Fragile

A better album tham I expected. I enjoyed the whimsical nature of a couple songs.

Full on prog rock explosion, liked it more than I thought I would, as provided surprisingly good running music.

It's a fun listen, i have to say, but too busy to put on most days, for my liking. I do enjoy the funky baselines. And there's a weird musical theatre intermezzo somewhere? Interesting.

que dire...wow

Meh

Right here is the part where I hate the fact it’s only 5 stars. Because this album is not “average” to get a 3 but I don’t quite think I’d give it a 4 which puts me in a compromising position. 7/10. The intertwined short songs were meh but the actual songs were very good.

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.

This review will be continued. Favorites: Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise

Highlights: Roundabout, Mood for a Day

jojo

I just can't get into Yes

Good! one song i repeated.

Stellenweise sehr geile Atmosphäre. Gerne mehr in dieser Richtung!

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

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.

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.

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.

Finally! What goes after all these "to be continued" memes are revealed! And it's basically what happens when an acoustic guitar tries to do something prog. Ambitious yes. Complex and nice musicianship yes. But enjoyable? Naaaah.

4/5. Amazing musicianship but too many filler songs. They were nice interludes but felt unnecessary. Otherwise, all 4 main songs were great.

Good I liked this before

Prog nerdy rock at its best.

TBC meme, repetitive at start

Nope. Not a fan. Don't know why. I regularly change station when Roundabout comes on.

Bästa albumet nånsin!!!

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

Baskare

A little boring

yes - fragile (1971) notes - prog rock, quite theatrical - bill bruford of king crimson on drums :D - mix of 8 minute songs and 1-2minute interludes - THE BASS ON THIS ALBUM fav song - roundabout - i mean, how could it not be - 10/10 song least fav - cans and brahms - would have been better later in the album - killed the momentum of runaround 3/5

Amazing.

Nice fun album, though a bit too much of the same near the end

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Roundabout (1) 2 - Heart of the Sunrise (9) 3 - Mood for a Day (8)

Well - at times it feels like it’s interesting - a bit Beatle-sque and of course quite a vlrtuoso album it being prog and all. There seems to be an indication I might have warmed up to this album after a few repeated lístens but this exercise is not kind to long and difficult records. I might revisit this album just to give it a fair chance in the future - but in the long train of daily records - there are more deserving examples of better albums.

Roundabout is great, the rest a bit meh.

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

Favourite song: Roundabout One for the karaoke: South Side of the Sky One for the car: Long Distance Runaround Waited for that 70s rock banger that never really dropped

Favourite song - Roundabout Sing in the Shower - We have heaven Swim - Five per cent for nothing Nah.

Favourite song - Heart of Sunrise One for Karaoke- Roundabout One for a run - Roundabout Some funky baselines but only really remember the first and last song. Needs a repeat listen.

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!

This was a fun listen. The instrumentals were really enjoyable and I liked the variety that came throughout the entire album. I felt like I never knew what was coming next.

This is an instrumental masterclass. I don’t know how they mixed classical with rock and synthesized keyboard. But they did it.

Fun album, lots of fun tunes and rhythm/bass sections.

Jojo bassline sexy

Was good but not punky or hardcore enough

Better then their last album, has one of my all time favorite songs in roundabout but it’s still just ok. The whole 70s rock genre is just not my bag

this shit is chaos

Great instrumental parts here!

Solid

not my style

Love Yes, this album is pretty awesome. Roundabout is iconic, weird to hear the whole song and not just the drop in the beginning lol

Yes is one of those prog-rock bands that you can get away listening to with friends in the car. They're baroque and weird, but they have little pop-rock moments. Roundabout is the most famous song off of Fragile, but it's not my most favorite. Heart of the Sunrise, however, feels like the climax and best part of the album. Overall, Yes is really an acquired taste that I don't expect everyone to immediately enjoy.

Props to Jo-Jo’s for using roundabout to end every episode

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 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.

Pretty good, okay singing and great guitar riffs and jams

I've come to the conclusion that Yes is a garbage band

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.

На удивление альбом не запомнился. Хотя здесь и есть Roundabout. Вторая половина ещё интереснее звучит, первую совсем не запомнил, кроме заглавного трека.

Everything about this albums feels so awkward. I get that it’s prog rock it’s not supposed to follow much of a structure, but it all just feels so out of place. The vocals are often just cringey to listen to, the lyrics make almost zero sense, and many of the instrumentals seem like they’re out of a Nintendo video game. The actual instrumental work was the only reason it pops above a 1-star. 3/10

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

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

Pleasantly impressed by the eclectic jazzlike arrangement. Had only heard Roundabout before so happy to get the rest of the album

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

cool

The best thing about this album was the heavy use of psychedelic keyboards, thankfully they quickly replaced the guy who didn't want to play them initially. You would hardly realise that there were several songs that were arranged by individual members alone, in order to cut studio costs, Yes, flows with such ease. Best: Roundabout Worst: Mood For A Day

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.

Have I ever told you how much I adore prog?

Prog Masterpiece. Incredible writers + incredible musician + incredible producer = Magic.

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.

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.

For the first 4 - 5 minutes of Roundabout I had a horrible feeling that nostalgia was influencing me to quite like this. But no, the world continues to turn; it's dreadful.

Bought this album on cd once, together with The Yes Album, against my better judgment. Rated The Yes Album as 1* some months ago, but now listened to both albums again and think both of them are at least listenable. In fact, the well-known album closer on Fragile is even quite good. (but still, it would have been nicer if 90125 had been on the list..)

Starts so funky, roundabout is fun. I feel like i always tend to like the first track of an album. it sets the tone for the rest. they are jamming. oh these are long songs. they're funky but there isn't a thread that connects them. it's interesting but i don't think i'll revisit.

Well that was epic and awesome!

Eh

Very close to a 1, tedious

Very interesting. Never heard of them before but very nice to listen to. Not sure why I keep getting albums from the 70's though. How old was this book anyways?

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.

Trash or Pass

finds a way to make keyboards cool without being ironic. 79/100 gecs

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

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!

It's as if Spinal Tap never happened. Wellz obviously, it hadn't at this point but... Y'know. Very over the top, rock nerdery. Mostly not my thing. I did enjoy Roundabout. I definitely prefer the Paul Simon version of America.

This one just left me completely cold 🤷‍♂️

Iconic first track in its full 8 and a half minute glory. I'd never heard the full song before so I didn't know acoustic guitar could combine so nicely with funky bass and electro keys. The rest of the album is weird, or eclectic if you will, with the short tracks on the A side sounding like interludes between big numbers in a rock opera. But it's not grand or gripping enough to be rock opera. There are some cool and intricate moments (I'll probably play Mood for a Day again) but the rest of the album really doesn't live up to Roundabout.

Wonderful musicians who are just jamming out. No attention is paid to the listener, there are no catchy hooks or melodies. They seem to be very attached to the same few overly-dissonent chord progressions and time signatures. Being different is cool, but I feel like this band tries too hard to avoid meaningful riffs, and when they do play something cool it's forgotten about 5 seconds later.

One of my fave Yes albums. Fave tracks would probably be "Long Distance Runaround," "South Side of the Sky," and "Heart of the Sunrise."

what an adventure this album is

Put me on edge in the best way. 8/10 F.t.: Heart of the sunrise

This album reminds me of elevator music in that I have definitely heard these songs as elevator music.

Very diverse prog, including classical interpretations. About on par with my expectation. Missing melody, but the technical skill is there.

Great musicianship that really sells the album. In terms of prog rock songwriting, the album starts out strong but dips in form afterwards.

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

Really eclectic. Liked parts of it but wasn't enamored with it, on the whole.

Yes's brand of prog rock is just too boring and weird for me to get into. A couple songs on here I enjoyed, the rest I did not.

Has it's moments. Not a bad record at all.

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.

Lengthy

Good, nothing particularly notable though

For Roundabout alone, this has earned its place on the list. The other stuff is okay too.

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.

Is it prog rock? Is it glam? Classical? Classic rock? Free form jazz? Do I care? I think there was a sea shanty in there. Obviously, the answer is Yes.

Some bits good, but so many bits of keyboard and bass playing quickly with no connection to the song. I actually prefer '80s Yes.

I liked it but didn't love it. Roundabout is definitely the best track on here.

Oh! It's their Roundabout!

Proggið, sko. Elska þetta!

Some classic prog rock! The meme introduced me to this album, who says memes are useless..

Pompous, overblown and very much of the time. Nevertheless it is a good set of songs and the musicianship is strong.

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 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.

normally i like yes, but not this album. Bass sound is good. Sounds tube driven

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

One word: GREAT!

Hot dog

good prog

Didn’t feel the classical reimagining was needed, plenty of great original tracks here, hugely influential too.

Such a great album! Takes me back to Funke Fusion :>

Not bad, but not for me.

Prog Rock eh! Now when my more "Intellectual" mates were raving about this and other prog product, I tried but never really understood it. I was into the Jackie Lynton Band, Dr Feelgood and Kilburn & The High Roads at the time. Retrospectively I can see credit in the album, back in the day I liked "Roundabout" and it is still my favourite on the album today.

The longer tracks are really good, the shorter ones - not so much

Listened to on 4/20/22 2/5 Favorite song: roundabout I either liked or very much so disliked every song depending on the level of weird techno noises but I’d play it in the background

Very interesting 70’s album. I’ll probably say 3 rather than 4 just because a lot of the music is a bit lengthy for me to listen to again and didn’t love love it. Fun to listen to once though.

Yes! hmmm

18th April 2022 Listened in the morning and finished while playing in the garden with Flynn. Helped Guy sort his stuff out post robbery then vans store. I don’t like prog but this was far more accessible. Makes me think of my dad. 2.5 if I could.

Roundabout

excellent

Blech.

Delightfully odd.

2/5

Rather enjoyed this.

More fun prog by Yes

Kooky

Prog rock may be my least favorite music style. This album helps confirm that. Sure Roundabout is a classic, Mood for a Day is nice, and a couple other listenable bits, but nah, not my thing.

Between a 3 and a 4 for me. Some of the best of Prog Rock and some of it's more annoying tendencies as well. But I'd listen to it again before that last Neil Young album.

It's fine. I like the singles. But like most prog rock, I find many of the songs go on too long, and it's too confusiong for me.

Decent album, just not a lot on it for me. i have other rock albums that i like better

I recognize the first song although I'm not completely familiar with it. Cool vibes so far. I like it! I will definitely give this album another listen. Has lots of potential to be an album/band that I will enjoy that I did not know before this.

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.

There are some fine songs on this but the band hasn't really hit their stride yet imo. Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround and Heart of Sunrise are quite good. Back in the day I recall Howe's use of harmonics at the beginning of Roundabout had everyone awe struck. They aren't really hard to play especially if you have the luxury of multiple takes. Nonetheless they sure were fun. If this was the first rock recording then it's quite the legacy since they continued for many years - e.g. at the start of Neil's Harvest Moon. Rick Wakeman doesn't take long to make his presence known with the excellent keyboards jumping in in the first minute of Roundabout and his solo around the 6 minute mark. As much as I liked Wakeman's keyboards on Life on Mars, he was much more in his element with Yes and Bowie was arguably better served by Mike Garson. Nice to see a win win. Like Wakeman, Howe and Squires are quite capable players. Squires shows this on Long Distance Runaround and elsewhere. Heart of Sunrise starts great but they seem to go back to the well on the one cool riff about twenty times too many resulting in the three minute into being 2 1/2 minutes too long. I prefer Yes' post Bruford era since Alan White hit the drums very well. I never really liked Anderson's high pitched voice. It seemed to fit with the prog rock of the day but it's kinda irritating.

The issue I've had with Yes in the past is that they just don't flow. In this case, following up Roundabout with two 1 minute and change songs is jarring. One has to ask "why"? Such is the nature of Prog-rock I guess, especially in 1970. Compared to the stuff being released by Genesis or ELP around that time, you'd probably give the nod to YES as a band with greater long-term potential, based on this LP. The musicianship is great. Jon Anderson's alto voice, I like more now than I did back in the 70s. Lyrically I'm still not a fan "The music dance and sing, They make the children really ring". Really ring? "Heart of the Sunrise" is epic and genre defining, making the first and last songs on the original LP great and the rest not so much. Fortunately, the original did not include Paul Simon's America, so listening to Jon Anderson sing about the New Jersey Turnpike is, thankfully, optional!

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.

Brilliant, love it to bits.

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

Estuve las primeras no sé cuántas canciones esperando que llegaran Peter Gabriel o Phil Collins hasta que me di cuenta que me había equivocado de banda… y quizá para bien, porque nunca me han gustado mucho aquellos dos. No es que Yes me haya encantado. Tiene obviamente ratos agradables, pero "somos una banda de progresivo, esto necesita más complejidad" parece ser su lema. Me gustó Roundabout, y como me di el lujo de escuhar la version de lujo, también me latió el cover a America de Simon & Garfunkel. Pero esas dos y todo el derroche del resto del disco, les alcanzan para 3 estrellas.

4.25

lol :) ----> hooop

Might increase this rating later

Dit album lag me niet volledig. Het gaat wat van hot naar her

nice jojo's reference an enjoyable prog rock journey, but not all too memorable for me

I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was in the right mood.

Rating system (Most of these albums are shoo-in 5-star albums for anyone “into” the genre they represent, my system is trying to avoid all 5-star reviews and break them down to represent my tastes. This is subjective and supposed to be fun, and some of these are snap judgements/hot takes after listening to an album once.): * Why is this even on here/DNF ** Album with artistic merit, but not my jam. Will probably not listen to again without prompting. ***Solid album, would listen to again. Some significant flaws for me to fully enjoy as a “full album.” Most albums will be in this category, as it’s the legit average. ****Almost flawless album, only one misstep in tracklisting or small engineering quibbles. *****Flawless album, one of my favorites, owning is required. This was an album my parents had when I was a wee tot and was always put off by only because of the cover. It looked hard and complicated, and of course, I was not wrong (especially for a 6-year-old). I have of course heard “Roundabout” in the album edit, but most of the rest of the tracks skipped my notice, because I didn’t really get into prog and jazz until my 20s. It’s hard to unpack everything that is going on in this in one listen, but the Moog work and all the solos are delightful. The vaguely sci-fi beats and the reworking of romantic era music, as well as hints of blues (in the intro to Heart of the Sunrise) and baroque power pop (pretty much the whole bridge of America, my favorite Simon & Garfunkel song) make this such a fun listen. I don’t have as much fondness for this as for some Genesis and King Crimson works but will deepen and grow over time.

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.

Maybe.

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.

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!

OK, this one is bookended by two nice tracks, "Roundabout", and "Heart Of The Sunrise", which somehow reminded me of The Mars Volta without the hard rock and post-hardcore influence, obviously. But just like with The Mars Volta, the line between genuinely propulsive or epic moments and technical self-indulgence for the sake of it is sometimes very thin. I can go "wow" and "meh" in the space of a few seconds. A very odd experience. Besides, the rest of the album is *very* uneven, even by the usual seventies prog-rock standards naturally allowing a lot of space for digressions. Half of those tracks actually sound like interludes. And even the ones that don't seem to lead nowhere, except for the next track, which in its turn leads nowhere. I was amazed at the lack of *substance* displayed by this record. I've then read the band put it together in a quick way, with some members doing their stuff on the side before patching things together. Which explains a lot of what I'm feeling here. I remember giving Genesis a 2/5 recently. Should I rate this record with the same number, or a 3? 2.5? Beats me. The cut-and-paste approach slightly works better on this one, because some of the jams are really impressive and lively (and the whole thing is not weighed down by the laughable pretentiousness of Peter Gabriel and co.). Yet I can't help feeling Yes is slightly overrated, even today. Number of albums left to review or just listen to:  959 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 18 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 8 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 13 Albums I might not be the best person to judge, but that I *might* include in my final list: 3 (including this one)    

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.

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.

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.

Close to the Edge is their magnum opus but this is a really close second.

3.5

sådär

Nicezinho

From all the first 3 seconds on all albums, this must be one of the best.

So much excellence and amazing music. A few odd moments, but who cares.

Do you want to listen to Prog Rock today? ———> Yes

Pretty funny to get this right after the Simon and Garfunkel album that features America on it. Not bad as far as Yes-style prog-rock albums go. Doesn't go too off the rails with its synthy blasts. Still, missing a certain something that all albums like this seem to be missing. Idk what it is exactly. It doesn't really justify its existence.

this the one that got the meme song

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.

Didn't Like... First song had that licc though.

What can be said about this album beyond Wow! I was fortunate enough to see them live once. What a fantastic show.

-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

This is the second \"Yes\" album in about a week. I liked this one better than the last one. It seemed a bit more structured and cohesive.

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

listened to again some great prog

Pretty good, not amazing

maybe checking this album out while I was working was a bad idea but it was super jumbled and distracting. that's prog for ya. there were definitely some very groovy moments in here though. perhaps the setting was wrong for this listen but I didn't love it as much as the yes album.

Pop con toques psicodélicos. Voz con timbre de voz peculiar. Algo de sintetizadores y de guitarreo.

Awesome! What a leading tweak on this album. Love the instrumentals on this

Lots of really short songs but the long ones are really good 4/5

Have had this music in all forms..album,8-track,cassette,cd,Spotify ..hard 5 for this one,loved it since day one

Couple of tracks I just had to skip because they were annoying to listen to. I did overall appreciate and enjoy the album though.

Mainly self indulgent noodling

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!!!

meme ass all sounds very samey

Insanely average is the only way I can describe this one. Some spectacular lead guitar, but a lot of the melodies are all over the place. Songs that outlast their welcome as well.

Ridículo.

honestly slaps

Meme

Bookended by good rocking pieces. Questionable mid section. Not the classic I was expecting. A low 3/5

It was ok

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Roundabout,

Meh. Ei Roundaboutin voittanutta mut muuten ei sytytä.

One of my favorite albums of all time. It's what got me inspired to pick up an instrument back in middle school.

This was good. I enjoyed it. Pretty straightforward rock.

Can definitely hear it’s influence on rock & metal that came after it.

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!

Fragile proves that Yes is just still discount king crimson

Roundaboot

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 …

Pretty weird and not too exciting album. Second album by them and neither were worth a second listen. 2.4/10

Wonderful classic rock

It's amazing just how many great prog albums Bill Bruford has touched.

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.

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"

Fun and somewhat chaotic album which brings a lot to the table.

Legendary prog rock album that I’ve enjoyed in the past but for some reason a listen through didn’t do it for me, seems scattered and not as cohesive as I remembered it. 3 stars with the hope that the yes album and closer to the edge will come up and get higher ratings

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

Great tunes

Remember Round about growing up. Not much else made an impression.

This was a nice mellow rock album that felt very 80’s I digged it!

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

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

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.

7/10

7. They kept it funky fresh, interesting mix of songs

8/10. Another Yes from me. Especially liked Roundabout, but everything was good.

I wonder if at any point recording this album they realized they should make more bangers instead of random minute-long instrumentals. 8/10

Not as bad as Incubus, but still does my head in with no redeeming features

6/10

Nerd wizard rock that I do not want.

Slightly farty prog rock. Great fun.

Kreativ!

Die Jungs haben ihr Ding gemacht und dabei auch ein paar nette Songs geschrieben

Great bass. Nice vibes. I would listen again

I'll be the roundabout The words and music will be pretty way out

Rock. Muy bueno!

Liked this one..

Pretty sweet album. Really enjoyed the instrumentation.

Brings back some great memories. Love Wakeman's keys prowess on full exhibition. A number of the cuts I didn't recall though have recorded this album to cassette and listed to it a lot back in the day.

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.

Such a good album!!!

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

tyckte inte om. fick nästan ont i huvuden nejjjj inte för mig alls

Ett aningen sämre alternativ till Genesis. Väldigt behaglig och kompetent progg men känns inte lika inspirerande eller originell som tidigarenämnda proggkingarna: Genesis. Jättebra inspelningskvalitet, bra ljudbild mycket 'kul' som händer runtomkring skallen. Känns som de uppskattar stereoljud lika mycket som the Beatles fast de vet hur man använder det. Lite 'Flaming lips'-känsla blandat med Steely dan emellanåt, det uppskattas! "The Fish" och "Mood for a Day" va små toppen hifi-praliner. perfekta Intermezzon som gärna fick komma lite tidigare men markerar snyggt innan en lite mer rivig avslutning. Otroligt hög lägstanivå, kan inte säga dock att det är någonting som verkligen fastnar, rätt bra som album, rätt bra som en samling låtar. Om jag skulle bränna en timme på proggrunk så skulle jag hellre sätta mina pengar på Genesis "Trespass" eller "Selling England by the Pound"

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 .______.

jag har bara lyssnat på 90125 innan. ser nu att bandet släppt typ elva hundra album och deras tidslinje verkar vara mer komplicerad än terminators??

Ok progbrick. 3.5 and rounding down because I’m just feeling a 4 today.

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

Nice early prog but a little poppy for me. Great basslines giving me Rush vibes.

hard for any song to compete with roundabout, not really a whole album experience for me

fookin long winded, first song - roundabout, was decent, downhill from there

2.8

Roundabout is one of the best songs ever made. The next four tracks pale in comparison. Long Distance Runaround is decent. This band is great with those classical guitar riffs. I would rather listen to Roundabout on repeat than much else from this album, but that song alone gives this album 3 stars.

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.

OoOO love it!

Roundabout good, rest very self indulgent

Not for me, Clive

70s lounge music

I want to like them, but i just don't

Interesting album, not really my thing

Ultimately not my taste - but I can appreciate the craft and care that went into this record

far from the best Yes album. 3.5

roundabout is great... but the rest all kinda blend together

It was different than I expected, such as the straight-up classical song toward the beginning! Some tracks were a bit too long for my taste, but I liked it quite a bit. 3.5

I managed to get through four tracks. A welcome reminder of how much I hated Prog Rock.

Stop the Seinfeld bass line! Keyboards are killing me and not in a good way. Dog hates it. Row, row, row your boat never sounded worse. South Side of the Sky almost listenable - rocks a little. Apologies for my poor attitude but prog rock makes me throw up in my mouth. And there are still three songs to go. Mood for a Day - finally a reason to live! Heart of the Sunrise - getting better - the soundtrack to a James Bond action sequence. Hold everything! Eleven minutes long?! Who do they think they are? Iron Maiden? It's like Empire of the Clouds only different and not as good.

Roundabout is great. The rest is just prog rock for me. Not a bad thing by any means, but not exceptional. Yesterday, I told somebody that Roundabout is the best song that I never remember exists.

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

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.

Je viens d'apprendre comme vous la non-condamnation de mon compère robprunière, suite a son agression sexuelle sur mineure. Je trouve la decision du Reichtskrieggericht tout bonnement scandaleuse, et demande officiellement une nouvelle tenue du jugement. Je vous tiendrai au courant des avancées.

medieval nonces. yes doing mashups of folk, chamber music and soft rock.

More Yes - fantastic. I don't hate it, but it's just a bit wank, isn't it? All very dated and just and uncool. What a bunch of keyboard shagging geeks. I bet Iris Law isn't remotely interested in this. 🍄

More prog, yay. If this album was a footballer, it would be Kazuyoshi Miura - it goes on playing forever.

Classic, Yes. Roundabout is one of the best songs ever. Standouts: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, America

An intense listen!

Eclectic but a hard listen

Classic. 3/5.

Good stuff that seems marred to me by way too much excessive guitar noodleism, though as with some jazz I am stuck wondering if I am playing the role of well meaning but doltish Emperor Joseph II protesting "too many note!" Possibly too lowbrow for prog rock.

Not really for me - a bit rambling, and definitely sounds dated now.

Pretty good - didn’t know this one…

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

Yes! Roundabout

I say yes to yes

Un poco rollo

I got one track into this album. It sounded cool, but I could not pay attention.

Brings back memories so when I saw what it was I thought it was going to be 5* but it’s actually 4

Pleasant.

Get's an extra star because of the JoJo's song

not very good......only one good song. Yes. Kinda boring after that.

Não chegou a incomodar, mas realmente não é interessante.

iconic roundabout tune, stylistically reminds me of supertramp its alright

Just another boring prog Rock album

Cohesive album with great parts throughout and some iconic songs

Pretty good prog. Probably my favorite Yes album. Roundabout is a classic. 6-7/10

Ugh progrock. I’m sure your polyrhythms are very intricate and intelligent but could you not just write a chorus I can sing along to?

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.

Great album. Jammed out. Loved America and of course Roundabout. 4.6

Absolutely 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.

Y E S

Prog Rock, get's a little long at times but quality music.

Prog rock has its place in the world. Just not in my ears.

It wasn't too bad but I got tired by the end. While a few songs were nice, too many piercing tones made it really hard to enjoy all the way through.

Klinkt naar soft rock het heeft leuke en vervelende kanten

Get this out of here.

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

Feels like somewhere between 4 and 10 people randomly made noise and called it art. Did not enjoy at all.

i don't hate this as much as the rest of you but they could definitely use some editing can hear the influence they had on later prog/psychedelic also i read some of the wikipedia article and they kicked their keyboardist out for not using enough keyboards lmao like almost all prog rock, this would be way more fun live and perhaps also stoned

Someone took acid at the RenFaire, and why does the cover of America exist? Don't think i'll be revisiting anytime soon

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!