FRAGILE

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that this album was my introduction to Yes. I'm a little reluctant to see why this album is held in such high esteem by fans. The three mini-epic pieces all deliver exactly what any progger looks for in an album flawlessly, but I find outstanding mediocrity in the remaining tracks.

The solo pieces on the album seem like they were treated with little seriousness and have a very throw away sound. THey do little more than keep Fragile from being an EP. Of the three true songs on the album, Roundabout is slightly tarnished by repeated airplay which did eccentuates it's slightly poppy sound that has sorta irked me. However, it still remains an enjoyable song featuring a very interesting chord progression by Chris Squire, showcasing his trademark Rickenbacker sound. The remaining tracks "Southside of the Sky" and "Heart Of The Sunrise" are perfect besides suffering the tarnish of Anderson's "angelic" voice. I don't understand the critical claim Anderson receives. I very much enjoy his vocal approach and timing, but his voice itself is on the thin side and doesn't strike a chord with me. Also, I feel that he fails at the primary job of a singer, producing an emotional response in the listener. I find his words to be cold and his delivery emotionless. A great album but not quite up to masterpiece status. If the "America" track present on the remastered had been on the album instead of the weak solo pieces, I'd be ranking this as an esential album.