FRAGILE

Yes

Symphonic Prog

4.46 | 4057 ratings

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Oler_Than_i_Look

yes's fragile was the first of many prog albums i have bought. it is a classic for all time and such be remembered as some of the best mousic ever recorded.

The drumming and percussion, I foumd, were far improved in this record from their last. Lots of great use of the tamborines and exotic drums make the songs unique. The bass stood out even more than it did before, and the keyboards were more musical this time than just a "filler", sort of like how The Yes Album portrayed them. While nothing could prepare us for Close to the Edge, Fragile was the beginning of the peak of Yes' career. Close to the Edge could be considered the beginning of the end - as it went on to allow Yes to produce other very self-indulgent records that were indeed very musically impressive, but only really apealing to fans like myself.

If you had to get one record from Yes, this is the one. As I mentioned, it was the golden age of progressive rock, and the golden age of Yes' career. If you are a fan of rock music and want to discover the roots of today's more complex styles, give this album a listen. If you want to hear some FANTASTIC jazz and classical integration with rock music, with poetic lyrics, this is certainly an album to discover. Highly recommended.

The lineup of the band was still undergoing change. They lost founding member Tony Kaye and brought in Former Strawbs' keyboardist Rick Wakeman. [Another founding member Bill Bruford would leave before the follow-up CLOSE TO THE EDGE.] Each member contributed to the success of FRAGILE. Wakeman's tour de force is "Cans and Brahms" (an extract from Brahm's 4th Symphony), which has him playing electric piano, grand piano, organ and synthesizer to take the parts of the original orchestral parts.

"We Have Heaven" has Jon Anderson performing all the vocal parts. "Five Percent of Nothing" (at a brief 35 seconds) is Bruford's percussion showcase. Chris Squire's bass work is featured prominently on his "The Fish." In the same vein as the previous album's "Clap," Chris Squire shows his acoustic guitar prowess on the delicate "Mood for a Day."

The bonus tracks are a nice addition. You get the full ten-and-a-half minute version of Paul Simon's "America" (the single version only went to No. 46), along with a previously unreleased early rough mix of "Roundabout," which is not substantially different from the final version.

Eventually "progessive rock" became a dirty word in the music world, but in the early days of the Seventies, Yes were one of the most innovative bands of the era and this is their masterpiece. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

| 5/5 | 2006-4-28

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