Year: 1972
Country: United Kingdom
Running time: 18 mins. 40 secs.
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Had this top 20 been voted for by a large number of prog fans instead of only myself, I believe the most likely #1 would have been one of two alternatives. One of them is Close to the Edge, by Yes, which I have dared to place sixth. I think it would have been the less likely winner in a general poll as well. The more likely poll winner, then... we'll come back to it a little higher on the list, so please be patient. But if you are an enlightened progressive rock fan, you can probably guess which song by which artist or group I am referring to.
The fourth and fifth studio album by Yes, both released in 1972, seem to be widely considered their greatest works. The earlier one, Fragile is a collection of shorter songs, although it is concluded with Heart of the Sunrise which is over ten minutes long. Close to the Edge, on the other hand, employs solely the longer format. Side A of the vinyl release contains the nearly 19-minute title track, and side B has two approximately 10-minute songs - much the same way as Relayer (1974) did later on.
Once again, a progressive composition ends the same way it began: in this case, with sound effects from nature. We hear a river running and birds singing. This sets up a special, peaceful and lyrical mood for the song itself. According to singer Jon Anderson, Close to the Edge the song is based on the book Siddhartha, by Hermann Hesse and is about spiritual awakening.
Composition-wise, Close to the Edge is close to perfection. Yes is working at the peak of their talents and can both create unforgettable melodies and also play them in virtuoso fashion in spite of the complicatedness of some of its passages. Yet the group's perfection doesn't seem sterile or alienating to the listener. Like on Fragile, Yes is still a rock band at heart and Close to the Edge sounds like most of it could be played in a club in front of a cheering crowd.
The most important exception to this is Rick Wakeman's church organ that would feel out of place in a club. About two thirds of the composition in, he performs probably the most memorable organ sequence in any Yes album. Wakeman's keyboards have an exceptionally strong presence on this track in particular.
This turned out the be the last album with the five key members present. The people who belonged to this dream team were, in addition to Anderson and Wakeman, guitarist Steve Howe, bass guitarist Chris Squire and drummer Bill Bruford. Soon after completing Close to the Edge, Bruford left the group to join King Crimson (see #10). Following the next studio album Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973), Wakeman left as well.
Close to the Edge remains a towering achievement and pinnacle of the Bruford-era Yes, showing for once what amazing results a progressive rock group can achieve at the height of their creativity. The album has enjoyed immense popularity among prog fans and many select it to be the best prog album ever made. This is in no small measure due to its title track. Here you can find one such poll, where Close to the Edge the album is holding the first place at the time of this writing: ProgArchives Top Prog Albums
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