Does any prog album even come close to this...

Does any prog album even come close to this? This is seriously the one prog album that somehow based itself on literature and had all of that pretentiousness and long songs, but pulled it off and avoided all factors of cheesiness.

Pic related is arguably better, but they're going for pretty different things.

It's the most organic, effortless thing I've heard to come out of prog, and yet it sounds absolutely intense and beautiful. The title track achieves so much without sounding like it's trying to be important, and the second half follows it up brilliantly. Instead of going for the "epic closing track," they take a more subtle and natural approach, and the overall effect makes the whole thing just feel so fleeting and sublime. It really is one of the finest albums ever recorded, and I definitely don't think prog has ever reached such heights as Close to the Edge.

>and avoided all factors of cheesiness

but Yes wouldn't be half as good without the humungous amounts of cheese though

are yesposters actually just 13 year olds going through dad's records?

...

I definitely have to be in a mood for prog, it's just one of those genres.

that was easy

king crimson>Yes
stop dick sucking anthony

literally babby's first prog

...

seriously tho tales is so fucking underrated

How have none of you morons posted this yet?

I consider myself a MASSIVE prog fan but for nine years, I have never heard a better album.

This is truth. The key to the very best prog is a touch of cheesiness. Prog is over-the-top, and when you try to take something that's already over-the-top too seriously, it has the reverse effect. Yes walked a perfect fine line between awesomeness and ridiculousness.

the best prog fully embraces cheese

pic related, better than close to the edge

"Yes"

whoops wrong pic

who the fuck keeps shilling close to the edge so aggressively on here? it's good but it's not the best, fucking hell.

I'VE SEEN ALL GOOD PEOPLE TURN THEIR HEADS EACH DAY
SO SATISFIED I'M ON MY WAY

I don't disagree with this. They fully embraced it, and in doing so they created the ultimate prog album.

And it's not just good because it's a cheesy take on prog. It's actually fucking great on its own.

>being this /nu/ to Sup Forums

...

it's meh, about half of the album is instrumental wankery, the only good parts are when jon sings.

Relayer is much better

Sssssh...nobody knosws shit...you're in a thread venerating Yes and Genesis for satan's sake

wow ur the embodiment of fag lol

It's really not. It's the direct opposite of Close to the Edge. It projects as having so much importance that just isn't there, and when you really listen to all the musical themes throughout the album, it feels completely meaningless, like they were just pulled out of nowhere. I'm not explaining myself very well, but when you compare the two albums, Close to the Edge feels so raw and earth based, and reaches incredible heights without overstating itself, and Tales From Topographic Oceans is in complete opposition to that. On Close to the Edge, the goal was to execute what they had within them to it's highest capacity, on Tales From Topographic Oceans it was to fill four sides of vinyl with long "heavy" prog opuses. And if you think that Tales From Topographic Oceans is better than Close to the Edge, then you're doing exactly what they wanted, which is to be tricked into thinking it's somehow grander than Close to the Edge because "Woah, four long songs." It's in now way grander than Close to the Edge, it's the complete opposite of Close to the Edge, which is pretentious prog wankery. It's albums like Tales From Topographic Oceans that are why punk rock was a necessary movement in music. The sad thing is, Yes could have done a great followup to Close to the Edge had they not deliberately tried to do it better.

I wasnt saying it's better than CTTE. It has its faults, which you laid out nicely, and I completely agree. But it's still good, it's a fun and interesting listen. Sure it's too indulgent, but sometimes you just want to indulge.

this is a close contender for me. saw it at a local record store months back for $3, so I bought it and put it on as soon as I got home. I've listened to Yes' more popular stuff and loved it, but this honestly felt like something else. It has normal Yes elements, but there's something else about this album that made me love it on the first listen. It seems like it's really hit or miss with most people. as the fucking idiot who reviewed it on p4k gave it a fucking 2 or something, but I absolutely love it.

datz some krautrock though

many, but this is one of the best
not even the best gabriel era album
agreed
thats not starless and bible black

...

Fragile's better

Fragile features the best instrumental performance by the best instrumentalist of the band (Bruford, ofc) but I find CttE overall better.

For shame, Sup Forums.

whaa

>CAN'T YOU FEEL OUR SOULS IGNITE

This thread is so fucking pointless

Every single time you get people posting top prog albums, everything BUT dark side... what's the point?

lol dark side isn't even as good as meddle

echoes is shit compared to interstellar overdrive

piper is objectively their best album but it isn't prog so its not relevant to this thread

It's also prog rock