Yes Close to the Edge- 1972
RMR Album Rating- 10
Close to the Edge is the absolute pinnacle of Yes’ “Main Sequence” of 70’s progressive rock releases, and it is arguably the finest album from the first wave of progressive rock bands.
1972 was one of the seminal years of progressive rock. In addition to Yes’ Close to the Edge, Jethro Tull released Thick as a Brick, and Genesis released Foxtrot. Not only are these albums amazing, but their corresponding long-format epic songs are some of the best the genre has ever produced. However, there is a really important difference between “Close to the Edge” and the other aforementioned long-format epic progressive songs. Take “Supper’s Ready” and “Thick as a Brick” as examples, they are really just a series of short songs connected together by different musical interludes. “Close to the Edge,” on the other hand, is really one coherent song that actually follows a very typical and straightforward song format: intro/ verse/ chorus/ middle-8/ instrumental break/ collision/ verse/ bridge/ chorus/ outro.
Granted, it’s not quite that simple and there are several other elements built into the song, but it is amazing that Yes was able to take a traditional song structure, stretch it out for 20-minutes, make it incredibly complex, and somehow keep it accessible at the same time. It is a complete contradictory concept to have one of the most complex and challenging rock songs every written presented in a traditional rock song format, but this was the genius of Yes, and it is why “Close to the Edge” works so well. It is complex, yet it is accessible. It is difficult, yet it is simple. It is chaotic, yet it is organized, and in the end, all these contradictions really cancel each other out and create a song that is actually not contradictory at all– but one that is actually completely consistent, balanced and symmetrical. With all that being said, upon initial listen “Close to the Edge” will most likely sound like a complete chaotic mess, and it takes many repeated listens for all the song’s intricacies to make sense. But once you can see through its camouflage of complexity, it becomes insanely catchy— like a good pop song.
In terms of the actual music, “Close to the Edge” is perfect from top to bottom, but there are three sections of the song that really stand out for me. First, there is Steve Howe’s venomously heavy guitar section that really kicks off the song right after the intro. Second, Wakeman’s organ solo is the perfect build up to the song’s main crescendo that climaxes with Buford hitting the cowbell three times as a signal for the rest of the band to start the collision section of the song, which includes a spellbinding keyboard jam session from Wakeman. Third and lastly, the word play that is used in the repeating main chorus is the real magic for me. The main chorus is repeated six times throughout the song. The same words are used each time the chorus is repeated, but the ordering of the words is slightly changed each time. The changes are very subtle, but this subtle word play is the absolute reward of the album for those who are willing to put in the many repeated listens that the album commands. Here are the six variations of the main chorus all built around the same series of words:
Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, down by the river
Down at the end, round by the corner/ Close to the Edge, just by the river
Down at the edge, Close by the river/Close to the edge, round by the corner
Close to the end, down by the corner/ down at the edge, round by the river
Down at the edge, round by the corner/ Close to the end, down by a river
Close to the edge, down by the river/ Down at the end, round by the corner
There is much more to “Close to the Edge” than I have mentioned, but the bottom line is that it is one of the greatest progressive rock songs ever composed, and no matter how many times I hear it, it always amazes me.
The second half of the the album begins with “And You And I.” Like “Close to the Edge,” it is also a multi-part suite broken down into three sections. It is not as heavy as “Close to the Edge,” but it does explore some of the same spiritual themes that “Close to the Edge” explores. Then there’s “Siberian Khatru.” It is just as instrumentally chaotic as “Close to the Edge,” but it is even more lyrically chaotic. Anderson has stated on many occasions that he chooses many of his lyrics based on the sounds of the words, not on the word meanings, and “Siberian Khatru” takes this to the extreme (hence the name of the track). Thus, the end result is a completely chaotic musical performance, but at the same time, the song is fairly accessible and even catchy; it’s not logical at all, but like the “Close to the Edge” suite, it absolutely works, and “Siberian Khatru” is an absolute classic in the Yes catalog. It’s also interesting to note that the song stayed in their live set even when they were touring their 1980’s pop albums “90215,” and “Big Generator.”
One last point before wrapping this one up, Close to the Edge has a level of mystery to it that is very appealing to me. One part of the mystery is obviously the complexity of the music, and the other part is the album artwork. Roger Dean’s front cover, although simple, is one of my favorites and combined with the stunning surreal artwork on the inner sleeve, it makes for a spectacular package that fits the music perfectly.
All in all, Yes was basically flawless during their “Main Sequence” of albums that they released between 1971 and 1977, and “Close to the Edge” is the epitome of these releases. It is also, without question, one of the top signatures on the metaphorical declaration document of progressive rock.
Post Script
Jon Anderson based the theme of “Close to the Edge” on Hermann Hesse’s book “Siddhartha,” but “Close to the Edge” is not written as a narrative, nor does it make any references to the book. “Siddhartha” was really just the spiritual inspiration for the song, and the song’s lyrics are for the most part are ambiguous.