••• = Essential tracks.

Release Date

Jon Anderson: lead vocals; Chris Squire: bass guitar and backing vocals; Bill Bruford: drums; Steve Howe: guitars and backing vocals; Rick Wakeman: keywords.

Produced by Yes and Eddie Offord. All arrangements by Yes. Engineered by Eddie Offord. Tapes: Mike Dunne. Coordinator: Brian Lane. Recorded in England 1972. “Close to the Edge” written by Jon Anderson and Steve Howe, “And You and I” written by Jon Anderson, themes by Bill Bruford, Steve Howe and Chris Squire, “Siberian Khatru” written by Jon Anderson, themes by Jon Anderson, Steve Howe and Rick Wakeman.

Originally released in America with a textured exterior gatefold album cover, with silver ink accenting the front cover type and back cover Yes logomark. The plain-paper inner sleeve was printed green, with lyrics in black calligraphy (probably by Anderson) that was so hard to decipher that it helped obfuscate the obtuse lyrics.

Perhaps the most-influential progressive rock album by the most-influential progessive rock band. This album made me want to be a musician. Chris Squire’s playing in particular made me want to be a bass player. It didn't matter that Jon Anderson’s lyrics made no sense what so ever, this album contained some of the most-exciting music I had ever heard in several years of precocious record collecting. And over the intervening years, this is the album to which I return time and again to reenergize my enthusiasm for progressive rock music.

On 23 August 2003, Elektra/Rhino Records released an expanded version of the album, adding the tracks America [single version] (4:09), Total Mass Retain [single version] (3:18), And You And I [alternate version], and Siberia [early studio rehearsal of Siberian Khatru] (9:09).