FRAGILE

Fragile represented a quantam leap from the previous Yes album, "The Yes Album." The addition of keyboardist Rick Wakeman gave Yes the proper combination to create some of the best progressive rock pieces ever recorded.

Fragile contains three absolute masterpieces: Roundabout IS Yes. The fast keyboard lines, the melodic, moving bass lines, offbeat drum parts, spectacular vocals, and incredible guitar playing all combine in the rarest of ways-- it's incredibly progressive, but incredibly catchy as well. It's a great SONG with great playing as well! Long Distance Runaround is a very interesting and quirky song that has experimentation written all over it. Heart Of The Sunrise is one of the best progressive epics ever written. Tempo changes, time-signature changes (love that 5/8 keyboard thing!), great and complex playing on all instruments, and great vocals. Incredible. The rest of the album is comprised of solo ideas from each of the band members, which all work very well in context of the album, and the long song "South Side Of The Sky." "South" shows the difference between Bill Bruford and Alan White. The studio recording has a very jazzy middle section along with the driving rock of the main section. When I heard Yes play this live again a few years ago the difference in drummers was extremely evident--it really need the jazz feel to make it work. And work it did!!! Fragile was unfortunately only one of two Yes albums to feature what is to me the quintessential Yes lineup. Bruford gave the pot odd rhythms and jazz feels, Wakeman and Howe gave the pot classical leanings, Squire and Anderson gave the pot the 60's vocal groups vocals along with revolutionary bass playing. Put it all together and you have a fantastic album.

The only reason I give this album four stars is for the individual solo pieces. It's an album that anyone that likes prog rock should own, but Yes' two masterpiece albums were yet to come in "Close To The Edge" and "Relayer."