FRAGILE

The first Yes album to feature the iconic artwork of a certain Roger Dean, 'Fragile' would be the album that sky-rocketed Yes into the stratosphere of super-stardom. Key to the album's success was the addition of ex-Strawbs member Rick Wakeman on keyboards, replacing the outgoing Tony Kaye, and the fact that 'Fragile' featured the superb lead-track 'Roundabout', one of the group's best-known and best-loved compositions and a staple of FM rock radio ever since. With Wakeman on board the classic Yes line-up was in place and 'Fragile' would herald the start of Yes' golden era, the group selling millions of records across the globe and staging hundreds of sell-out gigs throughout Europe and America. Some argue that 'The Yes Album' marked their high-point and, excellent though that album was, 'Fragile' just seemed to have that special edge that comes with a very-talanted group performing at their peak. A look at the track-listing reveals a glut of great tracks, including 'Roundabout', 'South Side Of The Sky', 'Heart Of The Sunrise' and 'Long Distance Runaround', all of which have become fixtures in the group's live shows for the last four decades. So, four albums into the burgeoning career and it seemed as if Yes had created the masterpiece they had threatened; incredibly, however, within a year they would have bettered 'Fragile' and booked their place at the head of the progressive rock table of legends, demonstrating just how dynamic the interplay was between these five, relatively youthful musicians. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010