Fragile
Yes
1971
Album Summary
Fragile is the fourth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 26 November 1971 by Atlantic Records. It was the band's first album to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced founding member Tony Kaye after the group had finished touring their breakthrough record, The Yes Album. The band entered rehearsals in London in August 1971, but Kaye's reluctance to play electronic keyboards led to his departure from the group. He was quickly replaced by Wakeman, whose experience with the electric piano, organ, Mellotron, and Minimoog synthesiser expanded the band's sound. Due to budget and time constraints, four tracks on the album are group compositions; the remaining five are solo pieces written by each band member. The opening track, "Roundabout", became a popular and iconic song. The artwork for the album was the band's first to be designed by Roger Dean, who would design many of their future covers and stage sets. Fragile received a positive reception upon its release, and was a commercial success, reaching No. 4 on the US Billboard Top LPs chart and No. 7 on the UK Albums Chart. An edited version of "Roundabout" was released as a single in the US in January 1972, which reached No. 13. Fragile has since been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over two million copies in the US. It has been remastered several times since its release, some remasters containing previously unreleased tracks.
WikipediaAbsolutely incredible. This album makes a catchy, fun and interesting blend of sounds, drawing from prog rock but not falling into the classic traps of the genre. The songs, while long and complicated, are easy to like and feel very timeless. The difficult playing isn't there for difficulty's sake, but to do things a simpler composition can't do. It isn't pretentious at all by prog rock standards, the album cover is great, and i love the small tracks placed in between the longer ones as it paces the whole work perfectly. Adore this album.
This is Yes at their peak before they are about to go off the rails. All over the place in a wonderful way with contributions from all band members. Love how each instrument/element/player is highlighted throughout the album. Wish more bands created output in this manner. They are one of the most listenable and original of prog rock groups. Prog gets a bad rap for some reason but I enjoy the structures and explorations. Quite a sonic journey.
Had this one on regular repeat in my teen years. Spent a huge amount of time learning to play Mood for a Day (badly) on guitar. Still a personal favorite album decades later.
While the musicianship is clearly good, they just feel like a store brand Pink Floyd. It's Floyd-style prog without the hooks which leaves the album feeling kind of empty and, ultimately, forgettable.
5/10, I was initially excited for the concept of this website, but I'm repeatedly discovering the flaws of the 1001 albums list, the sheer proliferation of forgettable dad rock. Yes is fine, it's an okay band, but fuckin' hell, a genre besides rock exists, this is easily the most bland-of-its era tripe to exist. 4/10, bad ideas are extended ad-nauseum, while the good ones are cut short, this is a snoozefest disguised under a prog label. 3/10, it just gets worse as it goes on, I don't think I've ever been less interested in a band, ah yes another track of jumbled instrumentals and pained singing, 2/10 is my final. Thank God rock is dead.
Je vous propose de diviser cette critique en deux parties : j'évoquerai les événements récents dans la première et formulerai une analyse de l'album dans la seconde. Première partie : Vous avez sans doute lu dans ma critique de Let It Be des Replacements les raisons pour lesquelles j'ai été convoqué devant l'Amtsgericht de ma ville de résidence en fin de semaine dernière. Pour résumer la situation, j'ai ce mercredi, et par inadvertance, tabassé une de mes élèves en raison du fait qu'elle portait un chandail à l'effigie de Morrissey. Une fois l'audience terminée, les magistrats ont délibéré et jugé que les traces de strangulation présentes sous la minerve de la victime ne pouvaient être imputées avec certitude à ma paire de mains et que les attestations fournies par les quatorze témoins présents ainsi que mes aveux n'y changeaient rien. En revanche, il a également été jugé que l'élève, heureusement sortie indemne, devait à présent porter en continue un pull imprimé d'une photo de Ray Charles en position fœtale. Celle-ci a fait appel, je vous tiendrai informés de la suite dans une critique ultérieure. Deuxième partie : Fragile du groupe Yes est un album que j'ai pris beaucoup de plaisir à écouter.
2 1/2 stars. I found this a bit of a difficult album to wade through. I have never been a Rick Wakeman or Yes fan. Having said that there are a few songs that I can get into somewhat like America and Roundabout which may have to do more with familiarity than anything else. Of the songs a I haven't listened to previously Heart of Sunrise is good. I understand the influence of this album.
Hey it’s the Jojis. But absolute classic and very accessible Prog Rock. The album art is so iconic too. S/o Chris Squire
This is that shit that has Roundabout on it. A lot more than just Roundabout - lots of prog rock shit going on. Pretty good album imo.
One of the OG prog rock bands and a really good listen. Massively influential to so many acts following in their footsteps
YES!!! Delicia de álbum progressivo com instrumental alto nível. Gosto muito do Mood for a day e nem lembrava q era deles.
Great album. Beautiful acoustic/classical guitar parts and fun jam songs. Very 70s rock but in a non jam band way. Into it.
Premier album de yes que j’ai ecoute dans ma vie. J’adore ce band et j’ai deja ecoute cette album un cinquantaine de fois. 5*
I personally really like this album Did I only know about this album because the first song is a meme? yes, but that's not a bad thing. this album mixes epic rock n roll with beautiful guitar work. It's not the best album in the world, but I love it.
Really enjoyed this one. Compared to the other Yes album we've had on this list so far, this one feels much tighter in terms of songwriting and song structure. The tracks seem more cohesive rather than made for the purpose of showing off the musician's (considerable) skill. My other main criticism of the other Yes album still holds: the singer's voice doesn't do the instrumentation justice. He's just not up to par with the others. Still, a fantastic album.
Amo el rock progresivo, pero no en su totalidad. Justo este disco si. Es una epoca en la que dijeron "che pero pará la musica no tiene por que tenes distorciones por todos lados y el mismo acorde repetido over and over". La cantidad de experimentación que hubo en esa epoca no se volvió a repetir hasta el resurgimiento del rock psicodelico. Me gusta mucho este disco, es muy dificil no pensar en como fué influenciado por Queen, voces grabadas encima de voces grabadas encima de voces... Amo. La duración de los temas está all over the place, es como escuchar Blue Öyster Cult, si no sabés cuanto dura cada tema you're in for a ride. Ésta musica se aprecia mucho mas en el ambito analogico, casette o vinilo, donde te da paja adelantar o saltear temas. Tampoco se beneficia de los auriculares, creo que está hecha para ser escuchada en habitaciones con parlantes y demas.
Amo este disco. Es una de las bandas que mi viejo siempre escucha, entonces como que lo tengo en mis recuerdos. Tiene todo el power. Creo que si es alto disco.
Gracias Jojo Si alguien me pregunta con que disco meterse en el rock progresivo, de seguro este sería mi elección; es variado, conciso, cortó (para el álbum de progresivo promedio), pero por sobre todo atractivo. Para mí un sólido 9/10
Still one of my all time favourite albums. There are sections that could probably be trimmed (South Side of the Sky could easily be 5 minutes), but I love the album. Prog rock is all about excess!
It’s a bit dated in some of its sounds, but for me this album is brilliant. Yes utilizes interesting rhythms, chord changes, and melodies to create music that stands apart especially in 1971. The jazz, blues, and classical influences are apparent and woven well into the music. The musicianship is phenomenal and the occasional suite like song structures further attest to this band’s ambition.
Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, den långa versionen av America, Heart of the Sunrise, Long Distance Runaround... Till och med de korta låtarna (varje bandmedlem fick skriva en låt var själva) är kanon. Amagad den är så braaaa .______.
This is not a perfect album. Jon Anderson's emotionless singing, the self-indulgent nothing tracks mar it. But still, it has enough amazing things about it for me to give it 5 stars. The musicianship is amazing, particularly the bass and drumming. The actual songs are all great and it holds together wonderfully.
I’ll be the roundabout, The words will make you out and out, I spend the day your way, Call it morning driving through the sound …
One of my favorite albums of all time. It's what got me inspired to pick up an instrument back in middle school.
Almost half a century later and these songs still go hard. The sheer VIRTUOSITY on display here is astonishing. Like, that heavy-ass intro on "Heart of the Sunrise"? Those syncopated drums on "Long Distance Runaround"?? My mind is EXPANDING!!!
Have had this music in all forms..album,8-track,cassette,cd,Spotify ..hard 5 for this one,loved it since day one
-Holy crap Lois why does the "We'll Be Right Back" meme continue for 8 minutes? -This album is a little weird, it's like half big epic songs and half shirt little dinky ones. Still pretty cool. Great jams and groove and bass and stuff throughout -I particularly like "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround" -"South Side of the Sky," "Heart of the Sunrise," and "America" are great too -I plan to do plenty more listening, so I think that has just bumped it into the 5 star range
What can be said about this album beyond Wow! I was fortunate enough to see them live once. What a fantastic show.
When I was 15, I got a record player for Christmas. Four days later, as a reward for getting my learner's permit, my dad said he'd buy me my first record, and this was it. As a result, I'm pretty nostalgic for it. On top of that, it's a pretty good album. I'd give it 4.5 if I could, but I'm rounding up because of nostalgia, my personal love for the 70s prog sound, the strength of "Roundabout", and the cheeky reprise at the end.
Some classic prog rock! The meme introduced me to this album, who says memes are useless..
One of my fave Yes albums. Fave tracks would probably be "Long Distance Runaround," "South Side of the Sky," and "Heart of the Sunrise."
I love the versatility from songs like the prog opus Roundabout to something like Mood for a Day which is just 3 minutes of flamenco guitar. A lot of the smaller tracks in between feel lost like they should be part of a bigger whole or should flow more cohesively between the longer songs. Five per Cent for Nothing is a very rad 35 seconds that doesn't make much sense sandwiched between South Side of the Sky and Long Distance Runaround, the latter of which is my favorite after Roundabout. Some of the longer tracks like Heart of the Sunrise can outstay there welcome but none are bad. I'd be interested in giving this a listen to on vinyl, I wonder if the way the tracks are laid out makes more sense in that format then straight through in a digital playlist. 94/100 gecs
One of the finest albums of Yes, and even one of the best albums of the progressive rock movement. This work strikes the perfect balance between complexity and catchy, interesting music. There is also an excellent contrast between heavy/electric music and classical/acoustic music. Furthermore, all the musicians here are at their best and especially Jon Anderson. I consider this record as his best vocal performance ever.
Prog Masterpiece. Incredible writers + incredible musician + incredible producer = Magic.
Some of the prog rock I've waded through for this project felt interminable. But I've always liked Yes for whatever reason. The cover art is cool. I know Roundabout is a great song -- looking at the track list, it seems I'm actually already familiar with several songs. I'm happy to dive in and listen to the whole album. On first hearing, I like the pacing and how it all hangs together. I found it had plenty of momentum to sweep me along to the end having enjoyed the whole thing. I listened again and like it even more.
This is an instrumental masterclass. I don’t know how they mixed classical with rock and synthesized keyboard. But they did it.
Take any one performance from this album; guitar, bass, drums, keys, song; and you would have an excellent album. Together, they result in some of prog rock(if not rock altogether)’s finest offerings, still fresh 50 years on. I could say more but the music should speak for itself and, more importantly, I’m tired
Visions of me as a 100lb 12 year old biking home from the used record store with a tattered copy of this under my arm after having heard Roundabout on mystery FM radio for years and putting it on and being given an aural representation of that trippy Roger Dean cover... Honestly I do remember putting the vinyl on my cheap turntable and it being a kind of instant magic. Led me to being a fan of this band's 70s work right around when they were making their big 80s comeback. The combination of instrumentation - interplay between guitar and (lead!) bass and keys - is unlike any band I'd ever heard before or since; like them or not (and even though I have their entire 70s collection, I don't really like all of it) I kind of feel like this version of Yes were possibly the most unique "rock/popular music" band I can think of that ever made it so big. Others were progressive, sure, but either far more bombastic or heavy and just never as appealing as the best Yes could offer. And for this album in particular, those 4 true songs (3 of which you'll still hear on some of the slightly-more-adventurous classic/old radio stations) are progressive melodic perfection. Just listen to "Heart of the Sunrise" and truly digesting it...has there ever been anything like this before? From the powerful repeated riff to those gentle piano runs in the middle... it's not a background song, I can definitely spend 11 minutes in a dark room just blasting this. Incredible musicians - every single one. I've tried to play this stuff. It's not easy and the complexity + melody/accessibility is what made them - and this - stand out. OK. However. The obvious whatthehell?? aspect of this album has always been the 4 (or 5) "individual/solo" pieces are absolutely weird and jarring and really cannot be played as one-offs (i.e. you're not hearing "We Have Heaven" on the radio). Do I "like" them? I've never really known but I honestly don't think so (I like "Mood for a Day" enough for a nice classical guitar piece, I suppose. Couldn't play that for shit either.). But in context they do sort of fit - you have the long band pieces and those interludes give the listener a bit of a rest in-between. Blahblahblah still this is and always has been an all-time keeper for me even with (or because of?) the strangeness. 10/10 5 stars.
Exceptional. The keys and the rambling guitar over the top of the funky bass. Amazing.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I always have a soft spot for the records my dad played a bunch when I was a kid. This is one of them.
Roundabout is great. Rest of the album is pretty solid, but not as put together. So much jamming.
A pretty impressive feat and some incredible guitar and keyboard skillz but didn't rouse me up as much as I thought it would.
Not really my style but I appreciate that it's good music. Nice to listen to under certain conditions.
Familiarity: 4/10 Notes: listen, when you start your album off with a song like Roundabout, you know shit stays at that high of a bar until the last measure. One of their most recognizable albums, due in part to the opening track, Fragile is a funky prog rock classic Real Rating: 8/10
Amazing Prog album with issues. Because of money/time problems the recording of the album had to include solo compositions of each band member. Those were not that good. The rest however is top prog, especially Roundabout.
This album is surprising. There’s piano solos and rock and just all kinds of stuff. It was such a variety of music on this album that it kept me interested.
Excellent album. The full band tracks are better than the individual ones, although Steve Howe's Mood for a Day is a great one.
Endelig litt progrock. Spillingen på dette albumet er jo helt fenomenal. Alle instrumentene får tid til å vises, og alt er i verdensklasse nivå. Låtskrivingen er heller ingenting å kimses av. Roundabout er en heftig åpner, og det blir ikke dårligere videre. Stemningsfullt, fengende, imponerende, innovativt. Det er vanskelig å forklare hva konkret det er som trekker meg til dette albumet, men jeg kan si at det er bare helt sykt kult. Ikke en personlig favoritt, men det går mest på smaken. Ekstremt sterk 4. Kunne sagt det var en 8.9/10.
Mye gøy. Er ikke så fan av prog, men likevel en underholdene. Du får inntrykk av at de er gode til å spille instrumentene sine og liker hvordan flere av sangene er komponert. ironisk nok likte jeg albumets nå-meme intro-track best, den gav lytteren et godt bilde av hva som lå i vente. Likevel skulle jeg ønske at albumet kunne være litt tyngre? Vet lite om mixing og liknende begreper innfor musikk, men syntes bassen ikke var "digg nok". Den manglet en sonisk dybde jeg skulle ønske var der. Virket som om musikken kunne flagre vekk i en sommerbris, på en spinkel, nerdete måte. Kanskje smaken min er ødelagt av år med Kanyes basstrommer etc. Svak 4, eller sterk 7/10
Very instrumental. More songs I recognized than I thought I would. A dope anime intro I've always looked for was on this too. A chill album, good for background music while doing art or cleaning
“Fragile” by Yes (1971) From the opening sounds, this album grabs the listener’s attention. Steve Howe on guitar and Rick Wakeman on keyboards dazzle with innovative arrangements, cementing their reputations as pioneers in progressive rock—PURE progressive rock in “Heart of the Sunrise”. This is intelligent music. What it lacks in soul and profundity of message it more than makes up for in technical perfection. For 1971, this record set the pace for much of what was to come in the 70s and 80s. The running footsteps across channels on “We Have Heaven” preceded those on Pink Floyd’s “On the Run” by two years (for those who like to keep track of such things). Squire and Bruford’s rhythm section is solid solid solid. Squire even gets in on the harmonic coloring (“Heart of the Sunrise”) and jazz improvisation (“Five Percent for Nothing”). Jon Anderson’s lead vocals are pure and disciplined if lacking sonority and steady vibrato—but with excellent diction. He provides solid melodies and the group chimes in with mesmerizing harmonies, rivaling Crosby, Stills and Nash (in the studio, that is!). Chord progressions and time signatures that simply prohibit the simultaneous chewing of bubble gum. Exemplifying recording wizardry, this is a clean and crisp mix, with excellent separation that simply must be heard on studio headphones (or Klipsch equipment, but for us mere mortals . . . ). As an album, “Fragile” demonstrates that one can produce a record that starts with a leading track lasting 8:35 and sustains interest throughout. And the end of the closing track welcomes a replay of the opening track, and over and over and over again. These are great musicians who clearly enjoy making great music. 4/5
PROGPROGPROGPROGPROGPROG. Best Tracks: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise
Pretty good, great musicianship. Definitely prog but more to the rock side. Enjoyable listen and I'll probably try out their outher stuff. 4/5
Brilliant progressive rock, and I'm surprised I have never heard this whole album. I'll be spending more time with Yes in the near future.
It's Yes so of course you get masterful musicianship and staggeringly incredible compositions. I can't help but wonder if this album would be a 5/5 if 'Roundabout' didn't lead it off. As its constructed, the album can't ever reach the highs its lead (and easily most famous) song hit. It's still incredibly well done, interesting prog rock, but it doesn't land as well after hearing one of their masterpieces.
It was a good listen, loved roundabout and heart of the sunrise but wasn't as good as the yes album. Opinion might change in the future. Would give it 7/10
While I'm a big fan of prog rock in general, Yes isn't my favorite. I was already familiar with this album, but gave it another couple listens. Obviously Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround are great, however the rest of the album doesn't do much for me, thus dropping to a 4.
Brings back memories so when I saw what it was I thought it was going to be 5* but it’s actually 4
Yes is a cooler band than I think that I've previously given them credit for. This album is good from the opening and holds up to the end. It's big and dramatic as a lot of prog rock is, but it's also fun with solid riffs 4/5
Very good album. Interesting dynamically and musically dripping with talent. I like this sound a lot and the balance between hits and ballads is really good on this album. Very ahead of its time
Not big yes fan, but good tracks in here and they paved the way for future proggos so I feel comfortable with a 4 here
Jag är lättköpt och mitt pris är 3-4 goa bass lines. Five per Cent for Nothing är bästa låten. Album som gjorde mig lite glad och det är värt 4 * såklart
Yes, here, move past sufferability into the good zone. This reminds me why I like prog, this is fun, this is playing with the medium without sticking one's head where it doesn't belong, this is a sound capable of sincerity even after being adopted as a meme.
I wonder if at any point recording this album they realized they should make more bangers instead of random minute-long instrumentals. 8/10
okay don’t get me wrong, I LOOVE prog rock, and this album certainly had some bangers, but most of the songs just kinda sounded like throwaway stuff, like you listen to Cans and Brahms or Five Per Cent for Nothing and you just gotta wonder what the point of those songs are? like obviously every song doesn’t need to be amazing but I think there were a disappointingly high number of throwaway songs and I’m not saying I hate those kind of songs, I love The Beatles, Revolution 9 and King Crimson, Moonchild, but the point is that on an album full of hard hitting songs, you only have one or two of these weird throwaway songs to reset the mood for what’s next anyway, I really loved Roundabout (Obviously, who doesn’t?) and Heart of the Sunrise America and South Side of the Sky were also pretty cool overall it is a great album, I just had the one critique, 8/10 for me
Opens with a meme song, hell yeah. One of those bands you hear about as a monolith, but I'd never really gotten into them. Prog group with undeniable talent. I love all the instruments at play here, especially the acoustic guitars. Would definitely listen to this again, and mark me as a "yes" for more Yes albums. Favorite tracks: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood for a Day. Album art: Pretty simple '70s rock cover, but the art style is nice. I like the font a lot too. Can't say I remember seeing it before, but very emblematic of its time. 4/5
Jak wczoraj byl niszowy albumik z alternatywy progowej, tak dzisiaj z troche innej polki, wiec mainstreamowa uczta dla sluchacza kompozycji tak symfonicznych, ze ciezko ogarniac kto jak i co gra, fragile to czwarta plyta w dyskografii yesa, wiec brytyjskiej bandy, nagranany w 71 i tym samym roku wypuszczony, jest to takze pierwszy album, ktory featuruje pana Wakemana, ktory przynisol ze soba do zespolu potezna roznorodnosc klawiszowa i synthowa, ktora zarowno na fragile jak i kolejnych materialach stala sie niejako cecha charakterystyczna ich tworczosci, sam album to 41 minut i 9 kawalkow, ciekawa sprawa jest to, ze jedynie 4 z nich byly tworzone jako caly zespol, natomiast pozostale 5, to solowe utwory kazdego z czlonkow ekipy, kolejna sprawa jest podzial na traki instrumentalne, a wokalowe, bo tutaj rowniez utrzymuje sie podzial 4 do 5, nie bede ocenial pojedynczych trakow, bo pewnie zbaisowany bylbym do tych zawierajacych wokale Andersonowe, bo jest wsrod nich chocby legendarny ending pierwszego parta jojowego, wiec roundabout, ktory tak mocno wpisal sie w dzieje memologii, a jednoczescie jest swietnym openigiem tego krazka, wiec chociaz nie jest to material tworzony pod jeden motyw i idee, to jednak nastroj jaki emanuje z calego albumu utrzymuje sie jednaki przez caly odsluch, malo jest tak przyjemnie wesolo spokojnych krazkow, ktore znam, tylko pozytywne wibracje, jest dobrym okresleniem tej plyty, czasem dziwi praca dzwieku na kanalach, jak zaglowanie w niektorych momentach, nie wiadomo czy wynikajace z wizji artystycznej, czy dziwnego balansu sceny, ale sa to bledy wybaczalne patrzac na caloksztalt brzmienia, na plejke nie mam za bardzo co wrzucac, bo album juz wielokrotnie zakatowany, ale chyba uda sie gdzies wcisnac jeszcze long distance runaround, im wiecej slyszalem i wiecej wiem na temat danej plyty, tym mniej mnie nachodzi na lurkowanie lorowego i jakos zostaje przy tym co wiem, wiec same notatki albumowe rowniez sa mniej sensowne w takim wypadku
Quite the blend of genres: jazz, hard rock, progressive rock... I feel like there are echoes of what would become post-punk in certain spots? I was obsessed with this album in high school (yep, nerdy, I'm aware), but I'm glad it still holds up. The bass playing is insanely impressive. Favorite tracks: "Roundabout", "We Have Heaven", "South Side of the Sky"
I really liked this! I had heard of Yes before, but never listened to them. It reminds me of those math rock bands, like Maps & Atlases and (early) Foals. The songs were a bit long for me and not sure any stood out enough for me so that's why I'm not giving it the 5, but it's close!
Very prog, very odd instrumentation at points, very enjoyable for the most part. Roundabout mostly famous from GTA V, which made it odd hearing it in its original context
I listened to this album a few years ago as part of a Yes marathon. It's a giant wank but I do like this kind of prog rock. It's cool to see how something as shit as the Beatles kinda turned into a style of music that I like. 4/5.
Amazing material that would be worthy of a 5 if not for tracks like Cans and Brahms, and We Have Heaven - which just break momentum. Everything else this album offers is stellar progressive rock that really set the bar.
Sprawling prog rock epics interspersed with some short little filler tracks. But, it all ties together sonically into a great album with some superb musicianship!
The explosion of prog rock in the late 60's and early 70's has lead to Yes doing quite well for themselves, especially after The Yes Album which came out just a few months prior to Fragile. So with a keyboardist Rick Wakeman added to the lineup, what would Yes produce? A great prog rock record, that's what. Opening with the iconic Roundabout, Fragile can easily be divided into four "big" songs with some interlude tracks to splice up the pacing. I don't think Yes needed every interlude track to be included, but I appreciate the effort to spread out the "big" tracks. Even then, some of the interludes server as a medley than anything else which is still nice. Yes are extremely good at writing music in the prog rock format. Ideas are fleshed out without dragging on for too long, and songs continue to feel fresh throughout the runtimes. I mostly enjoy the bookend tracks though.
It's been awhile and for some reason I thought this album was going to drag in certain spots. Oh, it has its bloated moments but overall, this is a cohesive album with two of their iconic songs, "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround." And it didn't drag for me. The album is really two sides with two songs anchoring each side, starting and finishing songs. There's interludes/instrumentals in between leading to the bloatedness but, hey, this album is one of the cornerstones in the Prog Rock catalog and that's part of it. I don't know if there is an overarching theme, other than nature and driving around..eagles, sailors, the wind. Technically, the musicianship is top notch; this album may be worth getting just listening to Chris Squire's bass on "Roundabout." Three out of the four big songs (the exception being "Long Distance Runaround") have similar structures with the songs starting and ending at the same spot with all the Prog Rock instrumental craziness in between. Think of the acoustic guitar start/finish in "Roundabout." Overall, I enjoyed this listen but understand all the criticism this type of music gets and its detractors.
El bajo está increíble. Poquito largo para mí gusto pero en general discazo, de esos que te hacen querer saber más de la banda. Songs: Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise, America
When I was in high-school Yes was my favourite group so I reckon I've listened to this album several hundred times and can play all of the songs on air guitar with my eyes closed. This is close to peak Yes, their Zenith would be their next album Close to the Edge, but this is still pretty damned good. Get 'em while you can because unfortunately they go to shit in the 80s starting with Drama. However, I can thank Yes for opening my mind and ears and allowing me to appreciate Jazz, Classical and experimental music. I also like how on this album, each band member composes at least one track which naturally highlights their extraordinary musicmanship. Standouts are South Side of the Sky, The Fish, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise. Roundabout isn't a bad single either.
Roundabout is a banger. This album is also really good - Yes can be a bit annoying for me at times, but the prog experimental stuff on this is actually measured and doesn't run away with itself. Good good
I owned and listened to this album obsessively in my early teens. I didn't realize it until much, much later -- decades later -- but I see now the early sprouts of my passion for and interest in music with varied textures and complexities. No matter; I enjoyed it thoroughly and was blown away then as I am now with the musicianship and creativity evident in this lineup. Ridiculous. I don't always love each track on their albums, including this one, but I can still appreciate what they are doing, even when they go places that just don't click with me or catch my interest the same way their other pieces do. Not sure how to put it, but maybe best I can put into words is they can be "a bit much" for me at times. Much as I usually shrink away from generalizations, I do find that's my consistent experience with so-called "progressive rock" -- some of the most amazing music I've ever heard is often categorized as such, and also sometimes the bands who specialize in that style can go over the top for me, although like all experiences with art, that is merely my own subjective experience with it. So on we go. This album holds up well. Some incredible work here. And, dang, I always loved Roger Dean's album covers he designed for them.
I tend to be wary of progressive rock, as ostentatious noodling and cosmic lyricism tend to throw me off. What I like about the genre are its challenging compositions and virtuosic instrumentalism, but it’s a fine line between impressive and gaudy. I was pleasantly surprised by this record, although I could’ve done without most of the shorter songs. My favorite tracks, easily, are the three big ones which take up more than half the runtime: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise. Yes, the lyricism is primarily comprised of otherworldly gobbledygook, but it’s mostly unobtrusive. Yes, the group can occasionally wade into showy grandiosity, but for the most part they manage to keep it relatively tame. In the end, there’s more to like than there isn’t. Plenty of lush melodies, pleasing harmonies, and high-octane riffing satisfy the music lover in me, and the kick-ass guitar/bass combo of Steve Howe and Chris Squier will keep me coming back.
I was surprised by this album several times thinking I only knew Owner of a Lonely Heart...and then Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround played... Noice. Turns out I am not as musically illiterate as I expected here.
For Roundabout alone, this has earned its place on the list. The other stuff is okay too.
A seminal record in progressive rock history. The band’s use of electronic keys, thick basslines, and inventive guitar parts make the music unique and interesting.
Surprisingly little rock but lots of instruments and "easy listening", reminded me almost of a rockier version of Steely Dan. Not bad but lacking anything outstanding or memorable
Great musicianship that really sells the album. In terms of prog rock songwriting, the album starts out strong but dips in form afterwards.
Excellent album. I was already familiar with Roundabout from Rock band and the song just gets better with every listen. This is my first sit down with the rest of the album and I was not disappointed!
Bit of a curate’s egg this one. Every time I was just thinking it was dreadful, something really good would happen. I actually ended up listening to it twice in a row because I couldn’t decide what I made of it. Still can’t really.
The problems of prog rock are on full view in the segue from “Roundabout” a great rollicking rock tune, to “Cans and Brahms” which sounds like a soundtrack to an underfunded children’s television show. The dramatic contrast, wherein ambitious prog rockers likely thought the art came in, reads as pointless, silly and self-defeating. “Made from Heaven” and “South of the Sky” redeem matters with engaging moments and passages. “Long Distance Runaround,” with its rich and satisfying hooks and layering, is the best of prog rock, with enough counterpoint to build tension and noodling to present surprise, but not too much to lose the listener. Anderson is a strong and distinct (likely underrated) vocalist. “The Fish” is groovy. “Heart of the Sunrise” is very affecting at times but compromised by the Vincent Price-y organ explorations (another example of prog rock’s original sin [they would prefer one to say Achilles Heel] of trying to do too much with every song, of burdening them with too much compositional weight and structure). Still, one believes this to be a high-water mark for one's favorite prog band.
As in a lot of revered prog bands/albums, I seem to have a problem with the theatrical and high pitched singers they often end up with. I have to get used to Jon's slick vocals, which are sometimes impressive but they also sound cold to me at times. Anyway, what they do have going for them though are, other than the expected virtuosity, some hard hitting beats that merges so well with the complex song structures they adopt. I find them to be at their best when they let it all out.
It's the one with "Roundabout". Love the concept of the album: about half group songs and about half songs written by each member showcasing them on their instrument Sounds like: one of the early quintessential prog rock albums Standout tracks: I already said "Roundabout" "South Side" main section has so many heavy riffs "Long Distance" THE RIFF "The Fish" do you like three bass guitars with another guitar playing melody and another messing around? "Mood" great solo classical guitar piece "Heart" heavy rapid riff followed by thick bass
Pleasantly impressed by the eclectic jazzlike arrangement. Had only heard Roundabout before so happy to get the rest of the album
Oh I’m so horny Roundabout is a banger Whenever the album starts to lose me some crazy bass or piano pulls me back in Idk where Long distance runaround became fish but that stretch was sick (especially fish) Mood for a day totally switched up the vibe right after felt like I was in medieval times Heart of the sunrise was awesome Really cool cover of America Overall thought after roundabout the first half lulled a little but the second half was amazing
The short filler tracks (with the exception of long distance runaround which is great) were a little weak, but the bulk of this album was 4 huge pieces (almost too long and unique to call them songs). Roundabout is my favorite Yes song (though I haven’t listed to a ton of their stuff), south side of the sky and heart of the sunrise were both very interesting, and America might be better than the original
The first track is such an iconic track, but the rest of the album is also really good! Loved the guitar bits inbetween some songs. I liked some of the ideas of theirs, some were meh.
Very nice bass and guitars, reminds me of my grandpa and he's cool af so that's good. It didn't awake anything deep in me tho, so maybe just not what I'm vibing with rn.
Some super solid guitar and drums and fun rock! Singing style wasn't my favorite but the music more than makes up for it. America is one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs and I really enjoy their cover!
imagine my shock to hear the meme song first. Never listened to the whole thing before, but I can say right now that it is a banger, but also does all prog rock have to be so unreasonable with song lengths? There's 8+ minute songs, and 2 minute songs, and nothing in between. All the long songs are fire, if this rating system was out of 10 I'd put this one at a 7.5/10
4/5. Amazing musicianship but too many filler songs. They were nice interludes but felt unnecessary. Otherwise, all 4 main songs were great.
Roundabout brought me back to the old internet memes. But this album aint a meme at all. It’s damn good! I like the complexcity of the songs.
TIL that "Roundabout" is some Vine/TikTok/Anime meme. Anyway, I used to not really love Yes, I think it's Jon Anderson's voice, it's too close to Dana Carvey doing "Choppin' Broccoli," but over the years I've grown to appreciate the musicianship here, some of Phish's more composed stuff is really informed by this (just listen to the "Rift" album) and I love Phish. The only thing that bugs me a little is the Brahms thing and it honestly doesn't bother me too much but there's something that feels condescending or self-serious about a rock band, even a prog rock band breaking out some classical 🎵 or playing some variations on a classical piece or whatever they're doing here. I get it, "The classical composers were the rock stars of their day" or something. I'm not saying it should never be done or it can't be done well (and it's not terrible here or anything) it just feels suspect.
Though the meat of the album is in its anthemic, multi-part bookends, the entire LP is a rightful prog classic that dips its toes into a multitude of genres and plays with the limits of instrumentation. The personal highlight here is Chris Squire's bass work - the undeniable Ric 4001 sound defines this album and serves largely as its melodic core, pushing many of the tracks along and scoring many of the notable riffs.