•
Rating: THE REVIEW
"Fragile" is the first Yes album I bought, and I'll never forget it because it made me fall in love with the band. The first release dates back to the distant 1972, and it features a varied tracklist, where nothing is really missing, and each member unleashes themselves in splendid experimentation.
Starting right from the legendary Roundabout, a now-historic track from the band. In it, guitar, bass, and keyboards blend almost perfectly and create a truly enjoyable track to listen to, for more than 8 minutes. Two short tracks follow: Cans and Brahms (an arrangement from Brahms' 4th Symphony in E minor) and We Have Heaven, where all the voices we hear are overlays of the singer Jon Anderson (at the first listen, I didn't quite understand what kind of track it was...). Then another longer track, South Side Of The Sky, with an excellent intermezzo. The fifth track (Five per cent for nothing) is the most incomprehensible of all, very brief and with a strange jumble of sounds (with a frightening offbeat from the drummer). We then have Long Distance Runaround, another splendid piece that is followed by the experimentation The fish (Schindleria Praematurus) by bassist Chris Squire (throughout the track, every riff and/or melody is produced by the bass guitar sound). The eighth track is one of my favorites, and it is Mood for a day, a classical guitar solo by Steve Howe. Truly touching. The album concludes with one last great piece, Heart of the sunrise, with an excellent vocal performance by Anderson.
Unfortunately, my version of the album contains two bonus tracks that I felt no need for, namely America and another version of Roundabout. If you own the older version, your album will splendidly conclude.
Last but not least, there are always great drawings, both on the cover and in the booklet (my favorite in this regard is "Relayer").
I find that this album is the best way to get close to the band because it showcases the band's great abilities and doesn't feature overly long tracks that might bore someone on the first listen.
If this positive experience occurs, you'll move on without hesitation to "Close to the Edge" and the already mentioned "Relayer".
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
Yes' 1972 album Fragile made a lasting impression as an ideal introduction to the band. Featuring a balanced, varied tracklist with classic songs like Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise, it showcases each member's talent and experimentation. The reviewer appreciates the album’s accessibility for new listeners and critiques the inclusion of bonus tracks in later versions. The album artwork is also praised. Fragile paves the way to exploring other Yes masterpieces.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
Other reviews
By RocKnR0ll
Fragile is certainly their masterpiece, an album that manages to blend rock and classical music with a superb technique.
The true masterpiece is the concluding Heart Of The Sunrise: eleven minutes of offbeats, almost jazzy parts, and instrumental intertwining that will leave you dizzy but never fall into self-indulgence.
By Progressive86
"Fragile is indeed the fourth album by Yes and the second in chronological order within the trilogy of their milestone albums."
"To appreciate this album and progressive music more generally, one should listen and listen again (perhaps even with closed eyes) to receive from the organicity of the sound sensations."
