Comments for Yes, Fragile

This album was THE breakthrough for YES, as they introduce their trademark "cosmic" themes, virtuoso instrumental sections, and anything else that one would begin to associate with the 1970's YES. It also gave YES their first big taste of success with the single "Roundabout". A must for any music collection!

"We Have Heaven" is by far the coolest song I have heard in a long time. Well, okay, that's extreme. "Mood For A Day" and "5% For Nothing" are great tunes. Of course, there are the big hits (Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise) Classic Tunes.

With "Fragile", e.g. with the entry of Rick Wakeman, it begins definitely the "golden age" of the band. By me, the masterpiece here is "Heart of the sunrise". But each track, just like - more than - in "The Yes album", is fantastic. I like very much also "Mood for a day", "The Fish" (even if I prefer its live versions usually played in concert), and the keyboard "solo" by Rick in "Roundabout". GL

INSPIRATION is what "YES" is all about, that's where their great unique rock and roll comes from. Like "Yes", my primary source of inspiration is the GREAT SPIRIT potentially inside all of us. Among my finest influences in reaching some of that spiritual potential have been the great rock & roll group "Yes", and the spiritually inspiring books written by "KEN CAREY". How do you rate inspiration? "Yes" & "Ken Carey" get 10's from my heart. -Ed McConnell

Another great one. "Heart of the Sunrise" sounds great, I've come to appreciate it, though the nick from Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" always used to bother me. The one track on here which never turns up on live or greatest tracks comnpilations which I think is excellent is "South Side of the Sky" - sounds like Crosby Stills Nash & Young getting REALLY serious about music. And "The Fish" is really lovely. Quite frankly Bruford's drumming is perhaps the biggest element in what makes this unique, and they captured him beautifully on this recording.

A progressive rock classic. "Roundabout" and "Heart Of The Sunrise" are the Highlights. With the addition of Wakeman the classic Yes sound is now fully defined. I could live without the short solo pieces though, except for "Mood For A Day" which is beautiful. "South Side Of The Sky" is a kind of lost classic. Every Yes fan I know likes the song, but the band never played it live (or almost never).Fragile is a great album but the follow-up "Close To The Edge" would be even greater.

Before this album, Tony became the 2nd person to get fired, and Rick came in his place. His contribution is immediately felt on this album. While Fragile is weighed down by pointless solo excursions (Wakeman's "Cans and Brahms", Bruford's "5% for Nothing", etc.), the 2 gems are "South Side of the Sky" and "Heart of the Sunrise", 2 of Yes's best tunes (and darkest tunes) of all time. All members are in excellent musical form, especially Steve and Bill.

I guess i''ll be the first to comment on Mr. Chris Sqiure''s bass excursions here. He is DAMN solid, Long Distance Runaround''s intro bassline is the only reason I started listening to Yes in the first place, but they are winning me over now in all of their aspects, especially Bruford and Anderson''s talents. I could not sing that high after age 13, but he was still doing that at age 28, and beyond. What a great voice!

Masterpiece.Five stars out of five.Originally released in 1972, it sounds as innovative today (2006) as then. Great bass playing (listen carefully, this bass player is simply phenomenal -and unique-), great keyboards playing too, strange and intricate rhythmics... A beautiful, magnificent album: the musicianship is here at the highest level and, overall, being every one of the five involved musicians a monster in his own field, we can instead hear Music here and not a mere show off of technique. A mention is due to the visionary Eddy Offord (the sixth Yes ?) that with his stellar and innovative engineering contributed so much to the result of this and other Yes album. Concluding, one of the supporting pilasters of the progressive rock edifice and, therefore, indispensable for the serious listener.