Fragile

Just saw Yes perform this album from start to finish. Just as good today as it was the day it was released.

A very nice and elegant album, moreso for a prog rock album. Something to eat your smoked salmon and caviar to. Plus, this album has Roundabout on it! Favorite tracks: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood for a Day, Heart of the Sunrise

I wasn’t into the first several tracks, but it ends well, with the last track being my favorite

Not my jam but I feel the vibe :)

I am also a fan of JoJo

Quel band!! De bons souvenirs. Encore impressionné de la virtuosité. Heart of the Sunrise c'est du led zep poussé à la sauce prog

Agréable! Est-ce que le programme c’est pour moi? Peut-être pas.

That sounded like I thought it would. It is bad - no. Is it incredible - no. Does it sound like 70s rock with musicians on unknown stimulants going on and on with their musical odysseys - oh yes. Does it sound like Spinal Tap - yes. So a 3 out of 5 for being the genesis of Spinal Tap

Weird wankery. Sounds like it might be impressive technically but the output is a bit shit

This felt like the 70s.

Nice progressive rock album. The song 'Roundabout' is of course iconic, I am mainly a fan of the bass playing. Overall strong album. 4/5

OK, another new band for me. Strangely, they remind me of The Beatles in the early days. Good tune, Good album.

More like, no

Roundabout - Classic boring

Still not sure what to make of this prog rock genre. Some of it is interesting, some of it makes me wonder what made them record it. This album is like that. The whole is not greater than the sum of its parts, bit there were some interesting parts.

Cool album, would listen again. 6.1/10

A pleasant surprise for me. Beautiful music.

First and last time for everything I guess. Didn't do super deluxe. I do not like Yes.

Overall, not my favorite but a couple songs stood out

Yes, Roundabout is a big hit. The rest is decent.

Amazing album that holds up well. Top 5 progressive rock bands, top 5 progressive rock albums.

so much great stuff here, I love how much territory it explores, and it how sometimes just bursts wide open

5.5/10 Out of Rush, Pink Floyd, Genesis and this band, Yes are by far my least favourite. Lots of talent, but no emotions, no hooks, no fun and just not an overall pleasant listening experience. (Also the singer doesn't help). It's good but I didnt like it.

Roundabout shares some of the same DNA as Supertramp so that one is a hit for me. The rest of the songs don't sound like that though. Instead they feature annoying noises and incoherent melody.

5/10 Mid Sounds stale and there's nothing exciting sonically or lyrically

Loved it, perfect prog-rock that flows so smoothly from one track to the next. Incredible opener with Roundabout. Fav tracks: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, Mood for a Day Saved a song: Y RYM: Y (#297)

Classic first song but the rest did not interest me as much.

Yes is under-rated I feel like they have a ton of great music and aren't as well known as other groups with the same amount of good stuff.

“Roundabout,” slaps, as the kids say. But the rest of it is a giant pile of art rock that I need to be in a very specific mood to enjoy. I was not in that mood today, nor do I expect to be tomorrow or likely even the day after.

“Roundabout” might be a perfectly composed rock song. The others on this album could not attain that level, but they are very good, too - or, at least, very interesting.

Good stuff. 4.5*. There's a lot of Yes stuff I like a lot, but they've never been in my top 10 bands/artists. I have a Best Of collection that keeps me pretty happy with their offerings. Musically, amazingly talented. Not sure what keeps me from rating them 5* for this album, but I can't quite get there. Maybe it's that some of lyrics seem to be gibberish?

It wasn’t terrible … but I still don’t like Prog Rick

It’s like the definition of mid. Nothing you would turn off in the background but nothing that blows my little mind. Some great riffs throughout.

Amazing. I love Yes

Roundabout and long distance runaround are enough to get this album to 4 stars.

I literally had an hour and a half Genesis album two days ago, that exhausted all of my patience. What the hell is going on with the randomness of the track structure? Here's an 8 minute track (that albeit is a relatively decent album opening), here's a minute and a half of Brahms? What? Felt properly conceited at times. Stop with the high quantity of prog rock.

Awesome

Classic prof rock.

Amazing album, Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise and a solo piece by each member

I don't know why Wizards had such a grip on Rock music in the '70's, but good golly I'm happy that reign has ended. 2/5

Recognized the first song right off the bat. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Roundabout Long Distance Runaround

Good songs, some nice instrumental music

This album does a good job of showcasing each individual band members talents at various part of it. Pretty standard prog album though, nothing too groundbreaking.

The blueprint for all things both prog and accessible. People saying they're "tired" of Roundabout need to settle down, because that bassline never gets old. Anyone interested in hearing what Yes is about before 1983 should start here.

kind of interesting, the last song reminded me of mars volta a lot

Another childhood classic. Dad loves this one and so do I.

Interesting, but not really something I want to listen to again. Just not much here that is catchy or memorable enough to pull me in even though it is a kind of music I like. Maybe more listens would make the subtleties pop out and be more engaging (like most proggy music tends to be). 3/5

Not going to lie, this was more noodly than a stir fry

It was good for a song and a half.

I was duped, I thought this was a continuation of the yes album, oh how wrong I was, besides roundabout this album was a real challenge to get through, not much to write home about, the only other positive I can really give is that they’re great musicians

A masterpiece. One of my very favorite albums as a teen, I’m glad to report that it still holds up. This band is so so tight — Bill Bruford is the best drummer of this era and he and Chris Squire make an amazing rhythm section, which Steve Howe matches and adds to with his precision guitar playing. I love their experimentation with tone poetry and how they pack several ideas into each song. They also break up the mix with diverse efforts, but maintain a consistent identity. A 5.

Jojo reference yeah man

Roundabout is a masterpiece of music. There's no doubt. But prog rock really requires the right mood at times.

Lustiges Album natürlich vom meme aber auch so banger Songs sehr zu empfehlen Special Mention: Long Distance Runaround Best Song: Roundabout Rating: 3,6/5 To be continued…

10/10

You thought it was going to be just another regular album, but... it was me, DIO!!! Muda muda muda muda muda muda!!! Za Warudo!!

Wow, the bass is really high in the mix here, though that's fine by me. Having said that, this is an album of decent material with one standout great track - Roundabout. Strong three.

I'm not always a prog rock guy, but this album is pretty cool. Biggest discovery for me was Yes's cover of America, which I thought was really well done; they took that song in a completely new direction musically and it sounded awesome.

Yes! Thank you. Loved this. Another case of “turns out there’s nothing new, I just haven’t heard it yet.”

Perhaps the premiere song-oriented Yes album of their early period, just before they began stretching their wings into prog excess which proved initially brilliant (Close To The Edge) but started to lead to a creative cul-de-sac. There’s some filler here, but the pillar tracks (Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise) are all excellent. This is peak Yes in pre prog-excess form. And its terrific.

one meme song, the rest are ok

3/5

Yes being Yes. They’ll hit you with a perfectly crafted “Roundabout” or “Long Distance Runaround”, then a nine-minute synth-orchestral instrumental that’s about extraterrestrial frogs. Yes is one of those bands that sound good only when you’re older.

Solid album

Not big on prog rock. Waiting for Aja by Steely Dan

Yes, Roundabout is genuinely fun and the rest of the album is interesting enough to make a listen through decent. Probably don’t need to hear it again though and I know there are two more Yes albums on the list and I fear they won’t be as palatable as Fragile

on one hand, roundabout is glorious. but on the other, what is the rest of this album doing. vinyl was in collection. Would I listen again: kind of Deserves to be on this list: yes...? 3.1

Three stars for being not outrageously obnoxious like a good bit of the 70's prog on here. It doesn't grab me as particularly remarkable, it's just on here because of Roundabout. The cover is cool.

'I'll be the roundabout / The words will make you out and out.' What can only described as a letdown for the nonbeliever, Fragile goes from being an innovative pop-prog record to a schooled but meaningless play of chops in less than two mins. B/c even the hit single, which I admit does get into your head, and for that reason is a semi-success, is too long and too uninteresting to save this record from itself. 'Did we really count to one hundred?' That’s how it feels listening to this ersatz mind-fest: counting aimlessly, never doing the dirty work to yoke thinking w/ feeling. Moments of beauty exist on the acoustic instrumental 'Mood for a Day,' but by then it's too deep in faux intellectualism.

Not really for me.......

1971 So, I've got this, and for a while I used to wax lyrical about how Yes should be reverred in a godlike status. The musicianship and technical ability being demonstrated is pure prog. However, whilst I love the opener, 'Roundabout' and the production of the album as a whole. I find, as I've got older, it's all a tad arrogant and self-indulgent, and interludes between the main tracks are simply 'look-at-me' statements for each member of the band. Punk needed to happen. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️  Show-offs ★★★☆☆ (6/10)

Really enjoyed this one and all the diverse instrumental tracks

I've already listened to his album (18). Starts really strong, then gets boring as Yes usually is. But that first track is really something.

isuse, ovo je jebeno. jedino što mi se baš ne sviđa način pjevanja, ne nužno glas sam po sebi :/ al glazbeni dio vrhunski, sve u svemu jebeno, između četvorke i petice i eto petice, neka. slušat ću sigurno još

Enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Definitely music made by dorks, but that is cool. No surprise, but the bass tone rips. The standout tracks are the long ones.

album gostosinho para escutar de fundo fazendo alguma coisa, o tipo de rock britanico com bastante instrumental para relaxar

I remember!

Virtuosic playing all around. But after Roundabout it sounded to my ears like a group of people trying to show off rather than make interesting music.

Music to pick bellybutton lint to.

I keep forgetting that I actually enjoy this record. Even if Yes can become a little tiresome.

Enjoyed a lot of these, especially roundabout, felt some tracks could have been shorter though

Roundabout and filler. Roundabout is undoubtedly a great song. Filler is shite. For 1 good song one gets a load of nothing. Jesus himself would turn over in his grave. This goes to -11.

difficult

Just a note before I dive into Fragile too far: I think "Roundabout" is one of the great rock songs. Not just of prog, but of all rock music. It is tight, and rocking, and melodic, and weird, and I love it. Also, until I looked up the lyrics on this listen, I always thought it was "Marlins come out of the sky and stand there." "Mountains" makes a bit more sense, I guess? Anyways. I've always particularly loved that middle break that repeats the introductory guitar part, with the chorus sung over different chords - it's beautiful! That being said, Fragile really could've been boiled down to an EP. "Roundabout" "South Side of the Sky" "Long Distance Runaround" "Mood for a Day" "Heart of the Sunrise" That's all you need, and I think you can even lose one of "Sky" or "LDR." I really enjoyed The Yes Album so I was a bit let down by Fragile - it's got Rick Wakeman after all, and Roundabout! But overall it just doesn't hold together as well. Oh and one more thing - Bill Bruford is a boss. Good lord, this guy. One star for him, one star for Roundabout, one star for the rest of the album combined + the artwork. THREE STARS

Quite proggy. Jazz rock to some extent. I find it hard to take seriously but this was more enjoyable than some of the others I've heard in this genre.

started out great, but lost steam after roundabout, and never got back to where it needed to go.

Worked my way through this album more intrigued about it than feeling any sort of love for it. Some strong moments and interesting technical work from the band, but ultimately the album feels disjointed and massively self indulgent. Some elements are utterly bizarre and feels like the band are experimenting for the sake of it, some are momentarily very good. The opener and closer are very good at least. Maybe I'm missing the point of the album but it's not a fave of mine at all.

Although not my favorite album of theirs I can say that this is their best album. The drummer is way out of control and the keyboard player on cue just taking the rythym to an extra level of progression in most songs.

After hearing the first guitar note, I immediately thought JoJo. Then I heard the bass and my mind was blown. This album is getting added to Discogs. The whole album is very vibe-y and I love it. Favorite songs: Roundabout, Mood For a Day, Heart of the Sunrise

Really not for me.

To be continued…

This is the 2nd Yes album I have been dealt so far, they’re not a band I particularly knew coming into this and just like with The Yes Album, I’m left liking the proggy nature of this but feeling like I’d need more listens to properly appreciate it. I also think I preferred The Yes Album.

A chaotic mess with a couple of breathers.

it's a no from me dawg

Solid prog rock. Never really hits the high of the first track but still solid all around.

Can't complain. Maybe would not listen again.

Fine-gile

Love it. Yes, pretentious. But they’re good and pleasant to listen to.

Should be right up my alley but felt like a mixed bag.

Muy lindo. Para volver a escuchar. Rico y adelantado. Nota: 4.1

Album 64 of the challenge and the 14th that I actually own!! A cornerstone of progressive rock, Fragile is a showcase of virtuosity, ambition, and eccentricity. Roundabout kicks off with its iconic acoustic intro, then the album plunges into a kaleidoscope of shifting time signatures, soaring harmonies, and intricate instrumental passages. Each band member gets a spotlight moment—some more compelling than others—but it’s “South Side of the Sky” and “Heart of the Sunrise” that truly shine. While the Spotify link takes you to the Deluxe Edition, the original vinyl’s omission of the Simon & Garfunkel cover “America” is, frankly, a blessing. While the Deluxe Edition adds it for completists, it feels more like a curiosity than a necessity. The album’s strength lies in its original material, where Yes blend classical precision with rock energy in a way that still feels fresh. I can see why Fragile ranks so highly on ProgArchives (#10 all-time)— for old school progheads, it’s a defining statement of the genre.

There were a couple moments I could kind of do without but, on the whole, it's a cool album.

Just some bloody good prog rock!! 4.5 stars

Great album. Had Roundabout in my head since listening. Would probably be a five if I were listening properly, not while working.

it was fine

hehe funny bassline

My first love was Rush but this is still pretty cool

god i love it. steve howe is a classical maestro, bluesy arena shredder, and avant garde jazz player in one dude. gnarly playing all around. the shorter tracks let each guy show his special thing. i love dudes showing off their special things.

Perfectionism much, level of talent in this band is mind-boggling, but there’s something a little too crisp and clean about their sound. I wish I left a couple hairs out of place. Overall, first time listening to Yes. The way they flip from progress rock to classical and everything in between is pretty impressive. This must’ve sounded like they were fucking aliens or something. When the first came out I love the ties the classical music. Not sure I would revisit any of this, but it is cool to hear just nerd. It’s being a nerd you know.

Roundabout.

Hell yeah prog

Really only one decent song on this album and it isn’t even that great

Ok

One minute I’m a little leprechaun frolicking around, the next I’m an English lad having a night in town with my boys in the 70s

Prog rock! Sounds great. I was impressed with the bass and drums on these tracks. Hard to believe this is from 71. Fun album!

Some real bangers on here, but a lot of it just doesn't work for me.

Not as good as Close to the Edge, but still some good stuff. I like Heart of the Sunrise.

Ok cool Prog rock goodness Got bored about three songs in but good musicianship

"Roundabout" is perfect in every way; It's dramatic, it's funky, it's fun, it's epic in scope, it's just a truly great song. While the album never reaches this high again, the longer form songs ("South Side of the Sky" and "Heart of the Sunrise") are still great, and there are pairs of songs ("Long Distance Rundaround" and "The Fish", "We Have Heaven" leading into "South Side of the Sky") that compliment each other well enough that they could be one song. and then you have the filler of "Cans and Brahms", "Five Per Cent for Nothing"'s angular jazz thing, and the actually. pleasant "Mood for a Day" which seem like unnecessary detours that didn't add anything.

Synthesyzer. An instrument that changed music as we know it. This album is one of many hit albums for the group. Historically although they were not the first, they were to the rock world. Were known for their lengthy songs, with a wide spectrum of meaning, and should be called iconic

Alright, I appreciate how incredibly nerdy this album/band/genre is. If you like prog rock and renaissance fairs, this is probably right up your alley. Album length is a big dose for this kind of music and I don't think I need more than a few tracks at a time, no matter how good the guitar work is, or how nasty the baselines are. Seriously, the opening bass riff on “Roundabout”? Disgusting. About 1/2 the songs feel like they started with some sheet music for some kind of very obscure classical guitar music and then they just decided to jam around it for 6 minutes. If they just did that with far less singing, maybe I could handle more.

Really not my cup of tea. I thought the warbling organ cover of Simon & Garfunkel's America was particularly self-indulgent.

Ein gutes Prog-Rock Album. Mit Yes bin ich trotz Vorliebe für die Musik der Zeit und Art bisher nicht warm geworden. 4/5

Bastante chulillo

The whiplash on the first song is why I’m doing this thang

No.

Forgettable

Feared the worst but pleasantly surprised how much of this I actually quite enjoyed.

Outdated, bloated, and a likeness to jazz with its random noodling and songs that went nowhere.

This is just as pants as the other offering we’ve been served up. Pick a lane lads, too much noodling.

Coming into this I only knew Roundabout from this record, and dreaded listening to prog rock for its pompousness and the fact that the only people that seemed to enjoy it were constantly high. The album is fine, the band is undeniably talented, but it doesn’t leave me wanting to listen to more prog. Roundabout is a good track, as is parts of Long Distance Runaround, and the solo at the end of Mood for a Day is pretty, but too much of this album just isn’t engaging for me. 4/10

The non-vocal tracks age much better than the vocal ones.

Roundabout is iconic but the rest of this doesn't ever really come close to reaching those heights again. 6/10

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would, some decent prog rock in there but a lot of forgettable stuff in here as well,

don’t have much of an ear for prog rock, i.e. not sure of the conventions of the genre, but it was definitely really interesting and engaging to listen to with all the funky time signatures and combos of instrumental and vocals. great bass on ‘roundabout’, spectacular guitar on ‘mood for a day’. i liked the kind of singing in round on ‘we have heaven’. not sure that i’ll listen again but didn’t dislike it! neutral!

Liked the instrumental components of this album. I’d listen to it in my free time.

Insert Jojo reference here

A little more in my current wheelhouse. First time I’ve listened to a Yes album front to back. I’ll be listening to more.

Ooof. This was super exhausting. I admire the musicianship, but this brought up a strange dilemma: why am I going crazy for almost the same thing as Fripp & co are doing here when it's The Decemberists or MGMT or other modern prog-y bands that clearly have inferior musical (and often also lyrical) abilities to Yes while at the same time I'm just unable to open up to this album? I have the same feeling I did with the Peter Gabriel LP: I'm too stupid for this. Anyway, one fewer thing to want to have on vinyl, at least :)

“It must be Italian…” 🤷🏼‍♂️ Rick Wakeman tries his best to spoil the broth with his over-the-top playing but despite that, this really blew me away.

I’ve always struggled to listen to the band Yes. This listen was no exception. Their technical ability is undeniable, they’re clearly talented individuals. Unfortunately a lot of progressive rock is lost on me.

2.5?

Profoundly uncool music, made by and for those for whom Pink Floyd is too conventional. It is nonetheless pretty good, particularly in its bookending epics. I am stunned to learn that Red House Painters' Long-Distance Runaround is actually a Yes cover.

It is not an album for me. I can admire that Yes are people that understands how to make rock music sound great and like an art . But if i wanted to hear classic i listen to a symphony orchestra

Great prog rock!

Just ok!

Yes

A couple good prog rock tracks that get washed out by excessively long jams that do nothing for anyone.

I do not know what to do with this. There were some very interesting bass lines and overall vibes. On the other side, this entire record is very all over the place and does not establish a good overarching rythm for me, which makes it rather hard to listen to. Maybe just dont get the concept of this lp.

5/10

‘Roundabout’ is a pretty great song and the other tracks were a nice variety of styles, amazing guitar picking showed quite a talent. Got a bit overlong but I think I may have listened to a deluxe version and not the original release. 4/5 solid

Enjoying this more than I thought I would. Mix of styles and never really know what's going on

This worked for me. It is weird and does a lot, but it’s fun. The whole thing is silly and entertaining. Long distance runaround is great. Heart of the sunrise is a great closer

Iconic progressive rock and rock wakeman’s debut

Excellent album for progrockers und umzug!

Prog Rock is not my favorite. My heart sank when I first saw it was a Yes album because I thought it would be an exhausting ordeal. Instead it was just...fine. I recognize the exceptional musical ability of these guys, but that just never affects me in any meaningful way. I will always take the ugly rawness of punk over the mathematical cleanliness of prog rock.

got jojo-jumpscared which was cool. the rest of the album is just okay. i liked that there was interesting instrumentals but it really blended together for me. good music to have in the background when you work!

Apparently peak technical prog rock. Very interesting to experience the musical surprises that were synched perfectly across all instruments, and I can't deny that these guys can burn, which I guess was the point they were trying to make. The album itself is basically three long songs featuring this experimental long format plus some solo showcases. For my taste, only the Mood For a Day solo was worth the listen. Of the jams, I liked Roundabout the best. Overall, not sure this is my thing, but I can appreciate its complexity and difficulty, and it's not unpleasant to listen to.

Es raro. La diferencia de duraciones en las canciones, los mil instrumentales. El primer tema está bueno, es largo y parece que setea lo que va a a venir... Pero no. Ni te esperás lo que va a venir.

Jojo…. Oh jojo… you are so bizarre…

high three this was awesome sometimes

i liked some of the songs quite a bit

Actually much cooler than I expected, I still don't really expect to return to it but was enjoyable for sure. I would like to listen to an entire album that sounds like the last minute of Heart of the Sunrise. Yes clears Rush for sure Fav song: South Side of the Sky

If you want a whimsy, wimpy King Crimson

Prog rock is not my thing at all but this is good! Will listen again

Enjoyable album

Yes is pretty much Prog Rock at its best and this is their least commercial yet accessible release. It’s a fun listen.

YEA

3/5 only real good song was roundabout and the rest where mostly just doodling by the musicians. Fun listen but not planning to return.

Minute 2:07 to 5:36 on South Side of the Sky, the bass on Long Distance Runaround, and The Fish bump the rating to a 2. I'm trying y'all.

Roundabout is elite. Everything else is pretty meh though unfortunately.

A very bright album with a lot of weird but fun stuff going on musically. I’m for it. Best song: Roundabout

A range of genres. Rock one minute, medieval the next, instrumental, funk. Always love the unique sound of Jon Anderson's vocals. Feels experimental given Rick Wakeman's influence on synthesisers and the new sounds they were producing. But there are better Yes albums than this one

Not for me

“Roundabout” is quite good. But from this vantage point, the album just seems like competent, not transcendent, prog-rock. This isn’t the prog-rock I’ll return to when I (rarely!) have that itch. And this isn’t even the Yes album I’d turn to when I want to hear the band. (90125, from my “own” era, is what I’d want to hear.)

Roundabout is the obvious high point of the album. But just like with other Yes albums, it’s all solid and makes fantastic background music

I found it hard to finish this album because some of the songs were long and I tuned out the music after a while. I really liked the album cover though.

This is one of my top 5 albums of all time.

When I hear extremely progressive rock like this sometimes I think they're just doing too much. It just comes off as pretentious. Complexity is fine so long as it doesn't detract from actually being enjoyable. When they just rock out without getting too weird it actually sounds really good. Favorites: Roundabout, Mood for a Day Least Favorites: Five Per Cent for Nothing

To be continued...

Oh, I knew roundabout thanks to JoJo. What I think about this album I think it's a good one love the energy and vocals of it. 4/5

lowk fire???? not rly my thing but def nixe and owner of a lonely heart is so good this reminded me

Classic

Wide range of musical styles in one album. The good songs were good but some of the filler was a little too out there for my taste.

it's almost good, a little too prog rock for me though ( i did wonder what kind of person was listening to this back in the day .... )

Catchy, complex, fun, intriguing and many more words that compliment this masterpiece. If I ever made a list of my favorite albums off the 70s, this album's gonna end up in the list, however one thing I had to nitpick is the artistic choice that I disagree which is the fact that there are so many interludes that could be one whole song, aside from that, overall a very solid record. Top 3 tracks: 1. Roundabout 2. Heart Of The Sunrise 3. South Side Of The Sky

wide variety of styles in the album. I like the instrumental based tracks

roundabout is a sweet bass jam Will I listen to again: 88%

Really good. People complaining about the minute long instrumentals but I think they were cool little pace breakers between the main songs and said main songs were very good so overall 4 stars

its a jojos refrence so fire

Jojo's Bizarre Adventures Original. Holy guitar licks, this music is very soothing. This is right up my alley. I want to give this album a 4.75/5

Oh God. Back in the 90s, before streaming music, Yes was the bane of my existence. They would stop your classic rock radio station in its tracks. “Muthafucka, I came for Led Zeppelin, not ten minutes of carnival organ.” Swearing off this for 25 years, now it’s … pretty good. I get it. Let’s bury this thing, Yes.

Yes is one of those bands who are often cited as influences for bands I love (in particular Rush), but I don't seem to love the same way.

Appreciated the classical tracks

Ummm…edgy!

Some nice riffs and bridges showing great potential, but too clean for me. It lacks something and somehow that kills the vibe for me. That said, I would not be surprised if this influenced a whole lot of bands who built this into something much more raw, and I grew up on those bands.

Excellent prog album!

Classic prog. And with a playfulness and lightheartedness. Some amazing songs on this. Couple of average instrumental/interludes. Yes would top this with Close to the Edge.

3.7

Why is Brahms on here? Like pretty much everything on here, it's more of more. This album is really like 2 (maybe 3) songs with a boatload of filler in between 'em, and the songs have filler, too. Virtuosic, but also boring.

3 out of 5 Lot of slow songs. I’m a big fan of Yes but not all their songs.

Albums with long running tracks just don't click with me.

only listened to part of it

More enjoyable than I expected with some cool bass and guitar parts but overall the band is just not my cup of tea

An album which would have been vastly improved with no vocalist. 2/5 with vocals, 4/5 in my imagined version without.

I really tried to like this. Roundabout sucks you in but after that it’s boring high-concept prog that is better forgotten.

Only knew Roundabout, and there's some great bass and guitar riffs on this (though I can do without all the various keyboard overload). "Heart of the sunrise" was a real ripper!

It took me a couple of tries to get through Roundabout and I can't even remember listening to the rest

Re-listen

Classic Yes

Uno de los discos ideales para iniciarse al vasto mundo del rock progresivo. Además, se le suma la popularidad que ha adquirido gracias a Roundabout (ya sea por el meme o por el anime). También destaca Heart of the Sunrise sobre otros temas más cortos pero igual de buenos. 4'5/5

Yes? Ummmmm…. No. Not so much

Progressive

I kind of outgrew a lot of prog-rock stuff. The classical like guitar parts are pleasant to listen to, but I wouldn't cal the album my thing. Just feels very like long songs, progressive rock, misses a bit of pop catchyness I find. The last 15 seconds I was a bit like, what is going on, what is this.

was already familiar with yes (my dad is a white middle aged man) but goddamn this goes crazy whatever they were putting in coke in the early 70s BRING IT BACK nobody is operating on this level anymore roundabout is the obvious standout here, but i really loved the instrumental cans & brahms and the 11-minute final track, heart of the sunrise guitar riffs are always catching you off guard with how funky and smooth they are, and plenty of times i had to rewind to hear it again because it went that hard. loved this down but i don’t think most of the songs are built for everyday listening, the album’s just must better listened to as a whole

Nice to hear the origin of the first song, rest of the album was fine.

> The Beatles Yes, indeed

I guess I should get high. I'd probably get high and listen to this again.

As a fan of other Prog or "Progressive" music, Rush, Genesis, Polvo, etc. Yes, is one of those bands that I knew existed but I had never heard, or if I did hear them they did not make an impression on me. Before listening to this album I did go and see what other people thought, and it does seem to be similar to me. A mid album from a mid band. Although there are 3 bangers on this Roundabout, Fiver Per Cent For Nothing, and Heart Of The Sunrise.

Gut

Not my favourite.

I did not have enough LSD in the house to enjoy this.

Not really my thing

Couldn't finish it...

Roundabout is a certified banger! The rest is...fine? A bit too much, but fun in parts.

Generelt: Er de lange låtene inspirert av Bohemian Rhapsody og Queen? Eller generelt progrock? Er jo vanlig med veeeldig lange låter, men Bohemian Rhapsody var veldig pioner på akkurat den. Kult album, men kommer nok ikke til å høre på det igjen? Frekk basslinje på første låt, god damn. Progrock, 100 prosent. Mye som sklir inn i hverandre, deilig at det føles ut som en lang improvisasjon av noe slag på første låt. Andre låt på albumet - wow, barokk-vibes. Gir mening når det er Brahms i tittelen. Albumet er fullt av overraskelser. Tredje låta; gøy med koring og litt polyfoni. Og selv om det går i 6/8, føles det ikke helt slik. Litt fucka rytmisk. Dette er gøy. Fjerde låta: Hva slags modalskala er dette på refrenget med modulering? jeez. Akkurat som første låt, veldig proggete - føles litt ut som en lang impro med spesielt piano i midten av låta som bare improviserer. Spennende oppbygning med koringa - hvor går det hen? Fortsatt spennende skala på pianoet. Litt skuffende oppbygning og overgang til vokal igjen. Sjette låt: gøy med tostemt rytmisk start, fucka rytmisk her også. Går det faktisk i 4/4? Følers ikke slik i starten. Gøy start og slutt hvertfall, og rytmen satte meg ut. Syvende låt: denne går faktisk i 7/4. Føles ut som en forlengelse av forrige låt med overgangen. Deilig med gitar som ikke tar helt over, og begge gitarene som bare ligger i bakgrunnen og plukker. Samme med bassen. Åttende låt: Samme med barokk-vibes. Veldig klassisk med kun akustisk gitar i starten. Ser for meg en kar som sitter med gitarkroppen mellom beina på en scene med et betraktelig gammelt klientell på operaen. Ble litt mindre klassisk halvveis ut i låta, og mer frekt spansk gitarspill nærmere slutten av låta. Niende låt: Veldig kontrast fra forrige låt, hahaha. Betraktelig mye hardere lyd og trommer, og gøy med orgel-lyd. Gøy med halfbeat, mer spaced/atmosphere-sound på halfbeat. Kul oppbygning med synth, repetativt gitarspill etc., til vanlig beat. Fuck, hvordan plukker bassisten så kjapt? Akkurat som første låt, drit lang låt med følelsen av lang impro/miks. Så mange forskjellige deler i én låt, følelser og sjangre/stiler. haha, hva var overgangen med synthene? Tiende låt: Call and response-start. Det er gøy. Samme rytme som repeteres, hvor går denne spenninga hen? Siste låt er som første låt, bare en tidligere miks? Overtonene <3 Og med en faktisk barokk-klassisk gitar outro. What?!

This was a great album. I knew the song roundabout but ever other song was new to me and interesting!

A prime example of where less definitely would have been more.

Another Yes album. This sure is proggy, but for some reason feels more tolerable than their other records on this list.

hahahaha meme song. I don't consider myself a prog rock guy, I went through a huge math rock phase in my late teens/early twenties but even that has mostly passed. However I think more recent bands, especially those trying to escape the UK Windmill/Post Punk label (Black Midi, Squid, etc.) have embraced and breathed new life into the genre, albeit under the label of art rock but the influence is definitely there. Five per Cent of Nothing is straight up proto Black Midi. Upon reaching the end of this album I don't really have a lot to say about it other than I really enjoyed it. It didn't feel as bloated or excessive as I expected, it had its lulls but there were a lot of moments were it really shined. Incredible musicianship too. Favourites - Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Five per Cent of Nothing, The Fish, Heart of the Sunrise

Freakishly talented, freakishly whimsical. A collection of oddities and absolute jazz-like prog rock that gets carried away with itself as it sails through tonalities and genres, yet still finds its footing often with ethereal vocals and catchy riffs. Truly impressive and captivating work. This list has really introduced me the the real Yes.

It's peak

Good

This is hard for me to rate: on one hand I really like the musicianship and the parts that just "groove", on the other hand the singing really detracts from the aforesaid parts. This could be a classic like most of the WAR albums if the artists would just hang out in a space instead of moving to something else in the effort to show off. Be that as it may there are 3 or 4 really good songs on here and the album should be on the list as an example of great keyboard and bass playing if for nothing else.

This was cool to hear, for one reason or another. I'm sure that Roundabout is the only reason this album is on the list, thanks JoJo. But, that speaks to just how great a song it is, so much of what it has is what I liked about a lot of songs on this album but that song's sticking power is undeniable. It's unfortunate that this is the only song that kept my attention. Favorite song: Roundabout

Some of the short instrumentals are meh, but when this rocks out, there’s some fantastic riffing and I don’t even hate the keyboard solos.

Roundabout continues to be a banger, otherwise this album can be appreciated but not enjoyed

Just not for me. Listened to the original version and still couldn't wait for it to end.

I want to hate prog, but I just can't.

Has some bops but I'm not a big YES guy.

Really impressive instrumentation, vocals not for me.

"Fragile” is often cited as being one of Yes's best albums, along with "Close To The Edge". It is representative of Yes's individual brilliance as musicians, and their collective creativity, and for many this record represents the quintessential Yes line-up: Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman, Bill Bruford, and Steve Howe. Listening to “Fragile” is an enjoyable experience overall, as when it hits, it is engaging, containing intricate arrangements and spirited performances. Roger Dean’s iconic artwork provides the perfect visual compliment to the music within. That said, not every track here hits its target, but “Fragile” is an example of an album where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Even when individual moments falter, the record holds together. The album is not without its challenges. The complexity of the compositions demands attentive listening, and certain instrumental segments could be perceived as filler. At times, the album’s cohesion is tested. Yet, this is ultimately what makes “Fragile” a very good listen, 4⭐. Would I listen to this album again? Yes, but I have to be in the mood for Yes. Would I buy this album? Yes, I did. 1 "Roundabout" - Wonderful acoustic guitar introduction from Steve Howe. Then Chris Squire's brilliant bass line kicks in. Rick Wakeman is on fire. Wonderful vocals from Jon Anderson. This song isn't self indulgent and is just kept in check. Dazzling. - 5 2 "Cans and Brahms" - 4 3 "We Have Heaven" - 3 4 "South Side of the Sky" - And again everything gels into a cohesive, excellent song. - 5 5 "Five per Cent for Nothing"- 4 6 "Long Distance Runaround" - 4 7 "The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)" - 4 8 "Mood for a Day" - 3 9 "Heart of the Sunrise" - This is musically excellent, being both thrilling and gentle. This really works. - 5 Total - 37 Average - 4.11

Aw man. I knew and like Roundabout, but the rest of the album is so...experimental?

Actually quite a nice album to listen to. No songs added to my playlists though.

Couple big radio hits, important album in Yes's discog.

Excellent

Interesting

More tunes from my youth.

Starts of great but then becomes just okay.

yes!!!!!!!

nerdz

Delectable instrumentals

Yeah some of the more interlude tracks aren't top-notch. But I enjoyed the album and it's journey as a whole.

In college, with trepidation I once confessed that I had not heard a Yes album that was released before 1980. With a twinkle in his eye, my roommate slapped on this album and blew my mind with "Roundabout" and "Heart of the Sunrise". After albums 90125 and BIG GENERATOR this is my 3rd favorite album from Yes. Yes, while there maybe filler in the middle of the album, it is sandwiched by those 2 stone cold classics of "Roundabout" and "Heart of the Sunrise" that amounts to nearly 20 minutes of music. That's nearly half of a standard length 43 minutes album, and as far as I am concerned that is as good as 4 hits on an album with pop length songs.

I LOVE Yes So fun

Ah, Yes... A band I’ve heard many times in passing during the 80s, without ever trying to know more about them. I was eager to listen again with a different perspective. Sadly, it was an underwhelming experience. It’s not bad – it’s certainly creative, the jazzy moments are nice... But I’m really not on board with the vocal part of the album, the singing feels lifeless. Despite numerous good ideas and laudable attempts to innovate, the end result just leaves me mostly indifferent. Heart of the Sunrise was the only song that I kind of digged (and only the instrumentals), but it was too little, too late. Won’t listen again.

Good album 👍🏻

It came off as a bit pretentious, kind of like The Wall for me. A bit better and less filler, but I enjoy that this album has a bit more groove. Roundabout is classic as always, the latter half of the album is pretty great too. Love the bass and drum work. 4 of 5 is fair

Beyond bad. The sort of music “smarter” kids used to boast about, while the rest of love Trex and Slade. This is for the soulless.

pioneers of prog rock? sure, I give you that. They probably, inadvertently, had a major impact on me but how I got from Yes to TOOL is another story. In the end, I cannot say I am a fan.

4.1 Really liked it. Maybe some of the progressive parts got a bit campy at times. All-time bass album

Ooooh, like Yes a lot but never heard anything from this album. Super slay. edit: honestly -- it was good, but nothing memorable.

*yawn*

pretty nice album, i enjoyed mood for a day and heart of the sunrise

1. To be continued...meme song. 70s prog rock. 2. Short song. Kinda classical. Sounds like it would be in period drama in the 70s. 3. Another short one. 70s folk rock chant. 4. Feels/sounds like Mastodon a little bit; a slightly dark edge, more dramatic. Actually like this one. Good for a prog Playlist. 5. 38 second nonsense. 6. Kind of a filler song. Did move me much. 7. Another short song. Weird song name that is also the only lyrics. Too lazy to Google what it means. 8. Nice acoustic guitar. You can tell the guitarist knows what their doing. Slight Spanish feel. Almost a modern day Melody in the middle of the song. 9. 3 and a half minutes before the first lyric. Prog journey type of song. 10. Song about hitch hiking in America? Idk. Michigan mentioned! Kind of a bluegrass feel. Sound like what America might sound like if that makes sense. 11. The first song but an earlier mix/version.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Roundabout, Long Distance Runabout Yes album number three on the List. In my opinion, this album is not as good as Closer to the Edge or The Yes Album. It's a perfectly cromulent album, its just not clicking the same way the other albums did. I may need to have a few more listens. Closer to the Edge had the epic 18 minute eponymous song on side A that pretty much sealed the deal for me, and The Yes Album had both Starship Trooper (which I had not heard until listening for the first time) and I've Seen All Good People (which surprisingly isn't their most popular song, and in fact its more surprising that Roundabout is their second most popular song by plays). Anyways, even after 3 listens, the album still didn't really click.

4.5/5 - Complex Rock / Smart Rock? - Classically funky - Contains some lovely moments of Classical melody and stylistics - Yes has created a very dreamy record that shakes and shimmies at its loudest and twirls softly at its quietest. - With a good balance all front to back, they never seem to get too clever for their own good.

Wow this is the same year as the other yes one which I hated, but this is infinitely better, more similar to close to the edge and more experimental. There’s not that many vocal parts on here, and when there are, they are quite well integrated. Instrumentally and performance wise, this is top notch. I think it’s Bill Bruford on drums, who I think is great. The synth and keyboard stuff is also great, I think that’s what makes this era of prog-rock very interesting. Love the long songs, and there’s also a lot of variety with some of the simpler shorter ones. Obviously I know the first song, quite surprised it’s a yes song. Favourite songs: roundabout, we have heaven, south side of the sky, long distance runaround, the fish (Schindleria Praemeterus), heart of the sunrise, America (what a random cover - thing it only came out 1 or 2 years prior). Overall around 7/10

2.5

Cool

Some songs were very good, others just a bit repetitive.

The songs flow into one another so smoothly I didn't even notice the time passing by. Roundabout alone makes this record deserve such high praise

Appreciate that Yes are iconic and skilled and innovative etc but couldn’t listen to this

One of my favourite album covers and one of my favourite albums. Roundabout easily the best song on here, and ultimately up there in their whole discography. Every band members shines, and I like the effectively solo songs they each contribute to break up the album. A cracker

Enjoyed this more than close to the edge but still not massively up my street. Easy enough listen

Good musicians. Too many drugs.

Masterpiece!!

It was okay. Made me want to listen to steely dan

Not my favourite style of music.

Really good i want to be a nerd so i actually enjoy it but i know its good, prog rock is not yet my thing... but one day... it will be

Forgetable i think didnt get to finish it

Not really

No

SO GOOD. peak prog rock. i liked how the second track quoted brahms. seemed to draw on religious motifs which was cool and gave the album a very themed feel. “heart of the sunrise” is a GREAT closer. it’s like if pink floyd did their version of “paranoid android”. i love a good all over the place song. 5/5.

I like Yes and there are a few great tracks on this album but it's a little uneven?

Yes has some great tunes and some weird, but fascinating soundscapes. However, this 4-disc set is super repetitive with multiple remixes of the same song.

𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 showcases Yes at the height of their technical prowess, with standout tracks like 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 and 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 delivering the full force of their prog rock vision. The musicianship is top-tier, and each band member gets a moment to shine — literally, through individual solo pieces. But that’s also where the album stumbles. The constant shift between sprawling band epics and short, sometimes whimsical solo interludes makes the listening experience feel uneven. The flow suffers, and not every piece earns its place. Impressive in parts, essential in context — but not quite the cohesive masterpiece it wants to be.

25/07/2025 I've only ever known of one of their songs, but this was a pleasant surprise.

The vast majority won't get this! Fantastic musicians playing superb music, far too sophistic for the average punter brought up on the modern pap they call music - "I got together the 100 best composers and arrangers and producers in the world and after a month they had written a song for me" stuff. Music where the video, the the costumes and the dancing are more important than the music stuff. This is the real thing. You may have to listen to it more than once, but it is worth it.

probably earns another star or two if listened to while driving around on a sunny day with the windows down not bad by any means, but found this album a bit of a slog to get through when listening actively. i like Yes’ hits (aka the guitar hero songs) but maybe i’m not just a huge prog rock guy. shoutout to Heart of the Sunrise - starts off “oh damn this is a jam”, look down and see its 10:35 long lmao. probably has the opposite effect on me than what the artist intended

I adored most of this album. It just got a little too wacky here and there for my taste. I know that’s a defining feature of prog, but it’s also a line that can’t be crossed too far before it becomes a headache for me. For the most part, this album was in the sweet spot. The highlights for me were Roundabout and Mood For A Day. The acoustic guitar playing in the latter really shows off the talent in the band.

Dad- 5 Mom- 4.5 Mike- 3 Lori- 5 Michael- NA Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 4.38

jaja jojo

Even as a prog rock fan this was a step to far for me. I wonder if it would score more if I listened a few times? Maybe.

Me and prog. A never ending rivalry. It wasn't terrible.

Never listened much to Yes before, and I can say it definitely got my attention. Love the cool fusion of classical and rock. Roundabout and Heart of the sunrise were both phenomenally complex and interesting pieces. Some of the instrumentals did drag on a little. Overall though loved the experimental sound to it.

Not my fav prog rock album. No doubting they’re all brilliant musicians and one or two songs I enjoyed.

Progressive Rock.

Would have given it 5 stars but always felt that even though it's a great album, the solo tracks (other than The Fish and Mood For A Day) are lackluster and bring it down.

Not a fan of Yes or prog