GREEN
CLOSE TO THE EDGE YES
Yes will forever be marred by their massive hit Owner Of a Lonely Heart, which catapulted them as high on the charts as their dignity fell to the fan conjured sell-out bottom. But before that artistic disaster was Close To The Edge, an album that at first seems like an unforgiveably progressive album, judging by the impersonal album cover and 8 to 18 minute epics, but then you open the album sleeve - a colourful, avant-garde painting of waterfalls on a hill; and then you listen to the songs and realize that you do have the patience for another half-hour-or-so of this immaculately produced record.
This fact is in no small part due to Yes’s amazing ability to bring rhythms and sounds back, often enough to be familiar but not so often that one gets bored. This is key in a progressive album, for it gives an otherwise disparate track a necessary foundation. We’ve all heard bad prog before; albums with tracks so self possessed they drone without creating an immersive atmosphere, or rock with no felt end in sight, or are too psychedelic - inaccessible. Sure, prog is defined by its general inaccessibility, but bands like Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson and Jethro Tull have proved that it is a vital and essential genre capable of mainstream acceptance. Yes carefully balance between both worlds (inaccessibility and listenability) during the entirety of Close To The Edge, catering to both die-hard prog fans and newcomers. This is the reason why Close To The Edge is considered a masterpiece by most.
Expect to listen to Close To The Edge from beginning to end. It’s alive with funky rhythms, powerful guitars, sometimes sobering sometimes inebriating vocals, and expect it all to create one unforgettable musical experience.
9.4