Although I regularly switch between stages of listening exclusively to certain albums and artists, this album holds pride of place as my all time favourite. For me, it's as close to perfection as I've ever heard. It is certainly inspired by classical music, which is especially evident in the 19-minute epic title track. It's hard to believe that five ordinary (or "ordinary") men could produce something so other-worldy. It's certainly not easy to digest, but it's worth every ounce of effort for Rick Wakeman's climactic organ solo, and the "I get up" theme, one of the most beautiful things that they created. "And You And I" is lighter in comparison, though it hardly qualifies for radio play at 10 minutes in length. Siberian Khatru has an inspired guitar riff that never seems to get old, and the kind of energy that few bands can deliver. This music is complex, inspired and almost too good to listen to too much: you can lose the wonder of the music through familiarity. I realise that this isn't for everyone, and that's fine. But I urge you to give this album several listens, to give it the time it deserves. People often rave about "Fragile" being the best Yes album; as brilliant as it is, "Close To The Edge" is a far more accomplished and self-consistent work. For some reason, it always feels like you're doing much more than just listening to music.