marquee_dsounde Store

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Marquee D'Sounde

Rare and Collectible Records and Books

Providing the finest available since 1974 !

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Yes

Close To The Edge

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-A/-A Stampers

First Pressing

George Piros Master

Inner Lyric Sleeve

1841 Broadway Label

Original Gatefold Cover

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Record Information

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Official Release Information

Label: Atlantic 7244

Released: 1972

Format: 12" vinyl LP (album), 33 1/3 RPM

Disc Condition

Near Mint

Visual Inspection

No notable exceptions

Cover Condition

Near Mint

Visual Inspection

No notable exceptions

Dead Wax Information

(A) ST-A 722619 A AT/GP PR

(B) ST-A 722620 A AT/GP PR

Why Pressing/Dead wax information is important?

Like a knife, the more times the master cuts into vinyl  the duller it gets. Each subsequent pressing gets duller, rolling out the crisp cut of the original pressing. This results in less sonic resonance. The first pressings are the truest duplication of what the master engineer intended.

The mastering also matter. The Mastering engineer critically listens to the tape recording, making critical adjustment to them as he goes. This can create very different listening experiences from disc to disc. This is why you see Re-Mastered so often, to improve (or sometime the opposite) the original sound.

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Artist Information

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Close to the Edge is the fifth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 13 September 1972 on Atlantic Records. Following their success with Fragile, Yes began to produce extended pieces which resulted in Close to the Edge, an album formed of three tracks with the 18-minute title track occupying side one and "And You and I" and "Siberian Khatru" on side two. When recording for the album finished, drummer Bill Bruford had grown tired of the band's style and song writing methods and left to join King Crimson.

Released three months into its supporting tour, Close to the Edge was a commercial and critical success for the band. It peaked at number 3 in the United States and number 4 in the United Kingdom. "And You and I" was released as a single that reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over one million copies.

Following the release of their fourth studio album Fragile, Yes enjoyed their greatest commercial and critical success since their formation. When their well-received 1971–72 tour of Europe and North America to promote the album ended in March 1972, the band started work on their next record. The line-up during this time was singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Bill Bruford, guitarist Steve Howe, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman.

After rehearsals at the Una Billings School of Dance in Shepherd's Bush, the band returned to Advision Studios to record their next album. They were joined by audio engineer Eddy Offord, who had worked on Fragile and served as their sound mixer for its tour. Production duties were shared between Offord and the band. According to Bruford, he came up with the album's title to describe the state of the band at the time, as he had with Fragile. Bruford recalled "a cheap black velour settee at the back of the control room" where he slept one night as Squire was "poring over a couple of knobs on the desk, and jerking awake a couple of hours later to find him in the same place, still considering the relative position of the two knobs".

Offord made the band's road crew "build a huge stage in the studio" to make the album sound "more live". In one incident, after the band decided to use a particular edit of a track, the group found out the studio's cleaner put a piece of tape in the rubbish. Following a "desperate hunt for the missing section" in the bins outside, the piece was found.

Side one of the album is occupied by its title track, of which Anderson and Howe share composition and lyrical credits. With a running time of 18 minutes and 43 seconds, it is the longest song the band had recorded at the time. The track was assembled in pieces throughout, as Bruford described, "in ten, twelve, sixteen-bar sections". Anderson based its theme and lyrics from reading Siddhartha by German novelist Hermann Hesse. Reflecting on the song's lyrical content in 1976, Anderson noted the concluding verse is a dream that he had "a long time ago about passing on from this world to another world, yet feeling so fantastic about it that death never frightened me ever since". Wakeman's organ solo was originally a section written by Howe for the guitar, but he thought it sounded better on the organ.

Side two opens with the ten-minute track "And You and I", written by Anderson, Howe, Bruford, and Squire. The spiritual influences introduced by Jon Anderson are already evident in the music and lyrics of all three tracks on Close to the Edge. Renewal and repetition are other main themes; the title track starts and finishes with the same sound effects of running water and birds, and in "Siberian Khatru" there is the repetition of two-syllable words and phrases. The album closes with "Siberian Khatru", the only track where Wakeman receives a writing credit. Anderson described the track as "just a lot of interesting words, though it does relate to the dreams of clear summer days".

The album marked the first use of the band's "bubble" logo designed by Roger Dean.

The album's sleeve was designed and illustrated by English artist Roger Dean, who had also designed the cover for Fragile. It marks the first use of the Yes "bubble" logo. Some of the photography used was shot by Martyn Adelman who had played in The Syn with Squire. On reflection of its artwork, 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".

Close to the Edge was released on 13 September 1972, three months into the band's 1972–73 world tour to promote the record. It was their biggest commercial success; the album peaked at number 3 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart and number 4 in the UK. "And You and I" was split into two tracks and released as a single titled "And You and I (Part I & II)" that peaked at number 42 on the US Hot 100 singles chart. The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over one million copies.

A promotion-only version of the LP was distributed to US radio stations that featured the title track split into shorter segments. This was done to increase radio exposure as most radio stations did not want to air an 18-minute song. Most of the segments were in the range of 3 to 5 minutes and all were marked on the record to assist disc jockeys.

Upon its release, Close to the Edge received favorable reviews among critics. 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."

In a special edition of Q and Mojo magazines published in 2005, Close to the Edge came in at number 3 in its "40 Cosmic Rock Albums" list. 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 list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Albums of All Time" for Guitar World, the album came in at number 67. In his review for AllMusic, Dave Thompson writes:

Close to the Edge would make the Top Five on both sides of the Atlantic, dispatch Yes on the longest tour of its career so far and, if hindsight be the guide, launch the band on a downward swing that only disintegration, rebuilding, and a savage change of direction would cure. The latter, however, was still to come. In 1972, Close to the Edge was a flawless masterpiece."

Close to the Edge is ranked number 1 in Prog Archives's top album list, with an average rank of 4.65 stars.

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International Buyers Welcome

Please Note:

Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility.

Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying.

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All records are shipped in Heavy duty record shipping boxes with inner cardboard support, record removed from cover to prevent splitting seams during shipping.

No charge for shipping on all records after the first purchase. 1-50 all ship for the one shipping charge!

And as always, if you are not satisfied with our description of the condition of your purchase - we offer a full refund and pay shipping to return the item !

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A little about me and the items I sell

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I started collecting records and music memorabilia in about 1968. While traipsing around Southeast Asia for Uncle Sam, music was that lifeline to home and the world we came from. When I returned home to New Jersey, I became involved in the music industry and music became a passion. Needless to say I am not a kid anymore and I want to find good homes for these treasures and not see them end up at the Yard Sale of my life! What you see at my store is a collection of these treasures. Over the past 30 years I have sold off many very rare and hard to find items and have many, many more to offer. My passion for the rarest of rare and the finest quality available is still reflected in what you are offered here! Enjoy!!

Marquee D'Sounde ?

The Marquee D'Sounde was a music promotion company that I formed in the 70's. An obvious play on words, with the Marquis' De Sade and Marquee of Sound. It promoted a variety of music related venues, hence the Marquee for displaying our offerings. At record trade shows in the late 70's and early 80's as well as in Goldmine magazine the name Marquee D'Sounde became synonymous with the best quality available in collectibles! As you can see from the Feedback, I provide Quality Items and fast reliable service with secure packaging. Many buyers are repeat buyers!

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A Brief Discussion On Condition

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Historically sealed albums have been selling for huge prices simply because they are sealed. Sealed albums are in many cases a later pressing bought in some bargain bin or reissues that have since gone out of print. Prime examples are the ones with the “Nice Price” stickers. You can be assured these are later pressings off of old masters. Not always but quite frequently. Rarely did the first pressing of any record make it to the bargain bin unless the record was a flop. That’s not to say that a flop back then isn’t a treasure today. We find that frequently and in those cases a sealed album is a treasure.

Back in the day every record distributor had a sealing machine and would reseal albums. These would end up in the bargain bins. That is why you see the stretching on the corners of many of them offered on eBay. Original sealed albums will usually be squared on the cover and not have signs of stretching around the corners. Unless you plan on leaving the album sealed and reselling it, you are better off with a true Near Mint to Mint pressing from a reputable record dealer. You know what you get.

All of these claims regarding complicated record cleaning systems mean you are getting records that have not had the care they should have had. If the record was cared for properly it won't need these complicated cleanings! A quick spin on the VPI will remove any soiling not caused by abuse.

A properly cared for album (NM or M) should look as close as possible to the record that came out when it was first opened.

Most records come from my personal collection accumulated during my years in the music industry. When purchased new or received as a promotional copy, the album or single was placed in a plastic outer sleeve and sometimes a plastic inner sleeve. When possible the records will include these plastic sleeves.

Many were never played!

I rate rather conservatively but work closely with Goldmine standards. My Near Mint ratings are generally what everybody else rates as Mint or Brand New.

I try very hard to give accurate descriptions of the records and check them prior to shipment to ensure that the condition advertised is indeed what I ship. If there is something that I missed I will notify you prior to shipment. In turn, if you receive your record and the condition is not what you expected, let me know and we will arrange to return the record with a full refund.

Shipment Information

All records are carefully packaged and shipped in heavy duty commercial grade #200 corrugated Record shipping boxes!

Buyer Instructions

Payments:

All payments are expected within 10 days. All payments must be received in US funds. Preferred payment method is Paypal.

Feedback:

I will leave feedback for you once I have received confirmation that you have received your item and that the item met your expectations. Our transaction is not over until you are satisfied. Once you leave feedback, I will leave positive feedback for you.

Contact me if there are any problems or questions.

Thank you for stopping by!!

Be sure to add me to your favorites because I have thousands more rare and wonderful albums, singles and memorabilia coming!

Looking for that special album, CD or single? Email me and I'll let you know if it is available!!