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.
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.
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.
It was nice to hear Roundabout in its entirety. More than just a meme band, I say.
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.
Close to the Edge is their magnum opus but this is a really close second.
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 …
Can definitely hear it’s influence on rock & metal that came after it.
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
Awesome! What a leading tweak on this album. Love the instrumentals on this
-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.
So much excellence and amazing music. A few odd moments, but who cares.
From all the first 3 seconds on all albums, this must be one of the best.
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
So cool. Very funky and experimental. I really enjoyed all of this record. From start to finish the guitar work, the keys, and the overall experimentation was so fun. The lyrics were nothing groundbreaking but the musical aspect of the record definitely were. Some incredible production on this record. The whole album felt very comprehensive and connected. Favorite Track: Heart of the Sunrise, Roundabout Least Favorite Track: The Fish
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.
Listened to this loudly in my car and it sounds better than like 99% of all recorded music. “South Side of the Sky!” Jesus, that song. This is my Steely Dan.
Full disclosure, Yes is my favorite band. I have a tattoo to prove it. I get why people don't like prog. It's long, it's weird, it's pretentious. But Fragile is a great argument against all that. It's fun, it's catchy, it's a little deep. And there is a song for each member to show off their instrumental chops. And, in case you didn't know, every single member on this album is an actual rock god. Even Jon Anderson, the little weirdo.
Yesss! This must be one of my most played albums of 2022. I discovered Yes early on in the year, became obsessed with this album, and then started a really deep dive into Prog. I love the mad fusion of rock, jazz and classical. There's no bad songs on here, my favourites are Roundabout, Mood For a Day, and South Side of the Sky. Although the songs all flow together so well I find it difficult to remember specific pieces I like. The production is fantastic as well, I listened to this one on the good speakers on my lunch break.
Endelig nåke bra!!! Hørte på da 4 ganga før lunsj hehe. Obsessed over overgangen mellom Long Distance Runaround og The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
Beautiful album. Most of my favorite artists wouldn't exist if it weren't for this band and this record.
This is a musical constant in my house and has been since I was a kid. I can probably sing the whole thing front to back without needing to think about it.
Wow, Yes are mint. Exactly what I've always wanted from prog work, so many ideas, roundabout sounds like Mars Volta, We Have Heaven sounds like Battles, think it's one of those bands that influenced loads of stuff I like without me knowing. And Amazon suggests it's nowhere near their most popular album, got loads of Yes to listen to!
Thoroughly enjoyed this. Refuse to believe its age. Massively innovative and unbelievably influential on lots of bands I love, without having ever listened to them before. Not a single song passed without me thinking ‘this is class’, or at the very least ‘this is interesting’. Although I am soft for odd beats / angular riffs / general chaos in songs
Honestly more interesting than I expected it to be. I thought it was just going to be a technical show-off, but it was actually good.
Roundabout is a goofy song. There, I said it. But I think I’ve finally come around to this one. I’m a Close to the Edge diehard, but this quirky little record is worming its way into my heart. My tepid response to Roundabout has been holding me back from enjoying this album. South Side of the Sky is that shit. All the short solo pieces contrast beautifully with the group numbers. Yes’ brilliance is rooted in the fact that it’s 5 virtuosos pushing each other to higher and higher peaks. Fragile lays out that competition plainly for all to see. And when they choose to cooperate, the results are transcendent.
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.