Mega64 Record Club Ep. 72 - Yes - Close to the Edge(#445)
Added 2024-07-25 13:00:11 +0000 UTCThis week Shawn listens to YES for the first time and also goes on a random tangent or two. Will you check it out?...yes
Comments
Wish their album Fragile was on the list, I think you’d dig that more, it’s my favorite one personally. I have some similar stories of listening to Yes songs while traveling and having their music sync up with changing weather or landscapes, it’s pretty cool that happened for you too.
Billy B
2024-10-31 02:23:39 +0000 UTCI’ve been on a huge Yes kick recently and this one is definitely my favorite so far. It takes you on such a journey and really feels otherworldly. I really like it, 4/5. Also I’m very excited for next episode. Specifically for when Shawn plays a little bit of each song and we see that each song is almost exactly the same lmao.
Paul LoBue
2024-08-01 11:59:55 +0000 UTCI’ve been listening to each album on this list (starting at #500) for the past 4 years and Close to the Edge was my #1 ranked album for a looong time. It didn’t get replaced until #190 (Tommy by The Who). I was glad you at least gave this a fair shake but the ultimate rating is pretty tough. This is definitely one of the peaks of prog rock so this genre just may not be for you. I would say to not think of long tracks as “songs” but more like movements in a suite, like classical music. It’s a weird thing prog does, but my favorite album of all time is technically one long track, just with a bunch of different movements. As for T. Rex, you’ll be pleased to hear that Cosmic Dancer is on Electric Warrior, which is on the list! Also, I would bet everything I own you’ve heard Bang a Gong (Get It On) by them, also on Electric Warrior.
Neil Steffens
2024-07-29 16:38:34 +0000 UTCI adore this album, it’s an easy 5 for me. Really glad to see you enjoyed it more than I expected! To be honest, that album is a bit tricky for an intro to the band so your reaction surprised me. If you’re at all interested in more Yes in the future, I’d recommend checking out Fragile or The Yes Album on your own time since they’re not on the list. Those albums are easier pills to swallow since they’re more traditional in album sequencing/pacing and don’t have a beefy 18 minute song taking up half of the entire runtime.
Tal Berenfeld
2024-07-26 05:39:04 +0000 UTCShoutout to RS! Really thought they would have put Fragile by Yes due to it being a little more accessible. But Close to the Edge is without a doubt their best album and absolutely deserves all the love and praise it gets. I listened to this album for the first time in high school and it totally blew me away. I always find it funny too that Bill Bruford left this band because it was too challenging, to go to King Crimson which is known as being one of the toughest and most demanding bands to work in lol Yes is a very talented band, but I find their discog spotty. The two albums released before this are great though, as well as Relayer which would come two albums later. Some people might be surprised hearing this album to know that this is the same Yes that made the song Owner of a Lonely Heart. They changed styles in the 80's and it actually worked well with their album 90125 which I'd also recommend. I'm glad you enjoyed this album for the most part. It's a very important piece of music. I think you'll really enjoy more T. Rex as well. Their album Electric Warrior is dope and #188 on this list so you'll get to hear more eventually. Much love and keep up the great work Shawn!
DoflamingoSnailPhone
2024-07-25 20:49:11 +0000 UTCThis album is considered by many to be the greatest prog rock album of all time. Right up there with Dark Side of the Moon and Court of the Crimson King. Love it. But it's definitely not for casual listeners.
Bo Z
2024-07-25 14:47:11 +0000 UTCShawn, you’ll love T. Rex’s Electric Warrior and The Slider, they’re both produced by Tony Visconti - who also produced a lot of Bowie’s 70s stuff. (I’m positive Electric Warrior will be on the RS500 list eventually, not so sure about The Slider.) As for Yes, another music podcast I love once described them as sounding like ‘a little prog band that could fit in your pocket’ so I was a little surprised that this sounded so ‘heavy,’ in a way. Siberian Khatru was my favorite in how funky it was, the two medleys kind of washed over me. Enjoyable but I didn’t take the time to listen enough to determine which movements were really doing it for me.
Mary and Steve
2024-07-25 13:49:25 +0000 UTC
