FRAGILE

For years as a preteen and teen, Yes was my favorite band. Fragile, Close to the Edge, and The Yes Album were the reasons. Fragile and The Yes Album especially are the pinnacle of the Yes discography, fully worthy of 5 stars.. Although I listened repeatedly to CTTE when I was young, now I find it a little too long. Three songs averaging about thirteen minutes each is simply too much for my tastes. I like what the band did with this album, giving each member a chance in the spotlight. Of the five compositions, "Cans and Brahms" is probably my least favorite for a possibly strange reason. I love classical music, and I listen to a lot of it. I just can't stand most of Brahms' music! This is Yes' best lineup. Steve, Rick and Chris play brilliantly together, and I revere Bill Bruford. My favorite tracks are probably "Long Distance Runaround" and "Heart of the Sunrise", but it's hard to pick favorite tracks from a 5 star album. Fragile is Yes, and progressive music, at their best!