Original

I never got around to buying the Close To The Edge album. You didn’t make much money from a paper route in the early 70’s, and since I was saving for a bike I didn’t buy any records for a while. When this three record set came out in May of 1973 it had all three songs from that record on it so I never felt the need to buy it after that. The cover has a unique design,. From the front it’s a tri-fold cover and from the back it opens like a gatefold cover making it possible for three two panel paintings by Roger Dean. It also came with a booklet of band photos from the tour. Most were recorded in late ’72 with new drummer Alan White but two tracks recorded in February of that year feature Bill Bruford who left during the tour to join King Crimson. The record opens with The Firebird Suite a classical recording they use as their entrance music. It goes right into “Siberian Khatru” a great rocker and another of my favorite Yes songs. Most are played pretty close the the album versions but they do some extended jamming on “Perpetual Change” with a drum solo by Bruford, “The Fish” with some great bass work by Chris Squire and “Yours Is No Disgrace”. “Close To The Edge” takes up all of side five at nearly 19 minutes. Rick Wakeman does some keyboard improvisations on “Excerpts From The Six Wives Of Henry VIII” his solo album. “Heart Of The Sunrise”, “And You And I”, “Roundabout”, ” “I’ve Seen All Good People” and “Starship Trooper” are also played. The records sound well played ( and they were) with a few skips and lots of surface noise. I’m hesitant to buy a reissue because I’ve had bad luck with them. Would rather find a used one from the 70’s. I have seen yes in concert 6 times, the first in 1975, the Frampton /Yes concert at JFK in 1976 and the first In The Round show in 1978. The last in 2008 with a line-up of Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Alan White, a Young Jon Anderson replacement and Rick Wakeman’s son on keyboards. Some form of the band is still touting today.