And You and I kinda' bores me outside of the context of the whole album. I think it's a good song, but I kinda' disagree with you in that it's the opening title track that really grabs me and primes my attention for the rest of the album.

Although I don't find anything on the album boring, I mostly agree with you and, as I wrote, the title track is my favourite on the album. When I listen to the album, I usually listen to the whole thing (all 3 tracks) and enjoy all of it. My last post was written not to prog or Yes fans, but more to those who might pick up this on a recommendation, then have a hard time with the first few minutes. My suggestion then is if "Close to the Edge" puts you off, try "And You And I" first.

Still, I think the absolute best thing to do if you have a hard time with Close to the Edge (track or album) is read a bit about it so you understand it conceptually .. which is why I even earlier recommended looking up a review on the site :D Prog albums are usually not "easy" and even an immortal classic like this one might be hard on someone who's new to early prog.

Yeah, I guess I actually agree with you then. For And You and I I should put extra emphasis on "outside of the context of the whole album", because I think that what makes it so great is that its relative position between Close to the Edge and Siberian Khatru brings cohesion to the album and a little contrast in dynamic to mix things up a bit.
While I do agree that Close to the Edge is arguably Yes' greatest album, I don't agree that it's a good primer for newcomers to Yes or Prog itself. If I had to pick a Yes album for that I would probably pick The Yes Album.

What SATCHMO said. Yes Album and Fragile are the places to start. Those were the albums where they found their progressive sound but at the same time it's the most accessible work of that era.

Then I'd recommend Close to the Edge and those that are especially keen to The Yes Album should check out Time and Word, half of it is covers but it's very good and one of the more underrated Yes albums.

Only if you really like Close to the Edge would I recommend the more experimental stuff that followed. Tales, Relayer, GFTO. A period of Yes's career that seems to devide a lot of people, they either love it or hate it.

I think Tales and Relayer are on par with The Yes Album in quality, I know a lot of people disagree.

Tales and Relayer are both albums that can't be judged upon a single listen. They take a little familiarity to appreciate.

Exactly. That's the way it is with most prog, it grows on you. Most people expect to like things on a first listen and that's why prog gets very little credit, it's not that kinda music.

Tales especially took some time, but now I think it's brilliant. My only beef with it is that they could have done without The Ancient, which may very well be the longest filler track in music history.

That and Ritual should have been 5 minutes shorter. The drum solo near the end just feels ridiculously out of place.

What album is loved by the sun on?

O its in the end of this movie and I guess it's just Jon Anderson and Tangerine Dream... Correct me if i'm wrong.




http://mog.com/images/users/0000/002...90760422.pjpeg

Yeah it's Tangerine Dream with vocals by Jon Anderson, non of the other Yes guys had anything to do with it.

Dang, That is a great song though is'nt it.

Yeah it is.

Jon Anderson also sang on the King Crimson song Lizard and he's done some stuff with Vangelis of Blade Runner fame.

Sweet I think I'll have to check that stuff out. My dad met jon Anderson once. He has a picture of him and Jon back in the like 60's or 70's I forget. But my dad has this big Metal looking afro from when he was in a band called The Pinheads.

I knew that, it's just a topographical error.

I love that line-up, it's the creme de la creme of Yes.

I always like the similarities between Yes and The Beatles, I always felt Yes picked up where The Beatles left off. If I remember correctly Jon and Chris meet in a bar and their conversation was about The Beatles. Yes did very few cover songs and one of them was The Beatles. The Fragile album was like The Beatles (White) album were the songs were individual endeavors like Mood For a Day, The Fish, Cans and Brahms, and We Have Heaven. Back in the day when vinyl was king, Close To The Edge was like Abbey Road were one song took up one side. What gave Close To The Edge an edge over Fragile, which has many of my favorite song with the same line up, was that it was a band effort as a cohesive whole. Maybe there are better concept albums out there, but Close To The Edge seems to be one of the best. Concept album music-wise, not so much lyrics-wise which I never understood enough to know if they was a underlying theme throughout the album.

I do get The Beatles comparisons. I know Yes considered them a big influence and their first two albums had a lot of Beatles esque melodies, they also did a cover of Every Little Thing on their first album and they still play it from time to time.



It's also interesting to note that Alan White played for John Lennon before joining Yes, he did the drums on Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. He also played for George Harrison and performed on All Things Must Pass along with other notable drummers.

Knowing Lennon's taste in music though, he probably despised Yes, because they take less after John's simplicity and cynicism and more after Paul's pomp and whimsy and George's spirtualism and mysticism. I could see Harrison being a fan though, especially because of all the Hindu stuff.

Yes recorded Every Little Thing before Steve Howe joined the band, but he also did a Beatle coversong, it was with Tomorrow, Strawberry Feilds Forever - which I believe is the one of best if not the best Beatle cover-song.

YouTube - Strawberry Fields Forever (Tomorrow 1968)

The only song I know of Jon & Vangelis is the Friends of Mr. Cairo. And Vangelis also did the soundtrack to Chariots of Fire, probably one of the more recognizable sound tracks of any movie, because it is often used in comedy when someone is running in slow-motion.

YouTube - Vangelis - Chariots of Fire

Close to the Edge is the easy choice for me. As great as TYA and Fragile are, I always prefer the versions of songs such as "Yours is No Disgrace" and "Starship Trooper" from Yessongs. The live versions are much more dynamic.

I gotta check out one of their live albums one day. I'm not really big into live albums, I generally prefer them if they're the first thing I hear from a band...but it's too late for that in regards to Yes.

I voted for Fragile, with The Yes Album as runner up. Close to the Edge and TFTO would tie for third.

It's never too late. Maybe, you should check out a concert on DVD, I find videos of concert more exciting then live albums, but generally I like live performances it shows another side to a song, it's like an alterantive take to a song. Recorded music is supposed to mimic a live performance. Of course some are too complex to do live in a way. But the great thing about Yes is they can do a live show without drawing in extra musicians, like a lot of bands do, and still reproduce the same excitement on thier albums.

My choice is Yes - Live in Philadelphia (1979) when they played the Spectrum in Philadelphia that is a classic.

Voted the only correct answer: Close to the Edge.

Close to the Edge is of course the best, but I do think Tales From Topographic Oceans is unfairly unmaligned. A lot of people don't like it because the songs don't have any real individuality, and I thought that too for a while, but then I realized that its meant to be all one piece, just divided into tracks for the different sides of the vinyls. It contains some of the best, even most melodic material of Yes's career, and it's really no more pompous than Close to the Edge. It isn't as good because it's excessive and a bit dull at times, but those who claim it to be abysmal are overstating things severely.

People who call it tuneless and unmelodic are especially out of their minds.

I've listened to the album so much I could probably play out every note in my head without even listening to it.

I don't see how Revealing Science of God, The Remembering or Ritual are any more pretentious or "overblown" than the other long epics Yes have done. Those are great, highly melodic songs. Ritual especially has an almost bubblegum pop sensibility to it.

People forget how poppy Yes actually were, even before 90125. I mean seriously, I've Seen All Good People and Roundabout. Come on. They maintained the progressive elements, but they were also very hummable pop songs, when you get down to it.

I've got to say that Time and A Word has been getting a lot of plays lately. Yes' older stuff is under rocognized. Great song writing.

Where's Tormato? :laughing:

In the fiery depths of hell where it belongs.

Heh, it would have been a good EP. Release Release, Onward and Silent Wings of Freedom are great songs, but the rest is pretty horrible.

That record played a bigger role in prog's demise than punk rock ever did. :laughing:

Voted for Close to the Edge which I still regard as probably the finest prog album ever produced (even though Red comes close) Other classic albums by Yes would be The Yes Album as it defined the group and Yessongs one of the best live albums of all time. I found Fragile to be flawed and both Tales from Topographic Oceans and Relayer to be overblown but saying that I`ve not heard these last two albums in years so it might be time to give them another twirl.

I always liked Going for the One and thought it by far their best record in a period that contained both Tomato and Drama. I also liked 90125 as it was a complete change in direction towards a more pop-rock sound and in line with the times, rather like Rush were doing as highlighted by Grace Under Pressure (even though I think the Rush record had the edge) I didn`t think that Big Generator was as bad as people made out and found it far more enjoyable than either Union and Talk etc. Of the more recent stuff I can`t comment as I haven`t heard them

Close to the Edge, easily. Awesome album.

Yessongs
the yes album
bbc sessions
tormato
drama
90125

This was never a fair fight : P

Relayer

Suck it.

Not voting yet, but from what I've heard, Tales from Topographic Oceans.

It goes without saying that Relayer was their ballsiest record. It's just total f*cking chaos.

:afro:

That's the attraction.

I think you need to start listening to more than just prog. Lol, just kidding. I do know what you mean.

90125. It doesn't have Runaround, but it has Owner of a Lonely Heart and Leave It.

I like their radio hits. Lol.

The Yes Album is being remastered by Audio Fidelity for (audiophile gold disc c.d.) reissue. Looking foward to that.

90125 is best heard on vinyl (imo).

My first post on this Prog forum is to say that I can't stand Yes.

Their music up to 90125 is pretty good, in many places, but I just can't get past Jon Anderson.

Bleh.

Never heard Close To The Edge, but my personal choice from the limited Yes albums is 90125. Got this Yes box set recently.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...1L._SS400_.jpg

Need to check on Close To The Edge I guess...

Chanced upon Yes when my mate bought Tales of Topographic Oceans on vinyl. He put it on one night without warning and then all of a sudden mid-conversation The Revealing Science of God comes on..Top notch.

CTTE

though I haven't heard all the albums in the poll

I chose Fragile, but Close To The Edge and The Yes Album are right up there also.

Really I like every single album they've released.