Close to the Edge
Close to the Edge | ||||
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Eddie Offord | ||||
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Close to the Edge is the fifth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 8 September 1972 by Atlantic Records. It is their last album of the 1970s to feature original drummer Bill Bruford, who found the album particularly laborious to make and felt unable to contribute better ideas, which influenced his decision to join King Crimson once recording had finished.
After scoring a commercial and critical hit with
Close to the Edge became the band's greatest commercial success at the time of release, reaching No. 4 in the UK and No. 3 in the US, where it sold over one million copies. The 1972-1973 tour comprised over 90 dates worldwide and marked the debut of drummer Alan White, who joined the band three days before it started. It was reissued in 1994, 2003, and 2013; the latter includes previously unreleased tracks and new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes. Close to the Edge has since received widespread critical acclaim; in 2020, it ranked 445th on Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[5]
Background
By 1972, Yes had settled with a line-up of lead vocalist
Recording
By June 1972, Yes had worked out songs for the album and returned to Advision to record it.[11] Eddy Offord, who had worked with Yes since Time and a Word (1970) and had mixed their live sound on the Fragile tour, assumed his role as audio engineer and producer, sharing his production duties with the band.[6] Having worked on the band's live sound, Offord wished to recreate, in the studio, the high feeling the band had on nights when they performed well in concert. To attempt this, he got their road crew to construct a large stage in the studio for the band to perform on; he noted that Bruford's drums resonated with the wooden platform and made the band sound "more live".[9] The studio also housed a booth-like structure constructed of wooden boards which Howe performed in to enhance his sound further.[12] In one incident, the band decided to use a particular take for a track, but realised that the studio's cleaning staff had put the tape in the rubbish. A scramble in the bins outside the studio ensued, and the missing piece was found and inserted into the master.[10] Around halfway through recording, Anderson decided to walk home from the studio after one exhausting session ended at dawn. He broke down in tears upon arriving, because he decided that he could "officially call myself a musician now", and wrote it on the occupation section of his passport which he had previously left blank until that point.[13]
During their month at Advision, Melody Maker reporter and band biographer Chris Welch paid a visit to observe the group at work. Welch described a stressful atmosphere, coupled with "outbursts of anarchy" from Bruford, Howe, and Wakeman and disagreement from each member after one mix of a song section was complete.[11] Welch sensed that the band were not a cohesive unit, with Anderson and Howe the only ones who knew what direction the album was to take, leaving the rest adding bits and pieces "to a vast jigsaw of sound", to which Squire and Offord were the two who helped put their idea into shape. Wakeman and Bruford, to Welch, remained "innocent bystanders" in the matter.[11] In one instance, Welch arrived at the studio to hear a preview of a completed passage that took several days of round-the-clock work to produce. He heard a dull thud, to find that Offord had fallen asleep on top of the mixing console from exhaustion, "leaving music from the spinning tape deck blaring at an intolerable level".[14] Howe later disagreed with Welch's description, and said his report might have been based on Bruford's comments at the time. Howe said that the main source of tension was between Squire and Bruford, particularly when Squire suggested that Bruford alter his drumming to accommodate bass parts that Squire wanted to play.[15]
Bruford found Close to the Edge particularly difficult to write and record with the rest of the band, calling the process torturous and like "climbing
Songs
Side one
"Close to the Edge" was written by Anderson and Howe, both of whom also share lyrical credits. Its 18-minute length marked the longest track Yes had recorded at the time. Anderson gained initial inspiration from a moment in his hotel room during the Fragile Tour when he was reading The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien while listening to Symphony Nos. 6 and 7 by Jean Sibelius, one of his favourite composers. The seventh struck Anderson the most as he noticed that its main theme was introduced some time in the composition which influenced how "Close to the Edge" was shaped. He studied No. 7 for the remainder of the tour; roughly halfway, he discussed his initial ideas with Howe. During a break the two resumed writing at Howe's home in Hampstead, north London, at which point Howe devised the lyric "Close to the edge, round by the corner",[20] itself inspired when he had lived in Battersea, an area beside the River Thames.[21] Anderson was inspired to base its theme and lyrics on Siddhartha (1922) by German novelist Hermann Hesse, and revised the song's lyrics "three or four" times, saying "it's all metaphors".[22] The lyrics for the concluding verse were based on a dream he once had about the "passing on from this world to another... yet feeling so fantastic about it that death never frightened me ever since".[23]
The song's tape loop introduction, a combination of keyboard and nature sounds, including flowing water and bird chirps recorded on location,[24] measured approximately 40 feet in length and took two days to record.[7] Anderson was inspired to include the bird sounds, and the instrumental section in "I Get Up, I Get Down", from hearing Sonic Seasonings (1972), an electronic ambient album by Wendy Carlos.[22][25] Anderson suggested starting with an improvised group jam, which the group saw as adventurous and is one of the reasons why the band comes in out of nowhere on the final take.[26] The track was assembled in pieces throughout, as Bruford described, "in ten, twelve, sixteen-bar sections".[8] Its introduction came about after the band had toured with fusion group Mahavishnu Orchestra; someone in the band suggested having the piece open with improvisation with pre-arranged pauses.[27]
The music played during the "Close to the edge, round by the corner" section was originally a same-titled song that Howe had put together several years prior, in part based on the
Side two
"
"
Artwork
Close to the Edge was packaged with a gatefold sleeve designed and illustrated by Roger Dean, who had also designed the cover for Fragile (1971). It marked the first appearance of the band's bubble logotype, placed on top of a simple front cover design of a linear colour gradient from black to green.[6] Dean came up with the logo without the band's knowledge and before they had started work on Close to the Edge. He sketched it out during a train journey from London to Brighton with the idea that the three letters could be put together "in an interesting way". Upon Dean's arrival in Brighton, he had finished it. Dean pitched the idea of having the title lettering silver-blocked like a traditional book but it never materialised.[38] Dean's logo has been described as a "calligraphed colophon".[2]
In his original design, Dean wanted the album to resemble the quality of a gold embossed book and have a leather texture as he had owned many leather-bound sketchbooks.
Release
Close to the Edge was released on 8 September 1972 in the UK and on 13 September 1972 in the US,
Yes released "And You and I" as a two-part single in the United States in October 1972.[50] In the United Kingdom, the song was released in its entirety with "Roundabout" on its B-side.[51] It peaked at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the United States for the week of 16 December 1972.[52] A single edit of "Total Mass Retain" was released as the B-side to the group's non-album single, a rendition of "America" made famous by Simon & Garfunkel, released on 17 July 1972.[53]
Reception and legacy
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [61] |
Close to the Edge received favourable reviews among critics at the time of release in magazines and newspapers.
Henry Medoza opened his review for The San Bernardino Sun with: "Not since ... Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has there been one side on an album that expressed such a complete and exciting a musical thought as side one", and thought it presented the group with a new level of sophistication. He praised the group's vocal harmonies and Bruford's "deep irregular bass drum" on the opening of the title track, but picked its third section as the most interesting with the trading vocals, Wakeman's "dream-like" and "powerful" organ playing. Mendoza described side two as more "uninspiring" than the first, but praised the vocals and harmonies on both tracks, noting they sound like its own instrument on "Siberian Khatru".[65] The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal printed another positive review by Jon Clemens. He called the title track a "virtual sound trip", moving "quickly, loudly, in a frenzy" that "contrasts brilliantly" during "I Get Up, I Get Down", and praises the vocals during the section. Clemens thought highly of Howe and Wakeman's interplay throughout, but thought the group's tendency to change tempo frequently risks distracting the listener.[66] For the San Mateo Times, Peter J. Barsocchini thought the album is "good in concept and performance", with the title track "quite likely the best piece of music" the band had recorded in its career. "And You and I", Barsocchini thought, is "an interesting meshing of acoustic and electronic music" that is "tightly, integrally produced". To him, "Siberian Khatru" was comparable to their Fragile album that does not further the group's sound like the album's other two cuts do.[67]
The album has continued to receive many positive retrospective reviews. In his review for
Reissues
In 1987, Close to the Edge was reissued by
In 2013, two new editions of the album were released.
Bruford's departure and tour
On 19 July 1972, once recording for the album was complete, Bruford left the band to join King Crimson. He offered to tour with the band for the remainder of the year, yet Howe wanted him to leave sooner as he no longer had the commitment. Howe later regretted his decision as he would have enjoyed playing the album live with Bruford at the time.[26] His replacement was Alan White of the Plastic Ono Band and Terry Reid's group. As he played on Close to the Edge but left before the subsequent tour, Bruford was obliged by management to share his album royalties with White and claims that Lane enforced a compensation payment of $10,000 from him for leaving.[75] Years later, White agreed to return his share of the royalties upon Bruford's request.[76] The band embarked on their largest yet world tour to promote the album. White had one full rehearsal with the band prior to the tour's start on 30 July 1972, which saw the band play a total of 95 concerts in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. The tour ended in April 1973.[77] Recordings from the tour, both film and audio, were released on the band's first live album, Yessongs (1973), and concert film of the same name, filmed at the Rainbow Theatre in London and released in 1975.[78][79]
Track listing
Details are taken from the 1972 UK Atlantic album liner notes; other releases may show different information.[6]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Close to the Edge"
| Steve Howe | Anderson, Howe | 18:43 |
Total length: | 18:43 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "And You and I"
| Anderson | Anderson, Bill Bruford, Chris Squire, Howe (except "Eclipse") | 10:12 |
2. | "Siberian Khatru" | Anderson | Anderson, Howe, Rick Wakeman | 8:56 |
Total length: | 19:08 37:51 |
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
4. | " America" (Single Version) | Paul Simon | Simon | 4:12 |
5. | "Total Mass Retain" (Single Version) | 3:21 | ||
6. | "And You and I" (Alternative Version) | 10:17 | ||
7. | "Siberia" (Studio Run-through of Siberian Khatru) | 9:19 | ||
Total length: | 1:04:59 (64:59) |
Personnel
Yes
- Jon Anderson – lead vocals
- Steve Howe – guitars, Coral electric sitar,[80] steel guitar, backing vocals
- Chris Squire – bass, backing vocals
- Rick Wakeman – acoustic and electric pianos, Hammond organ, Minimoog synthesizer, Mellotron, harpsichord, pipe organ on "Close to the Edge" ("I Get Up, I Get Down")
- Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
Production
- Yes – production
- Eddie Offord– engineer, production
- Mike Dunne – tapes
- Roger Dean – cover, photography
- Martin Adelman – photography
- Brian Lane– co-ordinator
Charts
Chart (1972) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[81] | 21 |
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[82] | 7 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[83] | 1 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[84] | 36 |
Finnish Albums ( Finnish Albums Chart)[85]
|
20 |
Italian Albums ( Musica e Dischi)[86]
|
14 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[87] | 16 |
UK Albums (OCC)[88] | 4 |
US Billboard 200[89] | 3 |
Chart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[90] | 18 |
5 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[92] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[93] | Platinum | 300,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[94] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
References
- ^ "Yes Discography".
- ^ a b c Welch 2008, p. 120.
- ^ Howe 2020, p. 91.
- ^ Macan 1997, p. 116.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Close to the Edge (UK LP liner notes). Yes. Atlantic Records. 1972. K 50012.
{{cite AV media notes}}
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- ^ a b Bruford 2009, p. 56.
- ^ a b c Morse 1996, p. 35.
- ^ a b c Bruford 2009, p. 57.
- ^ a b c Welch 2008, p. 123.
- ^ a b c Morse 1996, p. 39.
- ^ Prasad, Anil (2005). "Jon Anderson: Harmonic Engagement". Innerviews. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 124.
- ^ a b Steve Howe (Interview): Close to the Edge. Classic Album Review. May 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b Morse 1996, p. 34.
- ^ a b c d Morse 1996, p. 40.
- ^ a b Morse 1996, p. 37.
- ^ Morse 1996, p. 121.
- ^ Brodsky, Greg (26 March 2019). "Jon Anderson Interview? Yes, Indeed". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ Dersio, Nick (24 April 2013). "Yes' Steve Howe on Jon Davison, performing classic LPs, a renewed solo focus: Something Else! Interview". Something Else!. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bosso, Joe (2 December 2012). "Jon Anderson talks Yes' Close To The Edge track-by-track". MusicRadar. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ a b c Morse 1996, p. 36.
- ^ Sharp, Ken. "Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A)". Rock Cellar Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
- ^ Popoff 2016, p. 35.
- ^ a b Kirkman 2016, p. 39.
- ^ "Yes Guitarist Steve Howe Discusses the Making of 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge'". GuitarWorld. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
- ^ Hedges 1982, p. 68.
- ^ Hedges 1982, p. 69.
- ^ Mettler, Mike (26 February 2014). "Total 5.1 Mass Retain: Steven Wilson on Mixing Yes' Close to the Edge in Surround Sound". The SoundBard. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d Smith, Sid (August 2013). "Close to the Edge - by Sid Smith". YesWorld. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jon (11 November 1972). Disc 5, track 5 on Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two. Anderson's introduction to "And You and I" (CD). Rhino Records. 081227956417.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 125.
- ^ Metzler, Pam (14 August 1972). "YES performs at Convention Hall". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2 December 2021 – via Forgotten Yesterdays.
- ^ Stewart, Tony (15 July 1972). "Yes on edge". New Musical Express. pp. 8–9 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Rice, Tom (27 May 2022). "Yes 'Close to the Edge' 50th Anniversary – Steve Howe Exclusive Interview". Gear4Music. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "John Frusciante Interview". Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
- ^ a b Smith, Sid (17 October 2016). "Roger Dean: How I designed the Yes classic Close To The Edge". Team Rock. Retrieved 9 September 2017.
- ^ Tiano, Mike (2008). "NFTE #308: Conversation with Roger Dean from 3 September 2008". Notes from the Edge. Archived from the original on 2 November 2008. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ Goldberg, Michael Alan (31 July 2013). "Roger Dean Is the Most Important Person in Yes Who Actually Isn't in Yes". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
- ^ Brodsky, Greg (21 October 2015). "Roger Dean Interview: Getting Close To The Edge". Best Classic Bands. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
- ^ Rowe, Jeri (23 April 2004). "Roger Dean: The artist behind the music". Greensboro News-Record.
- ^ "allmusic". AllMusic.
- AllMusic. Retrieved 19 May 2006.
- ^ "Official Charts Company – Yes Close to the Edge". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Netherlands chart info – Yes Close to the Edge". ultratop.be. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
- ^ "Record Roundup". New Musical Express. 16 September 1972. p. 4 – via ProQuest.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Yes – Close to the Edge". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ Solomon, Linda (2 December 1972). "Yes make Gold, Ringo hires Cheech & Chong". New Musical Express. p. 33 – via ProQuest.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 311.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 312.
- AllMusic. Retrieved 19 May 2006.
- ^ Close to the Edge [2003 Remastered and Expanded Version] (CD liner notes). Rhino Records. 1972. 8122-73790-2.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved 18 March 2004.
- ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 9 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ Dahlen, Chris; Leon, Dominque; Tangari, Joe (8 February 2004). "Yes The Yes Album / Fragile / Close to the Edge / Tales from Topographic Oceans / Relayer / Going for the One / Tormato / Drama / 90125 > Album Reviews". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 April 2005.
- ^ Cromelin, Richard (9 November 1972). "Yes Close to the Edge > Album Review". Rolling Stone. No. 121. Archived from the original on 14 December 2006. Retrieved 4 March 2005.
- ^ Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (Editors). The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 424.
- ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
- ^ Warburg, Jason (2019). "The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Close to the Edge". dailyvault.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ISBN 978-0195313734.
- ^ MacDonald, Ian (2 September 1972). "Meaningless magnificence from Yes?". New Musical Express. p. 15 – via ProQuest.
- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Cashbox. 23 September 1972. p. 24. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Billboard Pick: Pop: YES: Close To The Edge". Billboard. 7 October 1972.
- ISBN 0-7043-8036-6.
- ^ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
- ^ "The Top 50 Albums of All Time Page 4". Sound & Vision. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- Rolling Stone. 17 June 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
- ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ "The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time: 20-1". 6 August 2014.
- ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023.
- ^ Welch 2008, p. 126.
- ^ Shteamer, Hank (29 October 2019). "Bill Bruford on His Ups and Downs With Yes and King Crimson, Life After Retirement". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- ^ Watkinson 2000, p. 106.
- ^ Watkinson 2000, p. 108.
- ^ Yessongs (CD liner notes), Atlantic Records, 1973, K 60045
- ISBN 9780785835721. Retrieved 6 September 2018., page 40
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4224". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Yes – Close to the Edge" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961: Y > Yes" (in Finnish). Sisältää hitin / Timo Pennanen. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- Musica e Dischi(in Italian). Retrieved 28 June 2023. Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Yes".
- ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Yes Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Canadian album certifications – Yes – Close to the Edge". Music Canada.
- ^ "British album certifications – Yes – Close to the Edge". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Yes – Close to the Edge". Recording Industry Association of America.
Bibliography
- Macan, Edward (1997). Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture. Oxford University Press. p. 116. ISBN 9780199880096.
- ISBN 9781906002237.
- Hedges, Dan (1982). Yes: An Authorized Biography. Sidgwick & Jackson. ISBN 978-0-283-98751-9.
- ISBN 978-1-785581-79-3.
- Kirkman, Jon (2016). Yes: Dialogue. Stereo33 Books. ISBN 978-0-9955236-1-6.
- Morse, Tim (1996). Yesstories: "Yes" in Their Own Words. St Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0-312-14453-1.
- ISBN 978-0-993-21202-4.
- Watkinson, David (2000). Yes: Perpetual Change: Thirty Years of Yes. Plexus. ISBN 0-85-965-297-1.
- ISBN 978-1-847-72132-7.
External links
- Official album website at YesWorld