Classical Composer Reacts to Close To the Edge (Yes) | The Daily Doug (Episode 123)
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- Опубликовано: 29 апр 2021
- #Yes #CloseToTheEdge #HelveringReaction #YesReaction
In this episode of #TheDailyDoug, I'm reacting to the epic song Close To The Edge by Yes. The studio recording was released in 1972, and I found this piece to be just as brilliant, wacky, unique, and singular as advertised. Brilliant! Grab a drink and come along for the ride!
Reference Video: • Yes - Close To The Edge
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What you had with Yes at that time was a jazz drummer, an inventive, musically astute bassist who spent his youth in a church choir singing classical music filled with rich harmonies, a highly gifted classically trained keyboardist who mastered the newest analog electronic keyboards, a masterful wizard guitarist steeped in rock, jazz and blues, a driven, focused, creative, gifted singer, and a brilliant producer. Plus a record company paying all of them to create this kind of music for increasingly eager audiences. The lure of fans was not only the music, but the fact they could perform (playing and singing) their recorded songs live, while sounding exactly the same, or even better than the studio recordings. Doubtful they were under the influence of serious drugs while writing and recording beyond the accepted functional norm of that time for musicians (some drink and weed). For them, the music alone was often the high they ever needed.
That's the best description of Yes I've ever seen!
Brilliant...I would add each one was a prodigy that wanted to expand awareness and push boundries...similar to ELP
YES have produced some amazing music over the years, don't forget that Jon was also in a church choir during his school boy years, so singing well was something he learnt early on. The nature sounds at the start of this track is indicative of Jon's roots in his home town where him and his school mates only had to walk two blocks and be in hilly country side that is similar to that of 'Withering Heights', this would lead him on to base his solo album Olias of Sunhillow upon (if you walk over the hill today you can clearly see where the ideas come from).
Jon tells me that he disliked the poppy sounds of The Warriors, and it was only after leaving and joining Mable Greer's Toy Shop did he start to develop the progressive rock sound that is pure YES and that practice makes perfect as when compared to there early contemporaries they were not as polished.
Yes was vegan no drugs!
@@ricardomartinelli2992 That not what I have been told.
"Listen to that bass". All Yes fans everywhere: Yes.
_Yes,_ indeed!
It took me over 40 years to figure out this section (at 6:05). The guitar and vocals are continuing in that 12/8 - 3/4 meter from the first verse, while the bass and drums are playing in a much slower 4/4. Polymeters in prog rock!
Always did Chris squire is unreal!
I so much wanted a bass like Chris Squire - before the age of the internet there was really no way to find out what it was - I tried reading with a magnifying glass the photos off of the inside of Fragile - it looked like "Mickletwirker" - of course it was Rickenbacker - I love the way that if you use the bridge pickup, that the tone changes amazingly across the strings - seems to me that no other guitar actually does this ? anyone?
@@irw4350 That line of Rick has the pickups wired to 2 different channels out. You send the neck to one channel, and the bridge to another... from owning one for a time, you ALWAYS have the neck channel going(for the low boomy end), and when you want that bright overdriven sound, you run in the middle switch position(both). If you use bridge only, it sounds very thin and un-bass-like. If you run both pickups thru a single channel(this is an option), it loses it's distinctiveness and punch. I am mostly a guitar player, but honestly, when you set a Rickenbacker up properly, few things sound as beautiful.
I love how he goes "That's awesome!" literally half a second before one of the greatest moments in music history - seeing his face change as that organ hit was great.
Have always loved that Church organ coming through after the beautiful melody.
And again when the pipe organ first gives way to the Moog... "okay we're not in church anymore!"
What I always say to people about this song is, when you first listen to it everything sounds wrong: the notes, the timing, the melodies, the keys, the harmonies. After you listen to it a few times or even once to the end (assuming some musical literacy) you realise everything is absolutely perfect, deliberate, brilliant and mind-blowing genius.
When I first heard this in '72, I remembered being very challenged, due to them taking, what felt like such a huge leap from everything that they'd done before. But, as you said, after a few listenings.... boom! Every album had obviously been leading to this height in their work!
Sadly, I lost interest after this album, though I still listen with pleasure to this and all its predecessors.
bro...that's exactly what i've been experienced...
Topographic was harder to listen to until you got the score. Awesome music, too.
@@danbernard4227 Totally agree. As a teen it used to take me 5-6 listens to crack open their complex pieces due to the interwoven musical motifs that they often moved around within the pieces and used as themes or even counterpoints. You start to look into the chaotic forest and recognise the branches woven through it.
I’m not so sure the introduction was written note for note. It sounds to me like there is improvisation from multiple players resulting in randomness.
Close To The Edge is - quite simply - one of the most astonishing musical accomplishments in recorded musical history from any era, in any genre. The first time I heard it as an almost 15 year-old, it blew me to pieces, both musically and emotionally. In the 50 years since its release, 'seasons have passed me by' and I have never stopped seeking out and discovering new music, but nothing has ever quite affected me the way that did, and I doubt very much it ever will. Still the pinnacle...
Isn't it awesome and mind blowing that something as fragile as music has powers to hit people strong and affect us for that many years? I've had similar experience with Mike Oldfield's Amarok in the 90's. Changed my perception of music forever and set a bar that only a few other works could come close to ever since for me. Cheers.
Yup. I was 15 in 75 when I first heard it. This song has been a touchstone of sorts for me ever since. The song that lead me to Yes is by Argent called: Music of the Spheres. This song changed the course of my life and l would later co-found a progrock band.
Another epic song is Tod Rundgren's Utopia and their song Ikon.
I highly recommend checking them both out.
I was 16 at the time, and it blew me away. I'd not heard the Fragile or Yes album, and was soon on my way to loving this band and all their work. CTTE is by far, the best two sides on vinyl, period.
@@mrnobody3161 almost the same story except for starting the band part. I knew about Roundabout through listening on the radio, but I'll say my curiosity piqued about Yes and what must their other songs sound like? Well, I've seen them 5 times live, even with Yes West. All were great oerformances.
For me, it's either Supper's Ready or the Gates of Delirium.
Some of us have been listening to this for 50 years and still haven't heard all of it.
In my case: 30 years I dont understand how a guy (from my age: 44) master in music....dont listening this before!!!
shit aint that the truth.
@@antoniocarlin5026 I think perhaps you become a master in your chosen field of music by ignoring other types until you master the one you want.
that's the feeling
I am also one of those 50 year listeners, though the lyrics of Yes were never the appeal for me. Hearing then compared to the Beach Boys was quite painful for me. It belittles the music IMO.
Probably the most celebrated Yes lineup- Anderson, Howe, Squire, Bruford, and Wakeman. Legendary song and album!
Best lineup
Affirmative, the most!
For a little while, they filled the universe with a mighty noise, unprecedented in all history.
@@osvaldo8966 - the best line up, full stop! 👍👍
My favorite Yes lineup! Tony Kaye on the Yes Album was my other favorite. On CTTE Squire and Bruford are so supportive of each other :) Happy Bruford laid down the percussion on this piece cause it wouldn't be the same if another played cold. Music like this was my escape from University Studies :)
Yes, ELP, Pink Floyd, etc...sounds, music no one had ever heard...what a joyous, wonderful time for us to grow up listening to...50 years later I still listen to these geniuses!
ELP, did you mean ELO?
ELP...Emerson, Lake, and Palmer
I would put also king crimson, van der graff generator and soft machine (third is a masterpiece).
@@tuskact4overheaven873 I completely agree with those. I would add even a few more, like Genesis, Gentle Giant, and yes Frank Zappa too. There is also a big scene people often ignore. I am talking about Krautrock. Bands like Birth Control, Nektar, Eloy, Amon Düül and Tangerine Dream belong to that scene, and most of them had a big impact on the early days of Symphonic Rock.
Pink Floyd is actually really famous. It's usually what Nirvana is for grunge: everyone knows Pink Floyd as prog but when you ask about any other prog band they can't respond
I still remember mom telling me to "Turn down that noise." back in '72.
Same here... then I realized, Yes: Close to the Edge speaks only to those who know how to listen... and feel alive.
Same here - then my mum added “it will all be forgotten in 6 months” ! How wrong it was. Such powerful music.
Why do I keep hearing turn that down oh that's in my head
sorry, but your mom is deaf
My mum always loved the blond girl who played piano.... LOL
Close To The Edge is the prog rock song by which all others are measured. I've been listening to it for nearly 50 years now, and I still get chills just like the first time I heard it.
FISH RISING.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PROG THAT'S SELDOM HEARD.
NEWER BAND WOBBLER.
BUT GONG, SPOCKS BEARD QUIET SUN HAPPY THE MAN.
Yea clos2thrdge I’m 67 and have been listening to this from the beginning.I’ve never heard a song that comes close to this not even other Yes songs.Absolutely one of the classics and always will be!
Starship Trooper does that to me.
@@donnafriedson7347 Just saw Jon Anderson. Acoustics were horrible but great to see the legend one more time. Made me feel old, but in a satisfying way
That look of utter rapture as Wakeman comes in on the St Giles-without-Cripplegate organ…that, my friend, is why this is my favourite album of all time, across a so-wide panoply of challengers.
Nail. Head. Hit.
I loved Mr Doug's astonishment when he understood that he was hearing a REAL church organ - rows and rows of metal pipes of various lengths and bores.
A pipe organ requires a big (VERY big) room. A wooden building does not properly cut it - the sound has to bounce off stone. I realised this many years ago when i walked into Winchester Cathedral and found I had the place pretty much to myself and the organist was up in his loft practising. And I realised that, when he stopped playing (i.e. there were no sounds coming from the pipes), the music was sustained by the reverberations. A good composer can write for the reverberations as well as the instrument.
@@mauricestevenson5740 Very true. I took my sister to see King's College Chapel for the first time recently. The organ was playing...kinda. A tuner was working on it. The sound was still awe-inspiring, even though they were playing only single notes or pairs.
I visited it and did a video of it close-up: ruclips.net/video/n6AbKeGBp-o/видео.htmlsi=Bm1oWOB5w-vNGtCk
The build up is so sublime. The overlapping melody and countermelodies on the vocals, the introspection of the verse, the gradual, crystalline ascending line of the chorus, and his immersed, celebratory fists overhead, the expression of glee on his face, AND THEN...
Enter the massive, enigmatic voice of an ages old pipe organ in a great hall! The sheer gravitas of it takes your breath away, puts a lump in the throat, arm hairs on end, and Doug's quizzical eyebrows sieze as his mind processes the stunning shift from the crystal glass of the vocal line to the densely commanding call of an ancient organ.
And he is utterly taken up in the current of a tsunami.
Brilliant!
(Fun trivia - I think there had only recently been some repairs to the organ which might have inspired them to include it for added importance. It's a calculated risk since one can never really achieve that kind of impact live unless one holds the concert in a very old church with a 200-300 year-old pipe organ.)
I was a classically trained tumpet player at age 16 when I saw them in concert in 1978. I was the top player in the state and had mastered Vivaldi. After this concert, I knew I would never match their level of musicianship. I was stunned. Chris Squire is the Hendrix of bass.
Refreshing to see a woman appreciate how great Yes was
Steve Howe, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford..... oh God !!!! What a Band !!!!!!!!!
I think, the band Focus is better
@@DungeonBossTipsundTricks Horses for courses.
What a collective! Five virtuoso players!
@@DungeonBossTipsundTricks I’m actually just discovering Focus. Any suggestions?
@@MrSpankee02 sure
Hamburger Concerto
Moving Waves
Anonymous 2
House of the King
Mother Focus
Jannis
Maximum
If you did both 2112 and Close to the Edge... it's time for Supper's Ready!
I agree and A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers.
@@biraoliverio Oh yes. I'm sad nobody reacts to VdGG and, when one finds prog, he sticks with Yes, Genesis, Rush, Pink Floyd but rarely goes deeper to Gentle Giant, Van der Graaf Generator, Camel etc.
hes is almost ready to listening the "Red" full album from King Crimson!!
@@antoniocarlin5026 Doing King Crimson reaction might be tricky because of copyright issues. Maybe RUclips and DGM are not so strict these days, but there's a decent probability for KC reaction to be blocked. Although I would love it, Red is my number two album of all time.
Supper's Ready Would be Phenomenal!
I didn't discover Yes or this song until the 90s when I was in college and it shook me from my 'grunge' music stupor and really opened my eyes and ears. Just the other day I put this on in my car and it was the first time ever my nine year old stopped talking for 18 minutes straight since the moment he learned to speak! When it was over, he asked me why I had hidden this from him all this time. Of course, I could only respond by putting on Heart of the Sunrise.
I’m 63 and remember playing this album in my bedroom with my headphones on in the 70’s .... it still sounds as good, in fact it’s longevity makes it even better now! Loved your reactions! As we say in Scotland when we drink Whisky.... Slainte! 🥃
I’m 63 you and me both listening to something we shouldn’t have been listening to at our age. Made a big impression
Yep....64 here....headphones in the bedroom....🎉
The pipe organ was done in an actual Church...
67 and yes, headphones in my bedroom
Where in Scotland is that said? I'm Scottish, from Glasgow, and I've never heard it or seen it written anywhere.
I was a bigoted jazz musician who thought that there was no such thing as great rock music.
My sister got this album from a friend and never played it.
I got stoned one day and wanted to see how space music sounded while ripped.
Popped this on and was just blown away.
This album changed my life.
If you had ever seen them live you would have been blown away and lost your socks!
@@BraddersMusic saw them in Pittsburgh after the release of Relayer.
You are so lucky to have been able to experience the Relayer lineup firsthand. I think Moraz' abilities lends itself better towards the manic chaotic energy of some of their songs than Wakeman's approach.
@@rodrigoodonsalcedocisneros4419 I used to have all the lyrics memorized from Gates of Delirium.
Stand and fight we do consider.
Took my girlfriend to the concert and she got a contact high and it freaked her out.
Well I am (was) a jazz hater; but this is fantastic and I now get how this drum sound can be musical
I was enthralled at 12 and I am still enthralled at 62. It never gets old!
Same here!!
Same here. This album, including and you and I, defined my musical taste for the past 50 years.
I don't know how anyone can listen to any of the music today
Agree and so happy to listen them with my vinyls
Same age also. Weren’t the 70s an amazing time to be a teenager listening to music. It seemed like great new albums that became classics were being released once a week. My memory of close to the edge and a lot of music is they I was turned on by my brother who had returned from Vietnam the year before. He left listening to Motown (not knocking that) wearing sharkskin suits and came home with albums like blind faith and Yes. Grew out his hair and beard and was a totally different person
I have only discovered you, but I've been a Yes fan since I was a kid in the 1970s. It didn't take you long to figure out the most important part of Yes. Chris Squire was the greatest rock era bassist of all time. None of the otherwise complex Yes music works without Chris. Glad that you appreciated their flawless masterpiece Close to the Edge.
Apparently, I haven't just discovered you. I've just seen a few of your other videos recently, and worked my way back to this one. While I still don't like the way you keep pausing this to attempt to analyze it (which is a difficult task when it comes to 1970s Yes), I appreciate that you recognize genius when you hear it.
🌞larls🌞
Possible the greatest song of the genre. Definitely the most mature and dynamic.Not only is this a “journey” of an epic song, but it starts out as a sonic exercise to clean your ears pallet to go on the journey. It’s brilliant and genius.The absolute apex of Yes’ career and creativity. And I love the majority of their offerings.
This whole album, only 3 songs, changed or elevated the whole progressive rock movement. It is considered the prog. Rock bible to most prog fans and future musicians!
Indeed, it's amazing the roll of masterpieces these guys put out in a short amount of time: The Yes Album, Fragile, CTTE, TFTO (some think it's overblown but totally complex and difficult to put nonetheless), Relayer and GFTO
Add ABWH to that and take away Tales and I would agree with you!
dont forget karn evil nine!
"Listen to that bass!" Everybody listening to Yes for the first time
That's what Geddy Lee said!
Chris 101 dude. And I’ve owned a Rick since I could afford my first in 1977.
Not me. I was *literally speechless,* having trouble picking up the pieces of my then recently blown mind. I won't describe the experience, but it was an awakening. I was little and all I knew was either "normal music" or classical music. This is the interesting thing: _I had no idea, not in my wildest imagination, that music could be like that._ My immediate assessment of Yes was: "this is the music of another planet. It's about somewhere else." It was a rationalization necessary to preserve my sanity. Oh, almost forgot to mention: the truck that ran me over that day was Heart of the Sunrise.
@@davizitopa7252
I couldn't have said it better, except for me it was Close To The Edge. Then one evening my girlfriend and I dropped some acid and went to see them in the round on their Tormato tour. It was as if beings from another world had come down to Earth to introduce us to a new reality for a couple of hours and left us changed. I know you get it.
My favorite introduction to Yes for people unfamiliar is Heart of the Sunrise for this very reason.
I just love doug's expression when it moves him. This often often moves me to tears. It's a truly astonishing composition and equally artisan musicianship. Stands comparison with the old classic composers such as Bach Motzart etc.
Ach! Motzart ! grosse Mutzik !
Doug. Back in their day, early and mid-seventies, Yes was bigger than Pink Floyd. They fell out of favor and didn't keep an audience like Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin did. But they were HUGE back then. There is so much they did that was just amazing. The prior album, Fragile was the closest they got to a "pop record" in those early days but they didn't pitch any softballs on that one either. Just went with shorter songs. The base was tectonic!!!
Yes were bigger than Pink Floyd until Floyd put out Dark Side of the Moon. After that nobody could catch them. However, Yes were still as big and maybe bigger than Floyd in Philadelphia PA where Yes had the most sell outs of any band up until around 2005.
it's bizarre to see the reaction of someone who has never heard this when every note is intensely familiar to me
I love watching people to react to Yes for the first time.
What was nice, was knowing what delight would come next!
I feel the same way about Rush.
Were we ever warmer on that day/a million miles away/it seemed from all eternity---ah!
Me too! It wasn't very long ago for me but it makes me remember the first time I listened to this... :) I wasn't an instant convert like a lot of other people, Heart of the Sunrise had already hooked me in though so I gave it a few more listens, The Solid Time of Change started to just make "sense", I knew where the time changes were (but I was used to that from Dream Theater haha), I appreciated I Get Up much more... and the closing really started to hit me hard, when the song ends I still feel like something big just closed, like I'm at the real and true end to a beautiful story.
Incredible song. Incredible band.
“Listen to that bass” “Listen to that bass” “Is that a synthesizer?” No...THAT is Chris Squire. Priceless reactions.
Track down his solo (yes a bass solo) where he plays Amazing Grace.
Best bass guitarist of his generation. Sadly lost to us too soon.
there is a very tight synth double for that brief passage - the nature of the line doesn't lend itself to Taurus pedals, tho Chris used them live on the CttE tour. I had to revisit my analysis from '73 (i was stuck on Fragile throughout '72, and that year was the first time i saw them live,) as didn't seem possible to so faithfully stay in unison with Squire's Rickenbacker line, but we're talking about Wakeman, y'all. Had chalked it up to a distortion pedal originally, but gonna go with Rick doubling for the win.
Chris did use a set of organ pedals to extend the range of the bass, I think.
@@funqsta It sounds like there may be a synth double, which I had never heard until now. I'm pretty sure he's also running his bridge pickup through a fuzz pedal for that section, though.
Doug, the expression on your face when the church organ comes in, is priceless. I was waiting for that!!!
It is hard to put into words what this kind of stuff did to our minds back when affordable high-fidelity stereo equipment had only just become available. Also at a time when Motown, The Bay City Rollers, and the likes of Frank Sinatra were still dominating the popular carts and radio stations.
It was like entering a different world and then having to come back to the dismal UK with 3 day weeks, endemic strikes, a couple of older generations, and an economy still shot to hell by the effects of WWII. Add to this kind of mind-altering music, accompanied by a maturing drugs culture and a whole load of young women with half-used cards or contraceptive pills in their cheap handbags, and just about anything and everything seemed to be possible, and often enough was. What a time to be especially a young geezer? We really had no idea quite how good we had it.
that is THE Bass. Chris Squire was the bass player, unfortunately no longer with us. He was a true pioneer. Rickenbacker player, thats why the tonality is bombastic :)
He also rewired his Rickenbacker with stereo outputs from the pickups, then ran one output to a bass amplifier and the other to a treble amplifier for a unique sound.
Another part of his unique sound was one of his favored playing techniques. He often played with a stiff pick held between the thumb and forefinger and would strike the string with the pick with the thumb striking the string just after.
Rickosound was a Rickenbacker invention. Two outputs one in stereo were the pick up signals are separated and can be fed to separate amps. The other is standard and works like a normal out put.
Chris Squire is the Godfather of all prog rock bass players. His influence can be heard in almost all modern prog rock. I’ll name Jonas Reingold (mashed his surname there) of the Flowerkings as someone who has taken Squires “reachings” and really run with them. A very musically gifted bass player. Very sadly missed.
Rickenbacker sold a LOT of basses because of that sound lol. Squire and Wakeman are gods of their respective instruments within the genre.
Yup, that's THE one that all of today's bassists are inspired by in some way or form
@@VegasSongwriter don' t tell me....I bought 4 ricks (the 4001 Chris Squire Limied edition included) Squire's fault
t
Warms my heart to see a professionally trained classical musician practically peeing his pants over “I Get Up I Get Down”.
no pants were harmed in the making of this video...
It's all about the balance, the scale between upbeat and depression, during the process of creating a composition of original art and if you've ever created a piece of art you'll understand both the frustration and elation of the process
To think this guy hears everything in the key of....
I think it’s great!
@@Doug.Helvering I really enjoy your classically trained ear analysing and appreciating rock musicians work.. Yes really were a class apart musically.. Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman and Chris Squier ( RIP) possibly the best ever
It was a joy to watch this video. Seeing someone so excited about it (especially the church organ part) made my day! I’m blown away every time I listen to it. A bit of trivia about Yes: They’ve been around so long that by the time the band disbanded, none of the original members were left. In fact, there was a bit of a row over the name when the original 4 members wanted to release an album in the 80s under the name Yes. They got shot down by the current Yes members and eventually released an album titled “Anderson Buford Wakeman and Howe.”
this song is arguably top number 1 on the list of the songs that I can still keep on listening after listening to it thousands of times over the past 30 years even though I memorized every millisecond of this song
This is the 5th time I’ve taken this journey with you. What I want to know is….how after hearing this song cycle over 1000 times in 50 years….how is it still so emotional?
I just love how he keeps coming back to the genius that was Chris Squire.
Ain't it so, Sean.
Absolutely! Somehow, Squire drives this song. He tended to do that a lot.
@@davidhughes4448 I was lucky to see one of his last shows near the end of the 2014 tour. Yes played both Fragile and Close to the Edge in their entirety. Damn that was a good show.
I made the same comment while I was still watching. The lines, the performance, and the sound he got were all perfect.
@@JoeHamelin Excellent, Joe! I lost track of how many time I saw them after a dozen shows. I just missed their Fragile tour here in the US, but was totally on board from Close To The Edge onward.
"I think I've heard snippets of Close to the Edge before at parties"
A phrase that never has been uttered before. ;)
I have, the music, not the phrase.
Nice.
You have not been going to the right parties..
😂🤣
@@paznewis107 Took the words right out of my mouth. Yes, Rush, Genesis, Crimson, Kansas, and so on were always played at the parties I went to.
"Listen to that Bass!" Chris Squire (RIP) was an amazing bass player. I think the part you are referring to he uses his fretless bass to slide up and down those notes. He also would use a Moog bass pedal setup to get those long-sustained bass tones.
Another instance of Yes being so ahead of their time musically and technologically.
Have to add to all of these great comments. Have been a fan of Yes since 1969. When Close to the Edge came out on 1972 me and my college roommates would listen to the whole album. We saw Yes live in 1972. And Doug you might like this. There is another song on the album Siberian Khatru. They opened the 1972 concert with this song. The auditorium was pitch black. Quietly over the sound system Stravinsky's Finale to the Firebird built up to a loud level. The band had snuck on to the stage and when the last notes of the Firebird were finishing they hit the first notes of Siberian Khatru. We thought we were going to have a heard attack it was so cool. BTW I write this at 71 years of age. Still brings tears.
Thanks, Bill.
Oh man oh man I remember those days when rock concerts had classical music before the concert
That tour was my first concert.
Blew me away.
They encoded with Yiurs is no disgrace when I saw them.
Saw Kansas in Philly in 83, with a similar surprise opening, though I'm not entirely sure how they pulled it off. The show started with an empty stage, 4 stools front and center. An apparent string quartet, in formal clothing, walks out and sits. They begin to tune up, like we were about to see a string recital or something.
Then the stage exploded in light and fog, as we were blinking from the sudden flashes of light and trying to peer through all the smoke/fog, we could hear the opening guitar notes to a Kansas song (don't recall what song). As the smoke cleared and we could see the stage again, the "string quartet" were gone, and Kansas was on stage, jamming.
One of the most memorable show openings of my (65 year) life.
@@brolinofvandar very cool. Kansas actually fronted for Yes in about 1996. What a concert. Cheers.
At the beginning of the song you asked "What are these guys on?" and I'm sure you now realize the answer is "Another Level Altogether"
Right another level...the beta level of consciousness.
I like some of the music other pro bands (Focus) but they didn't have alter states of consciousness, the Beta Sciences. And hypnosis.
I had a friend who knew a friend who claims Jon Anderson always contacted him when he came to Los Angles for pot.
100%. For me, it's Beatles, Yes, and The Stones. There's a lot I love, but those are my top three. Well, top four if I include my band..!
And shrooms. Lots of shrooms. They talk a little about it in interviews.
@@poststructuralisthero9290 We played a gig at Golden Gate Park opening for Kantner Balin Cassady & Santana. I had some acid and thought "I'll take this right before we go on, and by the time we're done I'll be ready for a nice trippy walk home across the city and whatever else happens...". I took the hit, and was almost immediately informed that our set time had been pushed back 45 mins. It was a very interesting set for me!
At about 12 minutes into the song, Rick Wakeman, recorded on the pipe organ of London's St Giles-without-Cripplegate church, begins the main theme of this segment, which changes from a major to a minor key as the music progresses. Jon Anderson explained:
We have the 'I get up, I get down' part before it goes into a beautiful ocean of energy. You've gone through nearly 10 minutes of music that's very well put-together, but then you want to let go of it. You relax a little bit.
The song came about because Steve was playing these chords one day, and I started singing, 'Two million people barely satisfy.' It's about the incredible imbalance of the human experience on the planet.
The vocals came together nicely. I'm a big fan of the Beach Boys and the Association - such great voices. Steve and I were working on this, and at one point he said, 'I have this other song ...' And I said, 'Well, start singing it.' And he went [sings], 'In her white lace, you could clearly see the lady sadly looking / saying that she'd take the blame for the crucifixion of her own domain ...'
When I heard that, I said, 'Wait. That's going to be perfect! You start singing that with Chris, and then I'll sing my part.' We have an answer-back thing.[3] - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_to_the_Edge_(song)
It’s a pity you will never have the opportunity of seeing this piece live.
It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and I knew I had witnessed something extraordinary.
Great stuff.
Chris Squire one of the greatest bassists that ever lived rest in peace
100%
And the lovely harmonies here. CHRIS being an ex chorister and pupil of Haberdashers
Absolutely. Also the one with the best-sounding bass guitar ever.
Yes greatest bassist listen to their earlier albums like fragile
Long distance runaround from The Fragile album
I've listened to Close to the Edge hundreds if not more than a thousand times. What I've come away with after nearly 50 years is that the Fish IS the driving force in this piece. Brilliant bass, brilliant musician. RIP, Chris Squire.
You can't mistake the sound of a Rickenbacker 4001 bass guitar, nor the way Chris plays it, through distortion and all!
@@jawoody9745 Indeed!
Must fully agree
Chris Squire's solo album "Fish Out of Water," holds up so well over the years. It's been way neglected.
@@drdalewisely I love Fish Out Of Water. Wore out the vinyl copy. Bought it on cd. That got ruined and had to buy a digital copy. Still have the vinyl, but it’s pretty scratchy.
There is so much going on in this piece that you have to listen to it several times -- one time just focus on the bass, one time just focus on the drums, one time just focus on the keys, one time just focus on the guitar... and of course the vocals
I've been listening to this for decades and there is always something new to find 💚💚💚
I think this is what makes this song in particular so great..you really can just focus on those things you mentioned and you can have several songs to listen to..every one of the members each contributes a whole bunch and nothing is left in the background..tremendous song throughout 👍
I've listened to yes for 52 years and never once on have I connected the vocal layering with the Beach Boys. But they did take a page out of Brian Wilson's arranging genius on that. Brilliant insight! It gave me a whole new appreciation for Yes. Thanks!
Jon Anderson has often spoke of his love of Beach Boys harmonies.
Many years ago I worked at Cherokee Studios in L.A. One day I walked into the tape vault and noticed a 2" tape box simply marked "Close to the Edge - Master". Well, I knew that was impossible so I put it up on one of the Otaris in Studio 2 and hit rewind. As I watched I heard about 15 splices go by... my heart sank when I realized that It really was the master and I just threw it up casually. I hit play and ascertained that it was a 16 track tape. I sat there for over 3 hours listening in awe to the individual tracks. The drums were 4 tracks, snare, kick and left and right drums. The bass was SLAMMED level wise, which is one reason for that incredible sound.and the vocal harmonies were "wide" individually but beautifully thick when played together. Autotune would have ruined them. This was a day I will never forget.
Amazing. You should have made a copy of that tape for yourself...:-)
That must've been pretty incredible to hear. There are some clips on RUclips of outtakes from the Close to the Edge sessions. Mostly mixed-down stems or versions without effects or doubled vocals. Just makes it even more amazing to think how Yes and Eddie Offord spliced all these sections together so seamlessly. ruclips.net/video/YooRaHbLpnw/видео.html
sssoooo... You found the Dead Sea Scrolls AND The Ark Of The Covenant.... In Los Angeles....
Thanks for the recollection. Being a musician from 6 years old, hearing Yes at 15, co-founded a progrock band at 19, Close the Edge at 61 yrs old is still a touchstone for me. It reconnects me to "the muse" of music 🎶 where there are no limitations. To play what one feels, without the fear of others preconcieved expectations.
An amazing rush it must have been.
Wow
I've been listening to this song for nearly 50 years and it still brings a tear to my eye.
The studio version and the one on Yessongs are just too much. Same with And You & I. Such Beauty. Grew up in the 70s. Yes is deeply ingrained in my physical and spiritual being. love and "light"
I’ve heard it once now..here, moments ago, carved up by ads and breaks.Sounds a bit crazy and chaotic at first listen but worth trying again without all the stops and starts.
@@tubamajuba this and songs like Starless by King Crimson are trascendental pieces of music. Just take your time and they will reveal themselves to you, and maybe even stay with you for life. Good listening, my friend!
Amen. For any lover of music or art in general. This is stirring stuff.
Two million people barely satisfy
Two hundred women watch one woman cry, too late
The eyes of honesty can achieve
How many millions do we deceive each day?
probably some of the greatest lyrics penned...
This song is the pinnacle of progressive rock! The musicianship is amazing. Even the vocals and Harmonies are excellent!
Loved this video. His reaction about 1:30 in…”What the hell is that?!?” absolutely cracked me up. It was the same reaction I had the first time I heard this amazing, hauntingly beautiful work. He pulls some great concepts out of the lyrics and musical themes I found to be exceptional. I bought Close To The Edge about 6 months after immersing myself in Fragile, the album that introduced me to Yes, my favorite band of all time. Fragile was accessible. CTTE took it to a whole different level. And you and I is in my mind, the most prefect and emotional pieces of music I’ve ever heard.
If you learn that Anderson's favourite composer was Stravinsky, this makes more sense :)
Robert Fripp also mentions stravinsky and bartok as main influences on his musical style
I thought it was Sebelius. That's one he mentions a lot anyway.
Yeah was just gonna mention Zapp my self.
Wow- I never knew that they were influenced by modern classical composers (Is that a contradiction in terms?)
@@TheAmazingSpaghetti he and Howe loved them both.
The insanest thing about this song is that it was recorded by 5 guys that were 21-22 years old at the time
Recording CttE in 1972 they were:
JA 28
SH 25
CS 24
RW 23
BB 23
And how old when they did Owner of a lonely heart?
4:00 “what the hell is that?” That’s Steve howe being a genius as usual.
@@veryfriendlyok
I really REALLY dislike that album
Eddie Offord had a lot to do with this Album/song
I saw Yes live three times. The first was in 1977 at the Boston Garden. When they played Close To The Edge, and came to the quiet part in the middle, they projected hundreds of low intensity lasers into the audience which all slowly rotated. As it passed through the audience, the lasers touched our outstretched hands and it appeared as splashes of light as they touched each of us. As for the composition, it has been forever a touchstone for me and still, I can’t listen without my eyes watering. It is eminence. Encompassing. It is a journey Yes brings us on - as all their songs are from that era. I’m very very happy to see you react so positively in the light of this composition- this journey that I took decades ago. Your discovery and delight were as ours so long ago.
My mom showed this to me when I was 12 years old. Summer 2005 riding with my family in the suv onto Chapin beach at low tide with this song in my headphones was a complete awakening for me. I'm going on 30 now and this song has remained a guiding light ever since. Thanks mom 🙏 also beautiful video, thanks Doug.
All I can say is that Chris Squires
Bass playing is from somewhere
special... No one quite like him.
I can't hear this song anymore without singing, "That's a Major 9th . . .third . . .fa . . .mi . . ." and then throw my arms up in triumph @19:15. Best reaction to anything anywhere.
And the reaction AFTER...
Hahaha and the one I timestampsd at the top of this thread it's so good!
LOL. That's hilarious. I think I'll join you.
@@AlobytesOgniddove Exactly! When that pipe organ kicks in Doug is fully (and unexpectedly) mesmerized.
OMG. Best comment ever. Loving his field goal reaction to Anderson's last note, and THEN his hysterical reaction to Wakeman's church organ. Slams him back in his chair. Funny.
Lord Doug I absolutely love your expressions! It would be difficult for me to let this take me where you are letting it take you the fist time I heard it. Listen to the entire masterpiece 5 or 6 times then move on to tales that will really get ya going no drugs needed. Yes , CTTE ,relayer and tales got me through my teen years and as a grandmother I still listen all the time , I know every word, yes will always be my favorite go to music. I was having a difficult day and of course reached to hear some yes and saw your video had to see your response and it is absolutely priceless!made me smile! Thank you sir!!!
Happy Fiftieth Birthday to this album, released on this day September 13, 1972. 🎂
You should listen to "Awaken" by Yes. Another life changing experience.
I believe 100s of years from now , this will be still appreciated
All I know is 50 years later ,,,,still love it
F ‘ yea!!
There live work will be remembered forever period. "One of those"(all too many) "Musical acts i wish I had seen."
Pink Floyd being the other big miss.
But of course I had to make my own music back on the day, too sooooo...
@@doolittlegeorge I managed to see Floyd at the infamous Cleveland concert where their jet flew low and slow over the stadium to open it. People were so distracted by it no one noticed the band come on stage as the sound of the receding jet reverberated through the sound system. I never went to another concert after that. How could anybody beat that...
If it can be performed by mixed voice choirs it will be.
The pipe organ is breathtakingly beautiful. Once of my favorite parts of this song
It sounds like we're going into a Gregorian chant
Hey Doug, I have nowhere to leave a suggestion except here. Try King Crimson. Begin with “In The Court Of…” and “Epitaph”. Maybe “21st Century Schizoid Man”.
Next, “ASailor’s Tale”
The band changes completely except for guitarist Robert Fripp. I’d love to see you react to “Red”, “Larks Tongue In Aspic”, and “Fracture”.
I LOVE YES and saw them every chance I could. “Soon” brought me to tears… I think King Crimson is the next logical step.
I had to laugh when Doug said "I have the lyrics up here". I thought to myself, "That's not going to be much help to you, my friend!" :-) Jon wrote lyrics based on how the words sounded, as often as not - he always considered his voice to be an instrument. The lyrical content is sometimes poetic, and sometimes just away with the Fairies, and nonsensical. But no one else writes lyrics like him, and no one else sounds like him. Truly unique
Exactly!
I view most of Jon's lyrics as a collection of concepts and ideas...they're not *entirely* nonsensical.
I've always enjoyed lyrics that we're not linear.
The letters of YES are like a magic spell. They do not make sense to our logic but they have an immediate effect on the spirit of the listener.
Me too! When he said that I thought "Nooooo, don't go there!"
But Doug's take did seem very reasonable. I've never even stopped to think about it.
I keep seeing Siddhartha on people's 'best book ever' lists. If it's that special a book you have to have quite a nerve to think you can write a piece of music worthy of it.
Well they certainly nailed it!!!!
19:18 alright, hands up who else had the biggest smile on their face, too?
Every time.
Anticipation almost did me in……..
Absolutely!!
:D
The church organ part is a pure nirvana!
THIS IS YES!!! Brilliant composition by master musicians! Modern classics!
You are spot on, the message was indeed looking within to reveal yourself. I can't express to you how much this album mattered to me as a teen in high school when it came out. This remains a particularly sentimental and important album of music in my life. It connects me directly to personal moments and experiences. That's the real bass sound BTW. I've seen this live. You get this piece, but I assure you, listening to it in an altered state of mind is even better, and NOT Beach Boys, but Yes was all about harmonizing voices. I still sing along with this piece.
When music was at it’s peak 1965 -1975. Bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, ELP, King Crimson, etc pushing the boundaries
There's still grand stuff out there - just not coming from any major labels. Check out Neal Morse's "Similitude of a Dream"... then keep going.
Odd then that I, a boomer from that era, have left it behind. Check out the Cocteau Twins and Sigur Ros, for a start. They've truly gone beyond my boomer music.
1965-1975 has always been my decade as well. The era of classic rock.
May I interest you in some Captain Beyond or Cactus?
@@TheRKae will do that thanks
For the short magical heyday of Prog Rock in the 70's, we got music that took you places and prodded you to wonder, instead of music telling you where you are and rubbing it in.
Yep, like a lot of prog this song seems to be all over the map, but the band are masters at tying it all together.
Prog is still going on it’s just underground hard to find but masterpieces are released every year
@@jackhanson3333 give me examples please
@@jackhanson3333 Any suggestions?
@@jackhanson3333 Probably the greatest prog release of the '80s was Marilion's "Misplaced Childhood," an album-length exploration of lost innocence and nostalgia. Marilion were products of what was then dubbed the neo-prog scene, but I prefer to think of it as second wave prog. King Crimson, reconstituted with guitarist/vocalist Adrian Belew and bassist/Chapman stick player Tony Levin joining percussionist Bill Bruford and The Crimson King Himself Robert Fripp, made three of the band's most expansive and adventurous albums during the '80s: "Discipline," "Beat," and "Three of a Perfect Pair." The '80s was also when we started getting the first inklings of progressive metal, with Queensrÿche's release "Operation: Mindcrime" being a standout early work.
Going into the '90s you start to see the real beginnings of the prog renaissance, both with bands from the '80s prog revival hitting their stride (of note are "Ever" and "Subterranea" by IQ) and the rise of the superstar prog bands of the '90s, with groups like Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree dropping landmark albums like "Images and Words" and "The Sky Moves Sideways." NGL this area is a bit hazy because I'm a real child of the '00s.
The new millennium is when prog really started becoming a hit commodity again. Prog started filtering to the indie scene, with groups like The Decembrists wearing their Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant influences on their sleeves: their early EP "The Tain," consisting of one 20 minute track based on the Irish epic poem the Táin bó Cúailnge, and their 2009 rock opera "The Hazards of Love" are of particular note. Pop mega-producer Gem Godfrey launched a prog side project called Frost, and their debut album "Milliontown" was an absolute bolt from the blue, with their follow-up "Experiments in Mass Appeal" being a worthy successor. The group Big Big Train, which pardon the pun had been chugging along in the background since the '90s, had their big break with 2009's "The Underfall Yard," followed that with the bangers that were "English Electric Parts 1&2" and the "Far Skies Deep Time" EP, and just haven't let up since. Plenty of the bands that got big in the 90s like Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, The Flower Kings, and IQ are still going strong, and more importantly the prog ethos has seeped into more genres of music than ever before. One of my favorite prog-in-spirit bands is the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, who's release "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" is an album-length paean to the biological sciences with a 24 minute closing track based on Richard Dawkins' book "The Greatest Show On Earth."
Anyway hopefully this gives you a starting point. Prog will never die.
Being an ardent ELP fan and always marveling at Emerson’s keyboard works I must say that Rick Wakeman’s solo at the 22:30 mark is about as good as it gets. Wakeman added so much when he joined this band..
This album is in a class by itself, an absolute masterpiece of sound and imagery all from 1972 and pre Watergate. Incredible talent from all sides…very “edgy”. Thanks for the ride.
This album is a vulgar display of talent and creativity and vision :)
Absolutely!What's not to love?
ikr it's like they know how good they are
How rude
Imagine Rush in their moms' garages listening to this and trying to play like Yes & Pink Floyd. And if you liked Squire's bass on this, listen to an earlier Yes song, 'Starship Trooper.'
Starship Trooper has always been a favorite of mine. Though I like Bill Bruford's drumming on the studio version, I prefer the live versions with the Wakeman Howe duets during Wurm. Well, really more like dueling solos than duets, but you get what I mean. :^)
Chris Squire was a big influence on Geddy Lee so it's highly likely it happened the way you described.
@@MrBruinman86 Correct. From what I recall, Squire was the main reason Geddy uses a Rickenbacker bass for nearly everything. And of course, Geddy filling in for the deceased Chris Squire at Yes' Hall of Fame induction was probably a bittersweet dream for him.
Not sure how much Floyd Rush were playing in their formative years. Genesis for sure. The LLDOB concert at Massey Hall was a watershed evening for them as Neil Peart told us.
Rush wasn’t influenced by PF. Only Yes 👍
I love that you noticed the Beach Boys elements in the vocals. I mentioned this to a few Yes fans back in 70s, they all thought I was crazy.
One of the great things about 70s and 80s music was the complexity of the music. YES, Rush, Triumvirate, Genesis and so many others
I was in my early teens in the early 70’s. And this happened. Ruined me for “normal” music forever. Grateful. 😁👍
me too
@@martinreed5964 me three
@@barrycowen627 me four
Me five.
At sixth
Chris Squire was one of the most innovative bassist in rock, prog rock or just great music. His killer sound was procured with immaculate technique and a modified Rickenbacker and a plectrum. He was also a fine vocalist, top of his class..all in all he was one of the greatest ….ever. Glad you like him too.
OH THAT RICKENBACKER TWANG BEST SERVED LIVE
RIP Chris. I first saw Yes at Winterland in 1972. Since then I've seen them at venues all around Northern California. But most recently on Cruise to the Edge in 2014. Ahhh
Seasons will pass you by...and this song will still be eternal!
Jon Anderson's lyrics might be an aquired taste, but I loved them once I thought of his words as akin to impressionist art.
When I first heard this song back in the 70's. I knew I was going to still be listening to it when I was 64, and beyond.
The same happened to me when the album was released. I was 10 years old. I am already 57 and keep listening to this masterpiece.
As Sir Paul says, Will you still love me when I'm 64, answer: Yes! We Do!
so before and beyond haha
I was 16 when it came out…I am still listening.
Yes was very complex. I'm a classically trained vocalist. Opera (coloratura), also played piano, violin, cello. But Yes has always been one of my favorites. They made transitions of scales, tone, keys, etc, that was damned sophisticated. They were the Mozarts of this age. They are really underappreciated. Thanks for doing this video.
"Okay, we're not in Church anymore." brought tears to my eyes. I appreciate your 'Listening' to a song and a band I have revered since the 1970s.
this is easy to react to. Close eyes - Listen - no talking - say out loud at the end - my musical experience is now complete. I bought this album when it came out and its taken me since then to really start to understand it . Its majestic. And had the pleasure of hearing it live which is even more remarkable.
Yes, Pink Floyd, Genesis, ELP have the ability to move me to tears, pop music doesn’t do that, there is something special here. 1970s prog rock will live on as Mozart and Beethoven do.
Right you are, Steve. My eyes often "sweat," too, when listening to great music such as this. And don't forget the superb Annie Haslam and Renaissance.
some pop can
@@edwarddore7617 Yeah, I cry if I hear, among other genres of "music" (a term used very loosely here), "harder-edged" teenybopper crap such as say, that spewed by AeroSHIT, Piss (aka Kiss), Motley Crue, Def Leppard, etc., etc., because it's so damned ridiculous and damaging to one's ears. LMAO!
@@edwarddore7617 yeah, agree. ABBA!!
Gentle giant...saw them open for Wakeman center of the earth tour in Cincinnati, they were very good too
“Close to the Edge” by Yes is one of the most brilliant songs I have ever heard.
Best Yes song in my opinión.
Doug, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this!🍀 Indeed, we ARE going to make it! With my beloved mom about to turn 97, being THAT close to the edge, and all the seasons that SHE has passed by, today, this song took on a completely new meaning and opened unexpected doors of hope, renewed joy, and the assurance that LIFE GOES ON AND ON and there IS no death. What appears to be an end is actually the doorway into a beautiful new regenerative beginning. I LOVE YOU, MOM!💜
I discovered Yes after 90125 came out. Loved it and saw them in concert, recognized several of their songs and bought all of their albums and lost myself in them. This was all in my senior year in high school and into my first year in college. Doug, you spelled out for me, for the first time, some things about these lyrics that explain why this song hit me so hard at the time. I see you got emotional at the end of the song. I’m glad I’m not the only one! I’m ready to dive head first back into the Yes discography again for the first time in nearly 40 years.
One more thing to realize about this music, Doug. These guys were in their mid-twenties when they wrote and played this. Musical genius.
We Yes fans have all come to terms with the fact that the lyrics usually only made sense in Jon’s head.
Please check out “Awaken” next.
And only in the "enhanced" moment he wrote them. ;-)
They didnt even make sense to him many times. It was fancy poetic gibberish so the lyric sound and rhythm fit the song.
Agreed with Awaken next! It is one of my favorite Yes songs of all time.
Please don't make assumptions about "all" Yes fans.
Your lyrical density might still evolve.
When my son set up his recording studio, he said I could pick a song to test out the system. I chose "Awaken." The funniest thing was that he kept thinking the song was over. I kept laughing and saying, "Hon, it's prog rock. It's not over."
" A Nature track, I like it"
Me: Uuuh, he´s about to go for a RIDE.
😆
Lol. Yep.
I had to keep an eye on Doug just to enjoy the reactions .
I really enjoy your interaction and analysis of these musical compositions - it made me realize the brilliance that is Yes once again, with the music taking its place in telling the story. Thanks. :)
This my favorite Yes song, it warms my heart to see it getting attention!
Thanks doug!
The odd thing is, they do this even better live on "Yessongs". If you thought it wasn't humanly possible to do this live, they do it and make it even better.
nah, to bombastic, even though white is a great drummer. This lost to much with his cave man approach. Here is my version soundcloud.com/morbidman/close-to-the-edge-yes-cover
They have done this live multiple times. Amazing experience seeing them live even now. You see these old guys and think they can't pull off some crazy songs and they will prove you wrong!
I was blown away the first time I heard it live all I could do was sit there in disbelief, it truly touched me.
"YESSONGS" was my introduction to YES in 1974, other than "Roundabout" being on the radio; the AM version.
"YESSONGS" changed my life. I became a guitar player b/c of Steve, who, IMHO, is the most versatile guitarist in rock. Don't take my word for it, Watch "Steve Howe and Les Paul from the Iridium Club" here on RUclips. Steve can play all that chord-melody and chicken-pickin' right there with Lester...a phenomenal display of guitar mastery.
totally agree.
“A brilliant piece of music”. I couldn’t say it any better. I’ve been listening to Close to the Edge since 1972, and love it every time.
Saw this tour, had never witnessed anything like this before or after
Never gets old
Me too
Yup, This was the first album I ever bought, I was 14 my best friend bought Dark side of the moon. We'd smoke a j then go to his house when his parents went out at night. His marine Corp dad had just returned from overseas with a 135 watt Sansui receiver ,4 huge Sansui speakers. I've had a blessed life.
Right on! I know what you mean! I saw Yes a couple of times. The first time I saw them was also the first time I saw a laser show! It was mind blowing! I remember I was extremely hot because I was down on the floor, in front of the band. So it was packed. But at one point it went all dark and silent. Then a single green light pierced the darkness. Everyone was like, WOW! Then a cool breeze blew all the hot sweat from my skin, because they were making fog with dried ice. Then each successive light beam split, over and over, It was glorious!
I'm glad you enjoyed this so much. One of my favorite songs in general by one of my favorite bands. I was lucky to see them live just before we lost Mr. Squire in my early 20's. It's great seeing a professional experience such amazing music for the first time. You were really informative and insightful about the guts of everything too, which is great. I'm looking forward to watching more, especially the Yes and Dream Theater videos. I want to suggest some more you may love and hopefully haven't really heard from Kansas' self-titled album, but I'll look in to some top picks first and comment on another video a few of their songs. Along with Yes and Dream Theater, Kansas is probably my top 3. There's just something about progressive bands from that era; and Kansas is one of those bands that had a few hits but the rest of their works are arguably much better and I never see them get any love.
Great review. It took me several listens of this album back in the 70s to decide if I liked it or not. After I listening enough I realized that this was a work of art. Jon Anderson's angel-like vocals, Chris Squire and his bassy/trebly Rickenbacker, Steve Howe's otherworldly guitars, Rick Wakeman's impeccable keys, and of course Bill Bruford's inventive percussion with his beautiful, bonky snare drum. I have to say that I never thought of the beach boys while listening to this, but hearing it today with your analysis brought that to light for me. Thank you!
If you think Close to the Edge is intense, try on “Gates of Delirium” for size off of “Relayer”. It might be my all-time favorite arrangement from Yes.
Yes! definitely!!!
Hard guitar part too but astonishing song.
Yeah I agree. The edge was nice but delirium was reeeeally nice. I think on relayer they pushed just a bit harder to show that we did it before Rick and we can still do it without him.
‘Gates Of Delirium’ on Relayer certainly.
But flip Close to The Edge and hear
‘Siberian Katru’ Awesome!
Gates is a true masterpiece, but I would have really liked to see it composed with Wakeman's influence. I suspect better, but the ending will always bring me to tears. Some of the most beautiful music on the planet.
Can you imagine ANY record company releasing a masterpiece like this today. Of course the audiences don't have the attention span to get through it, which is a shame.
No one sits and listens to a whole album, over and over, to absorb it. Anyone under about 40 or so is just not used to it, like reading and absorbing lengthy books.
@Shaquille Oatmeal Do yourself a favor - jump back a few decades. The modern classics started in the early 60's (mostly pop/short songs) and slowly, but surely, transformed into amazing works of art. Keep listening, don't give up! Recommend: More Yes, ELP, Moody Blues, all Motown and funk...OK, that's enough. When you need more, call me back!! ;-)
I'll be dropping my second album this year and it's going to open with an almost 26 minutes long song :) It's a sequel to an almost 15 minutes long closing track from my debut, if you're interested, check it out - Iako Bei - Pursuits in 1ife :)
I love that he hears "pet sounds" from the beach boys in parts of this. I think that's 1 of the things that makes this song so brilliant... It pulls from multiple genres: jazz, orchestral music, victorian music (the organ mimicking a harpsichord through parts of it), to late 60s pop music to it's contemporaries. It's a masterpiece!
The music is transcendent. I think it would frighten people today.
I really enjoyed experiencing this with you...CTTE is one of my all time favorites and one of the most influential pieces of music for me personally ❤️
I am so enjoying listening,learning, and watching your reactions. Such joy as I LOVE THIS COMPOSITION. GLAD YOUR HERE TO EXPLAIN!!!!!
I can attest to the fact that they were capable of recreating this live. I saw them do it.
I can second this. I have seen Yes perform this song many times live. It always astounded me how this Yes lineup, with Alan White on drums later, could sound as good live as they sounded on the studio albums. Chris Squire is the best rock bassist. RIP Chris
AS did I
Agreed. I've seen them so many times!
Agreed. My first approach to this song WAS the live version on the tripple vinyl yessongs live album as a teenager in the late 1980s. No need to say that it blew me right away. I was into early Genesis then. But this was beyond anything I've ever heard ... to this day.
They were the only band I saw that was better live.
The second song on this album, "And you and I" while not quite up the highs of Close to the Edge, is also a masterpiece.
It is the best and most beautiful love song..
BillyBruiser soooo romantic
While I loved the masterpiece of Close To The Edge, And You and I, never fails to bring me to tears every time I hear it!
And You and I is a definite masterpiece.
Every song on this whole album is a masterpiece. CTTE is one of the best progressive rock albums ever. Although it’s my second favorite Yes album (Relayer is my favorite), I still absolutely love it to death!
A couple of years ago I saw Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman in Birmingham, UK. At the age of over 70 he can still sing like that despite previous throat issues!
I loved everyone's stories of their encounters with Yes. I'm starting to think I have a bit of a unique story to share myself.
I'm the Gen-X child of two hippie parents. Dad was a big fan of Prog Rock (which he called Art Rock), and I grew up listening to all of this my whole entire life. Yes, ELP, Rush, Jethro Tull, Nektar, King Crimson, you name it. When I started elementary school in the early 1980s, I got my first introduction to '80s music on the bus and was... unimpressed. I mean, it wasn't art rock all day every day, but it was most of the days. I won't pretend I "got it" as a toddler, but I did *enjoy* it.
As a small child, mom and I would jam out and sing along to Tormato (and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis) on weekends when there was time to listen to the whole album. We had Thick as a Brick on the reel-to-reel. Those days were everything, and they shaped my mind and my taste in music forever.
I eventually managed to come to terms with some of the popular music of the '80s (well into my thirties -- a decade or so ago), but there's really nothing like these epic pieces to me.
I think they're why I became a musician (flute), why I studied literature so closely (and poetry), and maybe even why I didn't struggle with difficult texts despite my dyslexia (I'm looking at you, Willie Shakes)... it's magic. It's all magic.