Close to the Edge

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This article describes the album Close to the Edge. For the song, see "Close to the Edge (song)".
For the album by Diamond Rio, see Close to the Edge (Diamond Rio album).
Close to the Edge
Close to the Edge cover
Studio album by Yes
Released 13 September 1972
Recorded April–June 1972
Genre Progressive rock
Length 37:51
Label Atlantic Records
Producer Yes and Eddie Offord
Professional reviews
Yes chronology
Fragile
(1971)		 Close to the Edge
(1972)		 Yessongs
(1973)
Inside of the Close to the Edge LP cover.
Inside of the Close to the Edge LP cover.

Close to the Edge is the fifth album by British progressive rock band Yes.

Contents

[edit] Features

Close to the Edge set a trend for Yes of including a single epic song significantly longer than the others which was followed in the later albums Relayer (1974) (which featured "The Gates of Delirium") and Going for the One (1977) (which featured "Awaken").

The spiritual influences introduced by Jon Anderson, which later formed the basis of Tales from Topographic Oceans, are already evident in the music and lyrics of all three tracks on Close to the Edge. Renewal and repetition are other main themes; the title track starts and finishes with the same sound effects of running water and birds and in "Siberian Khatru" there is the repetition of two-syllable phrases.

According to the fans, the title track is inspired by Hermann Hesse's book Siddhartha, an explanation which can cast the cryptic and mysterious lyrics in a new light, tracking the awakening of Hesse's character "close to the edge" of a river (and, symbolically, of the serial lifetimes of his soul) where he experiences a spiritual awakening.

In June 1972, just as recording ended, drummer Bill Bruford suddenly left the line-up (to play with King Crimson), forcing Yes to find a replacement (ex-Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White) before starting a new U.S. tour.

The cover art was by Roger Dean. Dean's cat walked across the painting while it was still wet, leaving paw prints which he claims are visible in spite of his efforts to air brush them out. Some of the photography for the album sleeve was by bass player Chris Squire's former bandmate in the Selfs and The Syn, Martyn Adelman.

The album is featured in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Progarchives.com voted it the greatest progressive album of all time in 2006. Guitar World ranked it #67 in their (Reader's Choice) list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time. [1]

Rhino Records issued a remastered and expanded version of Close to the Edge on August 26, 2003. It added four bonus tracks: single versions of "America" and "Total Mass Retain" and early versions of "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru" (as "Siberia").

Close to the Edge (Atlantic K 50012) was released on Atlantic Records in September 1972. It reached #4 in the UK, and it reached #3 in the U.S. during a chart stay of 32 weeks. In the Netherlands it reached #1 on the Dutch album charts, the only Yes album to do so.

According to an interview in Mojo (magazine) Bill Bruford was getting fed up with Jon Anderson's word-play writing style and that when he was told that one section would be titled "Total Mass Retain", Bruford responded by saying, "Why don't you just call it PUKE?"

[edit] Track listing

[edit] Side one

  1. "Close to the Edge" (Jon Anderson, Steve Howe) – 18:42
    • "The Solid Time of Change"
    • "Total Mass Retain"
    • "I Get Up I Get Down"
    • "Seasons of Man" (song sample - 176K)

[edit] Side two

  1. "And You and I" (Anderson; Themes by Bill Bruford, Howe, Chris Squire) – 10:09
    • "Cord of Life"
    • "Eclipse" (Anderson, Bruford, Howe)
    • "The Preacher the Teacher"
    • "Apocalypse"
  2. "Siberian Khatru" (Anderson; Themes by Anderson, Howe, Rick Wakeman) – 8:55

[edit] Bonus tracks (2003 reissue)

  1. "America (Single version)" (Paul Simon) – 4:12
  2. "Total Mass Retain (Single version)" – 3:21
  3. "And You and I (Alternate version)" – 10:17
  4. "Siberia" (Studio run-through of "Siberian Khatru") – 9:19

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1972 Billboard Pop Albums 3

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1972 "And You and I" Billboard Pop Singles 42

[edit] Certifications

Organization Level Date
RIAA – U.S. Gold October 30, 1972
CRIA – Canada Gold December 1, 1976
CRIA – Canada Platinum December 1, 1977
BPI – UK Gold December 5, 1984
BPI – UK Platinum December 5, 1984

[edit] Reissues

1982 - MFSL - LP ( Original Master Recording)
1986 - Atlantic - CD
1994 - Atlantic - CD (Remastered)
2001 - JPN limited edition - ???
2003 - Rhino - CD (Remastered with Bonus Tracks)

[edit] Sources

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Chud Forums
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Yes
Jon Anderson | Chris Squire | Steve Howe | Alan White
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