Therefore, it’s no surprise to find a meticulous description of the group’s early albums but then, the most “arty” projects like “Tales from topographic oceans” and “Relayer” are in comparison, ignored. He met Yes in the late sixties, from their earliest incarnation when they used to amplify other’s people songs with complex arrangements and a sophisticated approach to instrumentation. This “Yesstory” runs until the band’s tour for “The Ladder” in the year 2000.Īnd if there is another feature that most of Welch’s works have in common it’s the inclusion of personal anecdotes of which the writer himself has been part of along his friendship with the bands he’s known. If most of his biographies have something in common is how the personal and musical matters intertwine and “Close to the Edge” is no exeption, as a biography in it’s own right, the description of some of the aspects of the life of Yes’ members cast a shadow over their works as a band. Welch is a friend as well as a fan of most the bands he’s written about (and if you wanna see him remembering old times he appears in the Genesis’ video “Opening the musical box” and in ELP’s“Welcome back”) such as Led Zeppelin (“Dazed and Confused”) or Peter Gabriel (“The secret life of…”) Writer and journalist Chris Welch has been a major support of the progressive rock for years (he worked for a long period in the mythical Melody Maker) as John Peel was in the world of radio.

Close to the Edge by Chris Welch