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Reviews: Yes: Close to the Edge

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Reviews: 11

Review by The Mule March 7, 2013 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
WOW!!! I just got it today and am amazed at the clarity and full sound of this 2.1 hybrid. I love it. It's the best version I've ever heard. Now if they'd just put it out in 5.1 surround (like Fragile), it would be perfect for my system. Highly recommend.

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Review by cordobaman March 7, 2013 (4 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Performance? A masterpiece for sure as we all know. Sound quality is the best that I've experienced for Close To The Edge. That's not to say it's not without faults. It does sound great, but I feel it's a little heavy on midrange (keyboards) and too light on percussion. Bruford's snare does not quite the snap as it should and cymbals seem muted. Squires Rick' bass sounds like a Rick'. Vocals are really nice but a little withdrawn. Steve Howe's guitar is dead on. I think the best part is, for the first time, it sound like real people playing real instruments...especially guitars. Even with my quibbles, I still am thrilled to have this wonderful SACD.

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Review by Gregg Bass March 8, 2013 (8 of 10 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I had high expectations for this one but became a bit concerned when I read that this release would be a stereo remaster, not a full remix. And it shows.
There is more detail present here than in previous releases but the whole album sounds a bit tinny to my ears with too much emphasis on the upper mid and high frequencies. As if the engineers wanted to make sure that the vocals and keyboards shined a bit brighter, which they do. But, too much so and at the expense of the bass and percussion. Whether this is due to the condition of the original source material or because of an older mix is hard to say without more information which you will not find in the very sparse liner notes.
That said, it is probably the best version available right now until someone like Steven Wilson comes along and gives this masterpiece the treatment it deserves.

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Review by MacClaus March 16, 2013 (4 of 11 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Best pressing I've ever heard. Highly recommended

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Review by jbaker111 March 18, 2013 (2 of 5 found this review helpful)
.

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Review by analogue March 19, 2013 (12 of 17 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I own many sacd's and gold cd's mastered by Steve Hoffman but this is the first sacd that I am disappointed with.

Its always difficult to review a classic album from the past when so many listeners have their own opinions of what constitutes good sound for that particular title. My review is not of the music which is excellent. Yes was a great band with terrific chemistry and fantastic musicianship.

If I would choose a single word to describe my experience with the sound of this sacd it would be unremarkable. Its not that it sounds bad...........it doesn't..it just doesn't grab one the way one would hope for.

I found it to lack air and transparency for my tastes. It does have decent sound stage but not much in the way of three dimensional imaging even though vocals stay out front. Although there is not much in the way of compression.......even turning it up offers very little in the way of overall improvement. If you think about the talent this band has..........how orchestral they can be.............and how great lets say the keyboards can sound or any other instrument for that matter.........I just expected and hoped for far more than this disc allows. Things never get dramatic....things just don't really gel. I remain unmoved by this sacd.

There are good things like thew acoustic guitar starting track 2...........some of the vocals but instruments don't blossom as much as I'd hoped for.

Some reviewers mentioned that it might be the tape source used..I cant say. I hate to compare this disc to lets say..the Dvd Audio of Fragile. They are different releases, different mastering.... I know. What I wished for was that this follow up disc could have grabbed me the way that Fragile did. And this is coming from Dsd SNOB AFTER ALL.

This is the only sacd mastered by Mr. Hoffman that I don't like.
Just my two sense is all.

If you read the reviews here some Yes fans do love this disc.


Can only recommend this to Yes purists who want to take a chance.

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Review by Anekdoten April 5, 2013 (7 of 9 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE PREVIOUS REVIEW..I have listened to the SACD and my Original Vinyl pressing and felt quite unsettled when listening to this SACD compared to the vinyl which was superior in every way. The SACD gave me the feeling that someone who has taken the album to pieces polished it here and there and then didn't put it back in the correct order if that makes sense? I wanted to enjoy the experience on SACD but could not . I will stick with the vinyl original until somebody can get it right if that's possible?

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Review by Newkillerstar May 4, 2013 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This SACD lacks punch relative to the HDCD which has better definition of the bass (seems to be a characteristic of the better HDCDs), Wakeman's keyboards prominent and details like the acoustic guitar that opens track 2 rendered very clearly. What Hoffman seems to have done is an audio levelling out which is good on the sound quality, not so good on the enjoyment. Steve Wilson would probably have made it exciting and multichannel. The packaging on the Japanese HDCD is a mini lp gatefold so it falls down there too. Hoffman is capable of good remastering, his Zombies SACD is tremendous for example, but here he has rendered what I think is Yes's finest album almost bland in comparison to the Japanese HDCD and imferior also to the multi channel DVD-A of Fragile. Missed opportunity.

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Review by progboy May 5, 2013 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Yikes!!! Well all I can say is that this disc is awesome......and before you start cutting up my review I will tell u that yes i have the original vinyl and original cd , remastered cd and now sacd of this prog treasure.........this may be one of my finest prog albums.....close to the edge holds an extra special place in my heart......as i am sure it must many others too....

I have read so many mediocre reviews of this SACD that i must profess that I DONT agree with a lot of the banter!

I think this album needed a very suble touch and that is what Hoffman has done........just listen to the 4 min marker on "and you and I" and you will hear the true beauty of his mix! I will admit that I too had to listen to this mix a few times before I could grasp what Hoffman did.....

I love the natural beauty of this mix.......with a nice even distribution of vocal, keyboard, bass, guitar and drum/ percussion all the way thru. And just like SACD capability I hear things in this mix that I am not sure I have ever heard this way before.....

If you are a prog lover and a fan of this SACD treasure then shell out for this disc......it will put you close to the edge..........

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Review by manosfate May 9, 2013 (0 of 1 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Unfortunately, most aficionados know already that, "the original production of this very interesting, but inconsistent release is irreparably flawed",( the original production loaded down with harmonic distortion). Given that, this is the best possible attempt at improvement.I have the standard CD and a limited run copy of the promo LP( with separated cueing spaces for DJ's). So far, the only way I can minimize the inherent(from the beginning)flaws in sound, is to experiment with the EQ and the many special/spatial effects available in my 7.1 channel kilobuck Yamaha integrated unit.I Wish very good luck!,and listening to you all!

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Review by egoyag August 5, 2013 (1 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I have heard several versions of this masterpiece since it emerged on vinyl (I met up to 77), the 94, the SHM-CD recorded in 2013 and this SACD and I prefer the SACD version is far cleaner, with warmer, deeper sound of all the above, I think it is the best and I can tell you I've listened to this album many times. On the other hand for those who miss multichannel sound, be tested with the DVD-AUDIO version that will be released in October. This DVD-A is remastered by Steven Wilson and promises to be something extraordinary.

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