Yes - "Close to the Edge" (1972) - Atlantic Records
Hello friends,
As another summer draws to its bittersweet close, we've got one more "Prog Rock Saturday" in us before we bid adieu to bbq's, baseball and fireflies and say hello to sweaters, long walks and hard ciders!
Tonight on the turntable, we've got Yes's 1972 prog masterpiece, Close to The Edge, recorded by a band of virtuoso musicians at the height of their creativity and cohesiveness.
The album consists of just three songs with the title track taking up all of Side One. Now this may sound extremely over-indulgent (and it could be argued that it indeed is) however the end result is highly listenable; the music is complex without being alienating. The songs and themes on the album seem to be influenced by some sort of New Age-y spirituality but-- unlike, say the double album, Tales from Topographic Oceans-- the mysticism does not distract from the music at hand. Rather than sounding too "mathy" or overwrought, the album comes off as five musicians pushing themselves to new limits while creating some pretty solid early 70's FM rock. (This is the classic Yes lineup that reads like a who's who of prog-rock: Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Bill Bruford, Chris Squire & Rick Wakeman.)
Side One is dedicated to the epic song "Close to the Edge" which consists of four separate movements. Full of tempo changes and cryptic/cosmic lyrics sung in Anderson's near castrato voice ("Close to the Edge, down by the river, not right away, not right away"), "Close to the Edge" comes very close to going over the edge, but somehow remains listenable throughout. In fact, the middle section "I Get Up I Get Down" with its delicate two-part harmonies and massive cathedral-style organ is downright pretty!
Side Two begins with the tuning of a twelve 12-string guitar which leads into a very straightforward chord progression. "And You and I"-- also consisting of four smaller movements-- is the band at their absolute peak. There's more melodic shifts, tempo changes and harmonies that you can shake a stick at, but somehow it all holds up in this ten minute epic.
The album ends with the riff-based and funky "Siberian Khatru". Not sure exactly what the title means but at this point who cares? Clocking in at just under 9 minutes, this is the album's shortest song and features some pretty amazing Steve Howe guitar work!
Season's change. The nights grow cooler as the days grow shorter; the leaves on the trees are starting to change color; icy cold vodka martinis are being replaced by whiskey sours and stiff manhattans. Ah, the circle of life!
RATING: 5 Sad Preachers nailed upon the coloured doors of time out of 5
Tonight on the turntable, we've got Yes's 1972 prog masterpiece, Close to The Edge, recorded by a band of virtuoso musicians at the height of their creativity and cohesiveness.
Side One is dedicated to the epic song "Close to the Edge" which consists of four separate movements. Full of tempo changes and cryptic/cosmic lyrics sung in Anderson's near castrato voice ("Close to the Edge, down by the river, not right away, not right away"), "Close to the Edge" comes very close to going over the edge, but somehow remains listenable throughout. In fact, the middle section "I Get Up I Get Down" with its delicate two-part harmonies and massive cathedral-style organ is downright pretty!
Side Two begins with the tuning of a twelve 12-string guitar which leads into a very straightforward chord progression. "And You and I"-- also consisting of four smaller movements-- is the band at their absolute peak. There's more melodic shifts, tempo changes and harmonies that you can shake a stick at, but somehow it all holds up in this ten minute epic.
The album ends with the riff-based and funky "Siberian Khatru". Not sure exactly what the title means but at this point who cares? Clocking in at just under 9 minutes, this is the album's shortest song and features some pretty amazing Steve Howe guitar work!
Season's change. The nights grow cooler as the days grow shorter; the leaves on the trees are starting to change color; icy cold vodka martinis are being replaced by whiskey sours and stiff manhattans. Ah, the circle of life!
RATING: 5 Sad Preachers nailed upon the coloured doors of time out of 5
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