Close to the Edge
Year: 1972
Format: Spotify
Grade: B+
Only three tracks comprise Close to the Edge, Yes' 1972 album and fifth overall studio effort.
The title track is half of the running time, a four-part progressive rock suite that winds from Bill Bruford's chaotic percussion in the first movement to brooding solemnity as the third part closes with a church organ solo. It swells again in the final section, completing a nearly 19-minute piece the same way it started, with the sounds of chirping birds and running water.
The titular edge refers more to a philosophical cusp than the side of a mountain, drawing inspiration from the Hermann Hesse novel "Siddhartha."
Close marked Yes' final studio effort before Bruford's departure, splitting for King Crimson as he felt Yes had reached its creative zenith.
"Siberian Khatru," the final track, is a banger, the most bluesy and accessible piece on Close. Steve Howe's guitar work stands out, driving the tune toward its big finish.
Dreaming up a piece as complex and expansive as the title cut makes Close to the Edge essential for one spin for prog rock enthusiasts.
Tomorrow's entry: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Damn the Torpedoes
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