Editing Close to the Edge (section)

=== Side one ===
"[[Close to the Edge (song)|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 No. 6 (Sibelius)|Symphony Nos. 6]] and [[Symphony No. 7 (Sibelius)|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",<ref name=BCB19>{{cite web|url=https://bestclassicbands.com/jon-anderson-interview-3-26-19/|title=Jon Anderson Interview? Yes, Indeed|date=26 March 2019|publisher=Best Classic Bands|first=Greg|last=Brodsky|access-date=3 May 2019}}</ref> itself inspired when he had lived in [[Battersea]], an area beside the [[River Thames]].<ref name=somethingelse2013>{{cite web|url=http://somethingelsereviews.com/2013/04/24/something-else-interview-steve-howe-on-jon-davison-playing-classic-albums-and-a-renewed-solo-focus/|title=Yes' Steve Howe on Jon Davison, performing classic LPs, a renewed solo focus: Something Else! Interview|date=24 April 2013|first=Nick|last=Dersio|publisher=Something Else!|access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref> Anderson was inspired to base its theme and lyrics on ''[[Siddhartha (novel)|Siddhartha]]'' (1922) by German novelist [[Hermann Hesse]], and revised the song's lyrics "three or four" times, saying "it's all metaphors".<ref name=trackbytrack/> 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".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=36}}

The song's [[tape loop]] introduction, a combination of keyboard and nature sounds, including flowing water and bird chirps recorded on location,<ref name=rockcellar2017>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2017/01/12/rick-wakeman-interview-piano-portraits-yes-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-david-bowie/#sthash.sKeo1PtR.dpbs|title=Rick Wakeman: On 'Piano Portraits,' David Bowie, Yes in the Rock Hall of Fame and More (Q&A)|publisher=Rock Cellar Magazine|first=Ken|last=Sharp|access-date=16 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122175254/http://www.rockcellarmagazine.com/2017/01/12/rick-wakeman-interview-piano-portraits-yes-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-david-bowie/#sthash.sKeo1PtR.dpbs|archive-date=22 January 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> measured approximately 40 feet in length and took two days to record.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=122}} 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]].<ref name=trackbytrack>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/jon-anderson-talks-yes-close-to-the-edge-track-by-track-567900|title=Jon Anderson talks Yes' Close to the Edge track-by-track|date=2 December 2012|first=Joe|last=Bosso|publisher=MusicRadar|access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref>{{sfn|Popoff|2016|p=35}} 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.{{sfn|Kirkman|2016|p=39}} The track was assembled in pieces throughout, as Bruford described, "in ten, twelve, sixteen-bar sections".{{sfn|Bruford|2009|p=56}} 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.<ref name=guitarworld>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/steve-howe-talks-vintage-and-line-6-guitars-and-new-yes-album-heaven-earth?page=1|title=Yes Guitarist Steve Howe Discusses the Making of 'Fragile' and 'Close to the Edge'|date=10 October 2014|publisher=GuitarWorld|access-date=24 September 2016}}</ref>

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 [[Solstice|longest day of the year]]. Anderson and Howe agreed this section fit best with an Anderson composition titled "Total Mass Retain", thus joining the two ideas together.{{sfn|Hedges|1982|p=68}} Howe had prepared another song, of which its [[middle eight]] was adapted into the "In her white lace" section of "I Get Up, I Get Down".{{sfn|Hedges|1982|p=69}}<ref name=trackbytrack/> Wakeman's organ solo was written by Howe for the guitar originally, but he thought the arrangement sounded better on the organ.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=36}} It is played on the [[pipe organ]] at [[St Giles-without-Cripplegate]] church in [[Barbican Estate|Barbican]], London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soundbard.com/total-5-1-mass-retain-steven-wilson-on-mixing-yes-close-to-the-edge-in-surround-sound/|title=Total 5.1 Mass Retain: Steven Wilson on Mixing Yes' Close to the Edge in Surround Sound|first=Mike|last=Mettler|date=26 February 2014|publisher=The SoundBard|access-date=23 September 2016}}</ref> The band produced a take of the section after the church organ solo that they were satisfied with, but when it came to inserting it into the final mix, Offord had inserted the take he thought was the right one and placed the good take in the bin of scrapped tape. The result caused a noticeable tape edit that had to stay in the mix as the task of reproducing the sound exactly would have been a near impossibility.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=36}} Anderson sings the final verses in G minor, which had to be scaled down to F on stage due to the strain on his voice.<ref name=YWDisc>{{cite web|url=http://yesworld.com/discography/close-to-the-edge/|title=Close to the Edge – by Sid Smith|first=Sid|last=Smith|publisher=YesWorld|date=August 2013|access-date=6 December 2021}}</ref>