Editing Close to the Edge

{{short description|1972 studio album by Yes}}
{{About}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Close to the Edge
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Yes (band)|Yes]]
| cover        = Yes-close.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = 
8 September 1972
| recorded     = April–June 1972{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=120}}{{sfn|Howe|2020|p=91}}
| studio       = [[Advision Studios|Advision]], London
| genre        = [[Progressive rock]]{{sfn|Macan|1997|p=116}}
| length       = 37:51
| label        = [[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]]
| producer     = {{hlist|Yes|[[Eddy Offord]]}}
| prev_title   = [[Fragile (Yes album)|Fragile]]
| prev_year    = 1971
| next_title   = [[Yessongs]]
| next_year    = 1973
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Close to the Edge
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[And You and I|And You and I (Part I) / (Part II)]]
 | single1date = 13 October 1972 (US)
}}
{{Extra album cover
| cover =Close to the Edge The Steven Wilson Remixes.jpg
| caption =Cover of the 2018 reissue of the [[Steven Wilson]] remix
| type =studio
}}
}}

'''''Close to the Edge''''' is the fifth studio album by English [[progressive rock]] band [[Yes (band)|Yes]], released in the UK on 8 September 1972<ref name=releasedateUK>{{cite web|url=http://forgotten-yesterdays.com/discography.asp?qrtypeid=1&ftype=1&qreleaseid=5|title=Yes Discography}}</ref> and in the US on 13 September 1972,<ref name=releasedateUS>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1977/CB-1977-09-17-OCR-Page-0058.pdf|title=Yes albums|magazine=Cash Box|page=30 Y26|date=17 September 1977|access-date=22 October 2024|via=World Radio History}}</ref> by [[Atlantic Records]]. It is their last album until ''[[Union (Yes album)|Union]]'' (1991) to feature original drummer [[Bill Bruford]], who found the album particularly laborious to make and felt unable to contribute better ideas, which influenced his decision to join [[King Crimson]] once recording had finished.

After scoring a critical and commercial hit with their previous album ''[[Fragile (Yes album)|Fragile]]'' (1971) and touring the album, Yes regrouped with producer and engineer [[Eddy Offord]] to record a follow-up. The album's centrepiece is the 18-minute [[Close to the Edge (song)|title track]], with lyrics inspired by the [[Hermann Hesse]] novel ''[[Siddhartha (novel)|Siddhartha]]''. Side two contains two non-conceptual tracks, the folk-inspired "[[And You and I]]" and the comparatively straightforward rocker "[[Siberian Khatru]]". The album's cover, designed by [[Roger Dean (artist)|Roger Dean]], marked the debut of the band's [[Yes bubble logo|"bubble" logo]].

''Close to the Edge'' became the band's greatest commercial success at the time of release, reaching No. 4 in the UK and No. 3 in the US, where it sold over one million copies. The album's [[Close to the Edge Tour|1972-1973 tour]] comprised over 90 dates worldwide and marked the debut of drummer [[Alan White (Yes drummer)|Alan White]], who joined the band three days before it started. It was reissued in 1994, 2003, and 2013; the latter release includes previously unreleased tracks and new stereo and [[5.1 surround sound]] mixes. ''Close to the Edge'' has since received widespread critical acclaim; in 2020, it was ranked 445th on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]".<ref name="RS">{{cite magazine |date=2020-09-22 |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/yes-close-to-the-edge-1062788/ |access-date=2022-03-14 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref>

== Background ==
By late 1971, Yes's line-up comprised lead vocalist [[Jon Anderson]], bassist [[Chris Squire]], drummer [[Bill Bruford]], guitarist [[Steve Howe (musician)|Steve Howe]], and keyboardist [[Rick Wakeman]].<ref name=LPsleeve>{{cite AV media notes|title=Close to the Edge|others=[[Yes (band)|Yes]]|year=1972|publisher=[[Atlantic Records]]|type=UK LP liner notes|id=K 50012}}</ref> In March 1972, they wrapped their six-month [[Fragile Tour]] of the UK and North America in support of their fourth album, ''[[Fragile (Yes album)|Fragile]]'' (1971). The album became their biggest commercial and critical hit since their formation, helped by the track "[[Roundabout (Yes song)|Roundabout]]" receiving considerable airplay on American radio. On 1 and 2 February 1972, during one of the tour's rest periods, the band booked time at [[Advision Studios]] in London to put down some tracks for a follow-up record.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=120}} When touring finished, they took another break before they entered rehearsals at the Una Billings School of Dance in [[Shepherd's Bush]] in May 1972.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=122}} Although some arrangements were worked out and put onto tape during this time,{{sfn|Bruford|2009|p=56}} none of the tracks were fully written at this stage, leaving the group to devise the rest of the songs in the studio and learn to play them through afterwards.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=122}} On several occasions the arrangements that Yes had started to assemble were so complex that they were forgotten by the time the next day's session began. This caused the band to record each rehearsal for future reference.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=35}} Bruford devised the album's title to reflect the state of the band at the time.{{sfn|Bruford|2009|p=57}}

== Recording and production ==
By June 1972, Yes had worked out songs for the album and returned to Advision to record it.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=123}} [[Eddy Offord]], who had worked with Yes since ''[[Time and a Word]]'' (1970) and had mixed their live sound on the ''Fragile'' tour, assumed his role as audio engineer and producer, sharing his production duties with the band.<ref name=LPsleeve/> Having worked on the band's live sound, Offord wished to recreate, in the studio, the high feeling the band had on nights when they performed well in concert. To attempt this, he got their road crew to construct a large stage in the studio for the band to perform on; he noted that Bruford's drums resonated with the wooden platform and made the band sound "more live".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=35}} The studio also housed a booth-like structure constructed of wooden boards which Howe performed in to enhance his sound further.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=39}} In one incident, the band decided to use a particular take for a track, but realised that the studio's cleaning staff had put the tape in the rubbish. A scramble in the bins outside the studio ensued, and the missing piece was found and inserted into the master.{{sfn|Bruford|2009|p=57}} Around halfway through recording, Anderson decided to walk home from the studio after one exhausting session ended at dawn. He broke down in tears upon arriving, because he decided that he could "officially call myself a musician now", and wrote it on the occupation section of his passport which he had previously left blank until that point.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.innerviews.org/inner/jon-anderson.html|title=Jon Anderson: Harmonic Engagement|first=Anil|last=Prasad|date=2005|website=Innerviews|access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Bill Bruford in Groznjan 2009 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Drummer [[Bill Bruford]] left the band after the album was recorded.]]
During their month at Advision, ''[[Melody Maker]]'' reporter and band biographer [[Chris Welch]] paid a visit to observe the group at work. Welch described a stressful atmosphere, coupled with "outbursts of anarchy" from Bruford, Howe, and Wakeman and disagreement from each member after one mix of a song section was complete.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=123}} Welch sensed that the band were not a cohesive unit, with Anderson and Howe the only ones who knew what direction the album was to take, leaving the rest adding bits and pieces "to a vast jigsaw of sound", to which Squire and Offord were the two who helped put their idea into shape. Wakeman and Bruford, to Welch, remained "innocent bystanders" in the matter.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=123}} In one instance, Welch arrived at the studio to hear a preview of a completed passage that took several days of round-the-clock work to produce. He heard a dull thud, to find that Offord had fallen asleep on top of the mixing console from exhaustion, "leaving music from the spinning tape deck blaring at an intolerable level".{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=124}} Howe later disagreed with Welch's description, and said his report might have been based on Bruford's comments at the time. Howe said that the main source of tension was between Squire and Bruford, particularly when Squire suggested that Bruford alter his drumming to accommodate bass parts that Squire wanted to play.<ref name=CAR22/>

Bruford found ''Close to the Edge'' particularly difficult to write and record with the rest of the band, calling the process torturous and like "climbing [[Mount Everest]]".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=35}} He became frustrated with the band's happy, [[diatonic]] music and favoured more jazz-oriented and improvisational compositions.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=34}}{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=40}} This became an issue with the group's way of composing and recording, as each section of a track was played through and discussed section by section. Bruford said: "Every instrument was up for democratic election, and everybody had to run an election campaign on every issue. It was horrible, it was incredibly unpleasant, and unbelievably hard work".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=34}} Squire became a growing source of discontent for Bruford, citing his frequent lateness for rehearsals and his way of working. In one instance, Bruford fell asleep on a sofa in the studio control room while Squire was "poring over a couple of knobs on the [mixing] desk" to determine how much [[Equalization (audio)|equalisation]] should be applied to his bass tracks, only to wake up several hours later, finding Squire "in the same place, still considering the relative position of the two knobs".{{sfn|Bruford|2009|p=57}}{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=37}} Bruford was constantly encouraged by Anderson to write, something he felt grateful for years later,{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=121}} but by the time recording was complete, he felt he had done his best on ''Close to the Edge'' and could not offer better arrangements. "So then I knew I needed a breath of fresh air", and left the group.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=40}}

== Composition and music ==
=== 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>

=== Side two ===
"[[And You and I]]" originated as a more folk-oriented song that Anderson developed which was based around the idea of presenting a theme and building it as the track progresses.<ref name=YWDisc/> The track is in four sections; its style and themes were worked on by Howe, Bruford, and Squire, the only track on the album that credits Bruford and Squire as writers.<ref name=LPsleeve/> Anderson pitched his ideas for the track while strumming chords on a guitar, singing the section where the first lyric comes in. It was a theme that Howe particularly enjoyed and was keen to develop.<ref name=trackbytrack/>{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=37}} While introducing the song on tour, Anderson said its working title was "The Protest Song".<ref>{{Cite AV media|first=Jon|last=Anderson|date=11 November 1972|title=Disc 5, track 5 on [[Progeny: Seven Shows from Seventy-Two]]. Anderson's introduction to "And You and I".|medium=CD|publisher=Rhino Records|id=081227956417}}</ref> In its original form, the song had an extended ending that Welch described as "a shattering climax", but its popularity amongst the band decreased over time, leading to their decision to cut it from the final version.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=125}}{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=39}} In a newspaper review of a Yes show in August 1972, the writer paraphrased that Anderson calls the song "a tale of the search for truth and purity between two people".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://forgotten-yesterdays.com/_graphics/graphic/thumb/graphic_24467_thumb.jpg|title=YES performs at Convention Hall|first=Pam|last=Metzler|date=14 August 1972|newspaper=Asbury Park Press|via=Forgotten Yesterdays|access-date=2 December 2021}}</ref> Anderson himself said it is similar to that of a hymn, in the sense of feeling "secure in the knowledge of knowing there is somebody... God maybe".<ref name=nme1972-07-15>{{cite magazine|title=Yes on edge|first=Tony|last=Stewart|magazine=NME|date=15 July 1972|pages=8–9|via=ProQuest}}</ref> The track starts with Howe on a Guild 12-string acoustic that belonged to Squire,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gear4music.com/blog/yes-steve-howe-interview/|title=Yes 'Close to the Edge' 50th Anniversary – Steve Howe Exclusive Interview|first=Tom|last=Rice|publisher=Gear4Music|date=27 May 2022|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref> initially playing improvised [[String harmonics|harmonics]] and saying "Okay" in response to Offord who signalled to Howe that he was ready to record. The moment was not part of the song, but Offord liked it and persuaded the band to keep it in.<ref name=CAR22>{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Env7ShS2_FA|title=Steve Howe (Interview): Close to the Edge|publisher=Classic Album Review|date=May 2022|via=YouTube}}</ref> "The Preacher, the Teacher" was developed in a single afternoon. Anderson suggested the idea of it having a more country feel, to which Howe and Squire came up with respective guitar and bass arrangements that Anderson thought "sat together so sweet".<ref name=trackbytrack/>

"[[Siberian Khatru]]" is a more straightforward rock song that developed from an idea that Anderson had on an acoustic guitar. He did not have the entire track worked out, so the rest of the group took the sections he needed help with and discussed what riffs best suited it as it lacked one strong enough to carry the song.{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=40}}<ref name=trackbytrack/> Wakeman received a writing credit on the song, and has a solo played on a Thomas Goff model harpsichord. He recalled Goff visiting the studio and directing Offord on the best way to set up and record the instrument.<ref name=YWDisc/> In terms of its lyrics, Anderson noted the song is a collection of "interesting words, though it does relate to the dreams of clear summer days".{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=39}} He claimed "khatru" translates to "as you wish" in the Yemeni dialect of Arabic, but had no idea what the word meant at the time until he asked someone to look up its meaning.<ref name=trackbytrack/> Howe said the group were inspired by [[Igor Stravinsky]] when it came to the end of the song, "by having that staccato pounding and at the same time throwing those accents on voice and drums and having me driving through it with that constant guitar motif."<ref name=YWDisc/> When it came to recording Howe's ending guitar solo, one experiment involved Offord placing one microphone by the amplifier and having his assistant swing a second microphone around the room to create a [[Doppler effect]].{{sfn|Morse|1996|p=40}} [[John Frusciante]] of [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] has cited the closing solo as an influence for his own guitar solo on "[[Get on Top]]". He said: "The band sound is really big – and they're playing fast – and then this clean guitar comes out over the top. It's really beautiful, like it's on its own sort of shelf. For 'Get on Top', I wanted to play something that would create a contrast between the solo and the background."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://medlem.spray.se/frusciante/artiklar/rhcp1.htm|title=John Frusciante Interview|access-date=9 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212162729/http://medlem.spray.se/frusciante/artiklar/rhcp1.htm|archive-date=12 February 2012}}</ref>

== Artwork ==
[[File:Tarn, Haystacks - geograph.org.uk - 882818.jpg|thumb|right|The inner sleeve artwork was inspired by the [[Tarn (lake)|tarns]] in the [[Lake District]]]]

''Close to the Edge'' was packaged with a [[gatefold|gatefold sleeve]] designed and illustrated by [[Roger Dean (artist)|Roger Dean]], who had also designed the cover for ''Fragile'' (1971). It marked the first appearance of the [[Yes bubble logo|band's bubble logotype]], placed on top of a simple front cover design of a linear [[color gradient|colour gradient]] from black to green.<ref name=LPsleeve/> Dean came up with the logo without the band's knowledge and before they had started work on ''Close to the Edge''. He sketched it out during a train journey from London to [[Brighton]] with the idea that the three letters could be put together "in an interesting way". Upon Dean's arrival in Brighton, he had finished it. Dean pitched the idea of having the title lettering silver-blocked like a traditional book but it never materialised.<ref name=teamrockdean/> Dean's logo has been described as a "[[calligraphy|calligraphed]] [[Colophon (publishing)|colophon]]".{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=120}}

In his original design, Dean wanted the album to resemble the quality of a gold embossed book and have a leather texture as he had owned many leather-bound sketchbooks.<ref name=teamrockdean>{{cite web|url=http://teamrock.com/feature/2016-10-17/roger-dean-how-i-designed-the-yes-classic-close-to-the-edge|title=Roger Dean: How I designed the Yes classic Close to the Edge|first=Sid|last=Smith|date=17 October 2016|publisher=Team Rock|access-date=9 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nfte.org/interviews/rd308.html|title=NFTE #308: Conversation with Roger Dean from 3 September 2008|publisher=Notes from the Edge|first=Mike|last=Tiano|year=2008|access-date=29 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081102053213/http://nfte.org/interviews/RD308.html|archive-date=2 November 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Dean gained inspiration for the artwork during a visit to [[Haystacks (Lake District)|Haystacks]], a tall hill in the [[Lake District]]. He took a photograph at its summit and observing the many [[tarns]] surrounding it. "I was imagining this lake as something grander [...] How could it sustain itself on the tippy top of a mountain?"<ref name=villagevoice2013>{{cite news|url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2013/07/31/roger-dean-is-the-most-important-person-in-yes-who-actually-isnt-in-yes/|title=Roger Dean Is the Most Important Person in Yes Who Actually Isn't in Yes|first=Michael Alan|last=Goldberg|date=31 July 2013|newspaper=The Village Voice|access-date=2 December 2017}}</ref> The sleeve includes pictures of the group and Offord that were photographed by Dean and [[Martyn Adelman]], who had played with Squire in the late 1960s as a member of [[The Syn]].<ref name=LPsleeve/> Dean wrote the sleeve's text and lyric sheet by hand.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bestclassicbands.com/getting-close-to-the-edge-with-roger-dean-10-21-15/|title=Roger Dean Interview: Getting Close to the Edge|first=Greg|last=Brodsky|date=21 October 2015|publisher=Best Classic Bands|access-date=25 September 2016}}</ref> On reflection on the album's design, Dean said: "There were a couple of ideas that merged there. It was of a waterfall constantly refreshing itself, pouring from all sides of the lake, but where was the water coming from? I was looking for an image to portray that".<ref>{{Cite news|title=Roger Dean: The artist behind the music|first=Jeri|last=Rowe|date=23 April 2004|newspaper=Greensboro News-Record}}</ref>

== Release ==
''Close to the Edge'' was released on 8 September 1972 in the UK<ref name=releasedateUK/> and on 13 September 1972 in the US,<ref name=releasedateUS/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/close-to-the-edge-mw0000692219|title=AllMusic|publisher=[[AllMusic]] }}</ref> six weeks into the band's [[Close to the Edge Tour|1972–73 world tour]] to promote the album. It became their biggest commercial success since their formation, reaching number 3 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart in the United States<ref name="BillboardAlbum">{{AllMusic |class=album |tab=charts-awards |id=r22455 |label=''Close to the Edge'' – Yes > Charts & Awards > Billboard Album |accessdate=19 May 2006 |ref=BillboardAlbum}}</ref> and number 4 on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref name=ukchart>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/albums/Close%20To%20The%20Edge|title=Official Charts Company – Yes ''Close to the Edge''|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref> In the [[Netherlands]], the album went to number one.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/en/showitem.asp?interpret=Yes&titel=Close+To+The+Edge&cat=a|title=Netherlands chart info – Yes ''Close to the Edge''|publisher=ultratop.be|access-date=16 September 2011}}</ref> The album received 450,000 advanced orders in the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Record Roundup|magazine=NME|date=16 September 1972|page=4|via=ProQuest}}</ref> On 30 October 1972, the album was certified [[RIAA certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) for 500,000 copies sold in the United States.<ref name=RIAA/> Atlantic Records owner [[Ahmet Ertegun]] presented the group with their gold disc award at a restaurant in New York City on 20 November, where their manager, [[Brian Lane (manager)|Brian Lane]], announced the band's new five-year contract with Atlantic.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=NME|title=Yes make Gold, Ringo hires Cheech & Chong|page=33|first=Linda|last=Solomon|date=2 December 1972|via=ProQuest}}</ref> The album continued to sell, and was certified platinum for one million copies sold on 10 April 1998.<ref name=RIAA>{{Cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=Yes&ti=Close%20to%20the%20Edge#search_section|title=American album certifications – Yes – Close to the Edge|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America|access-date=15 September 2016}}</ref>

Yes released "And You and I" as a two-part single in the United States in October 1972.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=311}} In the United Kingdom, the song was released in its entirety with "[[Roundabout (Yes song)|Roundabout]]" on its [[A-side and B-side|B-side]].{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=312}} It peaked at number 42 on the ''Billboard'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] singles chart in the United States for the week of 16 December 1972.<ref name="BillboardSingles">{{AllMusic |class=album |tab=charts-awards/billboard-single |id=r22455 |label=''Close to the Edge'' – Yes > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles |accessdate=19 May 2006 |ref=BillboardSingles}}</ref> A single edit of "Total Mass Retain" was released as the B-side to the group's non-album single, a rendition of "[[America (Simon & Garfunkel song)|America]]" made famous by [[Simon & Garfunkel]], released on 17 July 1972.<ref name="CDsleeve">{{cite AV media notes|title=Close to the Edge [2003 Remastered and Expanded Version]|year=1972|publisher=Rhino Records|type=CD liner notes|id=8122-73790-2}}</ref>

=== Reissues ===
In 1987, ''Close to the Edge'' was reissued by [[Atlantic Records]] on CD in the United States{{refn|Atlantic SD 191332|group="nb"}}  and Europe.{{refn|Atlantic SD 250012|group="nb"}} Another issue of the album was digitally remastered by [[Joe Gastwirt]] in 1994.{{refn|Atlantic SD 826662|group="nb"}} In 2003, the album was reissued again on disc in an expanded and remastered edition by [[Rhino Records|Rhino]] and [[Elektra Records]]. Included were two previously unreleased tracks: an alternate version of "And You and I", an early run-through of "Siberian Khatru", and Yes's 1972 single "[[America (Simon & Garfunkel song)#Cover versions|America]]" with its [[b-side]], an edit of "Total Mass Retain".{{refn|Elektra R2 73790|group="nb"}}

In 2013, two new editions of the album were released. [[Steve Hoffman (audio engineer)|Steve Hoffman]] of [[Audio Fidelity Records]] conducted a remastering in both CD and [[Super Audio CD]] formats.{{refn|Audio Fidelity AFZ147|group="nb"}} For the Panegyric label, [[Steven Wilson]] used the original multi-track recordings to produce a "2013 stereo mix", a [[5.1 surround sound]] mix, and an "original stereo mix" from a flat transfer of the LP, in both a CD and [[DVD-Audio]] and CD and [[Blu-ray Disc]] package. Bonus tracks include single edits, an early rough mix of "Close to the Edge", and instrumental versions of the album's three tracks.{{refn|Panegyric GYRBD50012|group="nb"}}

On 7 March 2025, a seven-disc super deluxe edition of ''Close To the Edge'', which was first announced in January 2025, was released. The reissue features a remaster of the original album, instrumental mixes, and a new Steven Wilson, 5.1 surround sound, [[Dolby Atmos]], and stereo mix. The box set also includes three discs of rarities and live material.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McNally |first1=Dylan |date=15 January 2025 |title=Yes / Close To The Edge super deluxe edition |url=https://superdeluxeedition.com/news/yes-close-to-the-edge-super-deluxe-edition/ |access-date=16 January 2025 |website=SuperDeluxeEdition}}</ref>

== Reception and legacy ==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name=AllMusic>{{AllMusic |class=album |id=r22455 |tab=review |first=Dave |last=Thompson |accessdate=18 March 2004 }}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies|Christgau's Record Guide]]''
| rev2Score = C+<ref name="CG">{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|year=1981|title=[[Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies]]|publisher=[[Ticknor & Fields]]|isbn=089919026X|chapter=Consumer Guide '70s: Y|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=Y&bk=70|access-date=9 March 2019}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev3Score = 9.0/10<ref name=pitchfork>{{cite web |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=8 February 2004 |first1=Chris |last1=Dahlen |first2=Dominque |last2=Leon |first3=Joe |last3=Tangari |title=Yes ''The Yes Album'' / ''Fragile'' / ''Close to the Edge'' / ''Tales from Topographic Oceans'' / ''Relayer'' / ''Going for the One'' / ''Tormato'' / ''Drama'' / ''90125'' > Album Reviews  |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/11869-the-yes-album-fragile-close-to-the-edge-tales-from-topographic-oceans-relayer-going-for-the-one-tormato-drama-90125/|access-date=5 April 2005 }}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[PopMatters]]''
| rev4Score = 7/10<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webb |first=Peter Thomas |date=2025-03-18 |title=Yes' Close to the Edge Appears in a New Super Deluxe Edition |url=https://www.popmatters.com/yes-close-to-the-edge |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=[[PopMatters]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' (1972)
| rev5Score = (favorable)<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]] |issue=121 |date=9 November 1972 |first=Richard |last=Cromelin |title=Yes ''Close to the Edge'' > Album Review |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/yes/albums/album/260563/review/6067858/close_to_the_edge |access-date=4 March 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061214071332/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/yes/albums/album/260563/review/6067858/close_to_the_edge |archive-date=14 December 2006 }}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The Rolling Stone Record Guide]]'' (1979)
| rev6Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>[[Dave Marsh|Marsh, Dave]]; Swenson, John (Editors). ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 424.</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (2004)
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Cross">{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|title=[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|chapter=Yes|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/895 895]}}</ref>
| rev8 = The Daily Vault
| rev8Score = A<ref name=vault>{{cite web |url= http://dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=1769 |title=The Daily Vault Music Reviews : Close to the Edge |first=Jason |last=Warburg |work=dailyvault.com |year=2019 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev9Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last=Larkin|first=Colin|author-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2007|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|edition=4th|isbn=978-0195313734|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]]''
| rev10Score = {{rating|10|10}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Hays |date=March 17, 2025 |title=Close to the Edge (Super Deluxe Edition) |url=https://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/close_to_the_edge_super_deluxe_edition_yes |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=[[Under the Radar (magazine)|Under the Radar]] |language=en}}</ref>
}}
''Close to the Edge'' received favourable reviews among critics at the time of release in magazines and newspapers. ''[[New Musical Express]]'' printed a more mixed review from [[Ian MacDonald]] on 2 September 1972. He thought the group were "not just close to the edge, they've gone right over it", though they "played their God-damned guts out" on the album which he called "an attempt to overwhelm us which resulted in only unmemorable meaninglessness". MacDonald concluded: "On every level but the ordinary aesthetic one, it's one of the most remarkable records pop has yet produced".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Meaningless magnificence from Yes?|first=Ian|last=MacDonald|date=2 September 1972|magazine=NME|page=15|via=ProQuest}}</ref> American music magazine ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' hailed the album as "a recording masterpiece".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Cash-Box-IDX/70s/1972/Cash-Box-1972-09-23-OCR-Page-0024.pdf|title=Album Reviews|magazine=Cashbox|date=23 September 1972|page=24|access-date=27 September 2021}}</ref> In a positive review, ''Billboard'' selected the album in its weekly "Billboard Pick" feature, noting that Yes had "progressed to the point where they are light years beyond their emulators, proving to be no mere flash in the pan. The sound tapestries they weave are dainty fragments, glimpses of destinies yet to be formed, times that fade like dew drops in the blurriness of desires half-remembered. All involved deserve praise and thanks, this being not a mere audio experience, transcending the medium it brings all senses into play."<ref>{{Cite news|magazine=Billboard|date=7 October 1972|title=Billboard Pick: Pop: YES: Close to the Edge}}</ref>

Henry Medoza opened his review for ''[[The San Bernardino Sun]]'' with: "Not since ... ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' has there been one side on an album that expressed such a complete and exciting a musical thought as side one", and thought it presented the group with a new level of sophistication. He praised the group's vocal harmonies and Bruford's "deep irregular bass drum" on the opening of the title track, but picked its third section as the most interesting with the trading vocals, Wakeman's "dream-like" and "powerful" organ playing. Mendoza described side two as more "uninspiring" than the first, but praised the vocals and harmonies on both tracks, noting they sound like its own instrument on "Siberian Khatru".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6602077/yes_close_to_the_edge/|first=Henry|last=Mendoza|title=Soundings – Close to the Edge|newspaper=The San Bernardino Sun|date=28 September 1972|page=47|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=15 September 2016}}{{free access}}</ref> The ''[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]]'' printed another positive review by Jon Clemens. He called the title track a "virtual sound trip", moving "quickly, loudly, in a frenzy" that "contrasts brilliantly" during "I Get Up, I Get Down", and praises the vocals during the section. Clemens thought highly of Howe and Wakeman's interplay throughout, but thought the group's tendency to change tempo frequently risks distracting the listener.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6602046/yes_close_to_the_edge/|first=John|last=Clemens|title=British Group 'Yes' Close to Sounds of Future Rock|newspaper=Lubbock Avalanche-Journal|date=2 November 1972|page=57|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=15 September 2016}}{{free access}}</ref> For the ''[[San Mateo County Times|San Mateo Times]]'', Peter J. Barsocchini thought the album is "good in concept and performance", with the title track "quite likely the best piece of music" the band had recorded in its career. "And You and I", Barsocchini thought, is "an interesting meshing of acoustic and electronic music" that is "tightly, integrally produced". To him, "Siberian Khatru" was comparable to their ''Fragile'' album that does not further the group's sound like the album's other two cuts do.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/6613117/close_to_the_edge_1972/|first=Peter J.|last=Barsocchini|title=Pop Corner – |newspaper=The Times|location=San Mateo, California|date=7 October 1972|page=34|via=[[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=15 September 2016}}{{free access}}</ref>

The album has continued to receive many positive retrospective reviews. In his review for [[AllMusic]], Dave Thompson gave the album five stars out of five, hailing it as a "flawless masterpiece".<ref name="AllMusic" /> Paul Stump's 1997 ''History of Progressive Rock'' asserted that ''Close to the Edge'', with its equal measures of ambition and heartfelt playing, "even today draws grudging respect from Yes's most trenchant critics."<ref>{{cite book |last=Stump |first=Paul |title=The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock |date=1997 |publisher=Quartet Books Limited |isbn=0-7043-8036-6 |page=106}}</ref> In a special edition of ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' and ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazines published in 2005, ''Close to the Edge'' came in at number 3 in its 40 Cosmic Rock Albums list.<ref>''Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock'', 2005.</ref> The record is also listed in the musical reference publication ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]'' by Robert Dimery. In a reader's choice of the 100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time for ''[[Guitar World]]'', the album came in at number 67. ''[[Sound & Vision (magazine)|Sound & Vision]]'' ranked it number 32 on its Top 50 Albums of All Time list.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.soundandvision.com/content/top-50-albums-all-time-page-4|publisher= Sound & Vision|title=The Top 50 Albums of All Time Page 4|date= 5 November 2008|access-date=2017-07-02}}</ref> The album came in at number 5 on ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of the top 50 greatest progressive rock albums of all time.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Yes, 'Close to the Edge' (1972) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/50-greatest-prog-rock-albums-of-all-time-78793/yes-close-to-the-edge-1972-34135/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=17 June 2015 |access-date=24 August 2018}}</ref> It was voted number 130 in [[Colin Larkin (writer)|Colin Larkin]]'s [[All Time Top 1000 Albums]].<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=[[Virgin Books]]|date=2000|edition=3rd|isbn=0-7535-0493-6|page=83}}</ref> The album came in at number 1 on a list of the 100 greatest progressive rock albums of all time by ''Prog'' magazine.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-100-greatest-prog-albums-of-all-time-20-1|title = The 100 Greatest Prog Albums of All Time: 20-1|date = 6 August 2014}}</ref> It also made ''Rolling Stone'''s list of the top 500 greatest albums of all time at number 445.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |date=2020-09-22 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414151224/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/linda-mccartney-and-paul-ram-1062783/ |archive-date=2023-04-14 |url-status=live |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/linda-mccartney-and-paul-ram-1062783/}}</ref> In 2023, Sean Murphy of ''[[PopMatters]]'' wrote: "the title track is one of progressive rock’s ultimate statements of purpose, worthy of every clichéd superlative imaginable: it really ''is'' epic, and it really ''does'' deliver delights only the rarest art offers."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-03-07 |title=The 25 Best Classic Era Progressive Rock Albums » PopMatters |url=https://www.popmatters.com/best-classic-progressive-rock-albums/3 |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=www.popmatters.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Bruford's departure and tour ==
On 19 July 1972, once recording for the album was complete, Bruford left the band to join [[King Crimson]]. He offered to tour with Yes for the remainder of the year, yet Howe wanted him to leave sooner as he no longer had the commitment. Howe later regretted his decision as he would have enjoyed playing the album live with Bruford at the time.{{sfn|Kirkman|2016|p=39}} His replacement was [[Alan White (Yes drummer)|Alan White]] of the [[Plastic Ono Band]] and [[Terry Reid]]'s group. As he played on ''Close to the Edge'' but left before the subsequent tour, Bruford was obliged by management to share his album royalties with White and claims that Lane enforced a compensation payment of $10,000 from him for leaving.{{sfn|Welch|2008|p=126}} Years later, White agreed to return his share of the royalties upon Bruford's request.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bill-bruford-yes-band-king-crimson-genesis-earthworks-interview-902501/|title=Bill Bruford on His Ups and Downs With Yes and King Crimson, Life After Retirement|first=Hank|last=Shteamer|date=29 October 2019|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=6 November 2019}}</ref> The band embarked on their [[Close to the Edge Tour|largest yet world tour]] to promote the album. White had one full rehearsal with the band prior to the tour's start on 30 July 1972, which saw the band play a total of 95 concerts in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia. The tour ended in April 1973.{{sfn|Watkinson|2000|p=106}} Recordings from the tour, both film and audio, were released on the band's first live album, ''[[Yessongs]]'' (1973), and [[Yessongs (film)|concert film of the same name]], filmed at the [[Rainbow Theatre]] in London and released in 1975.{{sfn|Watkinson|2000|p=108}}<ref>{{citation|title=Yessongs |type=CD liner notes|year=1973|publisher=Atlantic Records|id=K 60045}}</ref>

== Track listing ==
Details are taken from the 1972 UK Atlantic album liner notes; other releases may show different information.<ref name="LPsleeve"/>
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| lyrics1 = [[Jon Anderson]], [[Steve Howe (musician)|Steve Howe]]
| music1 = Anderson, Howe
| total_length = 18:43
| length1 = 18:43
| title1 = [[Close to the Edge (song)|Close to the Edge]]"<br/>I. "The Solid Time of Change" (6:04)<br/>II. "Total Mass Retain" (2:23)<br/>III. "I Get Up, I Get Down" (5:45)<br/>IV. "Seasons of Man
| note1 = 4:31
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = [[And You and I]]"<br/>I. "Cord of Life" (3:46)<br/>II. "Eclipse" (2:30)<br/>III. "The Preacher, the Teacher" (3:10)<br/>IV. "The Apocalypse
| note1 = 0:47
| lyrics1 = Anderson
| music1 = Anderson, [[Bill Bruford]], [[Chris Squire]], Howe (except "Eclipse")
| length1 = 10:12
| title2 = [[Siberian Khatru]]
| lyrics2 = Anderson
| music2 = Anderson, Howe, [[Rick Wakeman]]
| total_length = 19:08
37:51
| length2 = 8:56
}}
{{track listing
| headline = 2003 CD bonus tracks
| total_length = 1:04:59 (64:59)
| title4 = [[America (Simon & Garfunkel song)|America]]
| note4 = Single Version
| lyrics4 = [[Paul Simon]]
| music4 = Simon
| length4 = 4:12
| title5 = Total Mass Retain
| note5 = Single Version
| length5 = 3:21
| title6 = And You and I
| note6 = Alternative Version
| length6 = 10:17
| title7 = Siberia
| note7 = Studio Run-through of Siberian Khatru
| length7 = 9:19
}}

=== 2025 Super Deluxe Edition ===
{{Tracklisting
| headline      = Disc One - Original Album Remastered
}}
{{Tracklisting
| headline      = Disc Two - [[The Steven Wilson Remixes|Steven Wilson 2025 Remixes]] And Instrumentals 2025 Remixes
| title4        = Close to the Edge (Instrumental)"<br/>I. "The Solid Time of Change" (6:04)<br/>II. "Total Mass Retain" (2:23)<br/>III. "I Get Up, I Get Down" (5:45)<br/>IV. "Seasons of Man
| note4         = 4:31
| length4       = 18:42
| music4        = Anderson, Howe
| title5        = And You and I (Instrumental)"<br/>I. "Cord of Life" (3:46)<br/>II. "Eclipse" (2:30)<br/>III. "The Preacher, the Teacher" (3:10)<br/>IV. "The Apocalypse
| note5         = 0:47
| length5       = 10:10
| music5        = Anderson, Bruford, Chris Squire, Howe (except "Eclipse")
| title6        = Siberian Khatru (Instrumental)
| length6       = 9:11
| music6        = Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
}}
{{Tracklisting
| headline      = Disc Three - Rarities
| title1        = America
| note1         = Single Version
| length1       = 4:09
| lyrics1       = Simon
| music1        = Simon
| title2        = Total Mass Retain
| note2         = Single Version
| length2       = 3:18
| title3        = And You And I
| note3         = Promo Radio Edit
| length3       = 3:26
| title4        = Siberia
| note4         = Studio Run-Through Of Siberian Khatru
| length4       = 9:18
| music4        = Wakeman
| title5        = Close to the Edge (Rough Mix)"<br/>I. "The Solid Time of Change" (6:04)<br/>II. "Total Mass Retain" (2:23)<br/>III. "I Get Up, I Get Down" (5:45)<br/>IV. "Seasons of Man
| note5         = 4:31
| length5       = 17:43
| lyrics5       = Anderson, Howe
| music5        = Anderson, Howe
| title6        = And You and I (Alternate Version)"<br/>I. "Cord of Life" <br/>II. "Eclipse" <br/>III. "The Preacher, the Teacher" <br/>IV. "The Apocalypse
| note6         = 
| length6       = 10:16
| lyrics6       = Anderson
| music6        = Anderson, Bruford, Chris Squire, Howe (except "Eclipse")
| title7        = America
| note7         = "Dry" Mix
| length7       = 10:30
| lyrics7       = Simon
| music7        = Simon
| title8        = Siberian Khatru
| note8         = Steven Wilson Edit
| length8       = 4:59
| lyrics8       = Anderson
| music8        = Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
| title9        = Cord Of Life
| note9         = Steven Wilson Edit
| length9       = 2:38
| title10       = Total Mass Retain
| note10        = Steven Wilson Edit
| length10      = 4:13
}}
{{Tracklisting
| headline      = Disc Four - Live At The Rainbow, London, England 12/16/1972
| title1        = Siberian Khatru
| length1       = 9:01
| lyrics1       = Anderson
| music1        = Anderson, Howe, Wakeman
| title2        = [[I've Seen All Good People]]"<br/>a. "Your Move" (Anderson) (3:32)<br/>b. "All Good People
| note2         = Squire) (3:23
| length2       = 7:08
| lyrics2       = Anderson, Squire
| music2        = Anderson, Squire
| title3        = [[Heart of the Sunrise]]
| length3       = 11:11
| lyrics3       = Anderson
| music3        = Anderson, Squire, Bruford
| title4        = And You and I"<br/>I. "Cord of Life" <br/>II. "Eclipse" <br/>III. "The Preacher, the Teacher" <br/>IV. "The Apocalypse
| note4         = 
| length4       = 9:28
| lyrics4       = Anderson
| music4        = Anderson, Bruford, Chris Squire, Howe (except "Eclipse")
| title5        = Close to the Edge"<br/>I. "The Solid Time of Change" <br/>II. "Total Mass Retain" <br/>III. "I Get Up, I Get Down" <br/>IV. "Seasons of Man
| length5       = 17:19
| lyrics5       = Anderson, Howe
| music5        = Anderson, Howe
}}
{{Tracklisting
| headline      = Disc Five - Live At The Rainbow, London, England 12/16/1972 (cont.)
| title1        = Excerpts From "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII"
| length1       = 6:31
| music1        = Wakeman
| title2        = [[Roundabout (Yes song)|Roundabout]]
| length2       = 8:08
| lyrics2       = Anderson
| music2        = Anderson, Howe
| title3        = [[Yours Is No Disgrace]]
| length3       = 11:36
| lyrics3       = Anderson
| music3        = Anderson, Howe, Squire, Bruford, [[Tony Kaye (musician)|Tony Kaye]]
| title4        = [[Starship Trooper]]"<br/>a. "Life Seeker" <br/>b. "Disillusion" <br/>c. "Wurm
| length4       = 9:53
| lyrics4       = Anderson
| music4        = Anderson, Squire, Howe
}}

== Personnel ==
'''Yes'''
*[[Jon Anderson]]&nbsp;– lead vocals
*[[Steve Howe]]&nbsp;– guitars, Coral [[electric sitar]],<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vQlMDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA40|title=''Electric Guitars: The Illustrated Encyclopedia''|date=13 March 2018|publisher=Chartwell Books|isbn=9780785835721|access-date=6 September 2018}}, page 40</ref> steel guitar, backing vocals
*[[Chris Squire]]&nbsp;– bass, backing vocals
*[[Rick Wakeman]]&nbsp;– acoustic and electric pianos, [[Hammond organ]], [[Minimoog]] synthesiser, [[Mellotron]], harpsichord, [[pipe organ]] on "Close to the Edge" ("I Get Up, I Get Down")
*[[Bill Bruford]]&nbsp;– drums, percussion

'''Production'''
*Yes&nbsp;– production
*[[Eddie Offord]]&nbsp;– engineer, production
*Mike Dunne&nbsp;– tapes
*[[Roger Dean (artist)|Roger Dean]]&nbsp;– cover, photography
*[[Martyn Adelman|Martin Adelman]]&nbsp;– photography
*[[Brian Lane (manager)|Brian Lane]]&nbsp;– co-ordinator

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
! Chart (1972)
! Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
| align="center"| 21
|-
{{Album chart|Canada|7|chartid=4224|artist=Yes|album=Close to the Edge|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 June 2023}}
|-
{{Album chart|Netherlands|1|artist=Yes|album=Close to the Edge|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 June 2023}}
|-
{{Album chart|Germany4|36|id=37528|artist=Yes|album=Close to the Edge|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 June 2023}}
|-
! scope="row"|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Finnish Albums Chart]])<ref>{{cite web| url= http://suomenlistalevyt.blogspot.com/2015/08/chu-coa.html| title= Sisältää hitin: Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1961: Y > Yes| publisher= Sisältää hitin / Timo Pennanen| access-date= 22 April 2018| language= Finnish}}</ref>
|align="center"|20
|-
! scope="row"|Italian Albums (''[[Musica e Dischi]]'')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.musicaedischi.it/classifiche_archivio.php|title=Classifiche|work=[[Musica e Dischi]]|language=it|access-date=28 June 2023}} Set "Tipo" on "Album". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Yes".</ref>
|align="center"|14
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JPN">{{cite book|title=Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005|publisher=[[Oricon|Oricon Entertainment]]|location=Roppongi, Tokyo|year=2006|isbn=4-87131-077-9|language=ja}}</ref>
| align="center"| 16
|-
{{Album chart|UK2|4|date=19720924|rowheader=true|accessdate=28 June 2023}}
|-
!scope="row"|US ''[[Billboard 200]]''<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Billboard Top LP's and Tape for week ending December 2, 1972 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=2 December 1972 |page=72 |url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1972/BB-1972-12-02.pdf#page=72 |access-date=19 January 2025}}</ref>
| align="center"| 3
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! scope="col"| Chart (2013)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|UKIndependent|18|date=20131117|rowheader=true|access-date=28 June 2023}}
|-
{{album chart|UKRock|5|date=20131117|rowheader=true|access-date=28 June 2023}}
|}

== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=Canada |artist=Yes |title=Close to the Edge |award=Platinum |type=album |relyear=1976}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=United Kingdom |artist=Yes |title=Close to the Edge |award=Platinum |type=album |relyear=1981|id=1381-1295-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry |region=United States |artist=Yes |title=Close to the Edge |award=Platinum |type=album |relyear=1977}}
{{Certification Table Bottom |nosales=true}}

== Notes ==
{{Reflist|group="nb"}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca|url-access=registration|title=Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture|last=Macan|first=Edward|date=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199880096|page=[https://archive.org/details/rockingclassicse0000maca/page/116 116]}}
*{{cite book|last=Bruford|first=Bill|title=Bill Bruford: The Autobiography: Yes, King Crimson, Earthworks, and More|author-link=Bill Bruford|year=2009|publisher=Jawbone Publishing|isbn=9781906002237}}
*{{cite book|last=Hedges|first=Dan|title=Yes: An Authorized Biography|year=1982|publisher=Sidgwick & Jackson|isbn=978-0-283-98751-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Howe|first=Steve|author-link=Steve Howe|title=All My Yesterdays|publisher=Omnibus Press|year=2020|isbn=978-1-785581-79-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Kirkman|first=Jon|title=Yes: Dialogue|date=2016|publisher=Stereo33 Books|isbn=978-0-9955236-1-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Morse|first=Tim|title=Yesstories: "Yes" in Their Own Words|year=1996|publisher=St Martin's Press|isbn=978-0-312-14453-1}}
*{{cite book|last=Popoff|first=Martin|author-link=Martin Popoff|title=Time and a Word: The Yes Story|date=2016|publisher=Soundcheck Books|isbn=978-0-993-21202-4}}
*{{cite book|last=Watkinson|first=David|title=Yes: Perpetual Change: Thirty Years of Yes|year=2000|publisher=Plexus|isbn=0-85-965-297-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/yesperpetualchan00watk}}
*{{cite book|last=Welch|first=Chris|title=Close to the Edge: The Story of Yes|author-link=Chris Welch|year=2008|publisher=Omnibus Press|isbn=978-1-847-72132-7}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=A Brief History of Album Covers|first=Jason|last=Draper|publisher=Flame Tree Publishing|location=London|year=2008|pages=116–117|isbn=9781847862112|oclc=227198538}}

== External links ==
*Official album website at [http://yesworld.com/discography/close-to-the-edge/ YesWorld]

{{Yesband}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Yes (band) albums]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Roger Dean (artist)]]
[[Category:1972 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Eddy Offord]]
[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]]