhino Records
Catalog Number: 73790
Format: CD
Total Time: 64:19:00

My first thought when I think of Yes music is "musical genius." Their music has always pulled me out of my reality and right into a completely different zone, and I like that.

Rhino Records has been steadily remastering and reissuing the Yes catalog with bonus tracks and insightful liner notes that put each period of time the band recorded a particular album into proper perspective. Close To The Edge is no exception when it comes to the consistency of excellence that the label demands of itself. The sound on this CD is quite simply, magnificent.

This album is arguably one of the first true progressive rock albums ever recorded. It was 1972 and music was on the brink of many changes and Yes was right in the middle of it all. The opening suite "Close To The Edge: I. The Solid Time Of Change  II. Total Mass Retain  III. I Get Up I Get Down  IV. Seasons Of Man," which lasts for nearly 19 minutes, set the precedence for this genre of music and for the band for many years to come. Their ability to record such complex compositions such as the title track and release a pop flavored single such as the bonus track "America," gave them a cross over appeal that most bands that played music along the same lines simply could not hope to accomplish. How can you go from one distinctly intricate symphonic prog-rock piece of music and switch over to a rock-pop format with songs that had a hit single appeal and still sound the same but different all at the same time? It sounds crazy but that is exactly what this band has been doing for over thirty years now. With Jon Anderson's one-of-a-kind vocals, Steve Howe's striking guitar, Rick Wakeman's built in orchestra with his keyboards and Chris Squire (bass) and Bill Bruford (drums) the anchors of the ship, they were ready to set sail. The good ship Yes would get underway time after time but some of the sails would change as each album was recorded, which never stopped their creative flow. This album kept the stream of creativeness going that the two previous albums The Yes Album and Fragile had begun. The best part about it was that there was a lot more to come.

Tracklisting:
Close To The Edge: I. The Solid Time Of Change - II. Total Mass Retain - III. I Get Up I Get Down - IV. Seasons Of Man (18:36) / And You And I: I. Cord Of Life II. - Eclipse - III. The Preacher The Teacher - IV. Apocalypse (10:13) / Siberian Khatru (8:57) / Bonus Tracks: America (Single Version) (4:03) (Atlantic single #2899 (7/17/72)) / Total Mass Retain (Single Version) (3:20) (Atlantic single #2899 (7/17/72)) / And You And I (Alternate Version) (10:21) (Previously Unissued) / Siberia (Studio Run -Through of 'Siberian Khatru') (9:19) (Previously Unissued)

Musicians:
Rick Wakeman - keyboards
Jon Anderson - vocals
Bill Bruford - percussion, drums
Steve Howe - guitar, vocals
Chris Squire - bass, vocals

Discography:
Yes (1969)
Time And A Word (1970)
The Yes Album (1971)
Fragile (1972)
Close To The Edge (1972)
Yessongs (1973)
Tales From Topographic Oceans (1974)
Relayer (1975)
Going For The One (1977)
Tormato (1978)
Yesshows (1980)
Drama (1980)
Classic Yes (1982)
90125 (1983/2004)
90125 Live - The Solos (1985)
Big Generator (1987)
Union (1989)
Yesyears (1991)
Yesstory (1991)
Highlights: The Very Best Of Yes (1993)
Talk (1994)
Keys To Ascension I (1996)
Keys To Ascension II (1997)
Open Your Eyes (1997)
Yes, Friends And Relatives (1998)
Beyond And Before: BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (1998)
Something's Coming (1998)
Friends & Relatives (1998)
The Ladder (1999)
Millennium Collection (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (2000)
Yes, Friends and Relatives - Volume Two (2001)
YesSymphonic (ep) (2001)
Magnification (2001)
Keystudio (ep) (2001)
3 For 1 Box Set (2001)
Original Members Of Yes (2001)
Extended Versions (2002)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 1 (2002)
Yestoday (2002)
In A Word (2002)
Yes Remixes (2003)
Friends And Relatives: Ultimate Collection, Vol. 2 (2003)
Roundabout: Best Of Yes Live (2003)
The Yes Story Gold (2003)
The Ultimate Yes - 35th Anniverary Collection (2004)
(Re)Union (2004)
Topography: The Yes Anthology (2004)
Inside Yes 1968-1973: A Critical Review (2004)
The Word Is Live (2005)
Live And Solo: The Collection (2006)
Greatest Hits Live (2006)
An Evening Of Yes (2006)
Yesstories: Group & Solo Tales (2006)
Essentially Yes (2006)
The Definitive Rock Collection (2007)
Roundabout & Other Hits (2006)
Live At Montreux 2003 (2007)
Works (2007)
The Best Of Yes: 1970-1987 (2007)
Symphonic Live (2009)
The BBC Recordings 1969-1970 (2009)
Introducing Yes (2009)
Wonderous Stories: The Best Of Yes (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Fly From Here (2011)
In The Present - Live From Lyon (2011)
Heaven & Earth (2014)
Songs From Tsongas (2014)
Like It Is: Yes At The Bristol Hippodrome (2014)
Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two (boxset) (2015)
Like It Is: Yes At The Mesa Arts Center (2015)
Topographic Drama - Live Across America (2017)
Fly From Here - Return Trip (2018)
From A Page - Studio Tracks Plus In The Present Live From Lyon (2019) Yes50 Live (2019)

9012LIve (VHS/DVD) (1985/2005)
Greatest Hits Video (VHS/DVD) (1991/2001)
Yesyears: A Retrospective (VHS/DVD) (1991/2003)
Yes: Live - 1975 At Q.P.R. (VHS) (1993)
Live In Philadelphia 1979 (VHS/DVD) (1996/2003)
Keys To Ascension (VHS/DVD) (1997/2001/2009)
The Union Tour Live (DVD) (1999)
House Of Yes: Live From The House Of Blues (VHS/DVD) (2000)
The Best Of MusikLaden Live (VHS/DVD) (2000/2003)
Live In Amsterdam (VHS/DVD) (2002)
Symphonic Live (DVD+CD) (2003)
Yes: Special Edition EP (DVD) (2003)
YesSpeak (DVD) (2003)
YesAcoustic (DVD) (2004/2006)
35th Anniversary Concert: Songs From Tsongas (DVD) (2004)
YesSpeak - YesAcoustic - 35th Anniversary Edition (DVD) (2005)
Critical Review 1968-1973 (DVD) (2005)
Greatest Video Hits (DVD) (2005)
Inside Yes Plus Friends And Family (DVD) (2006)
Acoustic Live (DVD) (2006)
Total Rock Review (DVD) (2006)
Close To The Edge: Rock Milestones (DVD) (2007)
Live At Montreux (DVD/BR) (2007)
The Lost Broadcasts (DVD) (2009)
Rock Of The 70s (DVD) (2009)
Union Live (2011)
Live Hemel Hempstead Pavilion October 3rd 1971 (2014)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin UK

Added: August 24th 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: yesworld.com
Hits: 2917
Language: english