Fragile is Superestimated?

"That, That Is" from "Keys to Ascension" (1996) is better than any track from "Fragile"))

verslibre wrote: Cristi wrote: Keys to Ascension is their best of the 90s.

You mean the new studio songs?!

richardh wrote: The interesting track for me is South Side Of The Sky which sounds like proto prog metal. Yes developed a harder edge on this album and that stood them in good stead to take over the mantle of the leading prog band ahead of ELP. Rick Wakeman is a massive figure in prog and can never be underestimated although they found the perfect replacement in Patrick Moraz when he left to purse a solo career before returning to the band for the classic GFTO album. TYA to GFTO is arguably the greatest and most important run of prog albums when the genre was riding high.

The only Yes track that sounds like proto prog metal to me is "Machine Messiah." Maybe also "perpetual change" or the yessongs version of "yours is no disgrace." I don't really hear it in SSOTS to be honest though. Even HOTS comes closer imo but hey I still respect your opinion.

Cristi wrote: Keys to Ascension is their best of the 90s.

Cristi wrote: verslibre wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: Cristi wrote: No, I don't think it's overrated. I can think of a couple other yes albums are overrated, but i don't want to upset anyone. I'm a YES fan but it wouldn't offend me if you said Open Your Eyes was overrated. Or Talk. Open Your Eyes is one of their worst. Talk is their best of the 90s.

Yes, Talk is super-underestimated at PA with a lowly overall rating of just 3.08.

verslibre wrote: Psychedelic Paul wrote: Cristi wrote: No, I don't think it's overrated. I can think of a couple other yes albums are overrated, but i don't want to upset anyone. I'm a YES fan but it wouldn't offend me if you said Open Your Eyes was overrated. Or Talk.

Open Your Eyes is one of their worst.
Talk is their best of the 90s.

For me Fragile works better with a little tinkering to the running order (something I seldom do). I discard the (dare I say disposable) five short solo tracks, and tack on their version of 'America' which was recorded around the same time but issued only on an Atlantic sampler album, until it turned up as a bonus track on more recent CD releases of 'Fragile'.

Thus:
1) Roundabout
2) South Side of the Sky
3) Long Distance Runaround
4) Heart of the Sunrise
5) America

All of which clocks in at 42 minutes.


Edited by Floydoid - Yesterday at 10:41

Cristi wrote: No, I don't think it's overrated. I can think of a couple other yes albums are overrated, but i don't want to upset anyone.

I'm a YES fan but it wouldn't offend me if you said Open Your Eyes was overrated.

^ they were leaving covers of other artists behind, needed to stand on their own 2 feet. Historical perspective over revisionism ie this or that album could have been better if the band had done this or not done this. Fragile was a success and nowadays we can make our own versions of these albums if there are tracks we don't like. BTW Selling England By The Pound is often considered Genesis finest work despite having a Phil solo track. I think with Fragile some of the solo pieces can act as a small breather or even a bridge/intro into the following track. Cans and Brahms is the only really annoying track for me, would happily have done without that and serves little purpose (but as we know Wakeman was cooking up a brilliant instrumental album of his own at the time and didn't want any of the good stuff to be used here, hence such a weak offering)

TYA and Fragile are both equally great. I probably prefer Fragile by just a tiny bit though.

Top five Yes (or my opinion I should say):

Relayer
Close to the Edge
Fragile
The Yes Album
Going for the One

Just behind GFTO is Drama then Tales but all are great. And 90125 is a great pop rock album with prog elements but nothing more and nothing less. It's not on the same level as the others.