If you're wondering what the point was of the intro, many fans have thrown out different ideas over the years and the band was never really one to reveal those kinds of "secrets', but the best explanation I've come across is that it was meant to shock you out of whatever space you were in to create an new and clean canvas for the remainder of the song. Take it for what it's worth. The song was inspired by Hemann Hesse's novel Siddhartha, essentially about the main character's journey to enlightenment.
In 1971 Jazz Fusion and Progressive Rock were evolving simultaneously and many were booked on the same Tours. Mahavishnu Orchestra were making a huge impact on adventurous musicians and music lovers as well as the YES members. The opening of CTTE is in big part influenced by those encounters. And it was done to shock but mainly to feel like the organized chaos of the BIG BANG transitioning into examining the wonders of Existence itself
I think you are right. I have always thought that it was to disrupt your mental state before the song started and to let you become reborn in the music. There all those concerns that were screwing up your mind. Let’s get rid of them and begin again.
Agreed. I see (hear) it as being order emerging out of chaos. The cacophony (although it's less so, the more you listen to it, I think) giving way to that descending groove and away we go...
I'm 64 years old, heard the salt when it first came out. Saw my first Yes concert when I was 15 years old in 1975 complete with laser beams and everything else, and I was never quite the same. The lyrics are pretty lofty but it is about life-and-death and crossing over itself. This is my take on it. Probably best to read the lyrics. My friends and I would just listen to the song, usually while stoned and then possibly talk about some of it. But we almost never talked about any songs during the songs as that was considered to be impolite. Things were a bit slower in the 1970s. Thanks for the excellent reaction.
They really were a great, great live band. Kind of astonishing, really. Extremely complex music, often longform. Utilizing the studio as another instrument. State of the art technology for the time. All of this, and at their best in the live setting. I can remember listening probably specifically to this song, but all of their music of that time and thinking no way. No way can you guys play this in concert. Then came Yessongs. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more happily wrong in my entire life. Great reaction! These guys were the band that got to me the most, the best, from back in the day. My fandom lasted a lifetime, I’ll be carrying this music out onto the next stage of our own collective journey together. And apart. Whichever and however. As it is said, Yes Forever!!! ❤
Yes (with Genesis, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer) were pioneers of early 1970’s progressive (prog) rock. Long, meandering, multi movement pieces with extremely high level musicianship. This song is a prog classic. A later epic is “Awaken” (1977). Yes had several lineup changes. This lineup was one of their best. Jon Anderson vocals, Steve Howe guitar, Chris Squire bass, Rick Wakeman keyboards, Bill Bruford drums. Bruford left after this album and was replaced by Alan White. All have been recognized as among the best on their instruments.
Definitely agree on Tull. I left a number of bands out for fear of uber long post. Camel, Gentle Giant and others. Rush pretty proggy too with a more metal edge. More recently Steven Wilson’s projects most notably Porcupine Tree. Dream Theater, Tool. Quite the rabbit hole.
The organ sound was recorded in a church on a real large church pipe organ in London, Rick Wakeman is the keyboard player on this album he was classically trained, the first part at the start is deliberately discordant they are all playing in different Keys and time signatures. Jhon's lyrics are not just abstract they are chosen for the sound not the meaning and in some cases mean nothing at all. I am 67 and bought this when it first came out and no, I did not need LSD to get it you are right we would buy albums sit in our bedroom wind the volume up and listen to the whole album from start to finish no distractions even if in a group of friends we would listen through the whole album and discuss later not during so 20 minutes a side (apart from getting up and flipping the disc from side one to side two) of course even longer when you got a double or triple album. the art of patience seems to have been lost. The sections of the track are like movements in a classical piece of music such as Vivaldi, Beethoven, Wagner or Tchaikovsky.
It is chaotic but also very organized: they are all playing in 6/8 time and the key of E. The innovative part is Howe's tremendous guitar solo, if we can even call it that. And he at least is very chromatic in his play. Other elements that contribute are Squire's finger exercise on bass, which is double-speeded on the synthesizer, which contributes to the sense of chaos. Then it transitions to a great diatonic guitar melody that is euphonic and draws a sharp contrast to the intro.
Yes, Rick Wakeman attended the Royal College of Music for a while before leaving to pursue his 'rock' career. Fun fact (if I may), related to Rick playing the pipe organ on this and other recordings: The London College of Music, established in the late 19th Century was the rival (if you like) of the RCM and the effective first Principal of the LCM for over 40 years, was an ancestor on my family tree, Frederick James Karn who was himself an organist, as well as composer and conductor, educated at Wellington College and the University of Toronto. There is a family photograph of him and he could easily be mistaken for an older Tchaikovsky.
Hi guys. Don't get caught up in Yes lyrics. They're meant to convey a mood or feel for their songs (at least in the Jon Anderson era). The lyrics take on an ethereal element which was better served with shall we say mood altering compounds.🤩
@@samolevski1119 Indeed , I've listened to the bulk of YES music without any drugs . Although , when I saw them at Maple Leaf Gardens in '73 , I did smoke a little hash . Still remember it as the best concert I ever attended !
Wow! Quick dive into their most famous Prog Epic Ever! Hope you can appreciate this!!! ❤ The more you hear it the more you’ll absorb. Takes at Least 3 listens to absorb Some of it!
Yes your right and these youngsters are having a hard time because they have listened Hiphop and other completely different types of music then older guys like me at 72
Keep in mind, they played this live with no sheet music. Everyone in Yes are master's of their instruments. This type of music, one is not going to get it first time around.
Back in the day when when I was young we would frequently gather just to listen to music. Everyone in my circle had a good component stereo system and getting together to listen to someone’s new album was the way it was.
This is absolutely true . when someone bought some new albums - we would gather at somebody's house to just listen quietly to the whole album and then give our opinions . The same after each concert we attended , find a place to eat , and discuss the concert . Those were the days .
Yes, and it was a meaningful social gathering among friends now everyone just walks around with earbuds on and you can’t even hold a conversation. And just an FYI. I still have a component stereo with set of loudspeakers 😃
Literally, this kind of thing is the equivalent of modern classical music. It's not one thing. Not one beat. One groove. It was like life - all independent and dependent - at the same time...
Soooo, so long ago, when I first listened to this (1974?), in 18 minutes my personal experience of what music is, or could be, changed forever... this track continues to change me with each listen. I can only wish you the same joy. Thank you for sharing your first listen with all of us! 😊
YES' body of masterpieces during this earlier period were incredibly *_dense_* absolutely packed with musical nuance & blended melodies that overlap each other. It was one of the reasons why I loved their music so much, after many repeated listenings you'd hear wonderful contributions that everyone was making that you hadn't noticed before & that kept it fresh to my ears. They absolutely were the Masters of Complexity of composition. In spite of everything they packed into their masterpieces, it was mixed so perfectly well thanks to the hours the band would spend at the mixing board with their exceptional sound engineer Eddy Offord. Basically, on a first listen to something like Close To The Edge, if you just follow the dominant bass line & the vocals, all the other key contributions are presented to you at their time. After repeated listenings, you can marvel at those times when, like in both Roundabout & CTTE, the "rhythm section" is laying down a funky/melodic groove against which the keyboard player or lead guitar are soloing. They're amazing to listen to on their own, but you're forced to listen to them simultaneously & it's just eargasmic. Since you've reacted to Close To The Edge, you might as well listen to the other two masterpieces on that album: *And You And I* and *Siberian Khatru* From there, you'll not want to miss *Starship Trooper* and *Yours Is No Disgrace* & *The Gates Of Delirium.* My advice: keep to the *studio* recordings of YES' masterpieces during this period. The live recordings are nice to _see_ but the sound quality not so much.
Complex songs like this require multiple listening sessions to truly appreciate it. It's the kind of work that just gets better and better the more you hear it and start to memorize passages. Also true of GATES OF DELIRIUM .
Your facial expressions have been awesome throughout. The lyrics are intentionally abstract. Jon Anderson chose words for their sound more than for their meaning. And yes, there is a groove there; not unbroken, to be sure, but there just the same. My wife bought this album for me at Christmas, 1973. I remember thinking, especially during the first two minutes, "What in the world am I listening to???" And you are right to observe that this is all the more remarkable because it was done on analogue equipment, before the advent of auto-tune and automated mixing. I'm glad people younger than me are still listening to and enjoying this music, 50 years later!
I think if there's something about this that pulls you in and makes you want to listen again, then the more you do so the more rewarding it gets. It is just so well constructed, so many twists and turns, and terrific musicianship from all five members, that I think it takes a good many listens to appreciate it fully. Of course now you will have to put 'Suppers Ready' by Genesis on your list!
@@AndrewHead-n2k Why do one when you can do both? You have to like Prog Rock or Classical Music though. It requires a longer attention span to get into this stuff.
I loved Yes because it was not music to dance to but to experience. I would use this record, on a stressful day, to reprogram my mind. It would take me from mental Kai’s to serenity and relaxation followed by focus, a synchronized brain activity and a calmness. With Yes, the vocals are just another instrument, not a focus point. Don’t fret not finding a groove, there is none. The thing, for me, with Yes music, you almost need to, not want to listen to it.
There are a lot of different grooves in this piece of music. Lot's of different time signatures and polyrhythms. Bill and Chris are grooving all through the entire song. Yes was always in the pocket...
I think you're right. Don't listen to hard first time. Just close your eyes and let the music take you somewhere. This album and Tales From Topographic Oceans were the two albums that drew me to YES, as a teenager, when I was getting bored with the standard verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse chorus stuff around.
For me, the best song/art ever created. The start is the primordial chaos that spawned life. Maybe! ❤ Essentially this song conveys the message of Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha. Don’t listen to those who say the words are just sounds. They all have very specific meanings and references to the cosmos, quantum theory, religion, perceptions, humanity and the imbalance of life, and the simple truth that to achieve enlightenment all you need is to sit in nature, near a river, and exist. Then seasons will pass as you get up to attend to the business of living and get down to sit and enjoy Nirvana ❤ All that said, it really is a holistic experience with the experience more important than the detail. Good first listen ❤
I agree that the words are not just sounds, but the fact is that in most Yes songs the lyrics don't convey a conventional narrative. According to Songfacts, “Jon Anderson has said that many times the lyrics he writes reveal their meanings to him later.” To quote blogger Richard Warren Field, "Many of [Yes's] lyrics work as poetry, as a flow of words creating moods and feelings, with precise meanings hard to pin down." Listeners need to be aware of this before diving into esoteric Yes compositions and trying to figure out what they mean.
@@MongooseTales I think of most of Yes's lyrics like a kaleidoscope - the view is kind of jumbled and chaotic, but it goes together differently every time you pick it up, sometimes beautiful, sometimes jarring, always interesting.
@@mattleppard1964 Also Don't Kill the Whale, Circus of Heaven and Turn of the Century. I would add Wondrous Stories, but it seems to change viewpoint without any sort of signal or transition.
Your comments at about 20 minutes about how to listen to Yes are on point. The musicianship leads you to listen analytically as do the transitions. But then the experience of just letting it wash over you takes over. I agree that just letting go and seeing where it takes you is a great way to do Yes. Lastly, the lyrics are highly metaphorical and tend to have a spiritual bent. One consistent theme in Anderson’s lyrics is meditation based communication with divinity/higher self.
This was a great reaction because you both listened and tried to see what is felt like. Perfect. At the end of the song/piece, you both got it (could see it on your faces I could). Thanks for doing this reaction.
One of the best prog songs ever from one of the best prog albums ever. This song has everything, even morse code that spells out "Yes" over and over again. You can hear it plainly at around the 7:30 & 13:07 marks of this video. Once you hear it, you cannot unhear it. :)
My admiration and respect for you both increased after this reaction. I think you did great with what might be my favorite long form piece of rock music ever. Great job.
I've loved "Yes" since my early twenties. Sixty-eight now. Used to just sit down and let thier music take me away. One of a very few bands that has movements in thier music that allows for the progression in a song that can last twenty minutes or so. The last song in this style(early progressive), is one of my favorite. Awaken is another one that takes me on a musically expanding trip, as it were. Nice to see you guys enjoying Yes! JB
I would NEVER recommend this piece to anyone who hasn't heard at least most of _The Yes Album_ and _Fragile_ beforehand. Going into _CTTE_ cold like this is just insane. Having said that, it's heartwarming to see people appreciate challenging music, and some parts of this piece are deliberately difficult to listen to. You are right to say that people don't dedicate time to exclusively listen to music. In fact I remember exactly the last time I did that. I was in college, stopped by the record store (remember those?) and picked up Talk Talk's _Laughing Stock_ . Took it home, went straight to my room, closed the door, turned off the lights, sat down and (straight, with no enhancements whatsoever), listened to that album from beginning to end. That was in 1991.
Agreed that Yes Album and Fragile should be listened to first, but Sam and Phil's format doesn't give them that luxury, especially if they get a specific request. You have to admit that they were forewarned by somebody, and so tackled it with their thinking helmets latched in place. Not only did they survive but seem to have gotten a taste.
The opening and end sounds were recordings of birds and flowing water. The third section implies being underground in cave, and you might have heard water dripping from stalagmites. The lyrics to that section were from a song written by guitarist Steve Howe. Chris Squire was the harmonising vocalist (and a former choirboy!). The first organ you heard directly after was indeed a church organ, recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate, an Anglican church in London. The organ solo was written by Howe fir guitar, but he thought it sounded better on the organ, which I think was a Hammond. I was not a dope-head, so I appreciated Yrs and other music from the 60s and 70s without chemical aids. According to main composer and vocalist Jon Anderson, this track had themes and lyrics inspired by the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha, while the advance in technical ability from Fragile was driven by a gig in New York with jazz-fusion band The Mahavishnu Orchestra, whose musicianship was stratospheric.
I bought this album the month it was released. It changed my life, not only in my outlook(s), but in the way that I reacted to the "world" around me, and in what the "world" gave back to me. I STILL have that original album, and I still play it from time to time. I also have the original cassette, along with several copies on cd...one for the house, and one in my car. Every time I am on the road, this is cranked way up, this, and The Yes Album. The important thing to note here is how I think (and feel), listening to this masterpiece now, compared to the way it made me feel at 16 years of age. You need to listen to Yes. I mean, you really NEED to listen to Yes. Of all the progressive rock bands, King Crimson, Genesis, Electric Light Orchestra, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Uriah Heep, Caravan, Camel, Asia, etc., this is the ONE that has consistently changed (and grown), as I have changed and grown. Quite a phenomenon, don't you think? Anyway, next up...side two. "And You And I" is probably my favorite song of all time, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I have over these past 50 years. Fifty years...and it is STILL fresh...still relevant. Peace! ✌😎
First, I am new to your channel, so thank you for reacting to Yes. They are one of my all time favourite bands and you guys did a great job reacting to what I would argue is their most challenging piece. I won’t go to deep into the meaning, though I will give some context. In the late 60s and 70s, there was a real interest in the “west” of exploring eastern ideas and religions. Jon Anderson was reading a book on Sidhartha, the founder of Buddhism when he got the idea for Close to the Edge. Indeed “Clise to the Edge@ is part of a longer famous quote from the Buddha. The different parts of the music represent the stages in his journey to seek enlightenment. I always view the last part as the communication of his story to the “modern” world. The keyboard at the beginning is very reminiscent of the teletype machines of 60/70s newsrooms. I always love it when people reconnect to great music. Thanks again for the reaction.
Welcome to progressive rock at its finest. I've seen this band 34 times spanning 40 years, every tour from 1973 to 2014. Yes music has been the soundtrack of my life since I was 16. The music can be complicated and challenging to listen to. The message is positive and their sound is exhilarating. I still find it thrilling even now. There is so much for you guys to explore. Enjoy ✌️😎
Hello there, I am a (slightly less successful than you!!!) TH-camr too.... and tackled this track a couple of years ago. I went into it completely blind, but came out a fan. The more you listen to Yes, the more it makes sense. It is 50 years later, but Yes is still relevant in 2023. This isn't disposable Spotify ear fodder, but music you need to make time for. Don't rush it, don't try to do other things. Be at one with it. As Frank Zappa said " Music is the best". Enjoy the journey, I look forward to Awaken when you get there! Jim
As Jim N. put it so well, just close your eyes and listen. With repeated listenings you will enjoy the journey within one's own soul. Looking forward to seeing you react to Yes's "Awaken" and "Turn of The Century". Enjoy! With Peace and Love to all! (Michael)
Thanks for the reflective reaction to the Masterpiece! I first bought CTTE at age 16 back in 1977. Not only is it my favorite Yes LP, it is my favorite all time album! Side 2 is just as great!
Kudos to you all for undertaking this reaction. Bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were what we were listening to in junior high as they came out. I guess they set the standard for us as for what we would consider musically worthy through life. The time signatures by Bill Bruford on this. Chris Squire's time signatures as well as the bass runs, and Steve Howe's guitar are amazing. And keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman. I was fortunate to see Yes on this Close to the Edge tour in 1973. A phenomenal experience!
I bought the vinyl album shortly after it was released in 1972. When I first heard it, it blew my mind. When it was over, I played again, and then again. It totally blew me away. It was a while before I flipped the disc over to listen to "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru". To this day, 51 years later, it is still my favourite song/track/piece of music. I passed the original album onto my Daughter and her Husband. I had the CD and it's on my iTunes collection.
No one does transitions from section to section like YES does. Most bands would have turned these sections into individual songs, and that alone explains the respect they get from musicians and fans; we don't even need to touch on the fact that each member is one of the most respected on their respective instruments, or that hearing this in 1972 was like suddenly orbiting Saturn. The Moodies and the Beatles are first groups credited for Prog rock so it's not unusual for people to hear some of those influences. This is some of the most complex and difficult stuff in the world of music and most people need to listen to it multiple times to 'get' it. Thank you for taking this leap!
So many more to listen to! Yours is No Disgrace Heart of the Sunrise Starship Trooper I’ve seen All Good People And you and I Wonderous Stories Siberian Khatru South side of the Sky AWAKEN!!! Gates of Delirium(all of Relayer) Tales of Topographic Oceans So many more!! And
This is definitely a song that takes a few times to wrap your mind around. Songs that I would love to see you react to that I love would be Starship Trooper, Yours Is No Disgrace, And You and I, and Siberian Khatru,
Very important when listening to Yes… lyrics! Sometimes they’re literal…but mostly left to listeners perspective…meaning the words will mean different things to different people And mean different things to You when hearing their songs at different times in your life! Jon does that intentionally…some times using words Just because they sounded good! The way he sings a word or phrase is his instrument! When your aware of that -you’ll hear him do it more! He’s Incredible-along with Chris’s harmonies together. It’s great you decided to just listen…imagine this song Live, front row, loud, (the energy of a Yes concert is Amazing)…such a Great Experience-gets you High(drugless-😊 but doesn’t hurt when indulging to Yes😊) When you’ve listening to this song on a few replays…you’ll absorb more…(Hell some of us have heard this album too many times to count (50+ years )❤ Relayer and Tales of Topographic Oceans are their Most Progressive Albums( my Fav!)- Hope you take on those Experiences too!😊
Jumping from Roundabout to Close To The Edge is quite a leap! I'd have inserted at least 2 or 3 transition songs from Fragile to see where they were going. As mentioned, this is probably their most complicated song with various time signatures. These time signatures are what trip up the casual listener. With Yes, you have to let your brain let go of the natural anticipation of the next beat. Not easy, but when you do, the everchanging voyage of surprising musical phrases takes place. Chris Squire's bass is a good place to latch onto to navigate your way between the larger themes in this song. It's an easy downhill ride after Close To The Edge. Their next song on this album, And You And I, is still my favorite composition. Not as dramatic as Gates Of Delerium from Relayer, but absolutely beautiful. The six songs from their Close To The Edge and Relayer albums are truly the core of prog Yes. Along with Siberian Khatru, from Close to the Edge and To Be Over and Sound Chaser, from Relayer, are where my friends and I sat back and simply left, to return 40 minutes later! Not LSD (that would seem like a day) THC was preferred. Fascinating reaction. You guys were in try hard mode, using mental muscles that may not have been exercised much in the past, if you get my drift. Apocalypse in 9/8 from Suppers Ready by Genesis will show you how jarring an odd time signature can be. That's mild compared to this song. Love you guys for exploring music so deeply.
I heard this album in the early 1970s, quite soon after it was released. As far as I remember, I thought it was pretty weird, and it was some years before I decided that I actually liked it. I wouldn’t expect people to like it on first hearing-although apparently some manage to do so. I suspect the lyrics were chosen for their sonic effect rather than for their meaning-as with Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine”, for example (written by Syd Barrett).
Yes was so important to my understanding of music. They're ambitious composers and skilled players. Close To The Edge is probably their greatest work, but it's not very accessible at first listen. I think you might enjoy Starship Troopers or And You And I for their more melodically straightforward approach. Thanks for the great reaction!
I saw yes in the early 1970’s during the yesssongs tour, I was on the third row right in front of Steve Howe and they sounded just like the record no studio trickery. My favorite concert ever.
As others will tell you, it's often better to listen to the entire album in the case of this one and Fragile. It applies to a few albums by other groups, but this is a good sample to whet your appetite
I think you responded the way that was intended. I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times. Brings tears to my eyes still. Such a joy watching people listening to it for the first time. Multiple listens actually increase the appreciation of the song. Nothing like the first listen, but it might be too much to take in the first time. That’s why we’re concerned that you might not be ready for it.
Same here. Hundreds of listens, and I'm surprised every dang time when I get teary yet again. I often wonder if it has anything to do with my being a woman. I don't think I've known any men who get teary at it, though I'm sure some do. I know men who love opera will weep, but not sure about Yes.
I agree 100%....not a beginner Yes tune.... I think todays generation has a much harder time digesting this type of prog. I was 14 yo when it came out, and most of us were into Sabbath, Zep, etc. This stuff was on a different level, but man...what a time to be alive!
A real Masterpiece, no age for this, ahead for its time, atemporal, sounds amazing now like the 1st day... I think this album goes beyond "prog rock", is just amazing... Thanks for the reaction!!!
I dream of a day when students will be taught a class on the "classical" music of this genre much like we were taught the classics long ago, when Government deemed them worthwhile, or more accurately, when it isn't trying to rip apart the social fabric of the world.
They pull this off live almost identical to this complex suite of music. The 1973(?) live album 'Yessongs' is phenomenal and this track doesn't disappoint.
As many commenters have said, this song and most Yes material gets better with repeated listenings. Just now diving in ... I'M SO EXCITED !! 😊 Want to add that music like this requires patience. The wonderful thing about patience is that when you have mastered it, you don't need it anymore. That is, once you are a patient person, patience becomes part of who you are. So when someone tells you to be patient, you can say "I am," and know that you truly are.
Whenever I see young people about to take a listen to this, I think, "Oh, boy. Good luck." This is a major shift away from the familiar territory of today's watered-down, overly simplified structure composition, and instrumentation. However, for us old heads, this is what we grew up on. Yes has always been one of my favorite bands, saw them in concert several times. You're talking hall of famers at every instrument: Rick Wakeman keys, Steve Howe guitar, Bill Bruford drums, Chris Squire bass, and Joh Anderson vocals. One of the best bands to ever hit the planet. Keep going with them, you won't be disappointed.
When listening to Classic YES, they put out the canvas and paint, it up to you to paint that masterpiece. Use the notes, melody and accented words to take you on your personal life experience. So many of YES's masterpieces take you on different experiences. Nice reaction, I would recommend going back to Fragile and The Yes Album before going onto Awaken, Gates, and In The Presence Of, if you keep exploring the greatest band ever!
This is routinely at the top of everyone's "Top 10" or "Top 20" prog albums, with a Genesis album at #2 (usually Selling England by the Pound), although my #2 would be "Three Friends" by Gentle Giant. You're 100% right - this is a journey, just let it take you along. I actually really like the opening section; however, I can see that at first listen, it's a lot of technique to take in without being sure where it's going. BTW - the title of the fourth section that got cut off in the TH-cam tool tip is "Seasons of Man".
Imagine this in a live concert. And YES are as perfect in live performance as on recordings. Amazing. Regarding the lyrics of Yes: they are, like the music, expressionistic. With music we are more inclined to accept this, but with lyrics we find it difficult because we are used to concrete writings from our everyday experience. But this is about association and feeling.
I for one, don't like yes's sound live......I saw them back in '73 and was disappointed in the way they sounded, plus my favorite drummer Bruford had left the band. the only band that sounded just as good live for me was Jethro Tull and there are bands that sound better live than in studio.
You definitely have to listen at least a few times to let it grow on you. One of the greatest progrock tunes Btw, the organ is a real cathedral pipe organ. At the time there was a lot of infighting and discussion about the creation of this piece - which is a good thing - hearing the result. Jon Anderson is an instrumentalist in his own right.
In the "olden days," yes, we would put on an album and listen to music as an activity in itself. We would listen to an album all the way through, turn it over, and listen to the other side, and not do anything else other than look at the album art or make short comments on the music as it played.
Always think that this song and other long prog classics are a really difficult first reaction. Not only because they are complex and multifaceted but also because they are better heard without other stimuli. A comfortable sofa in the pitch black is a better setting to absorb the music. A bright room sat at a desk does not help(although clearly sitting in the dark would not work for a reaction) I thought you worked really hard to take it all in which is admirable but many of us are still picking out accents after listening to it for 50 years so it would be superhuman to capture it all in one listen. Nice effort though and I can guarantee that if you can bring yourself to listen in a more comfortable and chilled environment off camera you will continue to get something from this piece and many other longer pieces by Yes for many many more listens ahead.
Oh . . . you brave souls. This is not an easy song to wrap your head around in the first listen. Even as a big Yes fan, it took me several listens to start to "get it." I think you nailed it when you said it is an "experience." To this day, the end of the song gives me shivers as everything comes together. Thank you so much for doing this!
Well ! lol. keep in mind this was 1971 or 72 ! i was 17 and was in a half way house and was on condition with a curfew and looking for a job in the day time ! I was able to have a turn table and small amp with a headset and bought this Album. I then went to find me some acid ( window pain ) and lay on my bed and played this on Vinyl record and did a good trip the trip they give you ! that s the way you can enjoy it ! So i understood right away when you said people saying you re not ready for that ! Remember it was in 1973 it was not old music but i heard it on the radio before i bought it and had my trip ! might check out Yessongs best of albums ! Rick Wakeman onthe keyboards was exeptional ! I suggest listening to a french guy here in Quebec ! he did a Yes medley ! impressive. The real organ part he did on a real pipe organ in a church in Quebec ! Remember Quebec is more than 400 years old ! So Antoine Baril is the name you wanna check on this platform ! And Yes i m 100% french and learned English on the street. No books ! LoL. 😎now retired of 35 years of trucking ! My first highway truck i bought in 1986 a 1985 Mack truck ! it s the one on my logo here ! lol 🤠
Nothing like hopping into the deep end. Jon is spiritual, so you were spot on with your comment about a spiritual feeling. These types of Yes songs remind me of Alan Watts' _Getting Into the Meditative State_ . . . "And soon you will find that the outside world and the inside world come together. " No enhancing substances required ( although they may not hurt ). Repeated listening makes them "come together" even more. There are few(if any) songs today that will endure 50 years of repeated listening like this one will.
My 2 cents: It takes time to come to terms with this piece. The skills of the musicians are astounding. The entirety was based on Jon's reading of "Siddartha" by H Hesse and various other poets and texts. Siddartha too is a personal journey, much like the one each person gets from a few listens of this song. The first movement is about the chaos the hero is feeling, causing him to go on through a journey of renewal. The second is the search and realignment to lessons, the third (my fav) is an inward journey, and in the end, the hero finds himself down by the water...
You're spot on! Before you said it yourself, I was going to say that the problem people have when they first go into this song is that they are expecting a song. It's not really a song, it's more like a sonic experience/journey. To me it shares more features with a movie than a typical 3-4 minute pop song.
The beginning of "Close to the Edge" sounds discordant and/or dijointed to many people...but you have to remember the title of the beginning section..."The Solid Time of Change." That explains the time and chord changes. Once you get accustomed to it it all makes sense. I listened to the entire album twice a day for almost 6 years straight and "CttE" is still my "go to" song whenever a buy a new stereo, whether for home or in a new SUV....if it sounds good it is what i will buy. I still play "CttE" many times a year and STILL hear something new... esp if i run it thru an Equalizer.
The album before this one, Fragile, was a real eye-opener but Close To The Edge created an entire new music genre called "Progressive Rock" which introduced a lot of very well-known and famous bands. Anytime a band/album creates a whole new genre that's pretty impressive. And, oh, btw, don't even try to understand Jon Anderson's lyrics. He knows what they mean, but he's about it.
Best song...ever. From the best album...ever. By the best band...ever. Thanks for reacting to this!!! There's a bunch more great ones. The other 2 songs on this album are also great. And You and I is beautiful, and Siberian Khatru is a touch, just a touch, more "normal". :)
LOL. Couple of points. You’re right, this music is meant to be experienced. Most of the time, the words are meaningless or are there just because they fit into a theme or mood that Jon was trying to convey. With Yes in particular, don’t focus on the words. Phil, you were right when you said that if you wanted to know the definition of what Prog rock is, this is it. A blend of sounds, genres and emotions not heard in music up to that point. These albums were meant to be listened as a whole but of course you can’t do that. Try it again with Sam in a dark room, laying on the floor with your eyes closed. It will be a completely different experience. Thanks for tour thoughts and reaction. ❤😊
Just "Close your eyes and listen." As most of us Yes fans well know, Yes music requires the listener to immerse themselves, within the privacy of one's own head, and with repeated listenings; therefore to allow the music to carry you on a journey within one's own soul. With Peace and Love to all! (Michael)
The musical structure is directly inspired from classical symphonies which often calls upon 3-4-5 movements and a few recurrinf themes. As for the lyrics, they really add a new dimension to the music as they are always very deep and very wortth reading; this said, Close to the Edge is inspired from Hermann Hesse's Siddharta telling the sotry of a young men in searhc of the meaning life and its own path in it. At the time of the production of the labum in 1970; the recording costs amounted to 125,000. $ US
The lyrics refer to a revelation of life’s journey. There’s seasons that occur and, you get up and down through them. So, just let them pass you by and be grateful for it all. It’s got a spiritual connection. Therefore the big church organs as, in ceremonies of life or death. Our lives have many different paths or rhythms. Some groove and others not quite yet, we’ll enjoy it all.
They are different movements. It is similar to the way many classical pieces are composed. Each part seems like a different song, but it is a pat of one big piece of music. There will also be refrains, where you return to earlier parts, maybe in a slightly different form.
You start with nature and intellectual chaos ensues. You get taken on a mental change of state close to the edge and finally returned to a natural state. This is what Prog is all about. Master musicians inducing both harmony and chaos with your mental universe and bringing you back changed.
This piece could help you get over your addiction to BEAT. Beat is pretty much all there is to today’s music. Let’s drink beer and jump up and down. Boom Boom Boom. Woo Hoo. Why do we have to have a beat? Maybe bc that’s what computers are good at? Don’t blame this on drugs. Heaven forbid we reopen our brains. From the 50 thousand foot view it looks like we’ve entered a music dark ages. Saw this band twice 70s & 2000. Most artistic group. Really unparalleled musicians. Truly remarkable artistry. Do something for yourself go see an orchestra or better yet an opera. Pick a good one by good players.
When you get a chance you should watch the live version from the Yessongs movie. It's pretty cool to see a group of musicians to be so on the same page to be able to create and perform this music!
And on the same album--And You and I. What an album. (And as someone else has already said, don't dwell on the lyrics. Jon Anderson just put together words that sounded good.)
Not sure if this has been mentioned further down in the comments but the organ breaks are played on the pipe organ at St Giles-without-Cripplegate church in Barbican, London.
The transitions were down to Wakeman's classical training. The rest of the band were self taught although Chris Squire had been in a church choir. Bill Bruford left the band shortly after this and didn't play CTTE live for twenty years. Alan White had three days to learn the band's huge repertoire.
I lived the days when radio played the whole version. Our hangout was guys and girls and we smoked weed and were mellow like the band. The 70s was cool because of groups like YES and don’t forget Zeppelin
Was it In April 2017, Yes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which chose to induct current and former members Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White, and Rabin.I think Yes has movments like classical music.I'm a big fan.If you have the time have a look at Yes - Awaken - Live in Birmingham 2003 -.I think this is a masterpiece cheers both.
Rick Wakeman, the most important keyboard player, is the funniest guy in rock. I recommend you watch his speech being inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s the greatest induction speech ever.
I've actually heard "Close to the Edge" with the vocals electronically removed. I believe it was so vocalists could learn to sing the song....or record their on vocals on another tape/CD....kind of like karaoke.
The best suggestion i can give you is to watch some songs in concert. There are a ton of them on y/t and online. I've seen 214 shows and they are the best musicians in the world❗️❗️❗️😎
Even rock listeners back then were often already familiar with the multiple movements in concertos or symphonies from classical music and some jazz too. This is still unusual music back in the day, but because younger listeners are less familiar with classical music and jazz it's even more alien today.
If you're wondering what the point was of the intro, many fans have thrown out different ideas over the years and the band was never really one to reveal those kinds of "secrets', but the best explanation I've come across is that it was meant to shock you out of whatever space you were in to create an new and clean canvas for the remainder of the song. Take it for what it's worth. The song was inspired by Hemann Hesse's novel Siddhartha, essentially about the main character's journey to enlightenment.
Great video of Jon at YesFestival answering questions for an hr. A brilliant insight into the divinity of the YES
In 1971 Jazz Fusion and Progressive Rock were evolving simultaneously and many were booked on the same Tours. Mahavishnu Orchestra were making a huge impact on adventurous musicians and music lovers as well as the YES members. The opening of CTTE is in big part influenced by those encounters. And it was done to shock but mainly to feel like the organized chaos of the BIG BANG transitioning into examining the wonders of Existence itself
To bring you Close to the Edge, without going over…
I think you are right. I have always thought that it was to disrupt your mental state before the song started and to let you become reborn in the music. There all those concerns that were screwing up your mind. Let’s get rid of them and begin again.
Agreed. I see (hear) it as being order emerging out of chaos. The cacophony (although it's less so, the more you listen to it, I think) giving way to that descending groove and away we go...
Imagine being a 15 year old watching them perform this live in 1973! A cherished memory!
I'm 64 years old, heard the salt when it first came out. Saw my first Yes concert when I was 15 years old in 1975 complete with laser beams and everything else, and I was never quite the same. The lyrics are pretty lofty but it is about life-and-death and crossing over itself. This is my take on it. Probably best to read the lyrics. My friends and I would just listen to the song, usually while stoned and then possibly talk about some of it. But we almost never talked about any songs during the songs as that was considered to be impolite. Things were a bit slower in the 1970s. Thanks for the excellent reaction.
I'm 65 and saw them 3 times in the 70's man they were fantastic live!!!
I’m 65 and saw them three times in the 70s as well!
I did the same thing along with also seeing the Moody Blues three times in the 70's!
They really were a great, great live band. Kind of astonishing, really. Extremely complex music, often longform. Utilizing the studio as another instrument. State of the art technology for the time.
All of this, and at their best in the live setting.
I can remember listening probably specifically to this song, but all of their music of that time and thinking no way. No way can you guys play this in concert.
Then came Yessongs.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been more happily wrong in my entire life.
Great reaction!
These guys were the band that got to me the most, the best, from back in the day. My fandom lasted a lifetime, I’ll be carrying this music out onto the next stage of our own collective journey together. And apart. Whichever and however.
As it is said, Yes Forever!!! ❤
Me too, but it was in the 80's.
3x me too, Iowa City, St. Louis and I believe Southern Illinois University? Not sure on #3
Yes (with Genesis, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Emerson Lake & Palmer) were pioneers of early 1970’s progressive (prog) rock. Long, meandering, multi movement pieces with extremely high level musicianship.
This song is a prog classic. A later epic is “Awaken” (1977).
Yes had several lineup changes. This lineup was one of their best. Jon Anderson vocals, Steve Howe guitar, Chris Squire bass, Rick Wakeman keyboards, Bill Bruford drums. Bruford left after this album and was replaced by Alan White. All have been recognized as among the best on their instruments.
Yes your %100 correct
I would add Jethro Tull into the mix as one of the greatest early Prog rock bands.
Definitely agree on Tull. I left a number of bands out for fear of uber long post. Camel, Gentle Giant and others.
Rush pretty proggy too with a more metal edge. More recently Steven Wilson’s projects most notably Porcupine Tree. Dream Theater, Tool. Quite the rabbit hole.
@@josephturnbow985My first concert as a 16 yo punk kid....Tull, Passion Play tour......wow!
@@benavich8
Love it! and TAAB also.
The organ sound was recorded in a church on a real large church pipe organ in London, Rick Wakeman is the keyboard player on this album he was classically trained, the first part at the start is deliberately discordant they are all playing in different Keys and time signatures. Jhon's lyrics are not just abstract they are chosen for the sound not the meaning and in some cases mean nothing at all. I am 67 and bought this when it first came out and no, I did not need LSD to get it you are right we would buy albums sit in our bedroom wind the volume up and listen to the whole album from start to finish no distractions even if in a group of friends we would listen through the whole album and discuss later not during so 20 minutes a side (apart from getting up and flipping the disc from side one to side two) of course even longer when you got a double or triple album. the art of patience seems to have been lost. The sections of the track are like movements in a classical piece of music such as Vivaldi, Beethoven, Wagner or Tchaikovsky.
It is chaotic but also very organized: they are all playing in 6/8 time and the key of E. The innovative part is Howe's tremendous guitar solo, if we can even call it that. And he at least is very chromatic in his play.
Other elements that contribute are Squire's finger exercise on bass, which is double-speeded on the synthesizer, which contributes to the sense of chaos. Then it transitions to a great diatonic guitar melody that is euphonic and draws a sharp contrast to the intro.
Did just that many times in my bedroom.
You may have not thought you needed LSD to get this but Jon, Chris and Steve certainly took LSD which is where this music came from.
Yes, Rick Wakeman attended the Royal College of Music for a while before leaving to pursue his 'rock' career.
Fun fact (if I may), related to Rick playing the pipe organ on this and other recordings: The London College of Music, established in the late 19th Century was the rival (if you like) of the RCM and the effective first Principal of the LCM for over 40 years, was an ancestor on my family tree, Frederick James Karn who was himself an organist, as well as composer and conductor, educated at Wellington College and the University of Toronto. There is a family photograph of him and he could easily be mistaken for an older Tchaikovsky.
@@nickk6518 Interesting fact
Hi guys. Don't get caught up in Yes lyrics. They're meant to convey a mood or feel for their songs (at least in the Jon Anderson era). The lyrics take on an ethereal element which was better served with shall we say mood altering compounds.🤩
I've never taken anything, only used my imagination, and loved all of this album, as well as Fragile
@@samolevski1119 Indeed , I've listened to the bulk of YES music without any drugs . Although , when I saw them at Maple Leaf Gardens in '73 , I did smoke a little hash . Still remember it as the best concert I ever attended !
With or without chemical assistance, they lyrics are definitely a stream of consciousness delight.
The best description of Yes lyrics I ever heard was: "Jon Anderson's lyrics all boil down to 'have a cosmically nice day'..."
Wow! Quick dive into their most famous Prog Epic Ever! Hope you can appreciate this!!! ❤
The more you hear it the more you’ll absorb. Takes at Least 3 listens to absorb Some of it!
Yes your right and these youngsters are having a hard time because they have listened Hiphop and other completely different types of music then older guys like me at 72
Takes 30 listens at least!
3 ????
I was hooked the first time... Just 50 years ago.
Still my favorite piece of music... ♥️🙏🎧🎄🎉👌🎶😁
Close to the Edge the album is one of the most famous albums but I would say Supper's Ready by Genesis is the most famous prog epic.
Keep in mind, they played this live with no sheet music. Everyone in Yes are master's of their instruments. This type of music, one is not going to get it first time around.
Back in the day when when I was young we would frequently gather just to listen to music. Everyone in my circle had a good component stereo system and getting together to listen to someone’s new album was the way it was.
This is absolutely true . when someone bought some new albums - we would gather at somebody's house to just listen quietly to the whole album and then give our opinions . The same after each concert we attended , find a place to eat , and discuss the concert . Those were the days .
Yes, and it was a meaningful social gathering among friends now everyone just walks around with earbuds on and you can’t even hold a conversation. And just an FYI. I still have a component stereo with set of loudspeakers 😃
+bong lol
@@ziggy107: Never a requirement when listening to music of this stature, in fact more of a hindrance.
@@howardjones7370 I can assure you these songs were not created under the influence of a cup of tea
Literally, this kind of thing is the equivalent of modern classical music. It's not one thing. Not one beat. One groove. It was like life - all independent and dependent - at the same time...
Soooo, so long ago, when I first listened to this (1974?), in 18 minutes my personal experience of what music is, or could be, changed forever... this track continues to change me with each listen. I can only wish you the same joy. Thank you for sharing your first listen with all of us! 😊
YES' body of masterpieces during this earlier period were incredibly *_dense_* absolutely packed with musical nuance & blended melodies that overlap each other. It was one of the reasons why I loved their music so much, after many repeated listenings you'd hear wonderful contributions that everyone was making that you hadn't noticed before & that kept it fresh to my ears. They absolutely were the Masters of Complexity of composition. In spite of everything they packed into their masterpieces, it was mixed so perfectly well thanks to the hours the band would spend at the mixing board with their exceptional sound engineer Eddy Offord. Basically, on a first listen to something like Close To The Edge, if you just follow the dominant bass line & the vocals, all the other key contributions are presented to you at their time. After repeated listenings, you can marvel at those times when, like in both Roundabout & CTTE, the "rhythm section" is laying down a funky/melodic groove against which the keyboard player or lead guitar are soloing. They're amazing to listen to on their own, but you're forced to listen to them simultaneously & it's just eargasmic.
Since you've reacted to Close To The Edge, you might as well listen to the other two masterpieces on that album: *And You And I* and *Siberian Khatru* From there, you'll not want to miss *Starship Trooper* and *Yours Is No Disgrace* & *The Gates Of Delirium.* My advice: keep to the *studio* recordings of YES' masterpieces during this period. The live recordings are nice to _see_ but the sound quality not so much.
Complex songs like this require multiple listening sessions to truly appreciate it. It's the kind of work that just gets better and better the more you hear it and start to memorize passages. Also true of GATES OF DELIRIUM .
I would not have introduced their most complex material for a while. Ease them into it.
First listen on lsd
They're already confused, Yes is a 5 course meal, but these two are only used to big macs...@@jgsrhythm100
@@jgsrhythm100 Then perhaps leave Tales from Topographic Oceans for a cupla years? :)
@@Dimster6666 Ha!! Yeah perhaps not right away
greatest band and song ever recorded...immaculate-never duplicated- there is only one YES
Your facial expressions have been awesome throughout. The lyrics are intentionally abstract. Jon Anderson chose words for their sound more than for their meaning. And yes, there is a groove there; not unbroken, to be sure, but there just the same. My wife bought this album for me at Christmas, 1973. I remember thinking, especially during the first two minutes, "What in the world am I listening to???" And you are right to observe that this is all the more remarkable because it was done on analogue equipment, before the advent of auto-tune and automated mixing. I'm glad people younger than me are still listening to and enjoying this music, 50 years later!
I think if there's something about this that pulls you in and makes you want to listen again, then the more you do so the more rewarding it gets. It is just so well constructed, so many twists and turns, and terrific musicianship from all five members, that I think it takes a good many listens to appreciate it fully.
Of course now you will have to put 'Suppers Ready' by Genesis on your list!
Perhaps Firth of Fifth would be better?
@@AndrewHead-n2k Why do one when you can do both? You have to like Prog Rock or Classical Music though. It requires a longer attention span to get into this stuff.
@@AndrewHead-n2k Yes, another good choice. A little easier to digest and appreciate. Depends how brave they are!!
I think "Cinema Show" is also a good example of Genesis finest concept work along with "Get 'em Out by Friday".
@@Dimster6666 Yes, I agree, and reflecting different styles of Genesis song. So many great tracks to choose from!
What I get from this masterpiece is: music is omnipotent, it can venture "outside the box", and it has the ability to invoke a dreamlike state.
I loved Yes because it was not music to dance to but to experience. I would use this record, on a stressful day, to reprogram my mind. It would take me from mental Kai’s to serenity and relaxation followed by focus, a synchronized brain activity and a calmness. With Yes, the vocals are just another instrument, not a focus point. Don’t fret not finding a groove, there is none.
The thing, for me, with Yes music, you almost need to, not want to listen to it.
There are a lot of different grooves in this piece of music.
Lot's of different time signatures and polyrhythms.
Bill and Chris are grooving all through the entire song.
Yes was always in the pocket...
I think you're right. Don't listen to hard first time. Just close your eyes and let the music take you somewhere. This album and Tales From Topographic Oceans were the two albums that drew me to YES, as a teenager, when I was getting bored with the standard verse, chorus, verse, chorus, solo, verse chorus stuff around.
For me, the best song/art ever created. The start is the primordial chaos that spawned life. Maybe! ❤
Essentially this song conveys the message of Siddhartha Gautama, the first Buddha. Don’t listen to those who say the words are just sounds. They all have very specific meanings and references to the cosmos, quantum theory, religion, perceptions, humanity and the imbalance of life, and the simple truth that to achieve enlightenment all you need is to sit in nature, near a river, and exist. Then seasons will pass as you get up to attend to the business of living and get down to sit and enjoy Nirvana ❤
All that said, it really is a holistic experience with the experience more important than the detail. Good first listen ❤
I agree that the words are not just sounds, but the fact is that in most Yes songs the lyrics don't convey a conventional narrative. According to Songfacts, “Jon Anderson has said that many times the lyrics he writes reveal their meanings to him later.” To quote blogger Richard Warren Field, "Many of [Yes's] lyrics work as poetry, as a flow of words creating moods and feelings, with precise meanings hard to pin down." Listeners need to be aware of this before diving into esoteric Yes compositions and trying to figure out what they mean.
@@MongooseTales Absolutely. Conventional they are not! And only Gates of Delirium had a proper narrative of sorts.
@@MongooseTales I think of most of Yes's lyrics like a kaleidoscope - the view is kind of jumbled and chaotic, but it goes together differently every time you pick it up, sometimes beautiful, sometimes jarring, always interesting.
@@mattleppard1964 Also Don't Kill the Whale, Circus of Heaven and Turn of the Century. I would add Wondrous Stories, but it seems to change viewpoint without any sort of signal or transition.
The BEST MUSIC EVER WRITTEN by the BEST BAND EVER!! Yes are the masters of transitions ☮️❤️😎
This whole album is such an experience. Three songs, very different and just as great as the one before. Takes a few listens to get it altogether.
This is extremly complex music, from the harmony to the time signatures etc
Your comments at about 20 minutes about how to listen to Yes are on point. The musicianship leads you to listen analytically as do the transitions.
But then the experience of just letting it wash over you takes over. I agree that just letting go and seeing where it takes you is a great way to do Yes.
Lastly, the lyrics are highly metaphorical and tend to have a spiritual bent. One consistent theme in Anderson’s lyrics is meditation based communication with divinity/higher self.
This was a great reaction because you both listened and tried to see what is felt like. Perfect. At the end of the song/piece, you both got it (could see it on your faces I could). Thanks for doing this reaction.
One of the best prog songs ever from one of the best prog albums ever. This song has everything, even morse code that spells out "Yes" over and over again. You can hear it plainly at around the 7:30 & 13:07 marks of this video. Once you hear it, you cannot unhear it. :)
WOW!!!!! thanks!!
My admiration and respect for you both increased after this reaction. I think you did great with what might be my favorite long form piece of rock music ever. Great job.
Appreciate that!
I've loved "Yes" since my early twenties. Sixty-eight now. Used to just sit down and let thier music take me away. One of a very few bands that has movements in thier music that allows for the progression in a song that can last twenty minutes or so. The last song in this style(early progressive), is one of my favorite. Awaken is another one that takes me on a musically expanding trip, as it were. Nice to see you guys enjoying Yes! JB
I would NEVER recommend this piece to anyone who hasn't heard at least most of _The Yes Album_ and _Fragile_ beforehand. Going into _CTTE_ cold like this is just insane. Having said that, it's heartwarming to see people appreciate challenging music, and some parts of this piece are deliberately difficult to listen to.
You are right to say that people don't dedicate time to exclusively listen to music. In fact I remember exactly the last time I did that. I was in college, stopped by the record store (remember those?) and picked up Talk Talk's _Laughing Stock_ . Took it home, went straight to my room, closed the door, turned off the lights, sat down and (straight, with no enhancements whatsoever), listened to that album from beginning to end. That was in 1991.
Agreed that Yes Album and Fragile should be listened to first, but Sam and Phil's format doesn't give them that luxury, especially if they get a specific request. You have to admit that they were forewarned by somebody, and so tackled it with their thinking helmets latched in place. Not only did they survive but seem to have gotten a taste.
Snap on observation
The opening and end sounds were recordings of birds and flowing water. The third section implies being underground in cave, and you might have heard water dripping from stalagmites. The lyrics to that section were from a song written by guitarist Steve Howe. Chris Squire was the harmonising vocalist (and a former choirboy!).
The first organ you heard directly after was indeed a church organ, recorded at St Giles-without-Cripplegate, an Anglican church in London. The organ solo was written by Howe fir guitar, but he thought it sounded better on the organ, which I think was a Hammond.
I was not a dope-head, so I appreciated Yrs and other music from the 60s and 70s without chemical aids.
According to main composer and vocalist Jon Anderson, this track had themes and lyrics inspired by the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha, while the advance in technical ability from Fragile was driven by a gig in New York with jazz-fusion band The Mahavishnu Orchestra, whose musicianship was stratospheric.
Mahavishnu Orchestra! There's another good rabbit hole. 🎶
I bought this album the month it was released. It changed my life, not only in my outlook(s), but in the way that I reacted to the "world" around me, and in what the "world" gave back to me. I STILL have that original album, and I still play it from time to time. I also have the original cassette, along with several copies on cd...one for the house, and one in my car. Every time I am on the road, this is cranked way up, this, and The Yes Album. The important thing to note here is how I think (and feel), listening to this masterpiece now, compared to the way it made me feel at 16 years of age. You need to listen to Yes. I mean, you really NEED to listen to Yes. Of all the progressive rock bands, King Crimson, Genesis, Electric Light Orchestra, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant, Uriah Heep, Caravan, Camel, Asia, etc., this is the ONE that has consistently changed (and grown), as I have changed and grown. Quite a phenomenon, don't you think? Anyway, next up...side two. "And You And I" is probably my favorite song of all time, and I sincerely hope that you enjoy it as much as I have over these past 50 years. Fifty years...and it is STILL fresh...still relevant. Peace! ✌😎
First, I am new to your channel, so thank you for reacting to Yes. They are one of my all time favourite bands and you guys did a great job reacting to what I would argue is their most challenging piece. I won’t go to deep into the meaning, though I will give some context. In the late 60s and 70s, there was a real interest in the “west” of exploring eastern ideas and religions. Jon Anderson was reading a book on Sidhartha, the founder of Buddhism when he got the idea for Close to the Edge. Indeed “Clise to the Edge@ is part of a longer famous quote from the Buddha. The different parts of the music represent the stages in his journey to seek enlightenment. I always view the last part as the communication of his story to the “modern” world. The keyboard at the beginning is very reminiscent of the teletype machines of 60/70s newsrooms. I always love it when people reconnect to great music. Thanks again for the reaction.
Welcome to progressive rock at its finest. I've seen this band 34 times spanning 40 years, every tour from 1973 to 2014. Yes music has been the soundtrack of my life since I was 16. The music can be complicated and challenging to listen to. The message is positive and their sound is exhilarating. I still find it thrilling even now. There is so much for you guys to explore. Enjoy ✌️😎
Hello there, I am a (slightly less successful than you!!!) TH-camr too.... and tackled this track a couple of years ago. I went into it completely blind, but came out a fan. The more you listen to Yes, the more it makes sense. It is 50 years later, but Yes is still relevant in 2023. This isn't disposable Spotify ear fodder, but music you need to make time for. Don't rush it, don't try to do other things. Be at one with it. As Frank Zappa said " Music is the best". Enjoy the journey, I look forward to Awaken when you get there! Jim
As Jim N. put it so well, just close your eyes and listen. With repeated listenings you will enjoy the journey within one's own soul. Looking forward to seeing you react to Yes's "Awaken" and "Turn of The Century". Enjoy! With Peace and Love to all! (Michael)
Thanks for the reflective reaction to the Masterpiece! I first bought CTTE at age 16 back in 1977. Not only is it my favorite Yes LP, it is my favorite all time album! Side 2 is just as great!
Kudos to you all for undertaking this reaction. Bands like Yes and Emerson, Lake & Palmer were what we were listening to in junior high as they came out. I guess they set the standard for us as for what we would consider musically worthy through life. The time signatures by Bill Bruford on this. Chris Squire's time signatures as well as the bass runs, and Steve Howe's guitar are amazing. And keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman. I was fortunate to see Yes on this Close to the Edge tour in 1973. A phenomenal experience!
I bought the vinyl album shortly after it was released in 1972. When I first heard it, it blew my mind. When it was over, I played again, and then again. It totally blew me away. It was a while before I flipped the disc over to listen to "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru".
To this day, 51 years later, it is still my favourite song/track/piece of music. I passed the original album onto my Daughter and her Husband. I had the CD and it's on my iTunes collection.
No one does transitions from section to section like YES does. Most bands would have turned these sections into individual songs, and that alone explains the respect they get from musicians and fans; we don't even need to touch on the fact that each member is one of the most respected on their respective instruments, or that hearing this in 1972 was like suddenly orbiting Saturn. The Moodies and the Beatles are first groups credited for Prog rock so it's not unusual for people to hear some of those influences. This is some of the most complex and difficult stuff in the world of music and most people need to listen to it multiple times to 'get' it. Thank you for taking this leap!
So many more to listen to!
Yours is No Disgrace
Heart of the Sunrise
Starship Trooper
I’ve seen All Good People
And you and I
Wonderous Stories
Siberian Khatru
South side of the Sky
AWAKEN!!!
Gates of Delirium(all of Relayer)
Tales of Topographic Oceans
So many more!!
And
Definitely _Awaken_ !
This is definitely a song that takes a few times to wrap your mind around. Songs that I would love to see you react to that I love would be Starship Trooper, Yours Is No Disgrace, And You and I, and Siberian Khatru,
Very important when listening to Yes… lyrics! Sometimes they’re literal…but mostly left to listeners perspective…meaning the words will mean different things to different people And mean different things to You when hearing their songs at different times in your life! Jon does that intentionally…some times using words Just because they sounded good! The way he sings a word or phrase is his instrument! When your aware of that -you’ll hear him do it more!
He’s Incredible-along with Chris’s harmonies together.
It’s great you decided to just listen…imagine this song Live, front row, loud, (the energy of a Yes concert is Amazing)…such a Great Experience-gets you High(drugless-😊 but doesn’t hurt when indulging to Yes😊)
When you’ve listening to this song on a few replays…you’ll absorb more…(Hell some of us have heard this album too many times to count (50+ years )❤
Relayer and Tales of Topographic Oceans are their Most Progressive Albums( my Fav!)- Hope you take on those Experiences too!😊
Jumping from Roundabout to Close To The Edge is quite a leap! I'd have inserted at least 2 or 3 transition songs from Fragile to see where they were going. As mentioned, this is probably their most complicated song with various time signatures. These time signatures are what trip up the casual listener. With Yes, you have to let your brain let go of the natural anticipation of the next beat. Not easy, but when you do, the everchanging voyage of surprising musical phrases takes place. Chris Squire's bass is a good place to latch onto to navigate your way between the larger themes in this song. It's an easy downhill ride after Close To The Edge. Their next song on this album, And You And I, is still my favorite composition. Not as dramatic as Gates Of Delerium from Relayer, but absolutely beautiful. The six songs from their Close To The Edge and Relayer albums are truly the core of prog Yes. Along with Siberian Khatru, from Close to the Edge and To Be Over and Sound Chaser, from Relayer, are where my friends and I sat back and simply left, to return 40 minutes later! Not LSD (that would seem like a day) THC was preferred. Fascinating reaction. You guys were in try hard mode, using mental muscles that may not have been exercised much in the past, if you get my drift. Apocalypse in 9/8 from Suppers Ready by Genesis will show you how jarring an odd time signature can be. That's mild compared to this song. Love you guys for exploring music so deeply.
🙌
I could'nt have said it better myself, thanks..
I heard this album in the early 1970s, quite soon after it was released. As far as I remember, I thought it was pretty weird, and it was some years before I decided that I actually liked it. I wouldn’t expect people to like it on first hearing-although apparently some manage to do so. I suspect the lyrics were chosen for their sonic effect rather than for their meaning-as with Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine”, for example (written by Syd Barrett).
To me the finest piece of music ever created 💚
Greatest prog rock composition of all time. Stunning. Thanks for sharing.
Yes was so important to my understanding of music. They're ambitious composers and skilled players. Close To The Edge is probably their greatest work, but it's not very accessible at first listen. I think you might enjoy Starship Troopers or And You And I for their more melodically straightforward approach. Thanks for the great reaction!
Good choices! I want to add, Ode to the Heart of the Sunrise.
Just the best band ever.......feel and experience first then pick it apart musically . Both brilliant .
I saw yes in the early 1970’s during the yesssongs tour, I was on the third row right in front of Steve Howe and they sounded just like the record no studio trickery. My favorite concert ever.
The album Yessongs was from two tours, Fragile and Close to the Edge.
As others will tell you, it's often better to listen to the entire album in the case of this one and Fragile.
It applies to a few albums by other groups, but this is a good sample to whet your appetite
I think you responded the way that was intended.
I’ve listened to this song hundreds of times. Brings tears to my eyes still. Such a joy watching people listening to it for the first time. Multiple listens actually increase the appreciation of the song.
Nothing like the first listen, but it might be too much to take in the first time. That’s why we’re concerned that you might not be ready for it.
Same here. Hundreds of listens, and I'm surprised every dang time when I get teary yet again. I often wonder if it has anything to do with my being a woman. I don't think I've known any men who get teary at it, though I'm sure some do. I know men who love opera will weep, but not sure about Yes.
I agree 100%....not a beginner Yes tune.... I think todays generation has a much harder time digesting this type of prog. I was 14 yo when it came out, and most of us were into Sabbath, Zep, etc. This stuff was on a different level, but man...what a time to be alive!
@@BoGardiner listened 1000s times over 50 years still get involuntary tears esp during “I get up” phase( the autonomic response is called frisson)
I like your response.
@@BoGardiner
Hey Bo! Dude here - Guilty 😢
A real Masterpiece, no age for this, ahead for its time, atemporal, sounds amazing now like the 1st day... I think this album goes beyond "prog rock", is just amazing... Thanks for the reaction!!!
I remember calling it art rock.
I dream of a day when students will be taught a class on the "classical" music of this genre much like we were taught the classics long ago, when Government deemed them worthwhile, or more accurately, when it isn't trying to rip apart the social fabric of the world.
They pull this off live almost identical to this complex suite of music. The 1973(?) live album 'Yessongs' is phenomenal and this track doesn't disappoint.
As many commenters have said, this song and most Yes material gets better with repeated listenings. Just now diving in ... I'M SO EXCITED !! 😊
Want to add that music like this requires patience. The wonderful thing about patience is that when you have mastered it, you don't need it anymore. That is, once you are a patient person, patience becomes part of who you are. So when someone tells you to be patient, you can say "I am," and know that you truly are.
Whenever I see young people about to take a listen to this, I think, "Oh, boy. Good luck." This is a major shift away from the familiar territory of today's watered-down, overly simplified structure composition, and instrumentation. However, for us old heads, this is what we grew up on. Yes has always been one of my favorite bands, saw them in concert several times. You're talking hall of famers at every instrument: Rick Wakeman keys, Steve Howe guitar, Bill Bruford drums, Chris Squire bass, and Joh Anderson vocals. One of the best bands to ever hit the planet. Keep going with them, you won't be disappointed.
When listening to Classic YES, they put out the canvas and paint, it up to you to paint that masterpiece. Use the notes, melody and accented words to take you on your personal life experience. So many of YES's masterpieces take you on different experiences. Nice reaction, I would recommend going back to Fragile and The Yes Album before going onto Awaken, Gates, and In The Presence Of, if you keep exploring the greatest band ever!
This is routinely at the top of everyone's "Top 10" or "Top 20" prog albums, with a Genesis album at #2 (usually Selling England by the Pound), although my #2 would be "Three Friends" by Gentle Giant. You're 100% right - this is a journey, just let it take you along. I actually really like the opening section; however, I can see that at first listen, it's a lot of technique to take in without being sure where it's going.
BTW - the title of the fourth section that got cut off in the TH-cam tool tip is "Seasons of Man".
Imagine this in a live concert. And YES are as perfect in live performance as on recordings. Amazing.
Regarding the lyrics of Yes: they are, like the music, expressionistic. With music we are more inclined to accept this, but with lyrics we find it difficult because we are used to concrete writings from our everyday experience. But this is about association and feeling.
I saw it live in 72.
I for one, don't like yes's sound live......I saw them back in '73 and was disappointed in the way they sounded, plus my favorite drummer Bruford had left the band. the only band that sounded just as good live for me was Jethro Tull and there are bands that sound better live than in studio.
You definitely have to listen at least a few times to let it grow on you. One of the greatest progrock tunes Btw, the organ is a real cathedral pipe organ. At the time there was a lot of infighting and discussion about the creation of this piece - which is a good thing - hearing the result. Jon Anderson is an instrumentalist in his own right.
In the "olden days," yes, we would put on an album and listen to music as an activity in itself. We would listen to an album all the way through, turn it over, and listen to the other side, and not do anything else other than look at the album art or make short comments on the music as it played.
Always think that this song and other long prog classics are a really difficult first reaction. Not only because they are complex and multifaceted but also because they are better heard without other stimuli. A comfortable sofa in the pitch black is a better setting to absorb the music. A bright room sat at a desk does not help(although clearly sitting in the dark would not work for a reaction) I thought you worked really hard to take it all in which is admirable but many of us are still picking out accents after listening to it for 50 years so it would be superhuman to capture it all in one listen. Nice effort though and I can guarantee that if you can bring yourself to listen in a more comfortable and chilled environment off camera you will continue to get something from this piece and many other longer pieces by Yes for many many more listens ahead.
Oh . . . you brave souls. This is not an easy song to wrap your head around in the first listen. Even as a big Yes fan, it took me several listens to start to "get it." I think you nailed it when you said it is an "experience." To this day, the end of the song gives me shivers as everything comes together. Thank you so much for doing this!
Well ! lol. keep in mind this was 1971 or 72 ! i was 17 and was in a half way house and was on condition with a curfew and looking for a job in the day time ! I was able to have a turn table and small amp with a headset and bought this Album. I then went to find me some acid ( window pain ) and lay on my bed and played this on Vinyl record and did a good trip the trip they give you ! that s the way you can enjoy it ! So i understood right away when you said people saying you re not ready for that ! Remember it was in 1973 it was not old music but i heard it on the radio before i bought it and had my trip ! might check out Yessongs best of albums ! Rick Wakeman onthe keyboards was exeptional ! I suggest listening to a french guy here in Quebec ! he did a Yes medley ! impressive. The real organ part he did on a real pipe organ in a church in Quebec ! Remember Quebec is more than 400 years old ! So Antoine Baril is the name you wanna check on this platform ! And Yes i m 100% french and learned English on the street. No books ! LoL. 😎now retired of 35 years of trucking ! My first highway truck i bought in 1986 a 1985 Mack truck ! it s the one on my logo here ! lol 🤠
Nothing like hopping into the deep end. Jon is spiritual, so you were spot on with your comment about a spiritual feeling. These types of Yes songs remind me of Alan Watts' _Getting Into the Meditative State_ . . . "And soon you will find that the outside world and the inside world come together. " No enhancing substances required ( although they may not hurt ). Repeated listening makes them "come together" even more. There are few(if any) songs today that will endure 50 years of repeated listening like this one will.
My 2 cents: It takes time to come to terms with this piece. The skills of the musicians are astounding. The entirety was based on Jon's reading of "Siddartha" by H Hesse and various other poets and texts. Siddartha too is a personal journey, much like the one each person gets from a few listens of this song. The first movement is about the chaos the hero is feeling, causing him to go on through a journey of renewal. The second is the search and realignment to lessons, the third (my fav) is an inward journey, and in the end, the hero finds himself down by the water...
You're spot on! Before you said it yourself, I was going to say that the problem people have when they first go into this song is that they are expecting a song. It's not really a song, it's more like a sonic experience/journey. To me it shares more features with a movie than a typical 3-4 minute pop song.
The beginning of "Close to the Edge" sounds discordant and/or dijointed to many people...but you have to remember the title of the beginning section..."The Solid Time of Change."
That explains the time and chord changes.
Once you get accustomed to it it all makes sense.
I listened to the entire album twice a day for almost 6 years straight and "CttE" is still my "go to" song whenever a buy a new stereo, whether for home or in a new SUV....if it sounds good it is what i will buy.
I still play "CttE" many times a year and STILL hear something new... esp if i run it thru an Equalizer.
The album before this one, Fragile, was a real eye-opener but Close To The Edge created an entire new music genre called "Progressive Rock" which introduced a lot of very well-known and famous bands. Anytime a band/album creates a whole new genre that's pretty impressive. And, oh, btw, don't even try to understand Jon Anderson's lyrics. He knows what they mean, but he's about it.
Best song...ever. From the best album...ever. By the best band...ever. Thanks for reacting to this!!! There's a bunch more great ones. The other 2 songs on this album are also great. And You and I is beautiful, and Siberian Khatru is a touch, just a touch, more "normal". :)
Nah it's bloated, self-indulgent and vastly overrated. In fact this "song" is insufferable, like Yes fans and prog fans in general.
@@Alix777.
@@stanleymerritt4722 yeah, that 12 year old seems like an entitled, semi-educated brat!
OOOh my god, reacting to the epic, legendary CLOSE TO THE EDGE !! beautiful
Great reaction! To experience/feel rather than trying to decipher is exactly right! A spiritual journey... absolutely!
Ladies and gentlemen YES the greatest show on earth. Close To The Edge a symphonic masterpiece. I only saw Squire and White 36 divine times.
36❗️👍😎
LOL. Couple of points. You’re right, this music is meant to be experienced. Most of the time, the words are meaningless or are there just because they fit into a theme or mood that Jon was trying to convey. With Yes in particular, don’t focus on the words. Phil, you were right when you said that if you wanted to know the definition of what Prog rock is, this is it. A blend of sounds, genres and emotions not heard in music up to that point. These albums were meant to be listened as a whole but of course you can’t do that. Try it again with Sam in a dark room, laying on the floor with your eyes closed. It will be a completely different experience. Thanks for tour thoughts and reaction. ❤😊
Just "Close your eyes and listen." As most of us Yes fans well know, Yes music requires the listener to immerse themselves, within the privacy of one's own head, and with repeated listenings; therefore to allow the music to carry you on a journey within one's own soul. With Peace and Love to all! (Michael)
I used to skip the start but bit by bit I came to love it, once you know it it makes sense and is actually a real ride.
One of many wonderful songs I grew up with. What a special time it was.
The musical structure is directly inspired from classical symphonies which often calls upon 3-4-5 movements and a few recurrinf themes. As for the lyrics, they really add a new dimension to the music as they are always very deep and very wortth reading; this said, Close to the Edge is inspired from Hermann Hesse's Siddharta telling the sotry of a young men in searhc of the meaning life and its own path in it. At the time of the production of the labum in 1970; the recording costs amounted to 125,000. $ US
The lyrics refer to a revelation of life’s journey. There’s seasons that occur and, you get up and down through them. So, just let them pass you by and be grateful for it all. It’s got a spiritual connection. Therefore the big church organs as, in ceremonies of life or death. Our lives have many different paths or rhythms. Some groove and others not quite yet, we’ll enjoy it all.
They are different movements. It is similar to the way many classical pieces are composed. Each part seems like a different song, but it is a pat of one big piece of music. There will also be refrains, where you return to earlier parts, maybe in a slightly different form.
And before you know it the different "sections" are playing at the same time
Starship Trooper or Heart of the Sunrise are my favorite yes songs. Went to this tour in 75 in Detroit. Had an awesome stage.....
You start with nature and intellectual chaos ensues. You get taken on a mental change of state close to the edge and finally returned to a natural state. This is what Prog is all about. Master musicians inducing both harmony and chaos with your mental universe and bringing you back changed.
YES!! The greatest band there ever was or will ever be!🤩
Try "And You And I" & Siberian Khatru" from the same album. Also the album "Tales from Topographic Oceans".
Great reaction. You understand the lyrics perfectly.👍🙂
This piece could help you get over your addiction to BEAT. Beat is pretty much all there is to today’s music. Let’s drink beer and jump up and down. Boom Boom Boom. Woo Hoo. Why do we have to have a beat? Maybe bc that’s what computers are good at? Don’t blame this on drugs. Heaven forbid we reopen our brains. From the 50 thousand foot view it looks like we’ve entered a music dark ages. Saw this band twice 70s & 2000. Most artistic group. Really unparalleled musicians. Truly remarkable artistry. Do something for yourself go see an orchestra or better yet an opera. Pick a good one by good players.
When you get a chance you should watch the live version from the Yessongs movie. It's pretty cool to see a group of musicians to be so on the same page to be able to create and perform this music!
Will always sound fresh , never tire of it .
And on the same album--And You and I. What an album. (And as someone else has already said, don't dwell on the lyrics. Jon Anderson just put together words that sounded good.)
Not sure if this has been mentioned further down in the comments but the organ breaks are played on the pipe organ at St Giles-without-Cripplegate church in Barbican, London.
The greatest band of them all.
This piece was according to Steve Howe inspired by the jazz rock of Mahavishnu Orchestra.
The transitions were down to Wakeman's classical training. The rest of the band were self taught although Chris Squire had been in a church choir. Bill Bruford left the band shortly after this and didn't play CTTE live for twenty years. Alan White had three days to learn the band's huge repertoire.
I lived the days when radio played the whole version. Our hangout was guys and girls and we smoked weed and were mellow like the band. The 70s was cool because of groups like YES and don’t forget Zeppelin
Was it In April 2017, Yes were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which chose to induct current and former members Anderson, Squire, Bruford, Kaye, Howe, Wakeman, White, and Rabin.I think Yes has movments like classical music.I'm a big fan.If you have the time have a look at Yes - Awaken - Live in Birmingham 2003 -.I think this is a masterpiece cheers both.
. . . Or even The Jon Anderson / Todmobile version of _Awaken_ . Both versions are good.
@@schuylersouthwell2554 Is that the concert in Iceland? If it is then that is great as well.
A yes song is like reading a good book with really interesting chapters
Rick Wakeman, the most important keyboard player, is the funniest guy in rock. I recommend you watch his speech being inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It’s the greatest induction speech ever.
Would love to had this one as an entire instrumental.
I've actually heard "Close to the Edge" with the vocals electronically removed. I believe it was so vocalists could learn to sing the song....or record their on vocals on another tape/CD....kind of like karaoke.
The best suggestion i can give you is to watch some songs in concert. There are a ton of them on y/t and online. I've seen 214 shows and they are the best musicians in the world❗️❗️❗️😎
👀👀
Even rock listeners back then were often already familiar with the multiple movements in concertos or symphonies from classical music and some jazz too. This is still unusual music back in the day, but because younger listeners are less familiar with classical music and jazz it's even more alien today.
It's a group of superstars All showing their talent it's my favorite band since 1972 when I first heard them I was 13 years old
the best prog rock song EVER