Yes - Close To The Edge (40th Anniversary)

Close To The Edge, the band's follow-up to the 1971 smash album Fragile, has been called the greatest progressive rock album of all time, and with good reason. It was released in September 1972 by Atlantic Records, and is their last album of the 1970s to feature their original drummer Bill Bruford.

After scoring a commercial and critical success with Fragile and touring the album, Yes regrouped to prepare material for a follow-up, ideas for which had been put down some months before. The album's centrepiece is the 18-minute title track, with themes and lyrics inspired by the Herman Hesse novel Siddhartha.

Side B features two non-conceptual tracks, the folk-inspired "And You and I" and the comparatively straightforward rocker "Siberian Khatru". Bruford found the album particularly laborious to make, which culminated in his decision to quit the band after it was recorded, to join King Crimson.

Close to the Edge became the band's greatest commercial success at the time of release.

Heavyweight vinyl produced by Atlantic Records in 2012. Gatefold sleeve.

TRACKLISTING:

SIDE A: Close To The Edge

1. The Solid Time Of Change
2. Total Mass Retain
3. I Get Up I Get Down
4. Seasons Of Man

SIDE B: And You And I

5. Cord Of Life
6. Eclipse
7. The Preacher The Teacher
8. The Apocalypse
9. Siberian Khatru