FRAGILE

This has to be one of my all-time favorites from the band. Over about 75% of the album is absolutly amazing in this case. There are a few songs that I won't mention yet that are sometimes failing to my ears, and a few that are unlistenable. But, what makes this album what it truley is, the production and the overall performances by the whole band. Also, Rick Wakeman, one of the greatest keyboardists ever, joins the band for this album. Everyone gets a "solo" peice, which can be good, but mostly bad for most of the time. Lets get to the overall review, sha'll we?

Okay, so the opening "Roundabout" is STUNNING. Its not the most progressive thing ever, but its amazing, short and sweet (on Yes standards it's kind of short). The guitar in this song is absolutly awesome, Steve Howe is really playing with the harmonics here, which most musicians don't really do in Rock music, but Prog Rock might be a little different from that. The flamenco guitar intro is really nice too, and leading to the whole band intro, the song can only go up. The bridge is really nice, stunning and very progressive, beileve it or not. The rest of the album aint bad. Cans and Brahms is a slight dissapointment because it dosent really show any skill from Wakeman because its so simple for me, the rest of the album has better keyboard and piano parts than the solo part. We Have Heaven is kind of terrible to listen with someone else because I feel like such an idiot when I do, they usually hate Yes for a LONG time because I played it, but then I show them Rondabout and then they are okay. But Jon is a very good vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, but this shows no ability for anything here. I have to skip forward from that. Now, South Side of the Sky is where it's at! That is one of the best piano parts ever in the history of Rick Wakeman. The sound is good, and the vocals are really catching. The guitar and bass parts are awesome. 5% of Nothing is really nothing, honestly. Bill Bruford tries so hard to show off, but it really dosent give him any justice at all, he is really great, and he has alot of talent, but this track is shameful. Long Distance Runaround is the best pop song on the album, its very catching and has a nice and smooth bass part. The guitar is pretty cool too. The Fish is one of the only good solo pieces to be recorded by the band in studio. This thing is overdubbed with a million bass guitars (Rickenbacker 4001) and sound completely awesome, to say the least, maybe because I am a bass freak, but it does sound really cool. Chris Squire sure can play! A Mood for a Day is an absolutly stunning piece by Howe, I cannot beileve that this was recorded by a human! The guy has such incredible fingers, its awesome. Now, the ending track, Heart of Sunrise is the best mix of awesome hard rocking riffs and awesome softer parts. The song is an emotion roller coaster of amazing, to say the least.

The album deserves a 4.7/5, but I rounded. This is a great album, and any Prog-head should have it if you have any interest in Yes at all.