With the arrival of keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman, the British symphonic rock band Yes found its ideal line-up in 1971. This immediately led to the impressive Fragile, followed less than a year later by Close To The Edge, two records that should not be missing in any collection of prog rock albums. Close To The Edge is dominated by the epic title song, a musical journey of over eighteen minutes in
… which Yes as a collective but also all members individually show their virtuosity. Yet it never diminishes in complexity, partly due to the vulnerable lead vocals of Jon Anderson, supported by razor-sharp harmony vocals that are heading for the grand finale. The song was once recorded and mixed piece by piece by permanent producer Eddie Offord. The British producer, singer and guitarist Steven Wilson provided the remix of this definitive edition which also contains a DVD including the original mix and a dolby surround mix (by Wilson). The album, and especially that intoxicating title piece, hasn't lost any of its strength, no matter which mix you choose. (MR)more