Yes - Close to the Edge

1. Close To The Edge Pt. 1
a. The Solid Time Of Change
b. Total Mass Retain
2. Close To The Edge Pt. 2
c. I Get Up, I Get Down
d. Seasons Of Man
3. And You And I
a. Cord Of Life
b. Eclipse
c. The Preacher, The Teacher
d. The Apocalypse
4. Siberian Khatru

Recorded in 1972, Yes’s album “Close to the Edge” is a snapshot of an adventurous rock band at the height of its powers, daring to grow musically both as individuals and as a unit.

The first half of the 1970s was an especially fertile period for British progressive rock, producing classics such as “Tarkus”, “Selling England by the Pound”, “Larks' Tongues in Aspic”, “The Dark Side of the Moon” and “Thick as a Brick”. Taken together, these and other works represent the very best that British progressive rock had to offer. Nevertheless, many critics regard “Close to the Edge” as the ultimate prog-rock album.

The centerpiece of the album is the 18-minute title track, which is thematically and lyrically inspired by Hermann Hesse’s novel “Siddhartha”. The second side features two unconventional pieces: the folk-inspired “And You and I” and the comparatively straightforward rocker “Siberian Khatru”. Original drummer Bill Bruford found the album’s production particularly arduous, which led him to leave the band after the recordings to join King Crimson.

At the time of its release, “Close to the Edge” was the band’s greatest commercial success. It reached number 4 on the UK Albums Chart and number 3 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, the highest position Yes ever achieved on the Billboard 200. In 2020, “Close to the Edge” was ranked number 445 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.