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Close to the Edge | 
| Artist: Yes
Label: Rhino
Category: Music
List Price: £9.99
Buy New: £4.04
as of 23/11/2009 07:14 GMT details
You Save: £5.95 (60%)
New (34) Used (4) from £4.04
Seller: moviemars-usa
Rating:  33 reviews
Sales Rank: 1213
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.5 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 73790
UPC: 081227379025
EAN: 0081227379025
ASIN: B00007LTI9
Release Date: August 25, 2003
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Close To The Edge - (i)The Solid Time Of Change(ii)Total Mass Retain(iii)I Get Up, I Get Down(iv)Seasons Of A Man | | • | And You And I - (i)Cord Of Life(ii)Eclipse(iii)The Preacher, The Teacher(iv)Apocalypse | | • | Siberian Khatru | | • | America (bonus track) | | • | Total Mass Retain (bonus track) | | • | And You And I - (i)Cord Of Life(ii)Eclipse(iii)The Preacher, The Teacher(ii)Apocalypse (alternate bonus track) | | • | Siberia (studio run-through bonus track) |
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
Close to perfection September 10, 2003
32 out of 32 found this review helpful
"Down by the edge just by the river" we are told. Andersons Lyrics allude to something but never quite reveal his intentions, thats the vagueness and genius of the title track. It starts with the rich textured soundscape accompanied by intense jazz drum and bass(lovely full rickenbaker sound) provided for us by messers Bruford and Squire. Then the song starts and were taken somewhere we think we may have been before, but are not quite sure. Recorded on newly introduced 16 track equipment and by engineer Eddie Offord, the album sounds beautiful. Played on modern equipment today it shows analogue recording at its best (my recording is in AAD format)and now with remastering (ADD) it sounds even better -lovely clean bass and sharp drum sounds. brUnashamedly I love this album, allured initially as a boy of 16 to the artwork of Roger Dean I found a richer world inside the cover. I should aslo say that all three tracks on Close To The Edge are equally exquisite, both Siberian Khatru and And You and I, are infinitely listernable. this is so-called prog-rock of a different order. So much so that yes never really attained the level of fluidity again.pIf green had a sound, then this is what it would be.pMoth
The best Yes album - as fresh today as 1972 October 5, 2004
David Terrar (St. Albans, UK)
19 out of 19 found this review helpful
I first saw Yes on September 2nd 1972 headlining at the Crystal Palace Bowl and premiering CTTE just before the album was released. I remember Derek Jewell, the jazz and popular music critic of the Sunday Times dedicating his whole column one week to a visit to Advision studios when they were recording the album. I can remember his attempt at explaining what the music was like and the voices, and that first time I heard it myself in the open air across the water. I can't imagine how many times I've heard it - once a day for the first year, and regularly since, as well as the many live performances. It's still a fantastic composition that brings a lump to throat and a smile of satisfaction when it's finished. I've finally succumbed and bought the Rhino remaster to replace the last remaster that replaced the first CD attempt that replaced the worn out vinyl. Frustrating that it's taken this long to produce a definitive CD version, but it was worth it. The artwork does the album justice, and this version will bring it back to life for you. If you are a fan, why haven't you got this? If you are yet to discover them, don't delay and buy the classic and best yes album - still as fresh today as in 1972.
Their finest hour just got finer March 6, 2004
Touring Mars (London, UK)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful
'Close To The Edge' was Yes' finest hour, and that hour just became even longer with this amazing and very welcome reissue by the good people at Rhino, who have not only breathed new life into the original album tracks, but also seen fit to include full-length alternate versions of 'And You and I' and 'Siberian Khatru' into the bargain. And bargain is the right word. I'm not big on buying reissues but this is an absolute must-have for any Yes (or progressive rock) fan even if, like me, you already have a copy on CD. As well as the bonus material, the remastering is to die for. Every hour Bill Bruford spent adjusting his drum kit seems time well spent now. Every nuance in Wakeman's subtle mellotron and pipe-organ now sounds crystal clear like never before. And, as if this isn't enough... the original Roger Dean artwork that graced the inner sleeve of the original gatefold album is here in all it's glory (albeit in miniature form to fit the CD jewel case), and detailed information about the recording of the album to keep the anoraks (like me!) happy.pThe 3 songs on this album all showcase what Yes were all about... 5 virtuoso musicians at the top of their game. To describe this album as 3 songs, however, is a bit misleading. 'Close To The Edge', originally one entire side of the album, is a sprawling epic that meanders it's way through several carnations, from the frantic opening, to the sublime 'I Get Up, I Get Down', and back to a thrilling and frenetic climax. True, the song may be 'only' 18 minutes long, but there is a lifetime of glorious detail contained within that I will never tire of listening to. 'And You And I' again is more a suite than a song, showcasing some brilliant 12-string guitar by Steve Howe, and has split the critics, some describing it as apocalyptic and awesome, others over-blown and pretentious. 'Siberian Khatru' is a faster-paced track with some stunning musicianship from Wakeman (on keyboards) and Howe (on guitars), although it is somewhat over-shadowed by the towering brilliance of it's stable mates.pChris Squire pushes the limits and rewrites the book on the role of the bass-guitar in a rock ensemble, with some truly staggering feats of dexterity. Jon Anderson's vocals are in equal measure soaring, powerful, haunting and always note-perfect. His lyrics are quite barmy, (as usual), a sort of science-fiction mumbo-jumbo that Yes would call their trademark until about 1977. Bill Bruford's jazz training as a drummer pays off big-time, and the complexity of the sequences that he executes perfectly on this album throughout are breathtaking. Rick Wakeman shows his virtuousity on nearly every conceivable type of keyboard instrument, from church organ, mellotron, Hammond and even harpsichord, adding an ethereal soundscape to act as a backdrop to the machinations of the rest of the band. But highest praise is reserved for Steve Howe and his dazzling skill with a guitar. Quite simply, I don't know how he does it. His brilliance with a six (or even a 12) string is bettered only by his imagination and creative flair, and this album showcases his talent like no other.pMy only grumble is 'America' (a cover version of Paul Simon's track from 'Bookends'), which is worth having for completion, but is available on the box set 'Yesyears', and is horribly out of place as part of this album. To make matters worse, it sits bang-slap in the middle of the playing order... why??? It's like painting glasses on the Mona Lisa. pWhat can I say, but if you don't have this album, you should. And if you have an older version on CD, BUY IT AGAIN, you won't be disappointed!
'Yes' at their pinnacle... April 18, 2007
Wooltonian (Liverpool)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
br /In a single word, 'Close to the Edge' by Yes is a masterpiece.
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br /Released in 1972, it is a spellbinding creative outpouring of wonderful melodies, inspired musical composition, uplifting energy and brilliant musicianship....all set against the most sublime and colourful sound palette.
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br /If you are not familiar with Yes, but are looking for a band that is musically highly fluent and literate, willing to experiment with extended compositions and often fairly complex musical arrangements, but all bound together with a wonderful, natural sense of melody, then Yes are definitely worthy of further investigation.
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br /....and do you know what? Quite apart from all its worthy musical accomplishments, this album really ROCKS!!
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br /'The Yes Album' (1971), 'Fragile' (1971), and 'Relayer' (1974) are all top-drawer Yes albums and even the much maligned 'Tales from Topographic Oceans' (1973) has many fine moments, but none have the cohesive structure and level of consistency of this truly great album.
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Perfect Prog!!! July 29, 2007
Stotty (Bolton, England)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Close To The Edge continued a sequence of quite outstanding albums by Yes.
br /The band were at the peak of their creative powers here and came up with an absolute masterpiece. I would go as far to say that this record is not only the quintessential progressive rock album, but one of the finest rock albums of the early 1970s full stop.
br /The title track is 20 minutes of exemplary swirling prog split into 4 parts or 'movements'. The main theme of the track is a memorable melody that reprises itself throughout the track and the 'I Get Up, I Get Down' section is a beautifully sung piece of balladry with the by now familiar vocal harmonies. Throw in a classy Rick Wakeman solo towards the end of the number, and you've got near musical perfection.
br /Next up is 'And You And I', another piece very, very familiar to Yes fans. It's one of their most exquisite pieces, blending folk with prog, and another highly memorable musical theme. This track has endured as one of the bands most popular pieces, and no Yes concert would be complete without it's inclusion in the set.
br /The album closer is 'Siberian Khatru', a more straight forward piece (by Yes standards!), and is a good rocky workout for the band with yet another excellent melody that runs throughout.
br /There is a lot to recommemd with this album. Considering it consists of three very long and ambitious pieces of music, none of the tracks ever outstay their welcome. So enjoyable is the music, the last track seems to come way too soon.
br /Individually the band are on top form. Jon Anderson's vocals seem to improve with each record and his lyrics were becoming more and more cosmic and mystical by this stage in Yes' career. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman compliment each other in every track and are the driving force behind each theme and melody on the album. Chris Squire's bass and backing vocal had by now become a vital, integral part of Yes music and Bill Bruford's complex, oddball jazz drums raise the standard of the music even higher (sadly he would leave the band after recording this album).
br /The production is spot on and Roger Dean's inner sleeve artwork compliments the music perfectly. Yes now had a visual side, starting with the Fragile album and continuing here. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking that Yes were creating the musical themes to Dean's artwork, so perfect is the combination.
br /So in short,no fan of prog should be without this album, in fact I believe that every home should own a copy. Absolutely essential stuff.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 33
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