“Scraping the bottom of the barrel” is a universal outcry from fans upon hearing the news of YES‘ 1972 classic “Close To The Edge” getting a deluxe treatment on March 7th. Indeed, the main selling points of the album’s new reissue are Steven Wilson‘s immersive mixes that are stored on a Blu-ray as a part of a multiformat box set, rather than his fresh remix of the record or its remastered variant.
And while the entire “Rainbow” show is somewhat alluring, the omission of “Yessongs” audio and video – the former partially and the latter entirely recorded at that London venue – makes the compilers approach look inadequate, because the inclusion of it would unlikely hike the price further. As for the so-called rarities, most of them lost their status long ago, and Wilson’s edits don’t qualify for such a characteristic, although their presence work towards a completist’s dream. The rest of fans can do without this.
CD 1 & LP – 2025 Remaster:
1. Close To The Edge
I. The Solid Time Of Change
II. Total Mass Retain
III. I Get Up I Get Down
IV. Seasons Of Man
2. And You And I
I. Cord Of Life
II. Eclipse
III. The Preacher The Teacher
IV. Apocalypse
3. Siberian Khatru
CD 2 – Steven Wilson 2025 Mixes
Remix:
1-3 – as on CD 1
Instrumentals:
4-6 – as 1-3 above
CD 3 – Rarities:
1. America (single version)
2. Total Mass Retain (single version)
3. And You And I (promo radio edit)
4. Siberia (studio run-through of “Siberian Khatru”)
5. Close To The Edge (rough mix)
6. And You And I (alt. version)
7. America (“Dry” mix)
Steven Wilson edits:
8. Siberian Khatru
9. Cord Of Life
10. Total Mass Retain
CD 4 – Live At The Rainbow, London, England, December 16th, 1972 – part 1:
1. Siberian Khatru
2. I’ve Seen All Good People
a. Your Move
b. All Good People
3. Heart Of The Sunrise
4. And You And I
I. Cord Of Life
II. Eclipse
III. The Preacher The Teacher
IV. Apocalypse
5. Close To The Edge
I. The Solid Time Of Change
II. Total Mass Retain
III. I Get Up I Get Down
IV. Seasons Of Man
CD 5 – Live At The Rainbow, London, England, December 16th, 1972 – part 2:
1. Excerpts From “The Six Wives Of Henry VIII”
2. Roundabout
3. Yours Is No Disgrace
4. Starship Trooper
a. Life Seeker
b. Disillusion
c. Würm
Blu-ray:
1-3 – as on CD 1 – 2025 mixes in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 DTS-HD MA