FRAGILE

Yes

Symphonic Prog

4.46 | 4053 ratings

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jammun
Prog Reviewer

From those opening guitar harmonics of Roundabout, this one is special no doubt about it.

Roundabout probably gets dissed due to the familiarity -- too many of us have heard it hundreds of times. However, tt's a great opener for the album. But there is much better further along the groove.

Myself, I don't care that much for the various 'personal' songs -- excepting Five Percent For Nothing and The Fish -- but the rest here is all top drawer. Look at it: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise. I type these out by memory, with nary a peek at the album cover; they are essential to prog. Has any prog band ever written four better songs presented on a single album?

I maintain that when this was recorded, the Squire/Bruford rhythm section was the best in rock. Just listen to the first 2-3 minutes of Heart of the Sunrise if you have doubts. Howe is masterful throughout. Wakeman does not sound fully integrated with the band, having just joined, but nonetheless makes some nice contributions. Given that this is Yes's best album, I'll give it a 4.5 and round up. It's the one essential Yes album.

jammun | 5/5 | 2007-8-22

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