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94 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I get up I get down, I get remastered, September 7, 2003
I am a huge Yes fan and have been going to their concerts since the 70's and was lucky to see them do this tune a number of times. Close to the edge is one of Yes' best albums, not my favorite, but it has been a mainstay of progressive rock for more than 30 years. Any new fans of the genre should get this new rhino disc and discover progressive rock for what it truly is- thoughtful and intelligent compositions executed by some of the best musicians in rock. However, most of the prospective buyers for this disc are probably seasoned Yes fans who love "close to the edge", know everything about it, and already have this album in one form or another. Most classic rock albums have been out 3 or 4 times... just reissue it and say it's better than ever. As far as the artwork, notes and lyrics go, this is an excellent package- as close as you'll come to the Lp experience in the cd format. That leaves us with the bonus tracks and the sound quality. As mentioned in other reviews, the bonus tracks alone don't really add much of substance- the "And you and I" alternate is ok, Wakeman does some interesting things. The "Siberian" is just what it says, studio run through. As far as the previous versions of this on cd, the rhino is the 3rd time. There was the first version mastered by Barry Diament, a 2nd version done by Joe Gastwirt in the mid 90's and the rhino. I really like the YesYears box Gastwirt did in 1991 which in my opinion has the best sounding version of "Close to the Edge" I've heard on cd, and it also contains the best sounding material from "Fragile" and the "Yes Album" on cd. Yesyears has the best sounding version of the only real bonus track here, "America". To my ears it would be pretty hard for Rhino to outdo the older box set, and they did'nt. Gastwirt had the analog master tapes that were then around 20 years old, but probably still in decent shape, and he did a superb job. The sources for this project were either extremely old analog tapes or digital copies. Many of the tapes from the 70's have not survived well, some had to be "baked" and transfered to digital. Rhino did a very good job, but don't expect sonic miracles- despite their "remastered for better than ever sound" statement. The main difference between this "close to the edge" and the one on YesYears box is the Rhino disc is a bit brighter and very slightly more distorted than the YesYears version (there has since been a second box set, also by rhino). The rhino disc sounds kind of processed to me, like they wanted to make it sound more modern. To make an analogy, the rhino sounds digital, the yesyears more analog. Gastwirts Yesyears box is also more dynamic- Squire's bass and Bruford's drums have more impact. In terms of the spacious middle section, the vocal arrangement sounds more natural and lifelike on the Yesyears set. If you are considering this mainly for the Title tune and you have the Yesyears box, you might want to pass. Otherwise jump on the Rhino. Although now out of print the Yesyears box can be bought used. Try and listen to the 1991 box set if you can.
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Close to the edge, October 22, 2006
I don't think that enough good things can be said about this 1972 album, which many feel was (and is) the definitive Yes album. In fact, Bill Bruford also felt this way and left Yes after Close to the Edge to join the ranks of King Crimson. He was quoted as saying that the band would never top the perfection of Close to the Edge. As a huge Yes fan (they are my favorite prog act), I personally feel that this album is simply superb. Although subsequent albums would also feature greatness, Close to the Edge works incredibly well as a complete work that fuses album cover art, music, and lyrics together in one seamless totality.
The group members at this point include the classic lineup of Chris Squire (bass, vocals); Rick Wakeman (mellotron, moog, Hammond organ, piano); Steve Howe (electric, acoustic guitars); Bill Bruford (drums and percussion); and Jon Anderson (vocals). I should also note that Eddy Offord (as the producer) was also considered to be part of the band and in fact appears on the back cover as a "sixth" member. I think it goes without saying that all of the musicians in Yes were positively top shelf and were true virtuosos. The individual and group ensemble work on close to the Edge is breathtakingly complex and the arrangements are incredible - everything flows from one piece to the next seamlessly.
The magnum opus Close to the Edge (18:50) is a fantastic composition that more or less follows a sonata form. This is an incredible piece of music and an excellent structural analysis of Close to the Edge is provided by Edward Macan in his book Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture (1997). Squire's thunderous and lightning fast lines on his trebly Rickenbacker bass that can be heard in the introduction to Close to the Edge always thrill me - he is indeed a master. And you and I is somewhat shorter (10:09) and is a delicate and spacey piece with loads of acoustic textures and great mini-moog work from Rick. The closing track Siberian Khatru is very vigorous with searing guitar playing from Steve and provides a nice contrast with the softer track And You and I. Jon's high-pitched and ethereal voice soars above it all and imparts a very uplifting feel to the music.
A great deal has been written about what the lyrics to each of the songs on this album actually mean - if such a thing can be done. One interpretation states that the album focuses on the spiritual quest. In fact, the narrow and somewhat treacherous looking bridge leading to the idyllic "world" depicted on the inner gatefold has been suggested by others to reflect the great difficulty associated with reaching an elevated spiritual plane. Although I feel that the album can be interpreted a number of ways, I am a Biologist and not a philosopher and I am going to stop this discussion here before I overstep my bounds.
The remastering job by Rhino is stupendous and brings me back to the days when I used to listen to this album on vinyl as a teenager. Although I miss the "large" cover art and looking at that bridge and "wanting" to get to that other place while I listened to the music, this remastered effort is the next best thing. This package features loads of liner notes, reproduced cover art, lyrics, and a ton of color photos of the band. The sound quality is also excellent. As far as the bonus tracks go they are OK but do not add much to this masterpiece - I could have done without them in fact.
All in all, this album is regarded by many to be one of the finest moments in the recorded output of Yes and I do not disagree. Very highly recommended along with all of the albums from the Yes Album (1971) to Going for the One (1977).
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Yes's Fifth Studio Release Has Greatly Improved!, August 31, 2003
Remastered for the second time, Yes's 1972 masterpiece album "Close To The Edge" contains four bonus tracks "America" (Single Version), "Total Mass Retain" (Single Version), "And You And I" (Alternate Version), and "Siberia" (Studio Run-Through Of "Siberian Khatru"). The epic song "Close To The Edge" running at just under nineteen minutes, is a complicated weaving of instruments, notably Steve Howe's unique and superb guitar playing, Chris Squire's solid bass playing, and Rick Wakeman's fabulous keyboards. The song has alot of changes throughout and twists and turns and hint at what to expect from The Yes's next album "Tales Of Topographic Oceans". The lengthy "And You And I" is an acoustic and electric guitar based song and again like the song "Close To The Edge" has many change ups and highlights Wakeman's synthesizers & keyboards. "Siberian Khatru" is my personal favorite with excellent guitar work by Howe, unusual baroque sounding keyboards by Wakeman as well as excellent drumming on Bill Bruford's part. Of all The Yes albums it is "Close To The Edge" that (in my opinion)shows the group has greatly matured and has perfected the art of progressive rock. The sound quality of this cd is superior to the Joe Gaswirt remixes that were released in 1994 with increased bass, an increase in mid-range and the total output of the cd has been maximized. The attractive packaging (digipak) is first class and the enclosed booklet includes the lyrics to the songs, colorful photos and information on the making of the album and it's songs. If you enjoy listening to seventies progressive art rock then "Cloe To The Edge" is a must have in any collection. Highly Recommended!
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