Reviews (page 5 of 13)
already heard this so many times, it's a classic Roundabout - 5/5 (realistically 1000000/5) Cans and Brahms - no rating We Have Heaven - no rating South Side of the Sky - 4/5 Five Per Cent for Nothing - no rating Long Distance Runaround - 5/5 The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) - 3/5 Mood for a Day - 4/5 Heart of the Sunrise - 5/5 Average score: 4.3/5 (rounding down) really wish i could hear Roundabout for the 1st time again i feel aside from that, Long Distance Runaround and maybe Heart of the Sunrise were the only standout tracks here though. the other short tracks in-between were either too short or were just instrumental filler in comparison. as much as i love this album, i can't justify scoring this any higher based on these factors rating aside, i can't deny the musicianship on this album are top-tier, and it really is a fun listen all the way through. these guys don't miss
Roundabout! Other songs not hitting as much.
I would like to thank my prog rock-obsessed 90s boyfriend for introducing me to classic albums like this, in all their multi-metre glory--and including a cover of one of my favourite Paul Simon songs.
Great but not their best. Could’ve used one more good song
Great album! Not their best, but definitely top 3 of their Discography.
Almost a 5 just for Roundabout. Absolute slapper
I enjoyed this, I think I am ready to enter my prog stage (I believe this is called middle age?).
Yes has a lot more hits that I always thought were Led Zeppelin songs lol. Looking back at Close to the Edge I also mentioned them sounding like Led Zeppelin Another strong album from Yes.
Roundabout is awesome, so was Long Distance Runaround. The rest was not my favorite that I have heard from Yes. But Heart of a Sunrise was more my speed with the 11 minute prog jam.
Solid some more prog! I listened to Roundabout while driving on a beautiful day last week and it was just delightful, so I'm excited for the whole album. The rest of the album wasn't a 5 like Roundabout, but definitely some good stuff. Would come back.
It's a good prog rock album, even if it's a bit uneven at times. The highs are really high but the lows are painfully mediocre, which is why I can't give it more than 4 stars. Highlights: Roundabout, Mood for a day, Long distance runaround 4 stars
Steve Howe is a monster, Rick Wakeman is superb and Chris Squire was out of this world. This album has a distinct 70s and prog rock tone that it's mesmerizing, now I get why many felt like they trip far away to magic and mystic worlds while listening to this album. Is it mind-blowing for me? Almost there, but I can tell how many of many favorite artists find this band as a great inspiration. <==To be continued==|
I'll give it a 4 just for the meme song
A very good sandwich of Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise, with not that much in between but those two tracks stand out a lot.
Yes!
Quality Album
Usually not a prog rock guy, but this was actually really good. There are a couple bangers here as far as this style can really have such a thing.
2 songs are worth the whole album
Weird but cool
Super tight orchestration. Steely Dan meets the Beatles.
The 70s is goated
Probably the first time I heard Yes, or paid attention to Yes, was Owner of a Lonely Heart. But that has some mid-80's synth feel to it so I didn't know what Yes is really all about. These guys can jam. And they do, with a number of prog rock songs and instrumentals. Even Roundabout, their big single, has many twists and turns and different tempos. I can't remember how much they used to play of it on the radio but you couldn't have got the whole thing. But it's an 8 minute display of deft musicianship. Perhaps only bested by Heart of the Sunrise on this album, thanks in part to its ferocious opening 3 minutes. The instrumentals are cool, but a little abrupt. It would've been cooler if they had integrated all the short songs, like they did with Long Distance Runaround (another song that saw a bunch of radio airplay) and The Fish. South Side of the Sky and Mood for a Day were also great displays of musicianship. It doesn't all fit together but this is a solid album.
Das Album Fragile der britischen Progressive-Rock-Band Yes erschien 1971 und wurde in den Advision Studios in London aufgenommen. Es ist das vierte Studioalbum der Gruppe und das erste, auf dem Rick Wakeman als Keyboarder zu hören ist. Seine stilistische Vielseitigkeit ergänzt das komplexe Klangbild der Band, das sich bereits in früheren Werken angedeutet hatte. Die Bandmitglieder stammen aus dem Vereinigten Königreich und setzen sich zu dieser Zeit aus Jon Anderson (Gesang), Chris Squire (Bass), Steve Howe (Gitarre), Bill Bruford (Schlagzeug) und dem genannten Rick Wakeman zusammen. Diese Besetzung gilt für viele als prägend für die musikalische Ausrichtung von Yes in den folgenden Jahren. Musikalisch bewegt sich Fragile im Bereich des Progressive Rock, wobei Elemente aus Klassik, Jazz und Folk erkennbar sind. Die Stücke sind teils lang und instrumental aufwendig gestaltet. Besonders auffällig ist dabei das Wechselspiel zwischen Gesang, Gitarre und Keyboard, das immer wieder neue Klangräume eröffnet. Zu den hervorstechenden Titeln gehört „Roundabout“, ein Song, der durch seine eingängige Gitarrenarbeit und die rhythmische Vielfalt bekannt wurde. Auch „Heart of the Sunrise“ ist hervorzuheben – ein Stück, das zwischen kraftvollen Passagen und ruhigen Abschnitten wechselt und die Fähigkeit der Band zeigt, komplexe musikalische Strukturen mit einer gewissen Leichtigkeit zu verbinden. Daneben enthält das Album mehrere Solo-Kompositionen der einzelnen Mitglieder, die jeweils eigene stilistische Akzente setzen. Im Gesamtbild wirkt Fragile wie eine sorgfältig zusammengestellte Collage individueller Beiträge, die durch die Gruppenstücke miteinander verwoben werden. Das Album dokumentiert eine Phase, in der sich Yes klanglich weiterentwickelt und ihren charakteristischen Sound festigt. Fragile ist ein abwechslungsreiches Werk, das technische Versiertheit mit einem ausgeprägten Gespür für atmosphärische Dichte verbindet. Die Aufteilung zwischen Solo- und Gruppentracks gibt Einblicke in die musikalische Handschrift der einzelnen Bandmitglieder und macht das Album zu einem aufschlussreichen Dokument der frühen 70er-Jahre im Bereich des Progressive Rock.
- Roundabout er timeless classic. - Kule drumbeats, melodier og vokalisering gjennom albumet - solid album wallah - «South Side of The Sky» minner veldig om Aladdin Sane.
Great band & great album
Solid nostalgic album. It was a fun listen to take me back to being a kid discovering this lite prog. I was fully invested about 80% of the time, but got some prog fatigue by the end Rating: 4.0
Interesting but kinda not that musical.
Fantastic 70's Prog-rock; this is a classic example of the genre that has great melodies alongside superb musicianship that doesn't feel self indulgent to me. Standouts: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround
Excellent though dated
Yep
GOOD
*Jo-jo poses* J/k I knew about this before Jojo, but it certainly helped me appreciate it more. I was always more a Rush girlie but I can enjoy how this is less nerdy by comparison - feels more pomp and circumstance maybe? (British moment?) 8.5/10
8/10 1971 and still sounds insanely fresh today. Sure the best tracks are the bread of the sandwich, and there might be slight indulgence, but by all means, it’s a killer Prog record that doesn’t feel like a chore to listen to, all i could ask for. Oh I get it it’s like that Naruto meme
Really solid album, some songs did not catch me but most of them are fun to listen to.
This album is fun. Suprisingly fun, and funky. 4 stars bc the songs with progression are the real strong moments, and I'd have that be the focus more. Otherwise, no complaints.
Virkelig fedt
Mir gefällt sehr gut, dass sich einige Motive (Akkordfolgen, Melodien, Rhythmen) durch verschiedene Songs auf dem Album ziehen. Das macht das Album zu einem grossen Ganzen. Das Album ist sehr interessant anzuhören und gefällt mir bis auf zeitweilige Lärm-Stellen gut. Der Drop im ersten Song ist der Hammer, kein Wunder, dass das ein Meme-Song wurde;)
Roundabout is such a great song. Rest of the album was good. Some quiet guitar solos and other highlights.
I love when British bands get a little "pish-posh queen of England", and dont realize how weird they are for it
man... they really were great and a little experimental and true to themselves. could always use a reminder to play and say Yes.
As much as Rush probably took the title of Prog Rock Band to Know, Fragile was THE prog rock album. And it lives up to the hype.
Need to listen to a few times
love me a good 'noodlin
Fun album. The intense noodling can sometimes ruin the groove, but I think a lot of people are here for the noodling. Sonically pleasing, loved the opening and closing of the album. An artistic statement.
super mega deluxe pikku 4 tuntia per kierros noh alotetaas.. vaikea kyllä arioida tätä näin onhan legendaarinen bändi ja tuotos toki popitusta mutta hyvää sellaista miten tälle antaa arvosana, miten tämän kiteyttää numeroon välillä yksi ja viisi tämän taide teoksen tämän tunteita herättävän audiomaalauksen.. mitävittä yhdeksänsataa kertaa tehnyt näin.. yhdeksänsataa kertaa huitaissut tuomion joidenkin työlle jonka takana ollut ehkä vuosien hikeä ja tarmoa.. ollut niin rehellistä niin rehellistä ja lisännyt musiikin kulttuuriin monimuotoisuutta ja syvällistä ajattelua, influoinut muita ja rikastanut kaikkia. päässyt mukaan tämmöisellekin listalle ja meikäpoika mitä tekee.. mitä vittua menee tekemään... roundabout
Great great album. Must have been amazing when it was released. Some of the songs feel a little short and underdeveloped a bit though. 4.49/5
Classic prog. Probably deserves a little higher but I’m more of a Peter Gabriel-era Genesis guy. B+
The most proggy of all the proggy progginess to be had just in terms of sheer showy offyness. I used to hate Yes but they've been a fun rediscovery lately.
Zaskakująco dobra jak na progresywny rock, który kojarzy mi się ciągle z tym samym. Chociaż jak po prawie 10 minutach stwierdziłam, że mi się podoba i spojrzałam że wciąż jestem na pierwszej piosence to trochę zwątpiłam. Ma jakąś swoją oryginalną tożsamość ta płyta, jest bardziej radosna i optymistyczna niż inne progrocki, chociaż wciąż czuję w niej sporo eksperymentowania z instrumentami i szarżowania na długość. Mocne 7/10
I am going to round up to a 4. The guitar and keyboard were pretty impressive on this album. I find Jon Anderson’s voice a little much sometimes but it was ok on this album.
Жожо референс в первом треке, звучание мягкое чиллово
Do pewnego stopnia rozumiem opinię Mikosa, że po przesłuchaniu pierwszego utworu reszta "nie trzyma tego poziomu". Ale to nie dlatego, że dalsze utwory są słabe, lecz dlatego, że "Roundabout" jest absolutnie fantastycznym utworem i zdecydowanie najbardziej zapada w pamięć. Jednak dalej wcale nie jest ani trochę gorzej. Album jest wyraźnie podzielony na dwie części (teraz czytam, że pierwsze 4 utwory to był efekt wspólnej pracy, a pozostałe 5 to raczej indywidualne utwory napisane przez poszczególnych muzyków, stąd tak duże rozbieżności stylistyczne i tematyczne). Moim zdaniem wyszło to naprawdę fajnie. Czuję, że pierwsza część prowadzona jest przez instrumenty klawiszowe. To piano nadaje tempo i kierunek utworom. Potem trochę schodzi na dalszy plan, dając się wyszaleć pozostałym członkom zespołu. Ten album wymaga bardzo dużo uwagi i muszę go jeszcze kilka razy przesłuchać przy różnych okazjach, żeby wsłuchać się w każdy utwór indywidualnie. Ocierałem się o piątkę, ale dam jednak czwórkę z plusem (mocne 9/10 tho), bo chcę, żeby te piątki były zarezerwowane tylko dla bardzo bliskich dla mnie krążków. Ale technicznie to na pewno jeden z mocniejszych albumów, jakie przesłuchałem dzięki tej liście. Nigdy nie słuchałem Yes (w zasadzie do całkiem niedawna nawet o nich nie słyszałem), ale cieszę się, że to się właśnie zmieniło.
Unique, not too long, funky, a bit weird, but fun!
4.5
Yes kind of sticks out as a band that I ended up thinking a lot about after my initial review. I gave them a 3.5 for “The Yes Album,” but their prog rock sound was so memorable that it had me questioning if there was even more I could’ve gleaned from it. It’s not specific songs necessarily, but the overall tone and style of their musicianship. Looking forward to once again rolling into the uptown record swap event with the granola I brought from home and a fresh hair tie collecting the last strands of my hair into a stylish ponytail that barely grazes my fleece vest. PROCEED. The meme song. But other than that, listen to the God damn bass. Sure, the opening made the rounds on the internet for a few years, but this thing does not let up. A monster. Opening to a kids TV show? A fine little interlude. Dammit. I’m not supposed to review interludes. This will be the final straw for my loyal readership. Interlude part deux. Super weird. Loved it. Man. Who is playing bass on this? This song is a little darker. Almost metallic. It sounds goofy, but you can hear this bass style and tone on some of the more technical death metal that will pop up in the 90’s-2000’s. This one could’ve had a bunch cut off. The first couple minutes were electric, and we kind of strayed in the middle. At least it returns to form. Amen brother. What are the doin’ with my did damn tax dollars. Is that was the title means? This song kind of sucks. I have to say it. Don’t like the melody. That’s not a demand. You can do whatever you want. Hell, I’ve seen the reviews on here. People like all sorts of nonsense. Schindleria Praemeuturus? Is that like an early screening of Schindler’s List 2? Always on the cutting edge these fellas. Decent track. Mood for a day is appropriate because so often these albums DO determine my mood for the day. Happy to report that the mood is mostly good thus far. Prescribe this album a la School of Rock for anything that ails ye. Oh hell yeah. The bass is back front and centre. It really never left. Uhh. Well. I mean the dark tones are back then. My interest is back. This thing is nuts. Goes everywhere and nowhere. Does that mean anything, or has it become a cliche to overcome a lack of ability to describe? YOU be the judge. This thing was a wild ride. It’s so hard to judge accurately because the musicianship is so dizzyingly virtuosic I am almost a stunned observer through most of it. Did I LOVE the songs? At times, YES, but these are long songs. The vocals are still not my favourite and there is less emphasis on making a good song than I would like. HOWEVER, that is a minor critique in this instance as there are enough cohesive, hard hitting moments to call this a success. I’m loading “Fragile” into the back of my 2002 Subaru Forester and taking it back to my Portland condo. Just say Yes. 3.5-4 HIGHLIGHTS: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise
Solid
The first 8 minutes and 35 seconds are sheer rock and roll perfection. Roundabout. Slightly downhill from there, definetly an album built to be listened to as an album.
Meme legend
didn't realize until i got ready to listen to this that roundabout was not only on this album, but was the first song
It’s Thursday February 27 and Fleur, Dave and I have been to see Fontaines D.C. The Dubliners feel at the peak of their powers, touring their fourth record, “Romance” – primed now to push them that bit closer to what’s undoubtedly their goal: world domination. It’s eleven very good songs that you feel, at times, might have quite stretched the lads creatively. And it starts with a swelling, droning din that cuts abruptly to a melancholy jangle of notes. It’s Saturday March 1 and I’ve some catching up on albums to do! I start with Thursday’s record, Yes – the sort of band I’ve spent a listening life aware of but ignoring. “Fragile” is their fourth studio record; nine songs showcasing a band at the peak of their powers, stretching themselves creatively, aiming for world domination … and it all starts with a swelling, droning din that cuts abruptly to a melancholy jangle of notes. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about coincidences. How they might happen, what factors make them more likely – why a person can sometimes feel and then be portentous in the most incredible or unlikely ways. And while I’m not necessarily given to magical thinking, I love letting a coincidence maybe mean something – if each instance is a single clap, then let the series be the sound of the universe applauding itself. “Fragile” is, first things first, a fantastic record – prodigious musicianship, production. There’s a humbleness to it, too; a dash of humour accompanying all the ‘big vision’ theatrics. It’s serious on all the levels that matter for a record like this. I play the album a couple of times while making dinner for my visiting in-laws, then leave it on in the background while we eat. As it happens, Fleur had also noticed the Fontaines parallel, Bernadette hears “Roundabout” – “they had a couple of good songs, this is the best” – and it triggers a memory of having seen Yes years ago. Tim, sat beside her, hears track two (“Brahms and Cans”) and asks “Is that Brahms? It is, after a fashion, anyway…” and by “Heart of the Sunrise” – my favourite track – I’m wondering why the Wikipedia for Television’s “Marque Moon” mentions a jazz influence to Verlaine and Lloyd’s guitar work but doesn’t cite a Yes influence. (I do a similar bit later with The Number 12 Looks Like You – a mathcore band I loved in the 00s who surely owe a similar debt to Yes and/or prog bands just like them.) No moment around that dinner table is strictly a “coincidence” (not in the spooky-synchronicity sense), granted – but our collective experiences feel like they amount to something. It’s Yes in the middle of the centrifuge, spinning sugar into strings. It is distinct experiences characteristic of totally different lives lived across three separate continents and seven decades, here assembled – coincidentally – around a table in Rockingham, Western Australia. It might be tempting to ask here whether everything, all shared culture, experiences, perspectives etc etc is then, by my generous definition, a big coincidence – and on a particularly existential day a person might say, for better or worse, that it is. But I doubt that just any record could have encouraged so many personal reflections on that day. And to that extent, “Fragile” felt meant to be. Returning to thoughts on coincidence; in short, I think it’s a numbers game. The physics of co-occurrence deem it that the more experiences a person collects, the more coincidences they’ll uncover. The echos a person will apprehend, both in the moment and through time, just have more to bounce off. Put a record as filled up with ideas as “Fragile” on and something’s bound to resonate. It might sound un-magical, even boring to say as much – but it needn’t be. The edifying truth is that there’s poetry in the everyday, and coincidence is cosmic rhyming. Say “Yes” to more. You’ll eventually be glad you did.
Nice album
Roundabout fini en majeur, c'est cool. C'est vraiment blanc comme musique. Je devrais l'écouter en vinyle à place. We Have Heaven, comme du Beach Boys, Animal Collective. Vraiment cool. Cool piano jazzy part on South Side of the Sky, mais je trouve vraiment que le pattern de mettre 8 tounes en une sdans aucun rapport entre les bouttes est gossant et pretentieux. Finis en force avec des criss de gros riffs. Pas une écoute plate, très imaginatif, mais maudine, l'orgue me tappe.
I had forgotten about some of their early stuff. This is a great album to just get acquainted with the band. Fun listen.
Great album. Fantastic musicians. Not everyone’s thing, and that’s a shame.
Fragile von Yes ist ein echtes Prog-Rock-Highlight. Die Band haut komplexe, aber trotzdem eingängige Songs raus, mit ausfallendem Zusammenspiel und krassen Soli. Roundabout ist ein Ohrwurm. Epische Songstrukturen und garantiert keine Routine.
Overall: 7/10 Roundabout is one of the best songs I've ever heard in my life and Chris Squire is an insanely underrated bassist. With that being said, this album almost feels unfinished? Maybe that's just me but there seems to be a lot of short and instrumental tracks that feel like they're there to fill out the album (is there a word for that?). I still enjoyed myself and the 3 lengthy tracks make it worth it in the end. Fav Song: Roundabout Least Fav Song: We Have Heaven
Used to love this stuff, but there’s a sort of gimmickiness and polish to prog (especially the more symphonic, theatrical stuff) that’s made it less appealing when returning to it
Roundabout alone makes this an amazing album, the rest of it is just extra.
I love that they made the albums in two halves: the first is a master work in prog and the second is each member getting their own song because they could. Lots of depth and complexity, the glorious Rickenbacker tone, and the identity this album provides are incredible
Sehr höchs vieri für mich. Gute album
YES! hahahaha ich han nie cheggt, dass roundabour vo yes isch hahaha bi cans and brahms fühli mi wie ide chille, isch ok I guess aber gad fan bini nöd ENDLICH WIEDERMAL ES *LIED* south side het e unglaublichi bridge für min gschmack hets chli vill interludes, ich han nüt geg die per se, aber dezwüsche hetsmer chli z wenig kohärenti lieder heart of the sunrise isch es UNGLAUBLICHS LIED mehrmals hani müsse mis muul uufsperre bi all dene übergäng, bim zemmespiel vo schlagzüg und bass, SO GEIL VIER
Heard it before. I think it's one of the more accessible prog albums, the tracks are really dynamic and interesting. 4/5
I love when rock artists prove they’re band kids at heart. Also, goes to show vampire weekend/other modern indie bands that get a little artsy with it are not all that original. What it lacks in cohesion it makes up for in interest and texture.
4/5
One of the better prog rock albums. Not perfect but very goo.
Really good. Not 5 star due to personal preference. Had only listened to this album a handful of times before starting the 1001 album cycle. Could grow on me more.
Random thoughts: * Roundabout is an underrated song and I loved hearing this song multiple times! * The dude on the bass can groove out! * Yes = Prog rock + classic rock + the renaissance fair * I listened to the album with a bonus track with a cover of "America" originally done by Simon and Garfunkel. Whoa! They definitely put their stamp on it. It took me several minutes to realize it was a cover.
Turns out I quite enjoy prog rock.
Huh, quite good indeed
Another good album from Yes
When I was 13 my guitar teacher taught me the opening for Roundabout. He did not tell me what it was and I am just now learning at my large age that it was a Yes song. I’m surprised I didn’t totally hate this tbh.
this would be the best prog album of all time if it werent for close to the edge. steve howe’s guitar playing feels like being lifted into heaven especially on mood for a day
4/5 - I enjoyed, this may be in my rotation during the summer months. This album came out on my birthday before it was my birthday <3 Standout track: - Mood for a Day 5/5: so so pretty, I would listen to this again. - Heart of the Sunrise 4.5/5: 5:40 to 6:11 is perfection.
I really like it. Feels like the mix of jazz and rock
Experimental. Unique vocals. Interesting melodies and rhythms.
As a bass player, this is an excellent album to listen to. Not sure I would have enjoyed it as much as a layman, but I am what I am.
Rätt bra! 7/10
Surprisingly good. I'd listen to this again.
Lyssnade aldrig på Yes, konstigt egentligen. Det är ju väldigt nära några av mina favoriter - Pink Floyd. Gillar den oerhörda variationen. It's all over the place!
Experimental in all the best ways. Classically trained musicians making rock and roll. Got a little heady at times. Incredible solos - reminds me of Todd. Amazing album.
This was the first Yes album I've ever listened to. I've heard the highlights before, but this is the first of their albums I've checked out. It was prog rock, but EXTREMELY digestible. I liked it. The beats were fun and the guitar parts grooved. "Five per Cent for Nothing" kinda sucked, but luckily it was only 38 seconds. Liked Songs: "Roundabout" , "South Side of the Sky" , "Long Distance Runaround" , "The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus)" , "Mood for a Day" , "America"
Good rock, classical influence, opera feel. Melodic, riff heavy, virtuosic playing. Drum grooves good
Good record! I think I'm keeping this one. Very creative.
3.5
This is one I keep wanting to think as one of my fivers... And if I just take the four major pieces "Roundabout", "Southside of the Sky", Long Distance Runaround", and "Heart of the Sunrise" as far as I'm concerned it is. Which leaves the five individual highlights. Squire's "The Fish" is basically an extension of "Runaround" and Howe's acoustic guitar interlude actually fits the flow of the album as a brief light breather between key tracks. Anderson's vocal exercise would have be better single bridge between "Roundabout" and "South Side" but unfortunately Wakeman's "Cans and Brahms" honestly felt out of place, as did Bruford's "Five Percent" (Though "5%" was closer to the feel of the album. "Brahms" felt out of place all over). (9.45) ★★★½
I like the longer compositions, but the shorter songs ruins the flow for me. Light 4 stars
Prog isn't my favorite, but this is a pretty good example of it. Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround are classics. 4 stars.
An album recommended by 1001 album generators and also Dewey Finn from School Of Rock. Dewey Finn was more on point by just singling out Roundabout. The solo compositions here are all varying degrees of gash with the Jon Anderson vocal loop being the most ear-mincing but Roundabout and Heart Of The Sunrise are as top notch as prog rock can get.
Restrained prog with acoustic gitar and vocal. Lots of nice parts, but a bit boring at times. Really liked Mood for a Day and Heart of the Sunrise. Think this would work better for me as an instrumental band.
Roundabout! Classic Prog Rock
Classic Yes, solid album
Funky and fresh
mostly amazing once you get into it ( took me years! ) , but two tracks are totally skippable. 4
okay i can't think of much they could have done better, it's the perfect mixture of complex enough to catch your attention and catchy enough to make you stay
Nice, sweet songs
Prog Masterclass…’nuff said.
much more digestible than Closer to the Edge for me, and for that it's much beter for it. it feels like an amalgamation of alot of prog rock from the time, sometimes for good, sometimes not, but i think on the whole it is a very good package overall. why is the deluxe version more than 4 hours long though, that is too much for one album!
That was cool, in a rambly way
Good but not great. Really nice instrumentals but everything blurs together
Iconic opening track with really excellent bass diving the album throughout. I especially enjoyed the piano interlude about a third of the way through South Side of the Sky. Prog rock is always a fun game of picking out the layers of sound composed into the music. Overall, I really enjoyed the album, but the vocals aren't really my thing.
Really cool. I like prog rock and this is super interesting. Some weird shit I'm not keen on but hey that's prog for you. Highlights: roundabout, south side of the sky
3.8 Some bangers here.
Nice album! Songs of my youth.
Not my favorite band or genre, but they pull off some undeniably impressive shit here. 3.5/5
Great
норм, раньше знал. хитрая музыка...
Prog tastic :) loved it :)
mmm...for the song 'roundabout' i'm gonna have to give it 4 stars.
'Roundabout' is of course the biggest draw of the album, and it is definitely my favourite. But the longer tracks on this album are worthwhile to listen to as well. It is hampered a bit by inconsistency: the short, 'quirky' songs kind of pull me out of going on the journey that Yes wants to send me on. But nevertheless, it is a legendary prog rock album in my opinion. Also: IS THIS A JOJO REFERENCE???!1one!1!!
Fantastic album. As good as their previous one "The Yes Album", also from 1971. Between the long prog rock epic, the records find the time to include some oddities such as "The Fish" or "Cans and Brahms", which give it an odd flow. Nonetheless, very enjoyable. Key tracks: Roundabout Long Distance Runaround
As a punk rocker, I think I'm supposed to hate progressive or adult oriented rock, but I like a fair amount of it anyway.
Prog rock. This is a pretty solid representation of the genre. Roundabout is a classic of course but the rest of the album was good too.
Classic greatness.
It was interesting and felt like mind-expending experience
Roundabout 4 Cans and Brahms (instrumental) 3.7 We Have Heaven 3.2 South Side of the Sky 3.9 Five per Cent for Nothing (instrumental) 3 Long Distance Runaround 4 The Fish (Schindleria Praematuras) 3.6 Mood for a Day (instrumental) 3.5 Heart of the Sunrise 3.7 Score: 3.622222222
ok
this is really getting me to develop a deeper appreciation (read: any at all) for prog rock. Roundabout was on repeat all day
Prog heaven really. Big fan.
Would I listen again: yes Best track: long distance runaround Worst track: five per cent for nothing. Surprise awesome track: we have heaven Weirdest track: cans and Brahms Lyrics: fine. But this is about the music. No skips?: no. Cover art cool?:yes Notes: I have very high hopes for this listen. I like this band but have never sat the light the whole album. I am afraid though it may fall victim to its own like progressiveness and get weird for the sake of weird. Roundabout is one of my fav songs. Steve Howe such a great player. Mood for a day! This is gorgeous how have I never heard this. Chris squire such a great and commanding bassist. This band has such good groove that I never noticed. Heart of the sunrise sounds like it could fit in my glass breams style playlist. Amazing sounding album. Just realized I was playing it on shuffle so I’m just gonna go with it because Im enjoying it anyway. Overall great album on one slip that five percent for nothing song is whack.
# Playlist track - Long Distance Runraound # Notes - There are a handful of SOLID tracks in there. - Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround and Heart of the Sunrise are probably my favorites. Also, Simon and Garfunkel's "America" become something else with them! - Epic instrumentation and top-notch prog! - Rick Wakeman mans the keyboards and synths on this one, and it really shows! - That, this album kind of forces you in a trip that is sometimes bumpy. Got me in a good day, tho. I enjoyed it, but I can't fault those who don't.
Cool prog rock. You don't hear people shredding on an acoustic guitar like this very often. A good time.
Banger
To me, 70's Yes is, like, "ur-prog." Y'know, the prog that's just... Always been around, always. The first sound you think of when you think of prog; the genre at perhaps its basest level. I'd call it timeless, too, but... Ehh, naaaah. It's still pretty pinnable to the 1970's. Which is just as well; if the 70's ain't prog's decade, then no other is. FRAGILE lands itself smack in the middle of what are, in my eyes, **the** Yes albums — ten months after (funnily enough) THE YES ALBUM, and ten months before CLOSE TO THE EDGE. And, like, it's crazy, you know? There's not too many other bands I can think of who can pull off something like this. Of course, in the case of FRAGILE, it helps that there's really only 4 "main songs." Now, that's not to put down the other five songs here, which are each composed individually by the five band members. They're all fun, and give a good sense as to what they bring to the group. I even really dig "Cans And Brahms", even if, for stupid contract reasons, it's just an arrangement of a classical piece. I guess my problem is just that... I'unno, as much as I like 'em, they make the album feel shorter than it actually is? Like, FRAGILE is only a minute shorter than THE YES ALBUM and three longer than CLOSER TO THE EDGE, but because 5/9 tracks jus' kinda breeze by, it makes it feel like there's so much less there on the whole. But, hey, despite that, the four "main songs" are still as good as ever, particularly "Roundabout". I mean, putting aside that one anime whose name slips my mind, it's not as iconic as it is for nothing. A sick bass line, virtuoso keys, great vocal harmonies... Across the board, it's simply incredible. Much the same goes for the rest, with a special highlight to "Heart Of The Sunrise". Goodness. **The** second song I tend to think of from this album. So, hey, it's all good stuff. However, ultimately, I think when you put these two halves of songs together... Honestly, as a whole package, it could be stronger. Like, my favorite Yes album is CLOSE TO THE EDGE, and that one wastes no time. It's simply three of the best songs the band would ever make, with not a second wasted, as far as I can hear — lot more beautiful vocal parts and harmonies, too. FRAGILE, on the other hand... Like I said, the solo composed tracks just do weird things to the pacing to me. That's my big problem here. If the album was weighted more towards the main songs than the solo fragments, sure, but as it stands... Yeeeeaaah. Still, I can't give it less than a 4 at minimum. It's still Yes in the middle of their best period, and I don't think they deserve much less. This is referencing the wrong album, but despite some of my misgivings, I can still get up **and** get down with this. (Now hopefully it's not, like, what, ten months until we get **that** album? Or more, goodness. I hope not!)
Not the best but clearly the most well known of Yes' work from there original pre-90125 era. It contains radio freindly classics such as Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, and one of my personal favorite Yes songs, Heart of the Sunrise. With Fragile, Yes successfully took prog rock, which was a niche genre at the time, and made it accessible to mainstream audiences. Songs liek Heart of the Sunrise represent more mainline prog rock with extended suites and ethereal content. Roundabout, on the other hand, is pure rock in a prog wrapper, allowing for 70s FM radio friendly edits. Close to the Edge and Tales From the Togographic Ocean are more what one expects from prog rock, and better realized concepts. Neither would have turned Yes into a mainstay of classic rock. Fragile was the vehicle for that.
Ooh this is where that riff is coming from! Groovy! Energetic for the most part. Not bad at all.
Begin echt heel leuk met roundabout, daarna beetje saai. Maar kan lachen
Yes is very good at elevating the status of rock by embracing classical music, adapting the classical aesthetic to what they’re doing. As we all know, most of the classic prog rock bands were British. Unlike jazz being seen as more important in America, classical music was more prestigious in the UK. I love the playful, clever interludes steeped in classical motifs, but one cannot ignore the majesty of the giant first track, “Roundabout”. For this track, it’s all about the instrumentation, the vocals covering only a fraction of the song. Basically, the lyrics aren’t important. We hear all Yes members’ virtuosity on this track, displaying their instrumental fluency, steeped not only in classical but art-oriented jazz. The song is also all about the concept, and the bigger the better: dramatic contrasts from section to section, the sprawling form of the piece, and the rich and varied textures and rhythms.
IN AND AROUND THE LAKE!!!!!!!!
Prog rock, so I liked it. The long tracks especially were well done. Stand-out: Roundabout
Very nearly a 5 for me, the filler is kinda wonky and takes me out of it. The rest is pretty fire though, funky and fun prog. Not words I associate with prog very often lol
Es muy buen disco. Virtuosismo exagerado a 10 min pero bien hecho. Es muy parecido a Génesis pero nosé si me gusta más.
Love this album. Not Yes’ best, but it brings back memories of me childhood
Had Yes' "Close to the Edge" earlier this year and didn't quite know what to make of it. Ended up giving it 5 stars in the end, but now I'm not sure if I should have. Because this here, again, is... the best of prog rock and the worst of prog rock in one unconvient package. Maybe like this: it's musically often great but sonically often grating? Eh, 4.
I bought this album at a garage sale in my neighborhood in about 1981. I loved it, and went on to claim YES as my first concert on the 90125 tour in 1984. I still love this album.
Really great vibe!! Had really fun listining to thiss definitely gonna play roundabout more often! I was really surprised when i heard the meme hahaha. Best song: roundabout
Is that a fucking JoJo reference?!?
Yes, Yes. Man what a great album. The longer tracks are obviously the better ones. The shorter ones felt like afterthoughts, or ones that they couldn't quite figure out in time for the album and so used them as filler instead. I don't know if there's a group that is as technically sound as Yes is, especially on this album. "Roundabout" is an absolute masterpiece. The range shown on that track is amazing. The precision, the time changes, the harmonies, the organ solo(!!). All of it is incredible and for encapsulates what the band is capable of. My one gripe - Roundabout should've been the closer. It's the best track and you can't put your best track first. I don't care how good the rest of the album is. And the rest of this album doesn't match what "Roundabout" does. That's not to say it's bad. Not by any stretch. "South Side of the Sky" almost matches the energy and virtuosity of "Roundabout" in a way that really pleasantly surprised me. Even one of the shorter tracks, "Mood for a Day" grabbed my attention. On the whole, I enjoyed this one. It did leave me wondering where the band went from here. I knew "Roundabout" coming in and expected (and got) an album that mostly sounded similar. I know they did "Owner of a Lonely Heart," which was a huge radio hit. I...don't like that song. Maybe I'll find out through this project. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, Mood for a Day, America
'Roundabout' unironically hard carries this album. The rest are a good vibe, but were not particularly interesting to me. To be continued....
great start. roundabout is just a great rock tune, but hooking you with beautiful fingering and then a killer bassline.
Desde el principio no sabes si estás escuchando música clásica, ópera rock, barroco ... al final yo lo he disfrutado como otros discos de Yes que están en esta lista. Añado a favoritos "Roundabout, "Long distance roundaround", "Heart of sunshine" y "America".
Not bad
Yes is a really talented band I definitely enjoy listening to the album. And despite it being one my dad's favorite bands, I never connected that the famous "To be continued..." riff was from "Roundabout" so that was a nice little surprise
I mostly remember Yes to be crooner version of art school prog schmaltz, which indeed this album has, but I was so pleasantly surprised at just the general tuneful and instrumental intricacy and detail. Crisp and quaffable, in beer terms, also just as unhealthy.
Roundabout is an absolute monster of an opening track. They never quite got up to that level again. A few of the instrumental interludes were too discordant for my tastes to go full marks.
En del af det lyder faktisk rigtigt godt, åbningstracket blandt andet. Det er ikke så eksperimenterende at det bliver svært at høre på. Men jeg savner flere sange med sang, lidt for meget instrumentalt til mig
Roundabout :)))))))) actually quote liked this
Enjoyed the bands upbeat musical notes and rhythm.
I have a copy of this but i haven't listened to it in years. Pretty good. Might get more of their albums based on this.
Some fantastic tracks here especially roundabout. Not much else to say it's some really strong prog rock
I had only ever heard Roundabout off of this album. Great use of early synth and the bass is just phenomenal. Favourite track is probably Long Distance Runaround.
Great early 70s album. Not for my regular rotation but I never get sad when Yes shows up on the radio.
Roundabout is a phenomenal intro. Cool prog album, really enjoyed this one
Lempparit: Roundabout ja Mood For a Day Vähiten lemppari: America
A little proggy for my taste, and there are like 10 songs ever that have any business being over 10 minutes long, and this album does not contain one. That said, I think the highs are very high and the lows are extremely forgettable. Good memories and everything else being forgotten is a recipe for an album that can be remembered pretty favorably, so that's good.
I don't think im really a prog guy, and I could easily see myself not liking this. That said it was a fun album that I ended up really digging it. Roundabout is a blast. Album cover: A Good solid fantasy need style
I was mostly paying attention to this album in Henry's apartment. We're on a big prog rock kick in this group, having listened to EL&P and King Crimson last week. Yes finishes the triumvirate of "prog bands I've heard of", so I'm glad they've come up so soon. Roundabout is super famous, so that was instantly recognizable. I liked it a lot. I wasn't really paying attention to individual songs, so I've got to rate it off of the general vibes. The vibes were generally good. This was my least favorite album of the three prog rock albums so far (Tarkus, Crimson King), but I enjoyed it. 7/10
JOJOOOOO
this is an immense album. obviously roundabout is the biggie, but heart of the sunrise is such a phenomenal piece and the more experimental stuff in-between is short, sweet and interesting. saving my 5 for close to the edge, but it's all here.
A really fun adventure
I think you guys know what I’m gonna say… Yup!
now we are certainly moving towards the sublime ...
Some all-time great jams on here, but also a lot that feels like filler.
Finally, a pros rock record I like
Still very jammy, but I enjoyed this way more than the last Yes album on this list. There's some wild time signatures in here and I can dig it. The organ, synths and drums are stand outs.
roundabout
Muy bueno
Awesome
Probably brilliant and ahead of its time, but didn't quite connect so much
I love how focused on the instrumentals this album is. Really enjoyed the entire thing.
4 STARS THIS IS what began my journey into the mysteries of prog rock. I'm forever grateful for the minds and bodies that created this music.
These guys can jam. Their bassist is actually pretty incredible.
Great long form prog rock
A classic prog rock album, with Roundabout being a hit song. I generally enjoyed the album, though there were times where I felt certain bits of songs lasted too long. My favourite songs are Roundabout and South Side of the Sky.
Oh hey it's that meme song. Otherwise it's straight down the middle prog rock. In fact I'd say that because this album is only 40 minutes I liked it. Prog rock can be very wankery but if they at least keep it within a good time period.
8.5/10
Cool
Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock
Marred by the fact that there's a better Yes record and that the first track outshines the rest of the record
Loving the intro, not knowing what I'm getting into. Enjoyed the instrumentation and vocals of this album. 4* Highlights: roundabout, we have heaven
I now know where that meme sound come from. Roundabout!
Überraschend gut. Gibt knapp 4. für seine Zeit toll. Teilweiles etwas künstlich verkomplizierte Musik, aber noch im Rahmen.
Sweet album, classic
This is a band that I ought to like, but had heard precious little by them. Though I do like Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman's solo stuff. I've got their best of album and there is some good some not so good tracks. I suppose the mark of a good album is when it's finishes before you know it and indeed that happened here. You tube started playing the intro to Aqualung and I thought hang on a minute, I was enjoying that what happened to Yes. The upshot is it's a great album worth every bit a 4
Looks like I gave the other album a 3 but after listening to this I'm willing to give them a few more spins. Roundabout is certainly the standout, especially since the edition I listened to had it as a bonus track at the end so I ended up hearing it 4 times.
Hmmmm, I liked this more than "Close To The Edge", which I should probably listen to again. Between the list bringing that album up and this one, I acquired slightly more of a taste for Yes. Their single "Owner of a Lonely Heart", from a much later album, was used extensively in an episode of "Dead Boy Detectives" and it was pretty cool - I thought maybe Yes went through a new wave phase, but listening to "Roundabout", I think they had that dog in em all along. Fave track - "Roundabout" is definitely the stand out - "We Have Heaven" is nice too, though feels like a snippet of something that should be longer...
Yes is a solid 4-star band. Always enjoy it, but never need to go back to it on a regular basis.
Roundabout
Great piece of prog
Two of my favorite Yes tracks are on this album. Overall, it's super solid. 4.5
A little long-winded, but very skillful and fun to listen to
This is the type of rock I love, high energy, funky & just all around enjoyable. I’m glad they’re on tour this year with Deep Purple so I can catch them live!
The two songs I knew going in to this album were Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise, so I was a little surprised that most of the songs were around 2 or 3 minutes. I am not a huge Prog Rock guy, but this is some of the best Prog Rock out there. Very good guitar playing and some funky basslines. High 4
Was about as good as I was expecting it to be! Enjoyed this thoroughly. I haven't listened to a prog rock album in quite some time, but Fragile is a fantastic welcome back to the genre for me
I'm lukewarm on Prog as a whole. I like the idea of giving songs space to breathe, using the studio as an instrument and generally pushing musical boundaries. In practice, I find that most acts hide behind those tools instead of using them to express something. (Jacob Collier as a prime example in modern pop) Fragile teeders on that problem with a few tracks (We Have Heaven as the worst offender) but even those feel more like lackluster moments than failed experiments to me. Roundabout is an opus and exactly what I want to hear from a prog band. Long well developed varied and interesting music. Nothing but Heart of Sunshine gets back to that level but still an enjoyable pile of eclectic music here.
Prog Rock cornerstone. You're gonna love or hate it. Yeah - some do go on.. but to truly enjoy - toke up you fave bud and enjoy the trip I did when this came out back in the day (yeah...I'm old... and toked at an early age)
I'm getting older. 4 out of 5
My first time listening to Yes! I really digged it. It's very Pink Floyd and King Crimson. Really funky too.
Awesome classic prog album. Very similar to early King Crimson (especially a riff that's a lot like the guitar in 21st Century Schizoid Man). Gotta love Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. Mix of tracks that appeal to the masses and deeper cuts.
Good album.
Moments of absolute brilliance with some mediocre sections. Pretty much sums up most of Yes’ output
Bangers although they didn’t really stand apart from one another 8/10
A few moments that made me think "Hmm... That was weird", other than that it's just really good. I liked how Mood For A Day contrasts with the rest.
Yes. It's Yes time. This is a great album. I don't know a ton about Yes. But if there's one thing about this band that I know, it's the song "Roundabout." That's the opener on this album and it's amazing. I've never heard the full 8 minute long song until today. It's great, and so is the rest of the album. There's a few little ditties in there that are kind of fun, but the album really shines with the longer more complete songs. In particular, the aforementioned "Roundabout," as well as "South Side of the Sky" and the album's closer "Heart of the Sunrise" stand out as truly phenomenal songs. The sound on this album is very pleasant. The guitar and bass work is just top-notch. The drumming and keyboard work is also quite great. I like the vocals. They give a very positive vibe to the songs. Overall, this is an amazing prog rock album, though not quite my favorite one. High 4/5.
actually very pleasing
Roundabout mencionado.
did not expect to love this but it was soooo good. i loved the keyboard and bass and the hints of classical guitar 4.5/5
Surprisingly good. I didn't really love it at first, but that's what makes a good album. I'd probably even give it a 4.5
A classic, never mind that Roundabout has been a meme in modern times.
It's a steep drop-off after roundabout but this is a solid album.
Ojo bastante bien!
Loved the first song especially
Sweet spot of progressive rock where obscure lyrics and music come together into an awesome sound.
Really good. Going 4 but If I get to spend time with it I think it will get better
Wasn't a huge fan of most of the tracks here but - To Be Continued...
- Bestes Yes Album und definitiv eines meiner lieblings Progressive Rock Alben und Roundabout ist und bleibt mein lieblings Progrock Song - Yes schafft es immer super groovy und super easy hörbar zu sein und dabei auch krass anspruchsvoll, das gelingt nicht häufig - Glaube auf dem Album muss man auf jeden Fall mal die Arbeit an den Keys von Rick Wakeman herausstellen - Höre ich immer wieder gern, macht einfach Bock Rating: 4,25
Pretty rad, I don't even like prog normally
'Fragile' is more concise, but not quite as satisfying as the sprawling ‘Close To The Edge’. Still pretty great though and together these two records would've made a nice double album.
Good prog rock album. It starts with one of Yes greatest songs Roundabout which isn't a great choice as the rest of the songs aren't nearly as good as that one. It's a cool album though but I get why it isn't for everyone.
I would not consider my self a Progressive rock listener but i have listened to a couple of albums during my high school days. This is what i would classify as almost crossover prog(introduction albums, i'm no expert). If you are looking to start listening to progressive rock i would recommend this album, probably not as the very first though. It blends allot of reoccurring themes with solos and experimentation, which make it accessible yet challenging. The songs are longer than pop songs but are not offputtingly long. Strong opening with Roundabout which i think that most people will enjoy if they are into rock music. the middle is a collection of experimental songs and segments. Ending with a nod to Art and Garfunkels song in the end But if you are not interested in getting in to prog rock you probably won't enjoy this album and that is understandable too. Personal favorites: Roundabout, Heart of the sunrise, Mood of the day, America
A somewgat edgy sound for their time. I thoroughly enjoyed this blast from the past.
Love it! Takes me back.
I like it!!! I like all the folky (?) guitar and singing :D
soms heel hard soms beetje mid - moet er eigenlijk nog een keer naar luisteren eer ik een getalletje kan zeggen, maar goed
I like prog half of the time, unless it descends into a 12 minute long organ solo, which it didn't fortunately, bit of twiddling but not too much.
It’s hard to like, but somehow even harder to hate. Another grower not a shower album
Loved this when I was 14 years old and the world was just beginning. Fond memories and still easy/enjoyable.
Did you like this Francesca? YES.
An incredible prog album with delightful hooks and gnarly grooves
Yes' 3 best songs are on this album, "Roundabout", "South Side of the Sky", and "Heart of the Sunrise". 3 prog classics, and truly remarkable the talent shown in these songs. Should be a 5 star easily, but I can't give it 5. The rest of the album is completely forgettable filler to me. That's 2/3rds of the album. So while The Yes Album and Close to the Edge may be better albums, Yes' best songs are all on this one
Awesome. Good bops
4.25
Really like this one. Roundabout is such a classic. And the organ is all so solid.
Good Stuff
There's more good songs than just the JoJo One ™ However, most of them struggled to stand out to roundabout
The members of Yes are obviously very talented. I really enjoy this album. Fragile is a monster of a song. From what I understand, there were many arguments in the studio about which member’s content would appear on the album, and it shows. They decided to add a composition by each member. It kinda makes the album feel… disjointed?
💖 heart of the sunrise 🗣️ 8️⃣
good
Better than I remember. Less wankery more tuneful than much of their later stuff.
This is my third and final Yes album to review. I've listened to this album from start to finish before, but this is my first time to really give it more than a casual listen. Outside of "Owner of a Lonely Heart" (woof), I'd wager that "Roundabout" is the Yes song that most people are familiar with. The keyboards often get the recognition on this song, and rightfully so; they're played with blistering speed and precision, but they're also arranged beautifully. They're easily most fun part of the song, but Jon Anderson's vocals and Chris Squire's bass guitar deserve some love too. Anderson's lead vocals match the pace of the keyboards perfectly, and the group's harmonies add some rich depth. Squire's bass solo matches the tempo of the rest of the song, while providing a nice contrasting tone. "Roundabout" is not only an S-tier Yes song, it's also an S-tier classic rock song as well. It'd be easy to call it a day on Fragile after "Roundabout," but the rest of the album is really solid as well. Rick Wakeman's keyboards are still present, but not as dominant, as Steve Howe's guitars get some moments to shine, especially on "Long Distance Runaround." The guitar solo that leads into the aforementioned song harkens back to the spirit of the keyboard playing on "Roundabout" with bright tones and a fast tempo. Bill Bruford's drumming never really gets more than some glimpses in the limelight, but his skill is more than enough to provide some great rhythms on this album. While they might seem to be an odd choice stylistically, the shorter interludes are an interesting touch to break up the longer songs on this album. "We Have Heaven" is brilliant, and I honestly wouldn't have been opposed to this being a longer piece of the album; it takes me back to "I've Seen All Good People" in all the best ways. The thing that holds this album back is the closing track "Heart of the Sunrise." This song takes you to a lot of different places in Yes's sound, but I felt every second of its ten minute plus runtime. I'm not even sure if this song would have been better served by being broken into smaller songs, because a good portion of it feels unnecessary, even though it is pleasant and somewhat interesting. Still, this album is bold and adventurous, a feeling well represented by the image on its cover. I'm not the biggest fan of prog rock, but if I'm going to listen to something prog rock that's not Pink Floyd, Fragile would be something that I'd be happy to throw on.
Somewhat clunky but a solid prog album. Roundabout is a classic but Heart of the Sunrise is a showstopper. The individual tracks take it down a notch. Chris Squire's bass lines are mesmerizing. When discussing top bassists in rock, Squire should be mentioned more often. 1971 was quite the year for Rick Wakeman. Hunky Dory and Fragile in the same year. Not too shabby.
As big a fab as I am of prog metal, a lot of classic prog leaves me cold. This undeniable, especially those bass lines.
Yes, great. Really love the character of the album, great cohesion.
Have I heard this album before? No Highlights: Roundabout, Cans and Brahms, We Have Heaven, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood For a Day, Heart of the Sunrise, America Rating: 9.2/10 Roundabout is a masterpiece. The musicianship on this album is incredible, each member gets their own chance to show off as well. Amazing prog rock.
Liked this more than I anticipated. The bass lines were great and I liked the variety in song style. 3.5/5
I listened to about 75% of the album. Vote probably shouldn’t count but I enjoyed it a lot. Classic 70s rock and I instantly added it to the library. I will go back and listen to it entirely. For now, 3.5/5
The three album run from 1971-1972, with, The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To the Edge is the peak period for Yes, before things got off the rails and drifted into exercises of self-indulgence and tried the patience of fans with their next releases. Fragile opens with Yes's finest achievement, the over-eight minute masterpiece, Roundabout and was the main reason I bought the album. There's no doubt the song is a classic, but the rest of the record is decent enough to sustain it's status as one of their best. I don't love Yes's music, but at least on Fragile there was enough song structure, melody and superior musicianship to grade it above the average Prog album.
Prog can be a hard pill for me to swallow, but this is a damn good prog record. Highlights: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood for a Day, Heart of the Sunrise
LP
An absolute prog rock classic and one of my favourite Yes albums. But not my favourite hence only four stars
Excellent musicianship. Beautiful in that way. Lyrically? That's questionable, but I suppose back then you were supposed to listen to it high on something. I like this album very much, but to me, the songs are just songs to listen to, to groove to. There's nothing to hit your soul or your mind, so to speak. "Did we really count to one hundred?" Really?!
I have always liked "Roundabout" and even prefer the unedited longer version of it. It's just a great song. While the shorter instrumentals can seem like filler, this is a really good album. If you do not like prog-rock or haven't heard prog-rock, then this is an album for you. The introduction of Rick Wakeman really seemed to help the group's sound, though I know it also meant more people were fighting to get their songs on each album. An album that is worth a listen and a seminal prog-rock album if that is your sort of thing.
I have always been ambivilant towards Yes as I like some of their work but don't really care for most of it. This album does not change that as I really like Roudabout but not any of the other tracks. So just barely 4 stars.
Honestly, the best prog rock album so far.
So, I am biased a bit here. I have played bass guitar for 30 years. Chris Squire is iconic. I love the growling tone, the complex melodies, the subtleties of his harmonics. His influence in the progressive rock scene lives on though he has physically passed. Don’t forget the rest of those guys! Fantastic musicianship across the board. Their ability to meld classical and prog catches my ear each time. It’s a great album. Would I recommend it, well, YES!
Streaming numbers from track 1 to track 2 drop by over 98%. That’s practically Domestos.
Ekki eintóm snilld, en mjög hresst og skemmtilegt progg. Mig langaði að hlusta aftur og ég gerði það. Prófið það líka.
I understand why people like this album. Just not my taste.
Not my favourite of theirs but it's still at the very pinnacle of Prog. The musicianship is beyond belief and it's a pleasure from start to finish. Sit with your headphones on in a darkened room with just the music playing. It's spiritual :-)
This was really cool. Progressive, bouncy, a lot of fun.
Unlike other reviews, I think there's a sufficient amount of funk infused in here to garner a 4 at least.
Mix of weird and wonderful. The musical abilities here are off the charts. I’ll take Long Distance Runaround any day over Roundabout.
J'ai vraiment aimée j'ai eu un petit voyage mentale !
A very calm, quiet album.
Some all time classics on this album. I understand now how yes has influenced and reshaped prog rock, as a band
Awesome album. Beautiful music.
Yes it's another band I frequently forget about despite really enjoying their music.
Fun
Already know and like this one although it’s definitely stronger with the bonus tracks as ‘America’ is a prog masterpiece that the original is missing.
I grew up with this album, some definite favourites in there.
Roundabout: 11/10 THIS SONG GOES SO FUCKING HARD RAHHHHHH, but fr I don't think this song can ever get played too much for me sooo clean. Cans and Brahms: 5/10 We Have Heaven: 6/10 South Side of the Sky: 8-9/10 Five per Cent for Nothing: 7/10 Long Distance Runaround: 9/10 The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus): 8/10 Mood for a Day: 9/10 clean ah hell Heart of the Sunrise: 10/10 America: 9/10 Roundabout (Early Rough Mix): 10/10 repeat Top 3: 1. Roundabout (obvi) 2. Heart of the Sunrise (nice guitar) 3. Mood for a Day (nice vibe switch) Album Score: 8/10 honestly, with something a bit harder and better on tracks 2 & 3 it would be a 5 star 9.?/10 for me
Banger
I've tried to get into Yes before, but it never clicked for me until this listen.
Flashback to my youth. I didn’t recall all the songs, but the ones I did, still hit.
Love this sound, but Roundabout is really the best of the bunch.
First time hearing this album. Really enjoyed it
Wat een heerlijk begin. Roundabout heeft namelijk een van de beste baspartijen aller tijden. Progrock in optima forma. Daarna wisselen de fijne progrock-stukken af met muzikale intermezzo's waarin alle muzikanten even hun skills willen showen. Het ene intermezzo is interessanter dan het andere. Het album als geheel voelt daardoor meer als een verzameling losse experimenten. Of als een showcase van alle losse muzikanten. De nummers waarin alles samenkomt, zijn wat mij betreft het beste. Een echte luisterplaat, waarin je elke keer nieuwe dingen kunt horen, dat wel. 3,5 ster.
Roundabout slaps so hard as an opener that by itself would give this album a solid rating. But then the rest of the tracks are of almost the same quality, first time listening to this album and can't wait to replay it already. I can see why my dad loved this band :)
Yes is good, but not my favorite.
I've always liked Roundabout but never listened to any more Yes...fantastic album. Not sure why they aren't hailed as all time greats. 7.5/10
Definitely not my style or taste but can appreciate the sound and vibe. Reminds me of steely dan
I loved it. The instrumentals were superb.
Interesting!
Many interesting ideas across the runtime of the album. I think I prefer both The Yes Album and Close To The Edge. Nothing in here that would push it to 5 star territory but really good regardless. Favorite tracks are Roundabout, Southside of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise. <====To Be Continued==
"Roundabout" is one of those songs I know I've hard a whole bunch but never consciously or really paying attention until now. Man the organ and the overall timbre of the guitars together is a trip back in time. Some great songs, and also some... recordings where they seem to have just dropped acid and then pressed record. Overall it's still good. That bass tone and playing alone... man.
I used to love JOJOs, now i can't stand it.
This is a great album but some songs go on a bit too long
Unique band with a unique sound.
Solid album with some really great standout songs: Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround are fantastic. Enjoyed this one, especially after my last two album listens, which were duds.
This album was great. I was surprised by hearing all the subtleties in this record, alone, that modern prog artists rip off. A lot of synth and/or string parts and even little change up's that they do. I guess if you're going to rip someone off, make sure they are worth ripping off. Perhaps ripp off isn't the right word. I don't mean it in a negative connotation. I don't think I really care for the lead singers voice. It doesn't sound as epic as the music does. And it sounds a bit flat... There is one part that I particularly disliked in the song South Side of the Sky (I love the alliteration) - there were a bunch of La's being sung that really didn't add to the song. It almost felt like the singer just wanted his voice to be heard. Roundabout is a staple song that most musicians and/or music lovers know. I don't know anyone who dislikes that song. What a great way to start a record. The strings were fantastic in this album. And the riffs were proggy and awesome! I will definitely revisit this. Hopefully the vocals will grow on me.
Hard to to do better when you start with such a great first song. Everything else was good, but never hit the quality of Roundabout.