Don’t think I’ve ever seen Close to the Edge dismissed as being part of a “slide”. Yes isn’t my absolute favorite progressive rock band, but that song is probably the greatest prog rock song ever.
Yeah but members of the band said it was a little too much. Wakeman gave up after Topographic which is an album I love.
The great Prog albums IMHO are Tales, Trilogy, Thick as a Brick/Passion Play, Song For America and Utopia.
A friend gifted me a pair of Vandersteens and the only Prog I listen to is the Moody Blues.