@AirplayBeats reacts to YES - Close To The Edge Like comment and subscribe Join our Patreon for exclusive videos and to get your requests done faster: patreon.com/user?u=81569817
Whats the dif they’re both serving songs that are meant to be playing notes that are necessary no matter how many otherwise is a recipe for insincerity
Honestly I agree but prefer Floyd. Good thing we dont have to pick though. And yeah like someone else said, king crimson needs some respect put on their name. Best show ive ever been to.
As soon as I saw you guys doing this song, I thought, good lord, lambs to the slaughter, massive face melt, they will never be the same. You have just witnesses the 8th wonder of the world, the most massive prog rock ejaculate the world has ever experienced. You have five of the most accomplished, talented, brilliant musicians this world has ever experienced. Sublime, supreme, singular, perfection. Yes
During this period of Yes, truly all four musicians (bass, guitars, keys and drums) were not only at their peak, but they were amongst the best there was, or ever will be. Then you top it off with Jon Anderson's ethereal voice and free form lyrics and it was prog nirvana.
Amazing musicianship. They were in their 20’s at the time. I was really into them. I was about 15 when I was introduced to this album. I’m in my 60’s now. Still so good!
@zatoichi4449 But the consolation, at this age, is knowing that I did have a lot of time, more than many people. A pretty full life. For that I am grateful.
And when Yes played the tribute concert to Squire after he died they got Geddy Lee to fill in for him. He had a smile on his face a mile wide through the whole bit.
This was drummer Bill Bruford's last album with Yes. He indicated that one of the reasons for his departure was that each bandmember was such a perfectionist that they each kept insisting on doing "one more take" of this 18+ minute track so they could get their part just a little bit better. He was recruited by Robert Fripp to join King Crimson, where he remained for over 25 years.
Years later, 1989, he hot back with Anderson, Wakeman and Howe for awhile. Couple of the tracks Quartet and Order of the Universe both a little over 9 minutes or Brother of Mine at 10 minutes
Inspired in part by Jean Sibelius' Seventh Symphony and the unbridled, virtuosic music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, "Close To The Edge" is a rich and captivating work. the entire album is a masterpiece and a true journey!!!
@@davidmorgan6896 He has so many good things, Chick Corea Elektric band (Got A match jazz festival of Bern 86), Frank Zappa, Van Der Graff Generator ,Soft Machine Gong... and from nowadays, Snarky puppy..
@@lepetitoiseau love Snarky Puppy. If you like Corea, you cannot ignore Return to Forever; especially as they had Stanley Clarke and Al DiMeola on bass and guitar. Less famous, outside the UK, but always worth a listen were Brand X; with Phil Collins on drums. As you say, so much great, interesting, challenging music between 70 and 76 and then came punk.
Prog is a extremely high level of musicianship and a break from all traditional recording norms. FM radio is where these bands lived because of the length of the songs.
I always say listening to Yes is like opening a present to find another and then opening that to find another and so on! Thanks for this reaction! Great song, great reaction! Yes is another band I have loved for 50 years.
This is so complex that even though I love it I would have started you off with Roundabout, Starship Trooper, or And You And I, which is from the same album.The Bass player, on top of Mt. Rushmore, is Chris Squire.Jon Anderson is the most unique and wonderful lead singer with Chris backing him on vocals. Rick Wakeman is the out of this world keyboard/synthesize player. The drummer is Bill Bruford, who left to start his own journey after this album. The lead guitar player is the incredible Steve Howe! The album is considered one of the best progressive rock album ever made. This album led the way to the acceptance of a much wider audience going forward.Pink Floyd could never go to this level. YES one whole side of an album Only 2 other songs and on the other side of the original record, Siberian Khatru and And You And I. Progressive rock has many changes in the songs with its own special blend of sounds.
nothing wrong with doing this song now. these guys musical knowledge and appreciation of great talent and songwriting is more advanced than the average reactor.
Dropped down into the comments section to say something along the lines of what Joel is saying here, I wouldn’t likely start someone off with this song early on without easing them into other standards from the Yes catalog, as even their FM radio singles are challenging enough as it is. Yes, it’s a masterpiece, and I love this tune, but the complexity of this type of material is exactly what caused the prog rock movement to fall out of popular favor, and prompted the entire punk rock movement as a response.. that is a well documented fact. It’s a similar issue when it comes to various jazz artists, where people will often just turn off to jazz completely if you throw em in the deep end. I would only play something like Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” or “Blue Trane” than to blow their minds with the atonal soloing in “Expressions”, as it can be an overload for someone who isn’t accustomed to the genre in general. Having said THAT.. I also agree with Michael G in stating that the Airplay Beats guys have a more advanced understanding and appreciation of music than the average listener. In the past couple of years, I’ve become increasingly interested in react videos, and I have to say that that the Airplay Beats brothers are fully capable of grappling with such a challenging listen as this. Of the 15+ reaction channels I follow, it was when I stumbled upon this channel and was blown away by the fact they were tackling Steely Dan’s “Royal Scam” in it’s entirety. What made it all the better was learning they have a music production background, are both musicians (guitar and drums, likely other instruments as well), and a really great understanding of composition and the choices involved. So, as I can totally get where Joel might worry that this piece can scare people off from the many other great tunes by Yes, I think it should be obvious that, as Michael inferred, the Airplay Beats guys are good with it, evidenced by their patience and appreciation of the song. For my money, Airplay Beats is the #1 most interesting and reaction channels on TH-cam, surpassing all others in their simple and straightforward discovery of these great records, but also very much because of the absolutely top notch quality of selections they react to (including this one!). I’d venture to guess that whichever longtime viewers who are suggesting these selections have persuaded them to stick with some of the best stuff to be gleaned from the 70’s, and I’m hoping they’ll hover there and the 60’s for a good long while before jumping into the inevitable TOOL reacts that are gonna have a huge fan base flooding these comment sections urging them to nothing BUT endless TOOL reacts! 😂 Rock on, everyone! 😎👍
This album came a year after Echoes, but the prog rock bands we know and love were exploring new sounds and recording techniques around the same time. If I were comparing Floyd and Yes I would say that Yes’ music has a faster upbeat tempo with extremely lush layers-very chaotically free and beautiful. Pink Floyd had a much more calculated side to them with Roger’s darker thematic lyrics and David’s bluesy guitar riffs. Both bands are masters at their craft. I love them both like two different children.
You are right about the Floyd (particularly post-Barrett) being generally more deliberate than Yes. I wouldn't go as far as saying that Yes music is generally faster or more chaotic, though. What I'd say is that Floyd tended to rely on more traditional patterns and structures (shuffle beats, blues-influenced progressions) and mid-tempo rhythms that allowed for more contemplative music. The guys in Yes just loved to show off, even in songs like "Yesterday and Today", "Soon" and "And You And I". Besides Piper, which is an aberration, the best Floyd ( '73 to '79) started out as non-musical concepts that normally Roger Waters came up with. Things that make people angry (DSOTM), how to cope with personal loss (WYWH), structural arrangements in industrial society (Anmls) and alienation (TW). These themes, very concrete themselves, were packaged within musical elements that were highly palatable and melodic. Yes were so abstract with their concepts that I never bother trying to figure out what Anderson was singing about. Neither did the rest of the band (per Chris Squire). What they did do was start with a musical theme, usually developed by Howe or Anderson, and then provide spaces for individual expression from each member. This approach doesn't always result in good music. In fact, it often results in overindulgent, boring stuff like TFTO. But when it works, this everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink approach gives us Close to the Edge.
I love your reactions because you let the music speak for itself, and you aren’t trying to put on a fake show. You are authentic. You know music, but have the humility to ask questions. Best reaction videos, period. Yes is a journey… welcome aboard for a wild ride!😀
Man, oh man... I've been listening to this piece for almost 50 years, and sure... There are different interpretations of the meaning, and all of that. I still can't really explain it, but... All I know is, it must be listened to front-to-back, all in one listen. At first listen, I didn't get it. At all. Decades later, I rediscovered it, and, yeah... It's a masterpiece. When all the cacophony of the beginning, mixed with the "I get up, I get down" interlude, and all the busy-ness of everything else, it resolves to a glorious ending... And, it makes me tear up, every single time I listen to it. In that regard, it doesn't have to make sense to me, personally, but, it hits me HARD, every time. That's the ultimate power of music, I suppose: If it gets to you, however it does you get it. No need to explain how... It's magic, to me. Keep on keepin on guys... I wish I could listen to all of this stuff for the first time again... Instead, I'll just dig it again along with you 👍
Progressive rock is a combination of Rock and any other musical style, classic, jazz, folk, funk, R&B. Also: odd rhythm changes & odd melodic changes. It's like fusion. Yes were great musicians. BTW, your reaction to this was superb. Don't forget the other songs on the album. You will enjoy those as well.
the song to me describes the life cycle of the human being. peace at first , born into chaos, discovery and learning, enlightenment, then thrust into the chaos of adulthood, working like crazy, the ups and downs ,reaching your goals , then, once again , returned to peace...progressive rock pushes the boundries of accepted music styles and rhythms
Wow, this is as prog as it gets but in a masterful and enjoyable way. This is one of the best sides of music ever, the 2 songs on the other side need to be heard as well, this Album is magnificent! Enjoy. 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
Yes. No pun intended. I grew up on this music which eventually led me into relationship with God. I always felt that Yes music reached a beauty that made me believe there was a better place in the spiritual realm. Most so called "christian" music pales in comparison to the likes of CTTE and Awaken.
Yes is progressive as they break all the rules. It wasn’t about 3 minute songs built for radio. It was about musicianship. It’s not for everyone. I give you credit for listening to this. Favorite song.
Indeed. I'm not condoning this behavior, but back in college, when we felt it necessary for some mind expansion, this album + your hallucinogen of choice was the ticket.
Pink Floyd and Yes were concurrently making music at this time, both bands pushing boundaries of form and music... Chris Squire was one of the most innovative and creative bass players of all time... Progressive Rock was founded in the late 60's primarily in England where bands used different time signatures, taking elements of harmony and melody from classical and jazz in longer forms of music...
Yes is like peeling an onion, so many layers! Absolutely one of the biggest bands in the world in the early 70s! I saw this tour in Tuscaloosa AL with a then unknown band named The Eagles opening for them. Still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! What a heady musical time to be alive: Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, ELP, King Crimson, Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, and on and on! I fear we’ll never enjoy such a period again…
Ladies and gentlemen YES the greatest show on earth. Close To The Edge is one piece of music with four movements much like a symphonic piece of music. Prog basically is classical music played on modern instruments with all the influence of Mozart mixed with Chuck Barry and the Beach Boys. Nice reaction boys and Yes have 6 more symphonic masterpieces like Close To The Edge.
It's been a long time since I held a vinyl copy, but if I remember correctly, this was a whole album side. Pink Floyd and Yes were contemporaries. Yes is at a whole different level than Floyd. Neither better nor worse, just different. Both bands are brilliant. And this is one of those songs that I can listen to hundreds of times and still hear something new.
Progressive rock (prog rock) is a subgenre of rock music that combines rock's power with other genres like jazz, classical, and folk. It's characterized by complex compositions, experimentation, and musical virtuosity, and is intended for a sophisticated audience.
Oh, sorry guys, the actually had 2 of the all time great drummers. Bill Bruford and Alan White. Me personally I like Alan White better!!! The whole band is genius!!!!
Love the stuff guys. Progressive Rock i.e. Prog Rock is essentially about breaking barriers of musical styles to form a cohesive piece. It's main footing is often in classical and jazz but there are elements of anything else (metal, blues, country, soul, pop). The core of prog was influenced by Sgt Peppers (Beatles), Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) and Pet Sounds (Beach Boys) but that's just scratching the surface. And yes musicianship has to be of the highest caliber in terms of time signatures, solos and overall technique. Rush is a little later compared to the "founders of Prog" King Crimson, Moody Blues, Yes, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis, Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull. Later acts like Marillion, Big Big Train, Dream Theater and more.
"Yes" is 100% in the Prog Rock category. Not a lot of bands would be squarely in prog rock. YES always has been. Please finish the Fragile Album. It will give you a deep understanding of the band. Stay away from anything after the 80's till you do all the earlier stuff. Rock On...!
22:33 “I’ve never heard nothing like Yes…” That’s just such a beautiful statement. Whether it’s somebody’s cup of tea or not, there’s no denying that it is unique.
You have completed two thirds of the triumvirate of 70's progressive rock epics with Echoes and Close to the Edge. You need to complete it with Supper's Ready by Genesis!
I would be happy about SUPPER'S READY reaction because I didn't have the money to buy earlier albums back then. I bought DLp Second's Out with the live version and the brilliant DLp The Lamb - both of which I love to this day. Actually, Emerson, Lake and Palmer also played Prog Rock; not to forget King Crimson (Greg Lake was one of them before ELP), which I didn't really notice as a child. I think In The Court Of Crimson King 1969 is prog rock's first masterpiece?👍
New group for you, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970.[2][3] The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion). With nine RIAA-certified gold record albums in the US,[4] and an estimated 48 million records sold worldwide,[5] they are one of the most popular and commercially successful progressive rock groups of the 1970s,[6][7] with a musical sound including adaptations of classical music with jazz and symphonic rock elements, dominated by Emerson's flamboyant use of the Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, and piano (although Lake wrote several acoustic songs for the group).[8] Wikipedia. Pictures at an Exhibition is a live album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in November 1971 on Island Records. It features the group's rock adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition by classical music composer, Modest Mussorgsky, performed at Newcastle City Hall on 26 March 1971. The band's arrangement of the suite uses only four of the ten parts in Mussorgsky's suite, along with the linking "Promenade" sections. The suite was performed live as one continuous piece, with new, group-written sections linking Mussorgsky's original themes. Promenade: Organ solo and drum roll The Gnome: Group instrumental Promenade: Hammond organ and vocal, followed by a short synthesiser solo "The Sage": A new picture "drawn" by Lake in the mood of a medieval minnesang, works as sort of romantic prelude to "The Old Castle", followed by a synthesiser solo The Old Castle: An accelerated adaptation of the original theme "Blues Variation", a twelve-bar blues credited to the group, borrowing themes from The Old Castle and those that Emerson had previously performed with The Nice Promenade: Group instrumental The Hut of Baba Yaga: Group instrumental "The Curse of Baba Yaga" is a new title to the middle section of the original piece. The music is again an adaption of the original, the lyrics and vocal are credited to the group The Hut of Baba Yaga: Group instrumental, a reprise of "The Curse of Baba Yaga" The Great Gates of Kiev: Vocals and lyrics added by the group
There are certain "go to" Yes songs, but at some point in time listen to "Turn of the Century" and if you hone into both the music and the story being told you will surely come away as being "touched" in a most positive and enlightening way. It's a special song. It just is.
200 years from now , university students will be tasked to listen to Yes , Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel Genesis, Moody blues and will be writing doctorial thesis on them
That was indeed one whole side of an album. It was recorded on analog tape in 1972, before the days of auto tune, ProTools, and automated mixes. Progressive rock is a genre that moves beyond the pop song format by including influences from other musical styles, particularly classical music and jazz. Others in the prog-rock genre would be Kansas, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, early Genesis and Gentle Giant. It is such a gas for me to see you dudes checking this out and trying to process everything you have heard on this first listening. I've been listening to this record for fifty years and it never fails to amaze me. I've seen Yes live several times. The last time I saw them, they OPENED THEIR SHOW with Close to the Edge!!!
Je rajouterais le groupe canadien francophone Harmonium. La chanson "le premier ciel" version live enregistrée en 1977 est impressionnante. Le groupe français Ange mérite d'être aussi écouté. L'album "guet apen" de 1979 par exemple est excellent. Le " live records " de 1977 de Camel est un album également remarquable. Tout est sur TH-cam...
@@soldatwitt6400 I'm sorry to have to ask this, but I suffer from the American malady of being monolingual. If possible, could you please translate your message to me?
This song just keeps giving. Started listening to them in the 70s. If I had to choose one album to live on a desert island, it would be Close to the Edge.
K's Dadd here....When this music was created the popular counterculture was using cannabis and psychedelics. CTTE is a reflection of a psychedelic trip. It mimics the intensity and the energy and emotional ups and downs of the experience. During some of the vocal sections later on the song you will hear(and feel) a sound effect from left to right that mimics the rush up your spine from psychedelics. The lyrics reflect this as well. It was one side of the album and the other side had 2 numbers. Prog rock is a mix of classically trained musicians fueled by the drugs of the time and a desire to create and explore and stretch the accepted musical boundaries.
The musical mastery of YES members in their various formations has always been far above any other comparison. Other bands came close, like Rush, Gentle Giant and Genesis, but YES remains the beacon.
Think of this as a “Suite”, like Classical Music Suites, made up of several “movements” when played together give you “the whole.” Each movement is meant to convey a different theme, a part of the whole. Here are the 4 movements in “Close to The Edge” with time stamps. Listen again and pay attention to those time stamps. The Solid Time of Change 0:006:04 Total Mass Retain 6:042:23 I Get Up, I Get Down 8:275:45 Seasons of Man 14:124:31 . The first number indicates the start of the movement, the second number is duration. For instance: Total Mass Retain begins at 6:04 and lasts for the next 2:23 minutes, then I Get Up, I Get Down begins at 8:27 and so on.
Progressive rock is taking elements of rock, jazz and classical music and combining them in a fusion. There are almost always time signature changes. Best musicians around because they have to be skilled at so many different techniques.
Progressive rock means that there is a smooth, seamless progression of various genres, tempos, loudnesses, moods etc. in one musical piece. Most of these songs are in excess of 7-8 minutes, usually 15-20 minutes, sometimes even longer. :-) This is a wonderful showcase of the excellent musicianship of these people. They were (and not just Yes) virtuosos of their respective instruments. Ain't nothing like this these days. I like many rock genres, and I listen to nearly all of them, but there is nothing that compares to progressive rock. :-) Just sit down with your favourite drink, or roll, or whatever it is you fancy, close your eyes, and let your imagination run wild with these songs.
Really glad you reacted to this masterpiece!!! I saw Yes on this Close to the Edge tour in 1973 when I was in junior high. If you want to hear another prog rock masterpiece, I highly recommend Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Karn Evil 9: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Impressions"!!!!!!
I grew up in this period and we were spoiled for choice musically. Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, King Crimson, the list goes on. There were so many virtuoso bands around and I was lucky enough to have seen most of them. On the harder side of things there was The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. All pioneers in their genres. Fifty years or so later we’re still listening to them and it’s great to see younger people, like yourselves, hearing and appreciating them for the first time.
Thanks for this wonderful reaction. I watch everyone that reacts to this masterpiece. I love it. It's life changing. I laughed when you said it was "crazy" at minute 6-7.... I thought.. JUST WAIT...Ain't heard nothin' yet.
I agree with what Bill Adkins said with his definition of Prog Rock, but I'll add my take. A good Prog Band is a handful of brilliant musicians attempting to sound like a full orchestra, and pulling it off. You are right to say this one song took up an entire side of a record. There are 2 more songs on side two of this recording: "Siberian Khatru" and "And You And I". Both are amazing, and Yes opened their concerts with "Siberian Khatru" for a long time.
I was fortunate enough to be a student at UNC chapel hill when this came out. I got to see them perform this in Duke's cameron indoor stadium and they were amazing, Rick Wakeman wore a cape and looked like a wizard in the midst of a myriad of synthesizers and organs. Jon Anderson was mesmerizing his voice so clear. Squires, Bruford and Howe were other worldly. One of my all time favorite concerts. As with most of the music produced at that time it was meant to be experienced under the influence of "psychedlics". Progressive rock was very psychelically oriented which tended to create music that was often colex and layered. In many ways this was "you kinda had to be there" music. It's great to see so many young people discovering it.
I too saw this performed Live at age 17, in 1973. Along with the whole of ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’. And that was 2 weeks before Tales was released. So it was our first listen. Yet it was performed to perfection, as always. 🎶❤️🎶
Progressive rock is songs which contain a connected series of musical ideas linked together to make something that is more of the sum of its parts. In the case of this track go back and listen to how the multiple ideas explored throughout the track all come together in that final big finish. Its not always like that, sometimes the destination is quite different to the start but there is always a ‘progression’ though a group of connected ideas and often the transitions between the musical ideas are the most impressive parts of the song. You already noted in some of the Floyd songs and in this one that its like watching a movie and thats exactly right. Thats just what they were trying to do. Keep your attention and move you through a series of emotions across 20 mins or so of music. This was a long long way from the 3 minute pop tracks of instant gratification that had been popular up to this point and through the 70s up to the advent of punk rock YES , Floyd, Genesis,Camel, ELP, King crimson, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield, in the prog genre and Tangerine Dream and Jean - Michel Jarre in the emerging electronic genre all exploited this extended format to great effect. Other bands like Porcupine Tree and Marillion in the UK and Dream Theater in the US picked up the genre again in the 90s and 2000s though to the present day. In parallel a cross genre, progressive metal, emerged which brought the progressive format to the metal genre. Before anyone flames me I tried to simplify the explanation and there are many many more bands who probably could have had a mention.
When I listen to bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, I get the impression that I'm reading a good book or an interesting story or watching an interesting Hollywood movie. Great, this music was ahead of its time, in the near future no one will perform this, unfortunately.
Watch some of their 70s live concerts fellas. Mind blowing and a joy to watch. They were incredible, accomplished professional musicians and started prog rock in the early days.
Progressive Rock tends to employ a lot of complex chords, time sigs that are bizarre, they mix jazz and classical in a way that hadn't been done before, and can also be very long. Yes is the most revered, of the prog trail-blazers that gave rise to this form of rock, but I've heard it said that the second side of Abbey Road, and I'll confess that I did notice, upon hearing it as a kid, that wow, this song just goes on and on....on wait, it's just different songs that blend into eachother. This was right before the Moody Blues did the seminal Days of Future Passed, possibly the very first concept album....and then came Yes. And I'll mention another beloved prog band of that era, Emerson. Lake and Palmer. Yeah.....there's some thing about prog that can be futuristic, while still full of romantic unicorns with angels' wings on acid. Don't miss the amazing band, Renaissance, too; their lead singer is pure flaming silver.
When we would put on a Yes album it would set the mood for a long time. Great music by great musicians who each had their own distinctive specialty. They were so popular that there was a time that movie theatres played movie versions of their concerts which ended up being huge parties. BTW back in the day Pink Floyd couldnt lay a hand on Yes and we never called this Progressive Rock it was called Acid Rock.
QUOTE: "Progressive rock is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. The style was an outgrowth of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favor of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz, folk, or classical music. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening rather than dancing" I find the complex structure harder to listen to at first, but the more you listen to the songs and the more you memorize them, the more you realize just how incredible they are. They never grow old or stale. They just get better and better. Prog gave me a better understanding and appreciation of classical, jazz and big band music of the 1940s too.
The essential meaning of "Progressive Rock" is _experimental_ rock, usually as pursued by exceptional musicians. There's a wide variety of "progressive rock" sounds, but only YES combined soaring vocal harmonies as part of their epic creations. That, and only YES saw the wisdom of building their "Sound" around the Industrial-Melodic inspirations of their bass player, Chris Squire. Chris was able to hold down the groove while also adding a lot of melody to their masterpieces. His output was given the kind of priority in the mix of their first 5 albums that most rock bands usually give to the lead guitarist. If you follow the bass line, you'll not miss any of the goodness that YES packed into their creations, in spite of the the amazing complexity of their combined contributions. This is primarily due the the enormous amount of time they invested in perfecting the mix at the sound board. They combined incredible complexity in a way that didn't sound muddled. That perfection is a big part of the reason why any new YES fan should listen to the *studio versions* of their masterpieces _first_ before sampling the live version, cuz you'll miss out on that _very_ important element. Chris Squire's bass absolutely dominated their sound throughout their first 5 albums, ending with Close To The Edge, so any time you want to hear how impressive it was, you'll have to listen to the studio recordings instead of the live ones. (FYI, Pink Floyd recorded Dark Side Of The Moon a year after YES released Close To The Edge.)
Progressive rock was a genre that came out of the psychedelic era of the late 60s, but it was a completely new, more disciplined orchestral sound. The complexity and long epic arrangements were the halllmark of prog. It wasthe drugs and experimentation of the counter-culture that allowed and even encouraged long meandering spontaneous jams, like The Grateful Dead, Cream and Jimi Hendrix. But the band and the album that first shocked everyone out of the haze of th sixties and into a new era and a new genre was King Crimson with their debut The Court of the Crimson King and the song 21st Century Schizoid Man. Also The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant were among the first pioneers of progressive rock. It was that fateful day when YES first heard King Crimson snd then Jon went to the band and said "boys, we are going to have to rehearse ALOT more" and when Genesis heard King Crimson, they said 'OK, lets lock ourselve away in the cottage for about 6 months until we come out sounding something like that!!" And that was it....progressive rock was born, but after about 5 years, tbe music press, the critics and media decided to strangle it before it escaped from the crib. By 1980, progressive rock was a dirty word.
The best way to describe the song Close to the Edge is a canoe ride down the Amazon River. Birds are chirping gently floating towards the first bend of the river, and guest what it's a Class 5 rapids, why the Chaos. Just like the Amazon the next bend brings some different and at the end, the song is wrapped up in a nice bow...and you take another hit of acid...waiting for the next trip.
Yes, that song is one whole side of the vinyl LP. When I was 10, I heard this and listened to it obsessively for years. It still gives me goosebumps. What a song!!!!
IMHO, Chris Squire is the GOAT of bassists. Not because of his chops, which of course he had in spades, but because of his compositional ability to come up with completely different lines from what anyone else was doing at the time, while at the same time making it absolutely perfect for the songs they were playing. From the earlier albums Squire's finest moment (IMHO again) was Heart of the Sunrise, which was written around a bass idea he came up with that went looking for a song.
I was just hitting high school when this came out! I shocked some many friends turning them on to this album and band. For a black kid growing up in white neighborhood music was great! I loved it all! R&B, rock, jazz, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan! I got to go to shows and grew with all the music genres! Chiguy
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Chris squire on the bass is something everyone should experience once
Made me buy my first serious bass ... the 4001s black, white binding , i miss it still
but im afraid to spend 4k to be dissapoint
@@EvilSean62 Get a 4003...
@@Zatoichi444 Exactly. Don't bother with the 4001, not worth it. You can get pretty close with the 4003. I own one.
Best band ever: Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Bill Bruford. Five geniuses at the height of their enormous powers!!!
😎
As great as they all are, YES is even greater than the sum of it's parts. CTTE is the height of the sonic math in my book.
CTTE, the entire album, not a noote is wasted.
@@retromom5421 I'm not the biggest fan of the first minute of CTTE. Except for the vocal stabs. To me a 'near perfect' rather than perfect album.
Hard to argue. Even though Gft1 is my fav yes disc. BB is The Yes drummer.
Bb on awaken on the Union tour was an amazing thing.
With all due respect to Pink Floyd, the pure musicianship of Yes is at another level.
Whats the dif they’re both serving songs that are meant to be playing notes that are necessary no matter how many otherwise is a recipe for insincerity
Personally I think Waters could play this if he wanted
Floyd, RUSH, and YES we're the 3 Musketeers of Prog during the 70s
@@stephenlawson3071 King Crimson?
Honestly I agree but prefer Floyd. Good thing we dont have to pick though. And yeah like someone else said, king crimson needs some respect put on their name. Best show ive ever been to.
As soon as I saw you guys doing this song, I thought, good lord, lambs to the slaughter, massive face melt, they will never be the same. You have just witnesses the 8th wonder of the world, the most massive prog rock ejaculate the world has ever experienced. You have five of the most accomplished, talented, brilliant musicians this world has ever experienced. Sublime, supreme, singular, perfection. Yes
😂
Beautiful
During this period of Yes, truly all four musicians (bass, guitars, keys and drums) were not only at their peak, but they were amongst the best there was, or ever will be. Then you top it off with Jon Anderson's ethereal voice and free form lyrics and it was prog nirvana.
also Jon was one half the songwriting duo with Steve Howe the other.
This was when I saw them.
This song is one of a few "masterpieces" in rock history.
Amazing musicianship. They were in their 20’s at the time. I was really into them. I was about 15 when I was introduced to this album. I’m in my 60’s now. Still so good!
Same here, 66 now and fell in love with their music the first time I heard them.
always chills, 35 years I listing this album, always the same.
@@gerhardbraatz6305 70 here; ditto.
67 and still hear the album every week.💙👍
@zatoichi4449 But the consolation, at this age, is knowing that I did have a lot of time, more than many people. A pretty full life. For that I am grateful.
Chris Squire on bass was Geddy Lee’s biggest inspiration.
Along with Jack Bruce!
And John Entwhistle.
You're right. And John Entwhistle!
Squire was half or more of geddys style.
No question.
And when Yes played the tribute concert to Squire after he died they got Geddy Lee to fill in for him. He had a smile on his face a mile wide through the whole bit.
This was drummer Bill Bruford's last album with Yes. He indicated that one of the reasons for his departure was that each bandmember was such a perfectionist that they each kept insisting on doing "one more take" of this 18+ minute track so they could get their part just a little bit better. He was recruited by Robert Fripp to join King Crimson, where he remained for over 25 years.
the truth is he left band because Chris Squire was late on every meeting. 😁
Years later, 1989, he hot back with Anderson, Wakeman and Howe for awhile. Couple of the tracks
Quartet and Order of the Universe both a little over 9 minutes or Brother of Mine at 10 minutes
@@jimwilcox2964 yeah, and after ABWH he played on Union album, and then he get back to KC
@@jareczek1980 Tempus Fugit.
@@davidmorgan6896 YES, YES😄 BTW i love Drama. Perfect album.
Inspired in part by Jean Sibelius' Seventh Symphony and the unbridled, virtuosic music of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, "Close To The Edge" is a rich and captivating work.
the entire album is a masterpiece and a true journey!!!
Mahavishnu would blow their minds!
@@vicprovost2561 oh yes!!!!!!!!! completely!
@@vicprovost2561 though, if we're looking at that whole post Miles Davies jazz-fusion, Weather Report should go down a treat.
@@davidmorgan6896 He has so many good things, Chick Corea Elektric band (Got A match jazz festival of Bern 86), Frank Zappa, Van Der Graff Generator ,Soft Machine Gong... and from nowadays, Snarky puppy..
@@lepetitoiseau love Snarky Puppy. If you like Corea, you cannot ignore Return to Forever; especially as they had Stanley Clarke and Al DiMeola on bass and guitar. Less famous, outside the UK, but always worth a listen were Brand X; with Phil Collins on drums.
As you say, so much great, interesting, challenging music between 70 and 76 and then came punk.
Prog is a extremely high level of musicianship and a break from all traditional recording norms. FM radio is where these bands lived because of the length of the songs.
Exactly. Album sides on FM. And fusion jazz on sundays on my favorite station back in the day.
Or think of it like the Jazz Rock (Fusion) of the same era, but with vocals :)
I hope they’ll watch some of their 70s live concert videos. Watching them perform gives a whole other appreciation. Such a joy.
Art rock is what I call it
I always say listening to Yes is like opening a present to find another and then opening that to find another and so on! Thanks for this reaction! Great song, great reaction! Yes is another band I have loved for 50 years.
❤
Great description!
@@cherylwoodward Thanks!
Well put
Like one of those Russian dolls.
This is so complex that even though I love it I would have started you off with Roundabout, Starship Trooper, or And You And I, which is from the same album.The Bass player, on top of Mt. Rushmore, is Chris Squire.Jon Anderson is the most unique and wonderful lead singer with Chris backing him on vocals. Rick Wakeman is the out of this world keyboard/synthesize player. The drummer is Bill Bruford, who left to start his own journey after this album. The lead guitar player is the incredible Steve Howe! The album is considered one of the best progressive rock album ever made. This album led the way to the acceptance of a much wider audience going forward.Pink Floyd could never go to this level. YES one whole side of an album Only 2 other songs and on the other side of the original record, Siberian Khatru and And You And I. Progressive rock has many changes in the songs with its own special blend of sounds.
We did Roundabout first
nothing wrong with doing this song now. these guys musical knowledge and appreciation of great talent and songwriting is more advanced than the average reactor.
Spot on retort.
Roundabout is OK, but I much prefer CttE.
Dropped down into the comments section to say something along the lines of what Joel is saying here, I wouldn’t likely start someone off with this song early on without easing them into other standards from the Yes catalog, as even their FM radio singles are challenging enough as it is.
Yes, it’s a masterpiece, and I love this tune, but the complexity of this type of material is exactly what caused the prog rock movement to fall out of popular favor, and prompted the entire punk rock movement as a response.. that is a well documented fact.
It’s a similar issue when it comes to various jazz artists, where people will often just turn off to jazz completely if you throw em in the deep end. I would only play something like Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” or “Blue Trane” than to blow their minds with the atonal soloing in “Expressions”, as it can be an overload for someone who isn’t accustomed to the genre in general.
Having said THAT.. I also agree with Michael G in stating that the Airplay Beats guys have a more advanced understanding and appreciation of music than the average listener.
In the past couple of years, I’ve become increasingly interested in react videos, and I have to say that that the Airplay Beats brothers are fully capable of grappling with such a challenging listen as this.
Of the 15+ reaction channels I follow, it was when I stumbled upon this channel and was blown away by the fact they were tackling Steely Dan’s “Royal Scam” in it’s entirety.
What made it all the better was learning they have a music production background, are both musicians (guitar and drums, likely other instruments as well), and a really great understanding of composition and the choices involved.
So, as I can totally get where Joel might worry that this piece can scare people off from the many other great tunes by Yes, I think it should be obvious that, as Michael inferred, the Airplay Beats guys are good with it, evidenced by their patience and appreciation of the song.
For my money, Airplay Beats is the #1 most interesting and reaction channels on TH-cam, surpassing all others in their simple and straightforward discovery of these great records, but also very much because of the absolutely top notch quality of selections they react to (including this one!).
I’d venture to guess that whichever longtime viewers who are suggesting these selections have persuaded them to stick with some of the best stuff to be gleaned from the 70’s, and I’m hoping they’ll hover there and the 60’s for a good long while before jumping into the inevitable TOOL reacts that are gonna have a huge fan base flooding these comment sections urging them to nothing BUT endless TOOL reacts! 😂
Rock on, everyone! 😎👍
This album came a year after Echoes, but the prog rock bands we know and love were exploring new sounds and recording techniques around the same time. If I were comparing Floyd and Yes I would say that Yes’ music has a faster upbeat tempo with extremely lush layers-very chaotically free and beautiful. Pink Floyd had a much more calculated side to them with Roger’s darker thematic lyrics and David’s bluesy guitar riffs. Both bands are masters at their craft. I love them both like two different children.
Me too, my top 2 Bands ever. Scintillating Music. 🎶❤️🎶
You hit it on the head girl! I totally agree from a 64 yo guy that has heard all the great bands!
@@billtaylor3382 thank you!
@@cherylwoodward You're welcome!
You are right about the Floyd (particularly post-Barrett) being generally more deliberate than Yes. I wouldn't go as far as saying that Yes music is generally faster or more chaotic, though. What I'd say is that Floyd tended to rely on more traditional patterns and structures (shuffle beats, blues-influenced progressions) and mid-tempo rhythms that allowed for more contemplative music. The guys in Yes just loved to show off, even in songs like "Yesterday and Today", "Soon" and "And You And I".
Besides Piper, which is an aberration, the best Floyd ( '73 to '79) started out as non-musical concepts that normally Roger Waters came up with. Things that make people angry (DSOTM), how to cope with personal loss (WYWH), structural arrangements in industrial society (Anmls) and alienation (TW). These themes, very concrete themselves, were packaged within musical elements that were highly palatable and melodic.
Yes were so abstract with their concepts that I never bother trying to figure out what Anderson was singing about. Neither did the rest of the band (per Chris Squire). What they did do was start with a musical theme, usually developed by Howe or Anderson, and then provide spaces for individual expression from each member. This approach doesn't always result in good music. In fact, it often results in overindulgent, boring stuff like TFTO. But when it works, this everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink approach gives us Close to the Edge.
I love your reactions because you let the music speak for itself, and you aren’t trying to put on a fake show. You are authentic. You know music, but have the humility to ask questions. Best reaction videos, period. Yes is a journey… welcome aboard for a wild ride!😀
Man, oh man... I've been listening to this piece for almost 50 years, and sure... There are different interpretations of the meaning, and all of that.
I still can't really explain it, but... All I know is, it must be listened to front-to-back, all in one listen.
At first listen, I didn't get it. At all.
Decades later, I rediscovered it, and, yeah... It's a masterpiece.
When all the cacophony of the beginning, mixed with the "I get up, I get down" interlude, and all the busy-ness of everything else, it resolves to a glorious ending...
And, it makes me tear up, every single time I listen to it.
In that regard, it doesn't have to make sense to me, personally, but, it hits me HARD, every time.
That's the ultimate power of music, I suppose: If it gets to you, however it does you get it. No need to explain how... It's magic, to me.
Keep on keepin on guys... I wish I could listen to all of this stuff for the first time again... Instead, I'll just dig it again along with you 👍
Progressive rock is a combination of Rock and any other musical style, classic, jazz, folk, funk, R&B. Also: odd rhythm changes & odd melodic changes. It's like fusion. Yes were great musicians. BTW, your reaction to this was superb. Don't forget the other songs on the album. You will enjoy those as well.
When Wakeman hits that pipe organ, I get tears and goosebumps.
Yes is an incredible band, producing music for so many years, their sound and style varies greatly over that period. You’ll enjoy finding it all. 👍
'enjoy finding it all' is a bit of a stretch. Amongst their great work, there's also a lot that's best forgotten!
@@CAdams6398 HaHaha ! Agreed ! They went in a direction that lost me ! Somebody bought it. The Yes album and Fragile, thats the Yes I recommend.
Everyone in this masterpiece of a song is simply amazing!!!
the song to me describes the life cycle of the human being. peace at first , born into chaos, discovery and learning, enlightenment, then thrust into the chaos of adulthood, working like crazy, the ups and downs ,reaching your goals , then, once again , returned to peace...progressive rock pushes the boundries of accepted music styles and rhythms
I get up I get down...😊❤
From chaos comes harmony 😻
I saw this tour and I am still loving that I experienced it.
Wow, this is as prog as it gets but in a masterful and enjoyable way. This is one of the best sides of music ever, the 2 songs on the other side need to be heard as well, this Album is magnificent! Enjoy. 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶
To me the finest song ever recorded. This is Gods music 💓
Yes. No pun intended. I grew up on this music which eventually led me into relationship with God. I always felt that Yes music reached a beauty that made me believe there was a better place in the spiritual realm. Most so called "christian" music pales in comparison to the likes of CTTE and Awaken.
Told you, if you don't like them, you'll respect them! They are so creative and each an expert of their craft!!!
Yes is progressive as they break all the rules. It wasn’t about 3 minute songs built for radio. It was about musicianship. It’s not for everyone. I give you credit for listening to this. Favorite song.
The bass sound is awesome. And the layers of voices and instruments. Wow
A fond memory of teenage days: imbibing a substance of choice and laying the needle down on this album.
Indeed. I'm not condoning this behavior, but back in college, when we felt it necessary for some mind expansion, this album + your hallucinogen of choice was the ticket.
64 yo guy here and have loved this band from day one! But of course so many other great bands, Happy I got to here all of them as a young lad!
Pink Floyd and Yes were concurrently making music at this time, both bands pushing boundaries of form and music... Chris Squire was one of the most innovative and creative bass players of all time... Progressive Rock was founded in the late 60's primarily in England where bands used different time signatures, taking elements of harmony and melody from classical and jazz in longer forms of music...
Yes is like peeling an onion, so many layers! Absolutely one of the biggest bands in the world in the early 70s! I saw this tour in Tuscaloosa AL with a then unknown band named The Eagles opening for them. Still one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! What a heady musical time to be alive: Allman Brothers, Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, ELP, King Crimson, Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, and on and on! I fear we’ll never enjoy such a period again…
Ladies and gentlemen YES the greatest show on earth. Close To The Edge is one piece of music with four movements much like a symphonic piece of music. Prog basically is classical music played on modern instruments with all the influence of Mozart mixed with Chuck Barry and the Beach Boys. Nice reaction boys and Yes have 6 more symphonic masterpieces like Close To The Edge.
36 get a life! Lol😎
Way more than 6!😎
@@jeffschielka7845 smoke em if you got em
@Jeff Schielka true but this concert violinist confirms at least 6. 🙏🍸
@@lesblatnyak5947 At least 12 if not 18. Come on 36, get it together! Lol!😎
One of the greatest album tracks ever written and recorded.
It's been a long time since I held a vinyl copy, but if I remember correctly, this was a whole album side. Pink Floyd and Yes were contemporaries. Yes is at a whole different level than Floyd. Neither better nor worse, just different. Both bands are brilliant. And this is one of those songs that I can listen to hundreds of times and still hear something new.
One of the greatest songs ever. When that grand organ drops in it is almost nirvana.
Progressive rock (prog rock) is a subgenre of rock music that combines rock's power with other genres like jazz, classical, and folk. It's characterized by complex compositions, experimentation, and musical virtuosity, and is intended for a sophisticated audience.
Seasons will pass you by….🎶🎼🎵🎸🥁🎹
That bass is simply ridiculous! Love it.
Their drummer is up on the list of greats!!! You should see one of his drum solo's! Insanity!!!!
Oh, sorry guys, the actually had 2 of the all time great drummers. Bill Bruford and Alan White. Me personally I like Alan White better!!! The whole band is genius!!!!
As always with close to the edge the first time: first 5 minutes perplexed faces, then a hesitant smile and at the end pure amazement. 😄
Yeah. I think the first 5 minutes of my all time fav’, ‘Awaken’, could be described very similarly.
And then………..😲 Wow! 🎶❤️🎶
@@eddiecriglington400 Awaken is beautiful!
@@PeterBuwen Truly is Peter. Goosebumps every time. And that’s been for 46 years, so far.
Never ever tire of it. 🎶❤️🎶
Love the stuff guys. Progressive Rock i.e. Prog Rock is essentially about breaking barriers of musical styles to form a cohesive piece. It's main footing is often in classical and jazz but there are elements of anything else (metal, blues, country, soul, pop). The core of prog was influenced by Sgt Peppers (Beatles), Bitches Brew (Miles Davis) and Pet Sounds (Beach Boys) but that's just scratching the surface. And yes musicianship has to be of the highest caliber in terms of time signatures, solos and overall technique. Rush is a little later compared to the "founders of Prog" King Crimson, Moody Blues, Yes, Pink Floyd, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis, Gentle Giant and Jethro Tull. Later acts like Marillion, Big Big Train, Dream Theater and more.
An often unnoticed influence on early British prog is English choral music.
@@davidmorgan6896 100% agree
"Yes" is 100% in the Prog Rock category. Not a lot of bands would be squarely in prog rock. YES always has been. Please finish the Fragile Album. It will give you a deep understanding of the band. Stay away from anything after the 80's till you do all the earlier stuff. Rock On...!
@@alldayadventures5418 Disagree the 80's material is also very very good. But all is fair in Prog 😀
To me, Close to the Edge, the entire album, will always be a spiritual experience for me. From 1975 till the day I die.
Awaken and Turn Of The Century are musts
22:33 “I’ve never heard nothing like Yes…”
That’s just such a beautiful statement. Whether it’s somebody’s cup of tea or not, there’s no denying that it is unique.
You have completed two thirds of the triumvirate of 70's progressive rock epics with Echoes and Close to the Edge. You need to complete it with Supper's Ready by Genesis!
I would be happy about SUPPER'S READY reaction because I didn't have the money to buy earlier albums back then. I bought DLp Second's Out with the live version and the brilliant DLp The Lamb - both of which I love to this day.
Actually, Emerson, Lake and Palmer also played Prog Rock; not to forget King Crimson (Greg Lake was one of them before ELP), which I didn't really notice as a child. I think In The Court Of Crimson King 1969 is prog rock's first masterpiece?👍
What about Emerson, Lake & Palmer's Tarkus and Karn Evil 9? Easily two of the most groundbreaking and influential prog epics.
Don't forget
Scheherazade, by Renaissance.
Have they done King Crimson?
ELP live concerts form the 70s are also a great watch, as well as live Yes concerts.
New group for you, Emerson, Lake & Palmer (informally known as ELP) were an English progressive rock supergroup formed in London in 1970.[2][3] The band consisted of Keith Emerson (keyboards), Greg Lake (vocals, bass, guitar, producer) and Carl Palmer (drums, percussion). With nine RIAA-certified gold record albums in the US,[4] and an estimated 48 million records sold worldwide,[5] they are one of the most popular and commercially successful progressive rock groups of the 1970s,[6][7] with a musical sound including adaptations of classical music with jazz and symphonic rock elements, dominated by Emerson's flamboyant use of the Hammond organ, Moog synthesizer, and piano (although Lake wrote several acoustic songs for the group).[8] Wikipedia.
Pictures at an Exhibition is a live album by English progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in November 1971 on Island Records. It features the group's rock adaptation of Pictures at an Exhibition by classical music composer, Modest Mussorgsky, performed at Newcastle City Hall on 26 March 1971.
The band's arrangement of the suite uses only four of the ten parts in Mussorgsky's suite, along with the linking "Promenade" sections. The suite was performed live as one continuous piece, with new, group-written sections linking Mussorgsky's original themes.
Promenade: Organ solo and drum roll
The Gnome: Group instrumental
Promenade: Hammond organ and vocal, followed by a short synthesiser solo
"The Sage": A new picture "drawn" by Lake in the mood of a medieval minnesang, works as sort of romantic prelude to "The Old Castle", followed by a synthesiser solo
The Old Castle: An accelerated adaptation of the original theme
"Blues Variation", a twelve-bar blues credited to the group, borrowing themes from The Old Castle and those that Emerson had previously performed with The Nice
Promenade: Group instrumental
The Hut of Baba Yaga: Group instrumental
"The Curse of Baba Yaga" is a new title to the middle section of the original piece. The music is again an adaption of the original, the lyrics and vocal are credited to the group
The Hut of Baba Yaga: Group instrumental, a reprise of "The Curse of Baba Yaga"
The Great Gates of Kiev: Vocals and lyrics added by the group
There are certain "go to" Yes songs, but at some point in time listen to "Turn of the Century" and if you hone into both the music and the story being told you will surely come away as being "touched" in a most positive and enlightening way. It's a special song. It just is.
This was just all ROCK to us growing up in the late 60's-70's. From Aerosmith to ZZ Top.
200 years from now , university students will be tasked to listen to Yes , Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel Genesis, Moody blues and will be writing doctorial thesis on them
The other two songs on this album are awesome too.
That was indeed one whole side of an album. It was recorded on analog tape in 1972, before the days of auto tune, ProTools, and automated mixes. Progressive rock is a genre that moves beyond the pop song format by including influences from other musical styles, particularly classical music and jazz. Others in the prog-rock genre would be Kansas, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, early Genesis and Gentle Giant. It is such a gas for me to see you dudes checking this out and trying to process everything you have heard on this first listening. I've been listening to this record for fifty years and it never fails to amaze me. I've seen Yes live several times. The last time I saw them, they OPENED THEIR SHOW with Close to the Edge!!!
Je rajouterais le groupe canadien francophone Harmonium. La chanson "le premier ciel" version live enregistrée en 1977 est impressionnante.
Le groupe français Ange mérite d'être aussi écouté. L'album "guet apen" de 1979 par exemple est excellent.
Le " live records " de 1977 de Camel est un album également remarquable.
Tout est sur TH-cam...
@@soldatwitt6400 I'm sorry to have to ask this, but I suffer from the American malady of being monolingual. If possible, could you please translate your message to me?
This song just keeps giving. Started listening to them in the 70s. If I had to choose one album to live on a desert island, it would be Close to the Edge.
K's Dadd here....When this music was created the popular counterculture was using cannabis and psychedelics. CTTE is a reflection of a psychedelic trip. It mimics the intensity and the energy and emotional ups and downs of the experience. During some of the vocal sections later on the song you will hear(and feel) a sound effect from left to right that mimics the rush up your spine from psychedelics. The lyrics reflect this as well. It was one side of the album and the other side had 2 numbers. Prog rock is a mix of classically trained musicians fueled by the drugs of the time and a desire to create and explore and stretch the accepted musical boundaries.
From The Beatles without who this would never have been.
“I’ve never heard nothing like this.” No. No you haven’t. Perfection. One of my top 5 albums all time.
The musical mastery of YES members in their various formations has always been far above any other comparison. Other bands came close, like Rush, Gentle Giant and Genesis, but YES remains the beacon.
Think of this as a “Suite”, like Classical Music Suites, made up of several “movements” when played together give you “the whole.” Each movement is meant to convey a different theme, a part of the whole. Here are the 4 movements in “Close to The Edge” with time stamps. Listen again and pay attention to those time stamps. The Solid Time of Change 0:00 6:04
Total Mass Retain 6:04 2:23
I Get Up, I Get Down 8:27 5:45
Seasons of Man 14:12 4:31 . The first number indicates the start of the movement, the second number is duration. For instance: Total Mass Retain begins at 6:04 and lasts for the next 2:23 minutes, then I Get Up, I Get Down begins at 8:27 and so on.
Yes was so big in america in 70s in 1980 to 1984 in lunch room we had full mura recreation of inside artwork. ❤
Of course it was our spot. 💚☱️
Yes, the best band ever. Thx 👍💪🤙
Progressive rock is taking elements of rock, jazz and classical music and combining them in a fusion. There are almost always time signature changes. Best musicians around because they have to be skilled at so many different techniques.
It still gives me goosebumps!!!
Progressive rock means that there is a smooth, seamless progression of various genres, tempos, loudnesses, moods etc. in one musical piece. Most of these songs are in excess of 7-8 minutes, usually 15-20 minutes, sometimes even longer. :-) This is a wonderful showcase of the excellent musicianship of these people. They were (and not just Yes) virtuosos of their respective instruments. Ain't nothing like this these days. I like many rock genres, and I listen to nearly all of them, but there is nothing that compares to progressive rock. :-) Just sit down with your favourite drink, or roll, or whatever it is you fancy, close your eyes, and let your imagination run wild with these songs.
Close to the Edge is my second favorite Yes album--Going fo the One's my Favorite!
Airplay Beats is a Vibe!
I seen this band 3 times. And was only a few rows back front and center. It was amazing 😍
They were AWESOME live!!!
I saw Yes in Niagara Falls in 74 or 75. Such musicians! It was a great concert!
That's Yes. You got some free-form jazz, some classical pipe organ, some funk and amazing harmonies, all at once.
Really glad you reacted to this masterpiece!!! I saw Yes on this Close to the Edge tour in 1973 when I was in junior high. If you want to hear another prog rock masterpiece, I highly recommend Emerson, Lake and Palmer's "Karn Evil 9: 1st, 2nd and 3rd Impressions"!!!!!!
YES was big a few years before Floyd Fragile 1971 Close To The Edge 72 and then Dark Side OF The Moon 73
My favorite Yes Album is The Yes Album! Great record all the way through! Amazing every time I saw them!!!
I grew up in this period and we were spoiled for choice musically. Yes, Pink Floyd, ELP, King Crimson, the list goes on. There were so many virtuoso bands around and I was lucky enough to have seen most of them. On the harder side of things there was The Who, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, etc. All pioneers in their genres. Fifty years or so later we’re still listening to them and it’s great to see younger people, like yourselves, hearing and appreciating them for the first time.
From the swamp we emerge and to the swamp we return. In between we create out own harmony.
Thanks for this wonderful reaction. I watch everyone that reacts to this masterpiece. I love it. It's life changing. I laughed when you said it was "crazy" at minute 6-7.... I thought.. JUST WAIT...Ain't heard nothin' yet.
I agree with what Bill Adkins said with his definition of Prog Rock, but I'll add my take. A good Prog Band is a handful of brilliant musicians attempting to sound like a full orchestra, and pulling it off.
You are right to say this one song took up an entire side of a record. There are 2 more songs on side two of this recording: "Siberian Khatru" and "And You And I". Both are amazing, and Yes opened their concerts with "Siberian Khatru" for a long time.
Prog is to Rock what jazz is to orchestrated music. Highly skilled, spiritually driven Rock free for all.
I was fortunate enough to be a student at UNC chapel hill when this came out. I got to see them perform this in Duke's cameron indoor stadium and they were amazing, Rick Wakeman wore a cape and looked like a wizard in the midst of a myriad of synthesizers and organs. Jon Anderson was mesmerizing his voice so clear. Squires, Bruford and Howe were other worldly. One of my all time favorite concerts. As with most of the music produced at that time it was meant to be experienced under the influence of "psychedlics". Progressive rock was very psychelically oriented which tended to create music that was often colex and layered. In many ways this was "you kinda had to be there" music. It's great to see so many young people discovering it.
I too saw this performed Live at age 17, in 1973. Along with the whole of ‘Tales From Topographic Oceans’. And that was 2 weeks before Tales was released. So it was our first listen. Yet it was performed to perfection, as always. 🎶❤️🎶
MASTERPIECE 😮😅😊
Progressive rock is songs which contain a connected series of musical ideas linked together to make something that is more of the sum of its parts. In the case of this track go back and listen to how the multiple ideas explored throughout the track all come together in that final big finish. Its not always like that, sometimes the destination is quite different to the start but there is always a ‘progression’ though a group of connected ideas and often the transitions between the musical ideas are the most impressive parts of the song. You already noted in some of the Floyd songs and in this one that its like watching a movie and thats exactly right. Thats just what they were trying to do. Keep your attention and move you through a series of emotions across 20 mins or so of music. This was a long long way from the 3 minute pop tracks of instant gratification that had been popular up to this point and through the 70s up to the advent of punk rock YES , Floyd, Genesis,Camel, ELP, King crimson, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield, in the prog genre and Tangerine Dream and Jean - Michel Jarre in the emerging electronic genre all exploited this extended format to great effect. Other bands like Porcupine Tree and Marillion in the UK and Dream Theater in the US picked up the genre again in the 90s and 2000s though to the present day. In parallel a cross genre, progressive metal, emerged which brought the progressive format to the metal genre. Before anyone flames me I tried to simplify the explanation and there are many many more bands who probably could have had a mention.
Great comment Sci. 👏
👍🏼 🎶❤️🎶
When I listen to bands like Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, RUSH, I get the impression that I'm reading a good book or an interesting story or watching an interesting Hollywood movie. Great, this music was ahead of its time, in the near future no one will perform this, unfortunately.
Watch some of their 70s live concerts fellas. Mind blowing and a joy to watch. They were incredible, accomplished professional musicians and started prog rock in the early days.
Progressive Rock tends to employ a lot of complex chords, time sigs that are bizarre, they mix jazz and classical in a way that hadn't been done before, and can also be very long. Yes is the most revered, of the prog trail-blazers that gave rise to this form of rock, but I've heard it said that the second side of Abbey Road, and I'll confess that I did notice, upon hearing it as a kid, that wow, this song just goes on and on....on wait, it's just different songs that blend into eachother.
This was right before the Moody Blues did the seminal Days of Future Passed, possibly the very first concept album....and then came Yes.
And I'll mention another beloved prog band of that era, Emerson. Lake and Palmer. Yeah.....there's some thing about prog that can be futuristic, while still full of romantic unicorns with angels' wings on acid.
Don't miss the amazing band, Renaissance, too; their lead singer is pure flaming silver.
When we would put on a Yes album it would set the mood for a long time. Great music by great musicians who each had their own distinctive specialty. They were so popular that there was a time that movie theatres played movie versions of their concerts which ended up being huge parties. BTW back in the day Pink Floyd couldnt lay a hand on Yes and we never called this Progressive Rock it was called Acid Rock.
Yep, 3 tracks on the album Close to the Edge.
Yes is what you want it to be. Enjoy the initiation into your soul.
QUOTE: "Progressive rock is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s.
The style was an outgrowth of psychedelic bands who abandoned standard pop traditions in favor of instrumentation and compositional techniques more frequently associated with jazz, folk, or classical music. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening rather than dancing"
I find the complex structure harder to listen to at first, but the more you listen to the songs and the more you memorize them, the more you realize just how incredible they are. They never grow old or stale. They just get better and better. Prog gave me a better understanding and appreciation of classical, jazz and big band music of the 1940s too.
Timeless Masterpiece.
Jumping into the deep end of the pool before you've mastered swimming. Brave souls. Deep... Yes.
The essential meaning of "Progressive Rock" is _experimental_ rock, usually as pursued by exceptional musicians. There's a wide variety of "progressive rock" sounds, but only YES combined soaring vocal harmonies as part of their epic creations. That, and only YES saw the wisdom of building their "Sound" around the Industrial-Melodic inspirations of their bass player, Chris Squire. Chris was able to hold down the groove while also adding a lot of melody to their masterpieces. His output was given the kind of priority in the mix of their first 5 albums that most rock bands usually give to the lead guitarist.
If you follow the bass line, you'll not miss any of the goodness that YES packed into their creations, in spite of the the amazing complexity of their combined contributions. This is primarily due the the enormous amount of time they invested in perfecting the mix at the sound board. They combined incredible complexity in a way that didn't sound muddled. That perfection is a big part of the reason why any new YES fan should listen to the *studio versions* of their masterpieces _first_ before sampling the live version, cuz you'll miss out on that _very_ important element.
Chris Squire's bass absolutely dominated their sound throughout their first 5 albums, ending with Close To The Edge, so any time you want to hear how impressive it was, you'll have to listen to the studio recordings instead of the live ones.
(FYI, Pink Floyd recorded Dark Side Of The Moon a year after YES released Close To The Edge.)
They were masters at time changes and poly-rhythems.
enjoyed your reaction and knowledge in music
Notice the chaos of the start that gives way to the melody. It was meant to be crazy at the start.
Progressive rock was a genre that came out of the psychedelic era of the late 60s, but it was a completely new, more disciplined orchestral sound. The complexity and long epic arrangements were the halllmark of prog. It wasthe drugs and experimentation of the counter-culture that allowed and even encouraged long meandering spontaneous jams, like The Grateful Dead, Cream and Jimi Hendrix. But the band and the album that first shocked everyone out of the haze of th sixties and into a new era and a new genre was King Crimson with their debut The Court of the Crimson King and the song 21st Century Schizoid Man. Also The Moody Blues, Jethro Tull and Gentle Giant were among the first pioneers of progressive rock. It was that fateful day when YES first heard King Crimson snd then Jon went to the band and said "boys, we are going to have to rehearse ALOT more" and when Genesis heard King Crimson, they said 'OK, lets lock ourselve away in the cottage for about 6 months until we come out sounding something like that!!"
And that was it....progressive rock was born, but after about 5 years, tbe music press, the critics and media decided to strangle it before it escaped from the crib. By 1980, progressive rock was a dirty word.
The best way to describe the song Close to the Edge is a canoe ride down the Amazon River. Birds are chirping gently floating towards the first bend of the river, and guest what it's a Class 5 rapids, why the Chaos. Just like the Amazon the next bend brings some different and at the end, the song is wrapped up in a nice bow...and you take another hit of acid...waiting for the next trip.
Yes, that song is one whole side of the vinyl LP. When I was 10, I heard this and listened to it obsessively for years. It still gives me goosebumps. What a song!!!!
I went from guitar to bass in 1975, cause of my Idol, Chris Squire... I got a Rickenbacker bass to get that sound. Love. Thanks.
We used to listen this on Acid - you could see the music. What a trip that was 😮
IMHO, Chris Squire is the GOAT of bassists. Not because of his chops, which of course he had in spades, but because of his compositional ability to come up with completely different lines from what anyone else was doing at the time, while at the same time making it absolutely perfect for the songs they were playing. From the earlier albums Squire's finest moment (IMHO again) was Heart of the Sunrise, which was written around a bass idea he came up with that went looking for a song.
I was just hitting high school when this came out! I shocked some many friends turning them on to this album and band. For a black kid growing up in white neighborhood music was great! I loved it all! R&B, rock, jazz, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan! I got to go to shows and grew with all the music genres! Chiguy