FRAGILE

Considered by many to be their first masterpiece (I beg to differ, in fact, as I find the Yes Album not only to be their first true masterpiece but also more consistent with my own aesthetic and a more listenable recording), Fragile nevertheless delivers on the great promise of this band. Roundabout is one of the quintessential anthems of progressive rock, with a driving rhythm, great vocals by Anderson, muscular bass by Chris Squire as well as distinctive play by both Howe and Wakeman. Cans and Brahms, regretfully is a pretentious and flatulent piece of filler material and not even good filler at that. We Have Heaven is an strange little vocal piece by Anderson with a repeated vocal line but is nothing special. South Side of the Sky is an absolute classic, and one that cannot be adequately described here...it has to be listened to. Five percent of Nothing is a puzzling few moments of percussion whimsy by Bruford and is not a sufficient showcase for his remarkable talents. Long Distance Runaround, despite its brevity, is classic Yes. Great bass chops by Squire on this cut and Howe's playing shows real versatility on this one. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) provides a crafty little vignette of Squire bass play but is somewhat repetitive. Mood for a Day is a subdued little Howe guitar piece. Heart of the Sunrise is a true Yes epic, it builds and builds.... a true collaborative effort by the band with hair raising vocals by Anderson. Overall, a very good album, excellent in many ways, but also rather inconsistent. Neither as good as Yes Album or Close to the Edge, though this is a sore spot for a lot of Yes fans, this album rates 4 and most definitely NOT 5 stars.