Today is the 53rd anniversary of « Close to the Edge » by Yes: share your best memories from this masterpiece in the comment! 🥳🎶

[u/eggvention]

[u/BartholomewBandy]

When I got married my wife and I chose classical pieces for the ceremony, but when I kissed the bride we walked out to Siberian Khatru.

[u/garethsprogblog]

First rock album I ever heard in its entirety, the day after it was released. I sat in a listening booth in the record store with my older brother - it was his idea - with the album sleeve.
It was like nothing I'd heard before. My life was changed by that one event and I now spend my life listening to, watching and seeking out prog in its various forms.

It remains the best album, ever.

[u/jmgbklyn]

I was in 8th grade, I think, about 1977-1978. At that point I was listening to top 40. My best friend comes over with this album and tells me I have to listen to it. All I hear is birds then Squire's twisty bass line. I remember wondering when the vocals start since most pop hits of the time had vocals within 20-30 seconds, not birds chirping. 18 minutes later I was floored. And hooked. After that, we saw Yes at MSG - in the round! - in the late 70s at least half a dozen times. Epic album from an incredible assembly of talented musicians and production crew. This will always be in my life's play list.

[u/Sensitive-Station-18]

And You And I. When the synth comes in gives me goosebumps. I have a lot of memories from the 70s as that was my youth. My brain has somehow connected that song with Led Zep's Over The Hills and when I try to understand why, all I can come up with was that maybe a bar band played those as covers in the same set?

[u/canttakethshyfrom_me]

Taking mushrooms and listening to the title track was the first time I ever felt an out-of-body sensation.

[u/ericjgriffin]

The title track changed me as a music connoisseur.

[u/Trog-City8372]

In 1972. I came back from living on a beach in a driftwood hut in Northern California to my friends house in Boston. I asked him if there was any new music I needed to be aware of and he played Close to the Edge. It was equally as mind blowing as when I first heard Court of the Crimson King.

[u/aksnitd]

Uff. It's hard to believe that classic albums are that old. Someone born when this album released would be near retirement now.

[u/fduniho]

It was among the first Yes albums I got after getting into Yes. I liked how the title song has a kind of atmospheric effect, similar to Impressionism or Ambient music though still more in a rock vein. More recently, I made a Spotify playlist called Yes Covers: Close to the Edge, which recreates this album with covers.

[u/TheWienerMan]

Mine will forever be attending a concert on their Heaven & Earth tour and hearing them play the entire CTTE album in reverse order, among other great things, and getting to meet the band backstage with my best friend/bandmate. And particularly meeting Chris Squire, the only original member in the lineup at that point, not long before his passing

[u/Comprehensive_Dirt66]

i realized i was trans listening to this album

[u/PedroPelet → u/Comprehensive_Dirt66]

wait what

[u/NorCalRushfan]

I worked at a record store right after college and one day I spoke with a prog rock fan. He listened to CTTE every morning for the prior 10 years. It struck me as a very good way to wake up

[u/PedroPelet]

changed my musical taste forever in that january 2024 afternoon

[u/RawDisRappen]

I envy who watched Yes live in the 70's, saw their albums coming to stores etc., that must be amazing.
With that said, I was very fortunate to watch them in 2013, near my city, in Brasília, Brazil.
I had discovered Yes the year prior and was marvelled specially by (1972) Close To The Edge.
The heavenly vocals, the triplaying of Mr. Wakeman, the bass, the sudden changes, what an album...
I never traveled but saw some artists between 2009 and 2018, so when I knew Yes were coming to play here, I gladly spent almost all my money to see them, and alone, as my friends weren't fans of the band.

Everyone was very excited, almost thinking it was a dream to watch them live.
You have to keep in mind that it's rare for a band like that to come here, because of age and other things.
The show was awesome! We clapped our hands after every song, like children in a magic show.
It was flawless, like listening to the album, but knowing it was made now, for us.
And at the end, a group of people were standing and bowing to them, who smiled and laughed happily.

The best moment and memory to me was Mr Squire, at the beginning at the show.
He went to the mic and said "we are playing here for the first time, in your town".
Brasília is Brazil's capital, not as big or important as São Paulo for entertainment, but it is quite big.
The way the said was so sweet and down-to-earth, like the place were a small town on the tour.

[u/rslizard]

one of the 12? free records i got for joining the columbia record club scam back in the day

[u/ddottorre]

It was the first record from Yes I have ever listened to. I remember listening to Close to Edge on 4th Jan 2009, I was 16, on the way back to my home with my older brother

[u/1080Pizza]

Guys I've been listening to mainly modern prog rock and metal since 2006, and I've never taken the time to listen to this album or the song. Even with everyone here bringing it up twice a week. Guess I should finally give it a listen? 🤣

[u/Ex-pat-Iain → u/1080Pizza]

Absolutely.