Music Monday: Yes/Close to the Edge (Side One)

Well now we have reached the point where Yes is well established and start to expand their horizons. They have progressed to the point where some of their songs have gotten longer and longer (Heart of the Sunrise was over 10 minutes). This time, they created a piece of music that took up the entire length of side one. But first, the album cover:

This Day in Music History: Yes/Close to the Edge (09/13)

Close to the Edge is the fifth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on this day in 1972 on Atlantic Records.

It peaked at #3 in the United States and #4 in the United Kingdom. The album is certified Platinum by the RIAA for selling over one million copies. It contains only three "songs": the multi-movement title track which covers all of side one, with "And You And I", and "Siberian Khatru" on the B-side.

Close to the Edge is ranked #1 in Prog Archives's top album list, with an average rank of 4.65 stars. It is considered by many the greatest prog album of all time.

I have previously covered this album in more depth in these posts: Side One, Side Two

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Friday and the Random Ten (Chris Squire Edition)

It was a sad week in music for me as Chris Squire, bass player extraordinaire for my favorite band YES, passed away suddenly from Leukemia at the age of 67. Since he was the only member who played on every album, this week's randomness will center solely on their music. Even though the Top 10 list from last week sent them to Exile Island, I am going to flip that around as the only music to be featured this week. It's my tribute to a great musician.

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Monthly Review (August 2013)

I thought I would give everyone a run down of the 10 most popular posts from this past month (in case you are new to my blog, or just plain missed a post).

The Revealing Science of God (Dance of the Dawn)

Tales From Topographic Oceans (Side 1)

I'm not even sure where to begin on this album. The most obvious part of it is the size. When Yes used a whole album side for one song on Close to the Edge, it wasn't that drastic. Other groups had done it before (ELP for instance). But a double album with only four (!) songs? Each side has one composition and this is where a lot of Yes fans jumped off the bandwagon. It was too much. It was over-indulgent. It was a lot of nonsense.

It is a complete masterpiece, which one doesn't listen to, but experiences.

I love this album. I think it was the best work Yes ever did. It is awesome and mysterious. The lyrics are magical and mystical. The music is perfect. It takes you to a place far away and through time. Cosmic is the best description. I mean just look at Roger Dean's cover:

The constellations in the sky are the Zodiac signs of all the band members. The pyramid of Chichen Itza in the distance has a monkey in front of it that's the same design as the one on the Nazca plane.



The rock formations are from various locations in England, including Avebury and Stonehenge.

There is even a reference to Easter Island:

But the coolest thing to me is the fish, or at least one of them. Besides the fact that they seem to be swimming in air (especially since there is water flowing from the rocks in the middle), they are all alike except one towards the bottom. That fish is a coelacanth. These fish are called "living fossils" because they basically haven't evolved in millions of years. They still exist live, but they have also been found in fossil form. Did you notice the rock?

 I could go on forever about why I love this album cover. Doesn't it make you wonder what's inside though? You're expecting something magnificent and that's what you get. The album is based on the four Shastric scriptures of middle eastern philosophy, which is probably why it gets lost on everyone.

SHRUTIS: The Revealing Science of God can be seen as an ever-opening flower in which simple truths emerge examining the complexities and magic of the past and how we should not forget the song that has been left to us to hear. The knowledge of God is a search, constant and clear.

The Revealing Science of God: Dance of the Dawn

Music Monday/Close to the Edge (Side 2)

Side 1 of CTTE was the title track that took up the entire side of the album. You can listen to that here, and also check out the lyrics over there to the right. Side 2 only contains two songs in itself. If you think only three songs on an entire album is weird, wait until next time when there's only four songs on a DOUBLE album, one on each side. But I digress...

When you unfold the outward cover of the album, this is what you find inside. More beautiful artwork from Roger Dean. I've read where this depicts a part of the planet from the Fragile cover as it's breaking apart. Another fantastic image.

Now onto the music:

1) And You and I - Another song with multiple parts. It describes Martin Luther (sad preacher nailed upon the colored door of time) and what I believe is a reference to Isaac Asimov's Foundation series (as a foundation left to create the spiral aim). Also, TV producer and writer Joss Whedon allegedly named his production company Mutant Enemy Productions after the line in this song (they'll be no mutant enemy that we shall certify).

I. Cord of Life

The song opens with Steve Howe tuning his guitar, and his voice can be heard at the beginning of the track, then playing mostly natural harmonics, played around what will become the central melody, using a 12-string acoustic guitar which quickly forms into a simple chord progression over distant organ chords. Then, the Moog enters for a simple solo, presenting a subsequent phrase, albeit differently arranged. The vocals begin at about 1:40. The line "All Complete in the sight of seeds of life with you" is sung, which is repeated throughout the song. At about 2:50, there's an distinct change: Anderson sings a sharper melody, accompanied by a second vocal track by Anderson harmonizing with himself, plus Chris Squire and Steve Howe providing a counter-melody and alternate lyrics.

II. Eclipse (Beginning at 3:47)

"Eclipse" is the slowest part of the song based on a measured and deliberate melody reminiscent of Sibelius. It is led by Rick Wakeman's epic Mellotron and Minimoog synthesizer. The lyrics are all from the first stanza of "The Cord of Life", but are sung in a different melody, which is also epic and slightly sad. Finally ending with the 12-string acoustic guitar leading into "The Preacher, The Teacher".

III. The Preacher, The Teacher (Beginning at 6:16)

The melody and lyrical structure is very similar (for the most part) to that of "The Cord of Life", with some variations. The exception is that "The Preacher, The Teacher" has a fast synthesizer solo by Rick Wakeman at one point during the song. The last stanza again consists of lines from "The Cord of Life", now sung in a different order and a completely different mood. At 8:34 there is a reprise of the previous section "Eclipse", which lasts until 9:12. The section ends with a cadenza-like orchestral statement, on Mellotron and Moog, reminiscent of neo-Wagnerian compositions from Strauss or Bruckner.

IV. Apocalypse (Beginning at 9:26)

"Apocalypse" is the shortest piece of the song, only about 40 seconds long, it consists only of four lines, accompanied only by Howe's guitars. The lyrics are taken from "Cord of Life", but are sung in the key of B, making them more upbeat:

And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning.

And you and I reach over the sun for the river.

And you and I climb, clearer, towards the movement.

And you and I called over valleys of endless seas.

 2) Siberian Khatru - Shortest song on the album at 8:55. Pretty straightforward with the usual cosmic lyrics. Even to this day I don't know what a khatru is.

And that's it for Close to the Edge. Three cosmic songs that you have to really listen to over and over, especially because two of them contain multiple parts. To many, this was Yes at their peak and this album is considered their crowning achievement. I would put it behind the album that is coming next week. Until then...

Sound Chaser

This is a song that was recorded around the time of Fragile and/or Close to the Edge. I've already covered Fragile, here Side 1 and here Side 2. America shows up as bonus tracks in different versions on both of the re-mastered albums. It was another one of those songs taken by the band and "Yesified". The original is by Simon and Garfunkel and lasts 3:38. The Yes version is slightly longer at 10:32!

 

P.S. And do not forget to recommend this blog continues.

My Top 10 Favorite YES Album Covers

10) 90125 (1983)

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9) Classic Yes (1981)

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8) YesYears (1991)

Yellow City by Roger Dean

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7) Union (1991)

The Guardians by Roger Dean

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6) Close to the Edge (1972)

Inside cover (unfolded)

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5) Drama (1980)

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4) Relayer (1974)

Unfolded

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3) Fragile (1972)

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2) Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (1989)

Blue Desert by Roger Dean

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1) Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973)

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