When anyone asks "what is your favorite progressive rock record of all-time" my response is always "Yes - "Close to the Edge". This record will forever hold a special place in my heart because I have heard it probably 200 times, it never gets old, it is never boring, it is still fresh as the first time I heard it, and I know that it will forever be the same. "Close to the Edge" is one of the "deserted island records". If I were to be stranded on a deserted island and I could only have 5 records with me to hear for the rest of my life, "Close to the Edge" is one of them. I bet you can't guess my other four records.
My 5 picks for "deserted island" records are: Yes - "Close to the Edge" Pink Floyd - "Animals" Avishai Cohen - "Continuo" King Crimson - "Lark's Tongue in Aspic" Rush - "A Farewell to Kings"
@@BayouMaccabee Animals of course, you're nearly a laugh, but you're really a cry, should have guessed that. Don't know much about the others but I'd go for Moving Pictures instead. Maybe 2112... Nope moving pictures. Above all of these, Tool Fear Inoculum. You should check that out but of course more metal but crazy if you like drum driven rock, Danny Carey is crazy. Tool being my favorite all time band. God how could I live without some zepplin thrown in. 5 pics is way too unfare!!!!!
When I first heard this about 1976 my life changed. When it finished I had no idea what I had just heard but knew it was the most special thing I had ever heard. Fast forward to 2021 listened to this so many times to mention. Still one of the greatest rock tunes ever.
"Close to the Edge" is, as you later recognised: timeless (like all masterpieces are), and people will still be listening to this 50 more years from now. Full disclosure: I'm an old fart (61) and I grew up with (and bought) vinyl and I never want to hear those pops and crackles interrupting, and distracting from, the music ever again. Wilson's 5.1 mix on blu-ray is the only version I listen to now. Cheers, hope you do Side 2.
I'd never profess to say vinyl sounds better - it patently doesn't, but the experience of listening to music on vinyl, for me, is wonderful and cathartic.
@@JimNewstead Fair enough, I'd just add that surround mixes of prog. rock recordings allow for a separation of instruments that stereo (so CD too) frequently cannot reveal, being buried too far down in the mix. Pink Floyd, for example, is wonderful in quad or 5.1. Cheers.
I was and always will remain, a vinyl lover. Though I am currently listening here, and with Bluetooth headphones. So that makes me a Renaissance man, right?
I think it's a mixture - imagination, yes of course, creativity? You bet. Ambition? Undoubtedly. But the connection between musicians has to be on another level for them to pull this off.
"A little fluff". I played some of my old high school vintage vinyl for a millennial friend and he asked if the crackle was one of the musical instruments. Totally not kidding. I said, "Yes, it was part of the rhythm section in the great 1970s bands. They crunched breakfast cereal in the background."
Oh I know that feeling: taking a big swig of beer just as this music gets going. I'll never get over this stuff. Some of the most true music ever made.
CTTE is the single greatest work of prog-rock ever. It literally defined the genre. It's Yes at their absolute peak in all ways and if I were to be forced to have one album only for the rest of my life, I think this would be it. I love ELP, Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Tull...but hands down, this is the one. It stands alone at the top!
When I found Yes I spent 10 years pretty much only listening to Yes. Just a warning, enjoy! The bass line in the second verse is like an 8 bar line. Chris Squire was the master of those long melodic bass lines, often in counterpoint to the main melody.
Just imagine hearing this for the first time as an impressionable teenager in the 70s... You might be astonished now, with a lifetime of other music listening under your belt - but at the time this was mind-blowing. Try The Gates Of Delirium from Relayer sometime.
This actually came out on my 5th birthday, but I didn't get to hear it until 1984. It was springtime and the only Yes album I had ever heard was the then very recent 90125....which I quite liked and still do. So I went into town one day looking for more Yes albums. The only one they had was this green thing. "What? They made music in 1972? And there are only 3 songs?" So I bought it, made my way home and put on my headphones. 40 minutes later I sat there on the floor with my mouth open wondering what the hell that was? Being from Norway, the only country in Europe besides Albania with only one radio channel (that only played accordion music for the elderly), I was never exposed to this kind of music, except for half a dozen LPs by The Beatles, which I still adore religiously. Then there was ABBA, Slade, Sweet and Elvis and stuff like that, but neither of them could excite me to any degree. And I had no older brothers or friends with a huge interest for anything more sophisticated than the Eurovision Song Contest. So I really didn't know. So when I grew into my teens, got my own record player and finally heard Floyd, Zeppelin, Queen and Bowie, I knew that there were other bands than The Beatles or ABBA. Then I went to town to buy some Yes. It changed a lot. I really had a thirst for this and now there was time to drink. I played all summer of 84....and there was this girl. Fond memories. The girl is gone, but the album is still there - both in my collection and my memory.
First listen of CTTE is always amazing. You can remember sections that impressed you, but the totality of what those guys achieved is only fully appreciated upon subsequent listenings. YES packed so much into their Epics, you only notice how it all works together the more you listen to it. Which is one of the reasons I've loved YES; their music always remained so _fresh_ for so long. Close To The Edge, in my opinion, was smack-you-in-the-face *outrageous* wrt the _audacity_ of what those musicians were trying to accomplish, but dammit, *_they nailed it._* Indeed, I'm among those who regard it as their all-time Uber Achievement, but they also created many more nearly-as-great epic songs that just as satisfying. My short list of YES Must Listens: Gates of Delirium Siberian Khatru Starship Trooper Roundabout Yours Is No Disgrace South Side of The Sky The Remembering I'm Running There are many more examples of YES Ear Candy, but IMO, those are Can't Miss. One guy's opinion.
Great reactions Jim. I've heard this 1,000 times and I just sat through every second of your reaction...mesmerized...again. Your one comment sums it up....timeless.
Please continue with this path!! Love music that makes you shut your eyes.. And would be more than happy to go through the YES albums from the seventies! Thank you sir!
Hi Jim, going through previous YES reactions, and came across CTTE, can't believe I missed it, may have been just before I came across your website. Anyway, saw the guys on the 2nd September 1972 at the Crystal Palace Bowl (open air) and when it finished there was a moments silence as if you couldn't believe what you had just been involved in, then the place just erupted, the cheering and clapping seemed to go on for ever, it took a long time for everyone to settle down. I think everyone there knew they had witnessed something extraordinary. Thanks Jim.
Indeed, Bruford is a good drummer. And after this album, when the band started getting success, he headed to the dark side with King Crimson and then into an incredible career of fraternizing with a diverse array of musicians in and out of his own projects and bands. My favorite drummer, who was kind enough to sign a copy of his book and a Simmons drum for me.
I was 1 year old when it came out! And I discovered it somewhere around age 13. It's been my favorite song, and Yes has been my favorite band, ever since. There's so much to love about this song, but you picked up on one thing: the rhythm section. Squire and Bruford had an amazing chemistry, and no one sounds like Squire. Glad you enjoyed it.
This is the first reaction you've done that I've heard. I got here because of the reactors gather video that I saw Nic and Lex share. I love YES. I've listened to them for years, I'm 63, soon to be 64. I've heard this many many times and it's my favorite track by YES. This would not have been my first recommendation for you, but it's an incredible piece of musical composition as well as an incredible performance from all the guys in the band. To my, because of my High School Concert band background (I was a French Horn player, then became a bass player for 48 years) this sounds very classical oriented. By that I mean, it has movements of the piece and they restate the main musical themes in variations over the course of the piece. You are obviously a more in depth listener, so you seem to be getting that right off the bat. Many won't get that at all. I enjoyed your reaction.
Thank you Buddy.... although I'm not a musical academic like Doug for example, my sister is, my brother is a semi pro jazz musician and I've been in bands and making music all my life, listening to classical music a lot at school when studying for Music O'Level, so complex music doesn't daunt me and I plunge headlong into the abyss without a second thought! Thanks for coming over to check out the channel, I hope you find something worthwhile here! Jim
I’ve wanted to express a similar point. When this came out, many of us had played in high school band or orchestra, had seen many of Bernstein’s Sunday afternoon orchestral presentations, heck, we even had Sing Along with Mitch. Then there were the evolutions of rock from the 50s through the 60s. A lot of us were ready for this wildly inventive stuff which we initially called symphony rock.
It is not so strange that you missed hearing this album. This was really the benchmark for composition and complex orchestral arrangements in rock, and it was recieved and understood to be exactly that, so not a whole lot of commercial radio exposure on this one. But it didn't matter, their two previous albums recieved ecstatic praise and charted several tracks, and this was released within a year of "Fragile", the "other" greatest YES album, so fans, critics and media were brand-new converts They were primed and ready and very curious about what was next because YES were alteady heading towards something like this. I really don't think ANY other band will ever achieve or even attempt anything that goes this deep into epic orchestrations and thematic layers. Very unlikely during the present opposite music climate ; short and easy, a four note hook with tons of auto-tune and compression.
Well, here you are with one of my favorite Yes songs. They are one of my favorite and most influential bands and this song is just so EVERYTHING. It is simply a masterpiece of all the moods of progressive rock.
My "gateway drug" to Yes was the live album YESSONGS. (The 3 songs from the album "Close To The Edge" are also on it). I also love the album "Close To The Edge", only whenever I listen to the studio versions of the songs, there are 1000 places where I "am missing something" (compared to the live versions). Give it a try. The sound quality on the live album is not outstanding and some studio gadgets don't go live, but the songs are more mature, powerful and dynamic (for my taste). I'm already looking forward to ELP with you.
You said exactly what I wanted to say. Yes songs got better after they toured them. YesSongs is a true version of the concerts. Though I remember the concert I saw in Staffordshire was well over 3 hours long.
The Yessongs version of And You ansd I is incredibly powerful. I saw them 9 days after the album was released 9/13/1972 and I had not heard it yet They opened with Siberian Khatru and it was stunning to say the least. First time I saw them. I was so amazed, I went another 40 times over the folowing 45 years. The most wonderful magical (for real) band I have ever seen.
Yes is the greatest band ever. Please dig deeper. Live, they sounded just like the studio versions every single time. Very humble guys when you meet them. My ❤️ belongs to them all.
Just fell over your video Jim - great reaction to a 'prog-rock' classic. Difficult to get your audio head around on a first listening don't you think? For an 'easier' journey, have you discovered 'Camel' yet? Well worth a listen, Andy Latimer on lead guitar is technically brilliant, plus his emotional input is probably without comparison. Give 'em a go my man! Brilliant video channel.
Probably one of the best albums ever recorded (that I'm aware of). I'd like to suggest Supper's Ready by Genesis and Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull as well.
Yes (no pun intended)! I agree. My triumvirate of 70's prog epics has always been Close to the Edge, Supper's Ready, and Pink Floyd's Echoes. Do yourself and your audience a favor and complete the trio, sir!
Oh My!! I can never get enough of this song!! Love all Yes music, but if I had to pick one song as my favorite it would have to be Close to the Edge! There's just no words to describe how good this song is!!
Ya, it's a lot to take in. As I've heard the early Yes catalog over the years, I think Bruford's drumming really stitches the whole thing together, weaving the various parts and grooves in a coherent way, thanks to his seamless transitions. He is a real master at time changes, and unusual/unexpected beats.
Hey thanks Jim...seeing your video pop up for this album made me get off my MP3 player butt and listen to it a few times....it's been on there without a play a long time because been doing all the King Crimson albums...anyway I like it. Didn't know they wrote America (only knew Simon and Garfunkel version) and there are moments that amaze. Will def be listening more Yes....already put Fragile on for spin too on my walk today....I'm guessing I'm enjoying the break from KC...as much as I love em...As far as KC goes the one huge surprise was how much I loved Three of a Perfect Pair....heard it....bought it....played it ten times....Tony Levin is a monster with that Base....amazing record. Best of their 80s efforts for me....🤘👍
Took me a while, sure, but I have decided to follow through your Yes listens... This has some fantastic moments, good on them for embracing beautiful harmonies and crescendos... a lot of bands seem to think it's tacky... but this is just transcendent... also, finally heard the brand of your headphones! ohhh my itchy purchase finger...
So glad I stumbled across your channel with this song, the apotheosis of prog. I never tire of listening to it, nor of reactions to the ethereal “I get up” part, followed by the actual church organ. It may apocryphal, but it’s said that the organ was recorded in the studio over a phone line from the church. Looking forward to more reactions of 70s prog. And yes, more vinyl, please.
Classic. Music from my childhood . My favorite from this is Siberian Khatru . You're in for a deep dive with the 70s era Yes catalogue . It'll all come clear , and the influences on future bands obvious. Nice one!
Now you might want to listen to "Tales From Topographic Oceans" and "Relayer", and then "The Yes Album" and "Fragile." THEN it will be all downhill from there.
Hey there Jim! Excellent choice! This is one of the finest works that humans have achieved! The song "And you and I" follows "CttE", and it is wonderful. Very happy to see a Yes reaction! Maybe I can convince you to try a Magma song, another very interesting group that is completely concept driven.
Hi Jim. Strangely I am going through the fase of listening old classic albums in the world of prog music.I was born in 80's so maybe that is why? Reasoning for this is just to educate myself a bit more with music i listen to the most. Started with Pink Floyd early albums, then Genesis, Rush.Next on my list are Marillion and Yes! To my surprise there is loads of great albums I have never listen to and they are absolute masterpieces.(e.g "Selling England by the pound" by genesis is one of my favourite).Will definitely try Yes, already downloaded "Relayer" album.
Love the video ... especially that you are pulling in the LP camera view. Now a subscriber ... please keep it up. Some other recommendations on "album sides" to check out: Yes - Relayer (especially side one, but the whole record is solid), Genesis - Foxtrot (side two), Pink Floyd - Animals (side one) and King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (side one). Keep up the great work
Yes, I bought that lp in the first half of the seventies of last century. Yes is in the top ten of my most favorite bands since I bought this album and several other albums followed. I prefer their live albums and DVD’s/ blu-rays. Live at Montreux is a gem. And you and I, from this album is probably their best song Pure progrock at its best. Beautiful harmonies, great transitions, great guitar and keyboard playing with long solos; I can’t get enough of it. Camel, Genesis (with Peter Gabriel and the first few with Phil Collins as singer), Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Mike Oldfield.
Ok, I just subscribed, I want to watch you go down this road. I can give you some very interesting more contemporary prog suggestions. You may do well with this direction. LOL, l've been watching Nigerian girls listening to this stuff and people love it.
Saw them play it live - Sheffield City Hall UK, Nov 1973, "Tales from Topographic Oceans" Tour, Hairs on my arms are standing up remembering it... time fly's.
Bill Bruford's effort on this never receives the admiration it deserves. While I liked Alan White and his contributions, he never could get the "frilly bits". I heard ABWH play this at their concert in Philly in '89 and the place went absolute APE$HIT. I have listened to this track thousands of times, and still learn new things when I attempt to isolate the contributions from each member. I find BB's playing so inspiring on this track. I just don't think his style could be replicated.
First time to your channel.. and your reacting to my Fav band! Close to the Edge is a Hell of place to jump into the Experience if Yes! Yep you’ve heard Owner..albeit Yes..not the Best of Yes! So I’ll watch and see what I think..
This is a track that definitely keeps on giving when listened to over and over again. Just like Tool's songs. There are so many polyrhytmic sections and awesome tricks within the arrangement that you can only catch them after hearing the song a dozen times.
You have bands then you have yes ! I love genesis, pink floyd etc etc British prog rock bands from the 70 s where and are world beaters Yes , universally brilliant
Oh hello! Thanks for doing this epic. There is no downhill with yes as long as you go with this lineup or anything close to this lineup... Loving the music on vinyl, can't wait for Genesis and BöC. I love the night is majestically eerie, so I am looking forward to that one.
Welcome to the amazing world of '70s prog rock! Now that you've tackled CttE, if you want more epic Yes symphonies, I'd suggest: "Heart of the Sunrise" from Fragile "The Gates of Delirium" from Relayer "Awaken" from Going for the One
huh I scrolled through all of the comments, and find it hard to believe as active as I have become on the channel that I never commented on this one. I'm virtually positive it's the first video of yours I've seen, although I may not have realized at the time that you were doing entire vinyl sides in a listen. I know I posted my excitement that you would get to side 2 of Going For The One eventually when I did realize that is your MO.
Good reaction. First time watching and now subbed. Everyone has their own interpretation but for me, it’s about about working out the meaning of life and discovering or not, spirituality. Chaos reigned early on and he’s trying to work out where he fits in life. This is timeless. But I strongly suggest you may need to listen to it several times before forming a firm view.
I had the same reaction when at age 48 I finally saw the Grand Canyon...it was like "wtf...this has been here all my life, only a few hours away, and I missed it?
That's the first vinyl I've listened to in many years. And even through my computer speakers I could hear all the crackles and increasing distortion as the needle got towards the centre.
It's certainly not downhill from here. Different certainly. I won't believe you haven't heard Roundabout but needs to be on the list together with 'Awaken' from the 'Going for the One' album and 'Gates of Delirium' from the 'Relayer' album. Many others of course but for the pinnacle, those three are certainly up there. 'Gates', you have to know is a musical interpretation of Tolstoy's War and Peace in 3 parts. The lead up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath of the battle which could possibly be among the most beautiful pieces of music you will ever hear. There; over to you 😊
Prog rock of 70s has a lot of one of the greatest compositions on this planet.... i'm reasearching this period of music for 5 years now and I find all the time forgotten, unknown masterpieces by unknown bands
Yes, timeless. When I heard Close to the Edge for the first time a couple of years ago, I had to realise that I was indeed a prog fan, apparently. This one and Jethro Tull's 'Thick as a Brick' are my two best beloved 'classics'. Also looking forward to your Mike Oldfield reactions.
This is a song that you will appreciate more and more with each listen. There is so much going on in this song, you can’t possibly catch it all in a single listen. The more you notice, the more you’ll love it. You’ll not be disappointed as you travel through their catalogue. I personally feel if there was no YES, we wouldn’t have Rush, and quite possibly no Tool.
I had the Album's 8-track in my car during high school (around 1977) and played it continuously! Saw them 1978 in NYC! I wish everyone can hear All of Yes! Yes, I do love Animal Collective also! Thanks for listening and commenting!
If I were you, I would find a circa 2000 live yes concert and watch them play this. Its note for note the same. Try to find a concert that has Rick Wakeman on the keyboards. Gates of Delirium just as good. The more you listen the more you will love this music. It is timeless. It's very hard to listen to it the first time.
I first heard Yes on the radio when I was 18. It was Roundabout. It was a year before I got to hear it again and I found out who the band was. I got every album and never looked back. The only band I've ever heard since that's even nearly as good is Tool. I'm 35 now and Yes is still my favorite band of all time. I hope they effect your soul as much as they have mine.
You asked the right question early into the song: “Where is this going?”. At that point, you are not meant to know that. You asked the question, which is a sign that you are a good listener. You knew it had to lead SOMEWHERE, you just didn’t know where. Aside from the leitmotif, there are 3 other melodic sections, which are presented one after another, like different plot lines in a dram. The listener does not yet know how they relate to one another. At the end of the song, these are all cleverly woven together for the climax. That’s when the attentive listener gets his payoff.
The organ was recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate in Barbican. Wakeman also recorded Jane Seymour" (from The Six Wives of Henry VIII) at the same location.
Wakeman had been subbing for St. Giles' organist on an off in the previous years, so he knew the place, the organ, and they knew him. I'm sure the rental money from Yes management helped them fix whatever ailed the building.....
![ARGENTINA vs. BOLIVIA [6-0] | RESUMEN | ELIMINATORIAS SUDAMERICANAS | FECHA 10](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/C3wPtKNbAOA/mqdefault.jpg)
“I don’t know where this is going”
Ah yes, the beauty of prog rock
Another wanderer lost in the song. Jon, you did it again. Kudos.
When anyone asks "what is your favorite progressive rock record of all-time" my response is always "Yes - "Close to the Edge". This record will forever hold a special place in my heart because I have heard it probably 200 times, it never gets old, it is never boring, it is still fresh as the first time I heard it, and I know that it will forever be the same. "Close to the Edge" is one of the "deserted island records". If I were to be stranded on a deserted island and I could only have 5 records with me to hear for the rest of my life, "Close to the Edge" is one of them. I bet you can't guess my other four records.
yesongs
From Yes, mine would be The Yes Album, Fragile, CTTE, Relayer
My 5 picks for "deserted island" records are:
Yes - "Close to the Edge"
Pink Floyd - "Animals"
Avishai Cohen - "Continuo"
King Crimson - "Lark's Tongue in Aspic"
Rush - "A Farewell to Kings"
@@BayouMaccabee Animals of course, you're nearly a laugh, but you're really a cry, should have guessed that. Don't know much about the others but I'd go for Moving Pictures instead. Maybe 2112... Nope moving pictures. Above all of these, Tool Fear Inoculum. You should check that out but of course more metal but crazy if you like drum driven rock, Danny Carey is crazy. Tool being my favorite all time band. God how could I live without some zepplin thrown in. 5 pics is way too unfare!!!!!
@@BayouMaccabee
1. Yes - Close to the Edge
2. Steely Dan - Aja
3. XTC - Skylarking
4. k.d. lang - Ingenue
5. Van Halen - Van Halen I
Back again. I JUST LOVE how people get DISCOMBOBULATED with first listen to this stroke of genius!
This is the high water mark, the point where their grasp finally matched their reach.
I agree 100 percent. This is their achievement.
Unfortunately due to the limitations of LPs the track just isn't long enough.
Well said!!!
Listening to this for 40 years!!!!!!
Crisis Squire, the TASTIEST BASS PLAYER EVER!!!!!
Squire consistently had the fattest/wettest bass sound since....ever!
@@davidzujkowski5909 Indeed true
@@davidzujkowski5909
He is a real funny guy too...Check
Out some interviews......
I'm in love with this bass sound.
When I first heard this about 1976 my life changed. When it finished I had no idea what I had just heard but knew it was the most special thing I had ever heard. Fast forward to 2021 listened to this so many times to mention. Still one of the greatest rock tunes ever.
I was 14 in ‘76 hearing Roundabout for the first time while smoking weed also for the first time. Life has never been the same since.
"Close to the Edge" is, as you later recognised: timeless (like all masterpieces are), and people will still be listening to this 50 more years from now. Full disclosure: I'm an old fart (61) and I grew up with (and bought) vinyl and I never want to hear those pops and crackles interrupting, and distracting from, the music ever again. Wilson's 5.1 mix on blu-ray is the only version I listen to now. Cheers, hope you do Side 2.
I'd never profess to say vinyl sounds better - it patently doesn't, but the experience of listening to music on vinyl, for me, is wonderful and cathartic.
@@JimNewstead Fair enough, I'd just add that surround mixes of prog. rock recordings allow for a separation of instruments that stereo (so CD too) frequently cannot reveal, being buried too far down in the mix. Pink Floyd, for example, is wonderful in quad or 5.1. Cheers.
I was and always will remain, a vinyl lover. Though I am currently listening here, and with Bluetooth headphones. So that makes me a Renaissance man, right?
@@wicky4473 No, it makes you deprived.
61?,, your so young
It's Art Music!
The imagination of these boys was incredible!
I think it's a mixture - imagination, yes of course, creativity? You bet. Ambition? Undoubtedly. But the connection between musicians has to be on another level for them to pull this off.
Totally agree. The connection is excellent. Each musician with his instrument but knowing that they are part of a whole.
Back in 1974, we were stunned hearing Yes play this piece live, it was amazing.
Ladies and gentlemen Chris Squire and Yes the greatest show on earth.
👍😎👑
"A little fluff". I played some of my old high school vintage vinyl for a millennial friend and he asked if the crackle was one of the musical instruments. Totally not kidding.
I said, "Yes, it was part of the rhythm section in the great 1970s bands. They crunched breakfast cereal in the background."
Oh I know that feeling: taking a big swig of beer just as this music gets going.
I'll never get over this stuff. Some of the most true music ever made.
Happy Fiftieth Birthday to this album, released this month September 13, 1972. 🎂
Always fun to watch someone discover music you have been in love with for years and see them fall in love with it too! Enjoy.
CTTE is the single greatest work of prog-rock ever. It literally defined the genre. It's Yes at their absolute peak in all ways and if I were to be forced to have one album only for the rest of my life, I think this would be it. I love ELP, Crimson, Gentle Giant, Genesis, Tull...but hands down, this is the one. It stands alone at the top!
It is a truly stellar piece of work!
When I found Yes I spent 10 years pretty much only listening to Yes. Just a warning, enjoy!
The bass line in the second verse is like an 8 bar line. Chris Squire was the master of those long melodic bass lines, often in counterpoint to the main melody.
He is the counterpoint master.
The song Close To The Edge is great....the 18 mins fly by...so many cool sounds and sequences....
Just imagine hearing this for the first time as an impressionable teenager in the 70s... You might be astonished now, with a lifetime of other music listening under your belt - but at the time this was mind-blowing.
Try The Gates Of Delirium from Relayer sometime.
It’s still pretty mind blowing 50 years (ish) later!
HA!
Don't have to imagine. I WAS THAT TEENAGER 😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇😇
This actually came out on my 5th birthday, but I didn't get to hear it until 1984. It was springtime and the only Yes album I had ever heard was the then very recent 90125....which I quite liked and still do.
So I went into town one day looking for more Yes albums.
The only one they had was this green thing.
"What? They made music in 1972? And there are only 3 songs?"
So I bought it, made my way home and put on my headphones.
40 minutes later I sat there on the floor with my mouth open wondering what the hell that was?
Being from Norway, the only country in Europe besides Albania with only one radio channel (that only played accordion music for the elderly), I was never exposed to this kind of music, except for half a dozen LPs by The Beatles, which I still adore religiously. Then there was ABBA, Slade, Sweet and Elvis and stuff like that, but neither of them could excite me to any degree.
And I had no older brothers or friends with a huge interest for anything more sophisticated than the Eurovision Song Contest. So I really didn't know.
So when I grew into my teens, got my own record player and finally heard Floyd, Zeppelin, Queen and Bowie, I knew that there were other bands than The Beatles or ABBA.
Then I went to town to buy some Yes.
It changed a lot. I really had a thirst for this and now there was time to drink.
I played all summer of 84....and there was this girl. Fond memories. The girl is gone, but the album is still there - both in my collection and my memory.
First listen of CTTE is always amazing. You can remember sections that impressed you, but the totality of what those guys achieved is only fully appreciated upon subsequent listenings. YES packed so much into their Epics, you only notice how it all works together the more you listen to it. Which is one of the reasons I've loved YES; their music always remained so _fresh_ for so long. Close To The Edge, in my opinion, was smack-you-in-the-face *outrageous* wrt the _audacity_ of what those musicians were trying to accomplish, but dammit, *_they nailed it._*
Indeed, I'm among those who regard it as their all-time Uber Achievement, but they also created many more nearly-as-great epic songs that just as satisfying.
My short list of YES Must Listens:
Gates of Delirium
Siberian Khatru
Starship Trooper
Roundabout
Yours Is No Disgrace
South Side of The Sky
The Remembering
I'm Running
There are many more examples of YES Ear Candy, but IMO, those are Can't Miss. One guy's opinion.
@JJ8KK That was VERY well put. Their songs get better with each listen. It’s difficult if not impossible to hear everything in a single listen.
Great reactions Jim. I've heard this 1,000 times and I just sat through every second of your reaction...mesmerized...again. Your one comment sums it up....timeless.
My favorite song.
My favorite Album.
Yes!
That discordant, chaotic, careless intro becomes more ordered and deliberate and makes more sense each time you listen to it.
Yeah, it doesn't sound chaotic to me. It sounds perfect.
Please continue with this path!!
Love music that makes you shut your eyes.. And would be more than happy to go through the YES albums from the seventies! Thank you sir!
Roger that.... and not just YES, loads more too!
The seventies were the richest era of recorded music across all genres, but in particular progressive rock. Please continue…
Hi Jim, going through previous YES reactions, and came across CTTE, can't believe I missed it, may have been just before I came across your website.
Anyway, saw the guys on the 2nd September 1972 at the Crystal Palace Bowl (open air) and when it finished there was a moments silence as if you couldn't believe what you had just been involved in, then the place just erupted, the cheering and clapping seemed to go on for ever, it took a long time for everyone to settle down.
I think everyone there knew they had witnessed something extraordinary.
Thanks Jim.
Loved your reaction! Immense piece of music 😀
I'm so happy that you like it, I'm 62 And that was the music of when I was between 12 and 17, can you believe that?
Jim I am envious that you can begin a wonderful journey of Yes music. It’s captivated me for nearly 50 years. Great reaction.
I was a teen when this came out. First time I heard it was on top quality speakers at high, high volume in a record store.
Can't forget that.
Good morning Jim! Your article got me in the mood to go back to this video. Any time is a good time for YES!!!!😎❤🌅
Wonderful!
@@JimNewstead 😎
Indeed, Bruford is a good drummer. And after this album, when the band started getting success, he headed to the dark side with King Crimson and then into an incredible career of fraternizing with a diverse array of musicians in and out of his own projects and bands. My favorite drummer, who was kind enough to sign a copy of his book and a Simmons drum for me.
I was 1 year old when it came out! And I discovered it somewhere around age 13. It's been my favorite song, and Yes has been my favorite band, ever since. There's so much to love about this song, but you picked up on one thing: the rhythm section. Squire and Bruford had an amazing chemistry, and no one sounds like Squire. Glad you enjoyed it.
I was at this concert when it was making it debut tour. There is really nothing else left to say after that.
This is the first reaction you've done that I've heard. I got here because of the reactors gather video that I saw Nic and Lex share. I love YES. I've listened to them for years, I'm 63, soon to be 64. I've heard this many many times and it's my favorite track by YES. This would not have been my first recommendation for you, but it's an incredible piece of musical composition as well as an incredible performance from all the guys in the band. To my, because of my High School Concert band background (I was a French Horn player, then became a bass player for 48 years) this sounds very classical oriented. By that I mean, it has movements of the piece and they restate the main musical themes in variations over the course of the piece. You are obviously a more in depth listener, so you seem to be getting that right off the bat. Many won't get that at all. I enjoyed your reaction.
Thank you Buddy.... although I'm not a musical academic like Doug for example, my sister is, my brother is a semi pro jazz musician and I've been in bands and making music all my life, listening to classical music a lot at school when studying for Music O'Level, so complex music doesn't daunt me and I plunge headlong into the abyss without a second thought! Thanks for coming over to check out the channel, I hope you find something worthwhile here!
Jim
I’ve wanted to express a similar point. When this came out, many of us had played in high school band or orchestra, had seen many of Bernstein’s Sunday afternoon orchestral presentations, heck, we even had Sing Along with Mitch. Then there were the evolutions of rock from the 50s through the 60s.
A lot of us were ready for this wildly inventive stuff which we initially called symphony rock.
Equally chocked that you've not heard the old giants and excited to follow your discoveries! 😍
Oh, I'm regularly shocked about the stuff I don't know!!! Hang around and follow the journey (but maybe NOT Journey!!!)
I've listened to CTTE since I was 14, now 40 years, and I've never heard Rhubarb and Custard, but today I did. Still a classic track.
It is not so strange that you missed hearing this album. This was really the benchmark for composition and complex orchestral arrangements in rock, and it was recieved and understood to be exactly that, so not a whole lot of commercial radio exposure on this one. But it didn't matter, their two previous albums recieved ecstatic praise and charted several tracks, and this was released within a year of "Fragile", the "other" greatest YES album, so fans, critics and media were brand-new converts
They were primed and ready and very curious
about what was next because YES were alteady heading towards something like this. I really don't think ANY other band will ever achieve or even attempt anything that goes this deep into epic orchestrations and thematic layers. Very unlikely during the present opposite music climate ; short and easy, a four note hook with tons of auto-tune and compression.
Well, here you are with one of my favorite Yes songs. They are one of my favorite and most influential bands and this song is just so EVERYTHING. It is simply a masterpiece of all the moods of progressive rock.
Can't....... stop...... listening....... to....... it!
@@JimNewstead Now you see why it's one of my favorites!
My "gateway drug" to Yes was the live album YESSONGS. (The 3 songs from the album "Close To The Edge" are also on it). I also love the album "Close To The Edge", only whenever I listen to the studio versions of the songs, there are 1000 places where I "am missing something" (compared to the live versions). Give it a try. The sound quality on the live album is not outstanding and some studio gadgets don't go live, but the songs are more mature, powerful and dynamic (for my taste). I'm already looking forward to ELP with you.
Completely agree. This song especially sounds so much better on Yessongs.
You said exactly what I wanted to say. Yes songs got better after they toured them. YesSongs is a true version of the concerts. Though I remember the concert I saw in Staffordshire was well over 3 hours long.
@@lighthallbcu5105 Bingley Hall?
The Yessongs version of And You ansd I is incredibly powerful. I saw them 9 days after the album was released 9/13/1972 and I had not heard it yet They opened with Siberian Khatru and it was stunning to say the least. First time I saw them. I was so amazed, I went another 40 times over the folowing 45 years. The most wonderful magical (for real) band I have ever seen.
Yes is the greatest band ever. Please dig deeper. Live, they sounded just like the studio versions every single time. Very humble guys when you meet them. My ❤️ belongs to them all.
Just fell over your video Jim - great reaction to a 'prog-rock' classic. Difficult to get your audio head around on a first listening don't you think? For an 'easier' journey, have you discovered 'Camel' yet? Well worth a listen, Andy Latimer on lead guitar is technically brilliant, plus his emotional input is probably without comparison. Give 'em a go my man! Brilliant video channel.
I,M 62 and I have seen that show in 72 or73 in Montreal and it changed my look on music.
Probably one of the best albums ever recorded (that I'm aware of). I'd like to suggest Supper's Ready by Genesis and Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull as well.
Yes (no pun intended)! I agree. My triumvirate of 70's prog epics has always been Close to the Edge, Supper's Ready, and Pink Floyd's Echoes. Do yourself and your audience a favor and complete the trio, sir!
I saw them in ‘72 in CT where they were promoting this album. We were all familiar with Roundabout from Fragile, but this took them to new heights.
Been listening to Yes for about 45 years, the run of albums from The Yes Album to Going for the One is hard to beat, they were awesome.
Can’t wait to get to the other albums!
You lucky devil. I've only know of them for about 10 years now.
One of the best songs ever written
Playing the actual records! Love this! Subscribed!
Oh My!! I can never get enough of this song!! Love all Yes music, but if I had to pick one song as my favorite it would have to be Close to the Edge! There's just no words to describe how good this song is!!
Thanks for sharing the original mix vinyl, it’s been a long time since I’ve heard that.
good choice jim been many years since if listened to yes thanks for the reminder of the amazing sound
Ya, it's a lot to take in. As I've heard the early Yes catalog over the years, I think Bruford's drumming really stitches the whole thing together, weaving the various parts and grooves in a coherent way, thanks to his seamless transitions. He is a real master at time changes, and unusual/unexpected beats.
R.I.P. Mr Squire. Chris you are SO missed my friend.⚘
Hey thanks Jim...seeing your video pop up for this album made me get off my MP3 player butt and listen to it a few times....it's been on there without a play a long time because been doing all the King Crimson albums...anyway I like it. Didn't know they wrote America (only knew Simon and Garfunkel version) and there are moments that amaze. Will def be listening more Yes....already put Fragile on for spin too on my walk today....I'm guessing I'm enjoying the break from KC...as much as I love em...As far as KC goes the one huge surprise was how much I loved Three of a Perfect Pair....heard it....bought it....played it ten times....Tony Levin is a monster with that Base....amazing record. Best of their 80s efforts for me....🤘👍
Took me a while, sure, but I have decided to follow through your Yes listens... This has some fantastic moments, good on them for embracing beautiful harmonies and crescendos... a lot of bands seem to think it's tacky... but this is just transcendent...
also, finally heard the brand of your headphones! ohhh my itchy purchase finger...
Haha! Welcome to the series 👍🏼
My favorite band ever!!!
Check out Jim's write up on YES. It's on the community page.😎
So glad I stumbled across your channel with this song, the apotheosis of prog. I never tire of listening to it, nor of reactions to the ethereal “I get up” part, followed by the actual church organ. It may apocryphal, but it’s said that the organ was recorded in the studio over a phone line from the church. Looking forward to more reactions of 70s prog.
And yes, more vinyl, please.
Just getting to this one. This is the album thar introduced me to Yes. Keep the Yes train rolling!
Classic. Music from my childhood . My favorite from this is Siberian Khatru . You're in for a deep dive with the 70s era Yes catalogue . It'll all come clear , and the influences on future bands obvious. Nice one!
Don't worry, I'm going deep!
Best move you ever made Jimmy me boy. God bless you🙏
Saw the 'Close To The Edge' tour of YES in 1973 , at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto . Still the best concert I ever attended .
Heck yea Jim. We love some Yes!
Just discovered you today.....great song, awesome reaction.....thanks!
Well thanks for stopping by!
Now you might want to listen to "Tales From Topographic Oceans" and "Relayer", and then "The Yes Album" and "Fragile." THEN it will be all downhill from there.
Yep. That's the order, and about the end of the really good stuff they made.
Awaken!!!!!!!!!!
I remember when that came out...first time sharing them with you...70's sure, it was the 70's...thanks
Timeless. You said it.
😎
I was 2 as well when this came out. Sad it took me til I was in my 30's to discover it. Fantastic Song, Album and Era.
that vinyl sounds great! thank you for sharing with us.
Hey there Jim! Excellent choice! This is one of the finest works that humans have achieved! The song "And you and I" follows "CttE", and it is wonderful. Very happy to see a Yes reaction! Maybe I can convince you to try a Magma song, another very interesting group that is completely concept driven.
Hi Jim. Strangely I am going through the fase of listening old classic albums in the world of prog music.I was born in 80's so maybe that is why? Reasoning for this is just to educate myself a bit more with music i listen to the most. Started with Pink Floyd early albums, then Genesis, Rush.Next on my list are Marillion and Yes! To my surprise there is loads of great albums I have never listen to and they are absolute masterpieces.(e.g "Selling England by the pound" by genesis is one of my favourite).Will definitely try Yes, already downloaded "Relayer" album.
@@maciejpiwowarczyk5496 Yes - "Fragile" must be next on your list.
Loads more of this classic stuff to come matey, makes a nice change of pace, and the music is genuinely amazing!
Please do Side 2 on camera, it's just as incredible.
I think I will! :)
Love the video ... especially that you are pulling in the LP camera view. Now a subscriber ... please keep it up. Some other recommendations on "album sides" to check out: Yes - Relayer (especially side one, but the whole record is solid), Genesis - Foxtrot (side two), Pink Floyd - Animals (side one) and King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (side one). Keep up the great work
Yes, I bought that lp in the first half of the seventies of last century. Yes is in the top ten of my most favorite bands since I bought this album and several other albums followed. I prefer their live albums and DVD’s/ blu-rays. Live at Montreux is a gem.
And you and I, from this album is probably their best song
Pure progrock at its best. Beautiful harmonies, great transitions, great guitar and keyboard playing with long solos; I can’t get enough of it.
Camel, Genesis (with Peter Gabriel and the first few with Phil Collins as singer), Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Mike Oldfield.
Ok, I just subscribed, I want to watch you go down this road. I can give you some very interesting more contemporary prog suggestions. You may do well with this direction. LOL, l've been watching Nigerian girls listening to this stuff and people love it.
Saw them play it live - Sheffield City Hall UK, Nov 1973, "Tales from Topographic Oceans" Tour, Hairs on my arms are standing up remembering it... time fly's.
Bill Bruford's effort on this never receives the admiration it deserves. While I liked Alan White and his contributions, he never could get the "frilly bits". I heard ABWH play this at their concert in Philly in '89 and the place went absolute APE$HIT. I have listened to this track thousands of times, and still learn new things when I attempt to isolate the contributions from each member. I find BB's playing so inspiring on this track. I just don't think his style could be replicated.
First time to your channel.. and your reacting to my Fav band!
Close to the Edge is a Hell of place to jump into the Experience if Yes!
Yep you’ve heard Owner..albeit Yes..not the Best of Yes!
So I’ll watch and see what I think..
This is a track that definitely keeps on giving when listened to over and over again. Just like Tool's songs. There are so many polyrhytmic sections and awesome tricks within the arrangement that you can only catch them after hearing the song a dozen times.
"That bass again!" OH YEAH!
You have bands then you have yes !
I love genesis, pink floyd etc etc
British prog rock bands from the 70 s where and are world beaters
Yes , universally brilliant
Oh hello! Thanks for doing this epic. There is no downhill with yes as long as you go with this lineup or anything close to this lineup... Loving the music on vinyl, can't wait for Genesis and BöC. I love the night is majestically eerie, so I am looking forward to that one.
Welcome to the amazing world of '70s prog rock! Now that you've tackled CttE, if you want more epic Yes symphonies, I'd suggest:
"Heart of the Sunrise" from Fragile
"The Gates of Delirium" from Relayer
"Awaken" from Going for the One
huh
I scrolled through all of the comments, and find it hard to believe as active as I have become on the channel that I never commented on this one. I'm virtually positive it's the first video of yours I've seen, although I may not have realized at the time that you were doing entire vinyl sides in a listen. I know I posted my excitement that you would get to side 2 of Going For The One eventually when I did realize that is your MO.
Fuck yeah. You've heard Tool, and now you're hearing Yes. The two best bands EVER.
Good reaction. First time watching and now subbed. Everyone has their own interpretation but for me, it’s about about working out the meaning of life and discovering or not, spirituality. Chaos reigned early on and he’s trying to work out where he fits in life. This is timeless. But I strongly suggest you may need to listen to it several times before forming a firm view.
I had the same reaction when at age 48 I finally saw the Grand Canyon...it was like "wtf...this has been here all my life, only a few hours away, and I missed it?
That's the first vinyl I've listened to in many years. And even through my computer speakers I could hear all the crackles and increasing distortion as the needle got towards the centre.
It's certainly not downhill from here. Different certainly. I won't believe you haven't heard Roundabout but needs to be on the list together with 'Awaken' from the 'Going for the One' album and 'Gates of Delirium' from the 'Relayer' album. Many others of course but for the pinnacle, those three are certainly up there. 'Gates', you have to know is a musical interpretation of Tolstoy's War and Peace in 3 parts. The lead up to the battle, the battle itself and the aftermath of the battle which could possibly be among the most beautiful pieces of music you will ever hear.
There; over to you 😊
I don't knowingly know Roundabout so it might come as a surprise when I listen to it that "Ahhhh, this song!"
Prog rock of 70s has a lot of one of the greatest compositions on this planet.... i'm reasearching this period of music for 5 years now and I find all the time forgotten, unknown masterpieces by unknown bands
Have you heard "On Mani Padme Hum" by Mandalaband?
Yes, timeless.
When I heard Close to the Edge for the first time a couple of years ago, I had to realise that I was indeed a prog fan, apparently.
This one and Jethro Tull's 'Thick as a Brick' are my two best beloved 'classics'. Also looking forward to your Mike Oldfield reactions.
This is a song that you will appreciate more and more with each listen. There is so much going on in this song, you can’t possibly catch it all in a single listen. The more you notice, the more you’ll love it. You’ll not be disappointed as you travel through their catalogue. I personally feel if there was no YES, we wouldn’t have Rush, and quite possibly no Tool.
Yes... timeless...that’s the perfect word I was searching for.
I had the Album's 8-track in my car during high school (around 1977) and played it continuously! Saw them 1978 in NYC! I wish everyone can hear All of Yes!
Yes, I do love Animal Collective also!
Thanks for listening and commenting!
Promise me that you will never stop talking about that damn bass guitar!
I promise.
Oh my, check out that BASS! Flippin' Rickenbacker and Chris Squire - quite the combination!
If I were you, I would find a circa 2000 live yes concert and watch them play this. Its note for note the same. Try to find a concert that has Rick Wakeman on the keyboards. Gates of Delirium just as good. The more you listen the more you will love this music. It is timeless. It's very hard to listen to it the first time.
Love listening to this song on rainy days stoned or shroomed out👽 so good love this album !!!!!
The more you listen you YES the more you get them , I have for 50 yrs 🙆♀️genius
I first heard Yes on the radio when I was 18. It was Roundabout. It was a year before I got to hear it again and I found out who the band was. I got every album and never looked back. The only band I've ever heard since that's even nearly as good is Tool. I'm 35 now and Yes is still my favorite band of all time. I hope they effect your soul as much as they have mine.
You asked the right question early into the song: “Where is this going?”. At that point, you are not meant to know that. You asked the question, which is a sign that you are a good listener. You knew it had to lead SOMEWHERE, you just didn’t know where.
Aside from the leitmotif, there are 3 other melodic sections, which are presented one after another, like different plot lines in a dram. The listener does not yet know how they relate to one another. At the end of the song, these are all cleverly woven together for the climax. That’s when the attentive listener gets his payoff.
The organ was recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate in Barbican. Wakeman also recorded Jane Seymour" (from The Six Wives of Henry VIII) at the same location.
Ah cool, thanks! I knew it had to be somewhere significant!
Wakeman had been subbing for St. Giles' organist on an off in the previous years, so he knew the place, the organ, and they knew him. I'm sure the rental money from Yes management helped them fix whatever ailed the building.....