Geir Myklebust shares on his blog "My Things - Music history for those who are able to read" Jenny Valentine's interview of Jon Anderson for Sounds, September 9, 1972.

Graeme Hall

Monday, January 27, 2025 12:05 PM

We travelled from Wantage in Oxfordshire by train to Norbury Junction (I think), myself, Chris and Bob all just 15 year old. The day was glorious and warm with a fantastic happy atmosphere in the bowl. Someone had tied a whole bunch of helium balloons together with the sign pointing down "Wally's here". While loads of others were randomly shouting Where's Wally? I was there to see Lindisfarne, one of my favourite bands and Yes, THE top band. I had posters of Steve Howe and Melanie on my bedroom wall. I was mildly interested in the other acts, but the Mahavishnu orchestra piqued my curiosity with the guitarist (JM) going off at a million miles an hour. Lindisfarne played as the sun was getting lower in the sky, making their party atmosphere a little forced. But Jacko's harmonica and Alan Hull did a decent job of entertaining the crowd and a few beer cans went flying through the air into the lake. Yes appeared just before dusk and the light gradually faded to reveal a fantastic Roger Dean inspired stage and light show. Steve Howe's guitar tree allowed him to change rapidly between instruments during songs. The version of "And You and I" and the pedal steel guitar absolutely soared and Close to the Edge with the rather odd crab-like device above the drums opening up above Alan White was spectacular. The finale with YIND knocked me out. When SH hit the stereo guitar riffs that came blasting across the lake I was on another planet. The concert ended and us three (all cross country runners) ran to catch the last train from Norbury Junction to Didcot. We arrived in Didcot after midnight with no means to cover the last 12 miles home. There were no mobile phones, so Shanks's pony and holding the thumb out hopefully. We walked about half-way before striking lucky. All in all a magical day. I can still feel it 52 years later.

Joey Wise

Thursday, October 17, 2024 12:03 AM

Not a review.
Some highlights from this version of close to the edge (being that it is the first ever performed live by Yes.)
Jon’s first vocal “ah” in the intro is the briefest I’ve ever heard.
Steve absolutely goes off in the intro, only playing the ‘important’ signal riffs from the album version of that solo, and slightly losing his place in the composition at 2 points.
Chris has clearly been practicing and barely misses a note for most of the performance (besides to compensate for mistakes from Steve, Alan, or Rick and one glaring flub near the end.)
Rick’s mellotron and moog must have gone out of commission. The moog isn’t played once and he plays the mellotron for the 2nd vocal “ah” before seemingly abandoning it until the end of the piece when it makes a brief reappearance.
Alan is a beat early with the hits on the final vocal “ah” in the intro and has to compensate with an extra crash hit.
The revox tape machine is late for each re-entry of the birds in the piece, (even apparently appearing at one point accidentally during the 2nd stanza of the first verse) and also for the final entry of the birds at the end.
Steve’s mic is barely audible throughout.
There’s a relaxed jovial feel to Total Mass Retain that it doesn’t seem to retain during further performances.
Jon sings a few bum lyrics (he was reportedly reading them off of large cards) and changes some of his vocal deliveries (interestingly he attempts Chris’s falsetto part for the first statement of “I get up, I get down” to some success, thus being one of the highest notes I’ve ever heard him belt.)
I get up, I get down goes down swimmingly despite some of Jon’s vocal choices near the end.
Bass pedals sound remarkably well.
The revox works perfectly, holding out long enough to cover the entire section until the first organ statement.
The band comes in as would be expected and cover the quietness of Ricks Hammond fairly well. However unexpectedly, (after another strange vocal choice from Jon) the band don’t play accents along with the revox pipe organ tape as they would in later versions (besides Chris with some bass pedal notes).
No moog during ricks famous ‘ascension’ only Hammond! Chris’ only glaring mistake comes during the frenetic reprise of the intro material.
Rick plays a fairly ripping organ solo with many quotes and passages from the album version even.
During the final verse comes the reappearance of Rick’s previously absent mellotron. The band are marching at a mighty pace and seem to be having a good time despite the difficulty playing the new material.
This being before they decided to bring the end of close to the edge down a step; Jon attempts to sing the final chorus and tags in their original key and unfortunately falters. Even cracking. Gracefully though, the band finish and with a slight delay the revox plays the final entry of the birds and the audience breaks into a huge round of modest clapping with a few cheers. Some seemingly more than ready to hear roundabout.
Great recording, I enjoyed every minute!

Dave Watkinson

Monday, June 13, 2022 3:05 PM

Click the link to read the story behind the discovery of this rare full size poster for this important gig.

Rod Murdison

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 11:19 AM

Me and my school friends Terry Smith and Wayne Howard travelled up from Cardiff by coach and somehow got to Crystal Palace Bowl after a quick look at Buckingham Palace, Soho and Carnaby St. early in the morning. I remember the "Catweazel" guy! I also was stunned by the Mahavishnu Orchestra even though we'd come to see Lindisfarne and Yes. We were also excited to see John Peel walk past us and the number of good looking girls in the audience - well we were 18. When I got home I bought a copy of Birds of Fire by mail order and loved it. Bizarrely, all these years later, I now live walking distance from the site of my first ever trip to London.

drumaddict

Yes, that's Alan on drums. Bill didn't use two floor toms. I've been drumming since 1965. I've been a Yes fan since 'Fragile'

Peter McIntyre

My experience was very similar to David's. It's nice to know that I was not alone in having that feeling, especially being just 16 & of being in awe of those musicians.I was near the front of the lake central to the stage. I stayed in the same spot ALL day. I don't think I even went for a pee!! I also could not wait for the release of the CTTE album, coupled with the delivery of my first stereo unit via my mother's mail order catalogue!! I'll never forget the morning of its arrival. My brothers & sisters were present when I put the album on. We were totally immersed in the sound. Played it a million times. Also, like David, the Mahavishu Ork were awsome. While they were performing, just in front of me was this character who looked like Catweasel, dancing in a frenetic manner, during their entire set! I remember buying the album 'Birds of Fire' at Virgin in Oxford st London (I think Richard served me!!!?) The music from them appealed to me so much. The virtuoso performances were so appreciative. For a while during that period, I felt as though I was part of an elite. Yes I know it was a phase I was going through as a teenager but it was a good stage of my development nonetheless.
HAPPY DAYS

David Terrar

This was a few days before my 16th birthday and my first Yes gig. It was also the first ever UK date for Mahavishnu Orchestra, my second favourite band at the time, so I was in heaven. MO were absolutley awesome, and the other bands were reasonably entertaining. Even though the sound wasn't perfect, the new Yes material came across really well. I can still picture the lights at the start of CTTE, and remember how powerful the introduction sounded when the band came in. I can remember the tune sticking in my mind, and then having to wait weeks until the album was finally released. For me it was a great start to a long line of great Yes concerts - still going strong.

OLD PROG ROCK FAN

WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SCAN E-BAY ITEM 7510130625 FOR THIS SITE, ITS A POSTER OF THE GIG.

R North

Just to set the record straight. That is a picture of Yes at
the Crystal Palace on 9/2/1972. That's Alan White on drums not
Bill Bruford.It's hard to tell from that picture, but i've seen
other pictures from different angles, and you can also tell by
looking at the dress of Jon and Chris, and by the arm and body of the
drummer in the picture.

Eric Iozzi

Hey,that picture can´t be from this show,as you can clearly see Bruford on drums instead of Alan White.

Ken Fuller

This was my first Yes gig, and what a way to start with the debut of Close To The Edge. I remember that they were having trouble with the PA all day as they were picking up the BBC's broadcast of the Munich Olympics (The Bowl being very near the BBC's broadcast tower). I'm sure this explains the poor sound that was reported. I don't remember who else was on the bill for what was an all day concert, but in any case, Yes were the highlight and I bought a copy of Close To The Edge as soon as it was released. Jon had the lyrics to CTTE on big cards as he said they were very new to him and he didn't want to forget them (and it was their longest piece to date)!

Some time later I saw Rick Wakeman perform Journey to the Centre of the Earthat the same venue, complete with inflatable dinosaurs on the lake in front of the stage! Those were the days!!

Martin Epps

Sounds - September 9th 1972
"Superb Palace"
Jerry Gilbert

There was a keen sense of anticipation as Yes and all their equipment moved on stage. For them the concert was synonymous with the first liver performance of their new multi coloured pastiche "Close to the Edge".

It seemed that every device that incorporated a keyboard was surrounding Rick Wakeman at the start, and although the sound was not as perfect as one would expect at an indoor gig, there were a few hassles. Jon Anderson's mighty "Siberian Khatru" from the new album was the opener and the number at which the sound was at its worst. After that, everything went smoothly and "All Good People" brought an applause of acknowledgement from the older Yes fans.

But even with Steve Howe's beautiful guitar piece "Mood For A Day" and the loudly welcomed "Heart of the Sunrise" there was still the feeling that we were sampling the hors d'oeuvres before the main course. And then it came. "Close to the Edge" is a mighty composition which incorporates Jon Anderson's keen melodic awareness and the many textures which Wakeman and Howe are able to create.

"Close to the Edge" may be long but the sequences are direct in structure and fall in perfect apposition in the overall composition.

Alan White looked happy enough on his British debut with Yes and the band followed "Edge" with "Roundabout".

It was the second climax of their set and completely overwhelming

Martin Benson

In 1972, Yes premiered CTTE at Crystal Palace at an open air concert. It was just before the album was released; it was sure as hell in the summer, and I believe it was in mid August. It was a gorgeous day, and a glorious gig.

The concert that day also included Jon McLaughlin and Lindisfarne. I wish I still had the program.

It is astonishing what sticks in your mind!