A Defining Moment in Music

[yesskater]

Possibly the greatest recording of modern times, almost certainly the best recording by Yes (to date), this album defines the term "timeless masterpiece." The listener can take an incredible trip (title track), chill out and reflect (AYAI), or crank it up and shred (Siberian Khatru) all within a 45 minute timespan. It is my impression that this album is the favorite of Howe and Wakeman, and is at the least highly respected by Anderson, Squire and even Bruford who was on his way out. Correct me if I am mistaken, but has Yes not played at least one track from this brilliant album on EVERY tour? On the headphones, in the Jeep, at the office or at home this is the one album that MOTIVATES.

[ronw]

I agree, Although Tales may be my favorite overall album CTTE is my favorite single epic. If there is a heaven CTTE is playing repeatedly.

[ANTIOCH]

There was a quote from a music critic that stated "Close to the Edge" was the "Sgt. Peppers" of the 70's.
It's hard to find a better set of songs in one project. Sure , we all have our favorites ; but 'CTTE' exemplifies all that is YES.

[charl8e]

Bruford described CTTE as a "perfect" album at the time, if memory serves... and the weird thing is, even though i can see that Relayer is "better", more original, better production, less absurd lyrics, better playing too i think, still CTTE is the ultimate YES album for me...

I would be interested to know, what do yesfans think the songs on CTTE are "about"? I mean, what is the lyrical message, do we think? (I go back and forth between thinking the songs are "cosmic" and perhaps also silly, and thinking that the title track and AYAI are more down-to-earth in their scope. SK obviously is an exception, the sound-poem do-dah, but it has occured to me that CTTE is about depression and that AYAI is a coming-of-age song...)

[Earl Grey]

When Nasa sent the VOYAGER spacecraft sailing past the outer-planets into the void beyond, they attached a gold-disc of photos music and voices that they felt best captured humanity and the world we hailed from in the fairest of all lights. This was our first emissary to the stars, and much thought went into the content of that record. If found, it might be the only chronicalization of who we were...
...epochs from now, washing up on the shores of some far sun...
the distillation of all the magic we have.

Close To The Edge is MY choice of music for that document.

Though YES wasn't represented on the Voyager spacecraft (I think they chose Chuck Berry and The Beach Boys as the emissaries of 'rock & roll' to ET. And ET's response was the movie 'Independence Day'! Not really...! ;)), they should have been.

Close to the Edge is the PERFECT rock album. I can't think of anything else with so many levels: musically/spiritually/magically: and with such a lovely grasp of who WE are ( The words being inspired by Herman Hesse's novel of The Buddah, 'Siddhartha'). The solid yet tenuous beauty of the work. I never tire of it.

The lyrics remind me of E.E. Cumming's finest poetry, yet never derivitive. Jon was at his finest here.
The music is as complex as Bach, as melodic as Mozart, as ballsy as Led Zeppelin (!). So evocative of it's time (just try & NOT think of the 70's while listening!), and yet timeless... Like all great art.

The Roger Dean cover was 'simple' for Dean, yet the green fading into eternity was much like the music inside: organic, lush, clear & verdant.

The inner-sleeve was evocative of the music as well: an overflowing lake, upwelling in perpetuity: with no seeming end or beginning, like a mobius strip...

Though 45 minutes in length, this album can be played as a loop: self-contained, with it's own inner laws. Nothing could be added to make it 'better', and there's not one note that could possibly be edited.

I believe it to be the finest Rock album EVER, and one of the finest moments of artistic expression ever acheived.

And then came RELAYER! See you there, soon!

Earlbeard :ele:

[Plastic Man]

my personal favorite yessong is long distance runaround, but im convinced that close to the edge is THE BEST song ever recorded.

[YYY]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by yesskater
[B]Possibly the greatest recording of modern times, almost certainly the best recording by Yes (to date), this album defines the term "timeless masterpiece

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Earl Grey
Close to the Edge is the PERFECT rock album. I can't think of anything else with so many levels: musically/spiritually/magically:

As far as 'The Edge' goes - No need to for me to say anything more. Actually words do not quite describe the molecular chemical reaction that takes place in my heart, mind and soul. It truly unbelievable what this band is capable of.

[Jackaranda]

There was a quote from a music critic that stated "Close to the Edge" was the "Sgt. Peppers" of the 70's.
It's hard to find a better set of songs in one project. Sure , we all have our favorites ; but 'CTTE' exemplifies all that is YES.

I listened to CTTE on a road trip the other day.....awesome...just awesome.

[oliasdoug]

It still astounds me to this day the lukewarm way I responded to CTTE on first listening (although I loved AYAI instantly), and the way I damn near hated RELAYER. Just goes to show what being young & unsophisticated does to a person's musical tastes. I can't imagine the Yes library without CTTE or RELAYER.....with all due respect to TFTO, these 2 albums are what make up the cosmic testicles of Yes...they are both ballsy albums that show the band at their absolute peaks of creativity, neither one better than the other.

[olias76]

[i]Originally posted by Earl Grey
Actually words do not quite describe the molecular chemical reaction that takes place in my heart, mind and soul. It truly unbelievable what this band is capable of.

It is absolutely my own feelings about YES music

olias76