Right! There is a huge chasm between "Close to the Edge" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
Indeed. They went from being a band with songs so long that very few radio stations would play them, to being a band that could produce a decent 4-minute pop song. Personally I prefer the older Yes. I heard a live version of The Gates of Delirium once that was freaking mind-blowing. It went on for about half an hour.