close to the edge is another stupendous progressive rock album and is amongst their best along with the yes album and 90125.get all these albums along with leftoverture from kansas and 2112 from rush.hugely recommended.SAY YES TO YES AND A NO TO JENNIFER LOPEZ.THANKS

If you already purchased the YES Original masters that were issued in the early 90's...the only thing you're gaining here are the bonus tracks...and you might want to talk to somebody who already scored these new remasters...to see if the liner notes are the same as the originals....as they tend to cut, add or mutilate the original package in an attempt to update.

I have every one of the original masters from the 90's and dont intend on parting with them...or investing in a complete new library...considering the sound on my existing cd's is excellent.

Greatest Yes album ever. Period. Just listen to this timeless jem and you'll see.

I always found the Yes crowd an interesting one. The main fanbase, as I've found it, seems to be teenagers and middle-aged men. The teenagers notice the roots of their other favorite bands, normally, such as Black Sabbath and Tool. The middle-aged men find an incredibly strong, uniqueness about Yes that gives it a nice, mellow change from the normal rock atmosphere. While there are bands that compare, which are similar to Yes (Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd to name a few), none of them have the ability to have a flowing album like Close to the Edge does.

Sure, Floyd has DSotM, and Tull has Thick as a Brick, and while both of them (especially Thick as a Brick) are more musically complex, none of them flow this well with an essential theme.

Yes has the wonderful capability of being able to take one or two phrases, and then running with them throughout the entire album. This can almost be considered a "concept" album based completely on the fact that the entire album is based along the words "Close to the Edge".

When you open up the artwork supplied with this album, you will first notice the interesting atmosphere the artist paints for you. (Notice, I am talking about the vinyl. CD listeners need not apply =p). It gives us a nice sample taste of the environment we are about to be submerged into through Yes' complex, beautiful music. We have a lush, refreshing view of a river, surrounded by woods and long cliffs. The listener, after viewing this, is prepared to listen to the album.

The opening nature sound effects work nicely into the build-up of instrumentals that are to come. They flow very well together, and all of the sudden we have a mix of wailing guitars from all different dimensions and angles (awesome if you have a nice stereo setup) with interesting twists and sounds to them. This is nice. The bass comes in with a great structured line for the rest of the band to build on, and the drummer pounds away on what can seem to be a very progressive rock beat. Fills are eminent and funk/chops are all there.

We then enter the lyrical stage of the songs, and I believe Anderson does a beautiful job doing the lead singing and writing the songs. The tempo slows down and we are treated to a nice rythm of guitar.

The vocals start, and they are poetically writen. The group singing is really great, and it syncs well with the keyboards and bass that is going in the same tune as them. The lyrics are symbolic, and then it has this great attitude to it. The drums become accurate and detailed, giving us awesome fillers during the instrumental-less sections of the chorus.

The group singing dies and it becomes just Anderson singing now, and his voice is just amazing. It's one of the best voices in rock, and it's a real treat to hear in Close to the Edge.

And this, along with many other great musically-ingenious additions to the album, make it a star. The album cannot be missed by ANY rock or music fan. This is one of the few albums that take away that stereotype of rock music being tallentless and trash, as most of it is now-a-days. And while you will find most of Rock's glory in the seventies and late sixties, Yes is one of the most powerful examples of this. It deserves a place in any album collection, especially in ones where the listener is a fan of musical complexity, with incredible lyrics and an excellent, foot-tapping attitude sure to delight any enjoyer of this fantastic music.

There's not much to say about this album that hasn't already been said, so I'll try to avoid redundancies. First and foremost, if you're new to Yes, I advise you to not start with this album. Instead, pick up the two-disc "The Ultimate Yes," which includes both "And You And I" and "Siberian Khatru" from this album as well as a fantastic assortment of Yes from all periods in the band's existence. Close to the Edge is a great work, no doubt, but TUY is one of those rare greatest-hits collections that serves as a great introduction for newbies.

Now, on to the album. The title track is much more accessible than most give it credit for. Of course it takes a long while to absorb, but it's organic and heartfelt, as well as being an incredible piece of hard rock music. And no, you don't have to be under any sort of chemical influence to enjoy it.

The first four minutes of the song, I suspect, is all some will listen to before giving up on "Close to the Edge." Steve Howe's guitar is all over the place, and they are four of the most disorganized, frenzied, complex minutes I have ever heard in a song (one that I liked, anyway), but they contrast well with the rest of the piece. The next section is instantly enjoyable- it has catchy melody (!) and memorable (if indecipherable) lyrics. Jon Anderson seems to become possessed and almost drifts into a, dare I say, "rap" during "Total Mass Retain." And of course, you can't forget Chris Squire on bass- this is one of his best performances, and if you have the volume too loud, you could bust a speaker.

When the subtle, gentle "I Get Up I Get Down" comes in, the song takes a soothing turn, until the final section, the explosive "Seasons of Man" brings it on home with a powerful keyboard solo from Rick Wakeman. The song ends where it began, with the sounds of nature. Wow.

Up next is "And You And I," possibly the most esoteric love song ever written. This is a difficult song to get into, I admit, but give it a few chances and it will win you over. Wakeman and Anderson in particular are fantastic here.

The lyrically nonsensical "Siberian Khatru," probably the only straight-ahead rocker on here, is one of my favorite Yes songs. It's fast paced and fun, and makes the perfect show opener for most Yes concerts. It certainly doesn't seem nine minutes long. Drummer Bill Bruford really makes an impression on me here (in his last Yes song for nineteen years).

Like I said, go with The Ultimate Yes if you're new to the band, then if you like what you hear, get this album, the first Yes masterpiece.