Fragile

pretty good. Some of the really long songs are great if you’re in the mood

So funky and interesting. I loved it!! Lots of imstruments and interesting melodies and time signatures.

The opening to "Roundabout" is one of the most visceral starts to any prog album I've heard. The listener is lulled into a false sense of serenity before being spiraled into that crunchy, distorted bass groove that drives the entire first half of the track. In typical Yes fashion, this song is chock full of organ, crunchy bass, and occasional ambient passages. I love the whimsical and calming keyboard and electronic tones on "Cans and Brahms" that are followed by the softer vocal layers over the gentle acoustic strumming of "We Have Heaven". The following "South Side of the Sky", when compared to the previous tracks, I don't enjoy as much. I enjoy Jon's lead melody and the little ambient passage and following build-up near the halfway point, but the groove itself is relatively tame and uninteresting. I feel similarly about the following shorter tracks but the song "The Fish" has a psychedelic, groovy, and cavernous nature and is one of the standout tracks on this album. The following "Mood for a Day" is a nice, but oddly placed, little acoustic piece acting as a breather in this album (that honestly didn't need one). Similar to "The Fish", there's something ethereal about the layered synths grouped with that typical Yes groove that kicks "Heart of the Sunrise" off. Honestly, I think the first three minutes of this track take the cake for having the best groove on the entire record. Jon's sentimental vocals grow to a cathartic peak before being snuffed out by the returning groove near the halfway mark. The vocals complement the piano-driven groove during the final couple of minutes, making for a strong finisher. Overall, a very solid Prog record; maybe not as cloudy, colorfully varied, and ambitious as "Close to the Edge". In its own right though, there's a lot to find enjoyment in here, and in Yes' formula and style overall. 7/10

Enjoyed it! Added it to my queue.

I really enjoyed this album.

Don't know the group but I was very familiar with the first song, though I never knew the title.

Always appreciated the band Yes...

Good music. "I still remember". I have heard a few of these songs, and really enjoyed them. I enjoyed listening to the whole album.

like the album It’s calming, almost meditative

ROUNDABOUT

Not as good as 90125 but pretty good

The yes album was better. 3,5 stars

Hell yea! Great album.

Pretty cool. Some interesting song writing and composition. I think they are at the best when they are playing guitar solos

Pretty good

Classic amazing songs that stand the test of time. Some of the more obscure tunes are forgettable.

ret fed! som så mange andre bands har min eksponering til Yes været 100% gennem Guitar Hero og GTA, fedt nok at høre et helt album

Gear: Focal Clear (ZMF) Mische: 🎧😘🤌 Mugge: Prätentiös audiophiler Prog Rock ist anscheinend mein Ding. Und das Album hat ne Menge davon. Wertung: 4/5

73/100 - love roundabout and cool tunes but kinda some filler in there, still good

It's good music just not for me,

Weird and experimental and off the wall. I liked it, but probably not for a repeated listen.

Such a fun album, but not their best work.

Great musicianship, but they can get a little overindulgent.

I love yes’s Yesterdays and Close to the Edge albums more than this one

Pretty fun, reminiscent of Kansas musically.

uno de los primeros del progresico 5/5 genial

Very nice!

Some great songs and interesting arrangements.

Should be listen.

Favorite Tracks: Roundabout Long Distance Runaround Mood for a Day

Okay, this is awesome. Getting some strong Emerson, Lake and Palmer vibes from this. Never listened to Yes before, but this is a really enjoyable record with lovely warm production. Favourite tracks: Roundabout, We Have Heaven, South Side of the Sky, America.

Highlights: Roundabout Can and Brahms America The opening baseline on Roundabout is a great start to the album. The extreme variance in lengths between songs makes for an interesting listening experience. While parts in the middle of the album kind of melded together it was an overall enjoyable experience and an album I can see myself returning to in atleast part.

I normally have mixed opinions about prog rock bands, but this was pretty fun. Each song is unique and displays individual talents of all members involved. I wouldn't say any individual song is particularly memorable, but as a whole, it's pretty good stuff.

I love yes, but I didn't get a chance to listen to this album today although I've heard it plenty. Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise are the standouts.

Super interesting

Solid album.

yes

Really enjoyed this album. A bit of variety and lots of song-writing/musical talent displayed.

Roundabout- 5/5 Cans and Brahms (Extracts From Brahms' 4th Symphony in E minor, Third Movement)- 3.7/5 We Have Heaven- 4/5 South Side of the Sky- 4.6/5 Five per Cent for Nothing- 4.8/5 Long Distance Runaround- 4.7/5 The Fish (Schindleria praematurus)- 3.9/5 Mood for a Day- 3.5/5 Heart of the Sunrise- 4.6/5 Total- 4.3/5

yes

Best opening track of all time. Roundabout is amazing and will always be one of my favorites. Bassline goes so hard. Rest of the album is very prog rock and experimental and its great

This hasnt been awful, again nothing is connecting with me in any real way. Long distance runaround is pretty dope ngl. Okay yeah its for sure dope. 4 stars just to break the streak

I don't see myself coming back to this, but I had a lot of fun listening

First song sets really high hopes for the rest of album. It's base is great and remains unbeaten by the rest of the tracks. Rest is still nice though.

4/5 this one, will definitely go back to it. Might become 5/5 with repeated exposure…

Favourite one yet, interesting instrumentals. Minimal vocals but not lacking per se

Some good music here. The musicianship was excellent.

Want to give it 5 stars, but it's not earth shattering good. Roundabout really elevates the album. Like the last long song too. Liking prog beforehand really increases my chances to like this album though

Excellent musicianship, a few great tunes, bit of filler too though

Me rachei na primeira música, que era dos memes clássicos UAUHAHUAHU. Mas muito boa a música. Os caras são bons nos dedilhados. Foi um álbum muito bom de ouvir, e adicionei uma música. Vou dar 4.

YES!

I liked this. I recognized some of the songs, but never knew they were Yes. America was my favourite track.

Rounabout :D 4/5

Not my most go-to Yes, but very Yes indeed.

I love Brahms… I want other people to love his music. I guess if Ues is a gateway that’s ok but it makes no real sense on this album. Lyric again mean nothing to me here. I think you could cherry pick the good stuff here and combine it with other nice ones from the Yes Album and you would have a 5 star album.

ROUND ABOUT

Legendary first song

Listened to this while playing Return to Dark Tower solo. I lost. This album was pretty darn great! The opening track had me hooked from the first bass riff. You can tell these are SERIOUS musicians. I am a pianist and was completely enamored with the keyboardist. I recognized the closing track...but it was because it was sampled in something else...though I can't remember where. Maybe from Girl Talk? Maybe a super early Diplo mix I had downloaded in like 2003? Pretty awesome song though. I kept thinking I was going to give this album a 3 out of 5...but then the last track came in and bumped it to a 4. Totally would listen to this again.

3.5

Pretty nice

Aww yiss, love Yes and their Prog sound. Couple of bops, a few good ones that didn't get radio play. I've heard this album before, so it was nice to give it another listen after many years

A cool mix of funky prog and instrumental classical, and I quite enjoyed it.

This album would have blown my mind if I were alive at its release. I really enjoyed it. 4 stars because I simply am not likely to listen to it on my own, but would absolutely jam out to this album if somebody else put it on.

Fragile is an absolutely classic Yes album. Roundabout is such a brilliant track, as are tracks like America, Long Distance Run, etc.

Roundabout!

Hmmmm. Yes. No longer my thing. If you like prog it will be yours.

Roundabout is a great tune. Defo one to listen to again.

quite cool! didn't expect to find Roundabout, the source of the "to be continued..." meme here, nice listen, 4

Same as Neil Young Talented group but not my go to genre

- Roundabout :) - Really cool songs - Not really that type of thing I'd listen to in the backround tho - 8.5/10

Banger album

Early progressive rock, apparently they also composed "Owner of a lonely heart". Liked Roundabout out of this album, other songs are... early progressive for sure.

top progging from the prog boys of Yes

I was expecting a really boring rock album but I was pleasantly surprised by some really unique and interesting production that used classical instruments and some electronic sounds. I especially enjoyed why can’t I be free.

Fantastic! Roundabout is a classic!

I didn't know much about Yes prior to listening to this. Classic prog rock sound. Pretty enjoyable all the way through. Lots of long jam tracks, no real radio singles, so it's more of a patient listen as it shifts style even within songs. Pretty good stuff.

Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise are 5 star songs. It turns out I am not burnt out on Roundabout despite the short version being on heavy rotation on classic rock radio, and this might be the first time I’ve heard the original longer version. I first heard Heart of the Sunrise in a trailer for Buffalo ‘66. The rest of the album is fine but unremarkable.

Fuck yeah. I ate this shit right up. I don’t even care. I liked this a 4/5. I loved the bass.

Actually really cool stuff

I never thought I’d enjoy a prog album this much. My only criticism is that it is simply too long, but I understand that is a feature of prog.

yes' fragile delivered! i suppose their music isn't as progressive as other artists, or as progressive as their later music became. but i enjoyed it a lot. for being a song that was possibly overplayed on classic rock stations in my youth, "roundabout" still slaps and is a great album opener at eight and a half minutes long. the instrumentals ("cans and brahms", "five per cent for nothing", "mood for a day") grabbed me in particular. the first had more of a classical touch, the second experimental, the third folk-y, but they were solid and showcase yes' range.

A beautiful funky album. Prog rock was never my forte, but Yes does it very well. I enjoy most of them as long as they aren’t instrumentals or too lengthy. 4/5

This album had no business going this hard. Yes indeed. 3 1/2 but I'll give it 4 because it was pretty solid the entire way through.

en general el álbum estuvo bueno. se podría decir que el álbum consiste en 4 canciones ya que las otras se sienten mas como un puente entre estas canciones, de igual formas hay algunas que están bien. canciones favoritas: long distance runaround, roundabout, heart of the sunrise 8/10

Great album overall, no standout hits unfortunately, but good composition throughout the album.

More than I expected from Yes. Cool mash of genres.

Great

Thoroughly executed piece of music history. Old, but modern.

Used to listen to this album all the time. A true classic. Sometimes the keyboard sounds seem a little dated, but you need to keep in mind how new the technology was at the time.

Shoutout JoJo.

People who like long songs 🤝 people who like short songs

As usual, great to hear the deep tracks. “Roundabout” is great but has been played to death. “Long Distance Runaround” gets played a lot, too. But “Heart of the Sunrise” was a revelation.

I've listened to a bunch of Yes albums before but somehow I never tried to listen to Fragile. This is the best Yes album I've ever listened to - prog, but also with some blues groove to it. It doesn't feel too long or jammy, it's a really nice experience from front to back. The America cover is pretty good too.

A good album, showing direction Yes were heading in and which would peak with Close to the Edge. Roundabout remains a classic and has a surprising funky rhythm, South Side of the Sky and Long Distance Runaround are also very decent tracks, again supported by strong rhythms rather than hugely complex time signatures.

Roundabout is a great song and its so underrated for how popular the guitar riff is. The rest of the album is also great although some of the longer song get a bit repetitive.

Great album - great classic rock. 4/5

Roundabout is an all time banger and the rest of the album is pretty good too. I wish i liked the vocals as much as Rush

Hard Yes to Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise, America. No thanks to the occasional over-indulgent prog-wankery that appears here and there marring an otherwise incredible record.

Freakin sweet!

I like this album! I feel like there are a lot of musical tropes that are quoted by other musicians, and influences on bands like Genesis, Rush, ELP, etc.

I love this album and this style of music. It’s probably not my favorite Yes album but it’s close to perfect. There’s just a couple of moments here that seem a bit too unrelated to the overall song rather than progressing the track, therefore making it feel disjointed at times. But it’s a small issue and songs such as Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise are so good.

good version of pink floyd roundabout, mood for a day, heart of the sunrise

Classic album. Great guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, everything really. The three short under 2 min songs feel a little out of place and are pretty meh but the six main songs are all fantastic. 4.5/5 FS: Roundabout, South Side, Long Distance, Heart of the Sunrise

This was so much fun to listen to!

Amazing album through and through and they managed to fit more than 4 songs on this one!

dang, opens with a ridiculous bass line. pretty epic jams on this one. would be worth many re-listens

First time listening to Yes, only knowing Roundabout before. That track, South Side of the Sky, Mood for a Day, and Heart of the Sunrise are great. The rest feels a bit like filler. But these tracks and the virtuosity of the musicianship easily elevates it to 4 stars.

Fragile strikes me as a stepping stone to 1972’s Close To The Edge. “Roundabout” seamlessly merges Yes’ more experimental, proto-post-rock instincts and interest in classical music with the band’s earlier, pop inclinations. (The softer section around 5:30 reminds me hugely of The Flaming Lips in a cool way.) It is an essential track. Those that follow are not. But provide good background for a follow-up record that I very much treasure and hope we get to listen to someday as a part of the 1001! My other favorite moments on Fragile are the tape effects and cheeky panning in “We Have Heaven,” and the nice, low-stakes instrumental moments like “Mood for a Day.” Also, the album art is so good. B/w 3 & 4 but I’ll round up.

very good album, enjoyed it a lot.

Decent 7

Outstanding early prog-rock

Nisam sve stigla poslusat ono sto jesam je bilo dosta dobro

The shape of classic Yes line-up has formed! In addition, Chris Squire performed one of the best rock bassline in "Roundabout" (My favorite of all time!) Fav Track: Mood for a Day

Opening track is a classic in the genre

pretty guitar and memes

Absolute breathtaking album! This record definitely cemented their status in the scene and brought them great succes for years to come. The addition of Wakeman is a great one, and the songs breathe a whole new level of life! Bruford is amazing too and the melodic interplay between Howe and Squire is phenomenal! Anderson is in a class of itself, although the lyrics often make no sense at all, but that's part of the charm! Favorite lyrics: - We stand to lose all time, a thousand answers by in our hand. Next to your deeper fears, we stand surrounded by a million years. - I still remember the dream there. I still remember the time you said goodbye. - Love comes to you and you follow. Lose one, on to the heart of the sunrise. Favorite tracks: - Roundabout. - South Side Of The Sky. - Long Distance Runaround. - Mood For A Day. - Heart Of The Sunrise. 8,5 out of 10

Tryin to be FUNKY

Another prog masterpiece

I didn't hate this at all but I'm just not sure I can get to total love with Yes. 3.5 stars

Amazing mixing, love all the sounds in the background

3.5

I was introduced to Yes when my older brother drew their iconic logo over and over on his notebook in elementary school. Fast forward I was gifted a copy of Atlantic Record 40th anniversary collection. On cassette! Since first hearing Yes on that collection I've enjoyed their music, but never took a deep dive into their catalog. Yes straddles the prog line somewhere Jethro Tull and early Genesis. Rick Wakeman's entry to the lineup starts to firm up their credentials of Prog Rock powerhouse and early rock and roll influence. Fragile has the well known Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround, but the nearly 12 minute Heart of the Sunrise is such a sonic wall of sound that is a great reason, even with all of my sensibilities. 4/5.

Ich sollte mehr üben...

Ultra komplexer shit, ziemlich krass für 70er Jahre, aber wie bei den meisten Progressive Sachen nichts zum entspannt mal anhören.

An album that starts absolutely fantastic with Roundabout, then lulls around for a bit, but brings itself back by the end for an album that while certainly not perfect, feels like a solid little package. Nothing elevates above that opening song, though.

Fun and punchy. I like to groove to it.

Memes aside, this album explores instrumentation and time signatures in an effective way, while much of it doesn't really draw me in for a second listen, I can appreciate that this is a competent and comprehensive offering.

This one reminded me of good high school memories, when I was jamming a lot to this album. The long tracks here are outstanding with Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise being the highlights. The shorter interludes range from forgettable to good, with Mood for a Day being the highlight. Great prog 8,5/10

Megatiukka avausraita! Muutenkin aika miellyttävää progeilua. Ei mee turhan kikkailuun vaan pysyy musiikin puolella. Kiinnostuin ja kuuntelen varmasti lisää. 4/5

Vraiment dommage pour la voix du monsieur

a la bourre et peu inspirée mais c’etait sympa

That‘s a tough one. It is just before the terrific „Close to the Edge“ (which I rated much too low) and one can really hear the progress going on to achieve the sophomore masterpiece. „Fragile“ instead feels a bit like a bloated result of a gifted overachiever who did not dare to kill some darlings - which would have shaped this album by a lot. I still like it very much and once in this game I feel the urge for compensational rating. 4.0

I've never listened to Yes before. Huh. Interesting.

High school, beach, days & nights.

I was just listening to this one before it was revealed as my album of the day. One of my favorite yes records they just on it

Yes is probably one of the first bands people think of when they think of prog, and this album probably has a lot to do with that. As prog albums go, this is wonderfully accessible and easy to digest, with some top notch musicianship. Fave Songs: Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus), Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise, Mood for a Day, Five per Cent for Nothing

I hadn't listened to this for five years or so, but I'm impressed as ever upon revisiting the record. Yes possessed a ridiculous level of talent within its membership. In one band, you've got Jon Anderson's unique elvish voice, Bill Bruford's jazzy \"off-beat\" drumming, Steve Howe's insanely tasty guitar, Rick Wakeman's crazy classical keyboards, and of course, Chris Squire's peerless bass-playing. Forget the senseless lyrics. What really rocks here are the long full-band jams in 'Roundabout', 'South Side of the Sky', and 'Heart of the Sunrise', all of which are complex yet catchy enough to receive mainstream radio play. The brief and bright 'Long Distance Runaround' provides a bit of a break from the \"epics\", but it's just as good. In a curious display of democracy, each band member also gets a chance to display his own skill or interests with a unique \"personality\" song. Unfortunately, most of these little sketches feel out of place in the sequencing of the record. Fortunately, they're all very short! I'm awarding the record a 4/5 for the sake of the great collaborative compositions. Imagine if the band had scrapped the solo song concept and replaced those bits with another full-composed classic like 'Roundabout'? In the alternate earth depicted on the album's cover, \"Fragile\" is the prog album to end all prog albums.

“Fragile” opens with “Roundabout,” which proves that, Yes, 70s organ-driven prog rock can be great. Things then get a little weird, before turning it back around with “South Side of the Sky.” “Long Distance Runaround" and the instrumental “The Fish” both build on the feeling of “Roundabout,” and “Heart of the Sunrise” brings it back after the detour of “Mood for a Day.” Overall, a pretty cohesive and enjoyable album from a band and genre that didn’t always deliver.

Roundabout is one of my favourite songs ever. It's insane, I've enjoyed it long before it acquired the meme status. I don't think the rest of the album quite lives up to Roundabout, despite being thoroughly listenable and clearly influenced by heavy drug use.

Had never heard of these guys but I really enjoyed this. The prog rock sound on the album had an enjoyable funky sound. The album is bookended by two great tracks but "Roundabout" is definitely the highlight. It's a shame the rest of the album never quite reaches those heights.

More prog rock! Never heard these before, thought some tracks were really good, the opening track in particular. Others didn't do anything for me. Overall didn't mind it but only so much room for rock like this Jamie isn't going to like this... Dad rock! 4

I have written once before about my love/hate relationship with prog rock, so I will try not to repeat myself. This is my favorite Yes album. Part of it has to do with my fondness and profound respect for Bill Bruford's drumming (not to mention he is the only person to be in iterations of Yes, Genesis and King Crimson) - he even wrote a 35 second instrumental song. Fragile also balances the members need to solo with solid songs (always a tenuous balance). Roundabout was even an AM radio hit back in the day. The excess is present on the edges, but the good far outweighs the bad.

Very solid progressive rock album. Musicianship is excellent. As with a lot of this genre lyrics aren’t always great but still a couple of classics here

Welly welly well well well i unexpectedly loved this album. A little dad-rocky, but enjoyed the constantly changing progression. I kept picking up details that could’ve influenced a ton of the music I listen to, across different genres. Heart of the Sunrise is where this album truly sends it for me.

I had a lot of fun listening to this album. Short and sweet with lots of little guitar and keyboard solos. Some dank chamber music interludes as well. 4/5

This was pretty awesome! Lots of cool guitar and bass riffs. At certain points, however, it seemed like they completely forgot how to play their instruments and a cacophony of sounds permeated my eardrums. 3.5/5

Yessss another Yes album!! I am LOVING them! Didn't know I adored prog rock so much until I started this project.

A bit rambly at times, but good variety between songs and great instrumentation

One of the most accessible and greatest prog rock albums of all time. A record that has followed me from my teenage years through my early 50's.

Super schönes Album mit vielen Klassik Elementen. Aber heraus sticht der erste Song!

Only now, thanks to this challenge, I'm learning how ignorant I am to some bands or genres. In general I tend to be a little dismissive towards the older music, but this time it is different. It is the first time I'm listening to "Fragile" ever, however I could very quickly recognise the main motive from opening song "Roundabout". After few minutes it clicked - I know it from the "To Be Continued" memes. And my ignorance hurts as ever, because this is much more than a nice jingle, it is also a great song, progressive rock with countless great riffs and complicated melodies, but still coherent and enjoyable. Jon Anderson provided great vocals on the whole album, fitting great into the slightly psychedelic structure of the songs. Unfortunately, only "Roundabout" and "Heart of the Sunrise" were great - the rest of the songs were basically fillers, trying to hit at least 40 minutes to fill the LP. But well, you can't deny the greatness, even if it's surrounded by blandness. It was definitely the best Yes album I have heard so far. And it definitely has a place on this list.

Would be a 5 if there wasn't 2 min long randomness that imo breaks it up

Its a good album, its musicly very interesting and these are very talented musicians. It leans heavily on the prog aspect which does both good and bad, it is very progressive and sounds good, but with the 10 minute songs they sound like Pink Floyd but without that speciall something

4/9, 44%

Surprised to hear a yes album with tracks shorter than 10 minutes, this thing is great though not as good as close to the edge though but still great (if America was on the main album it would’ve beat it).

Calming and upbeat. A good Monday morning album

Insane how unfairly maligned Yes are in some quarters. Sure they can, and do, indulge in lengthy virtuoso workouts but it's always with a focus and discipline. It's also crazy just how much of this album I know without owning it. There are some really, really strong melodies at play here, and the kinds of hooks that wouldn't be out of place on a more straightforward pop record. Time for Yes to enjoy critical reappraisal. As for Fragile, what a triumph.

Big fan of this album. Roundabout alone goes a long way. But otherwise a really nice mix of proggy stuff. Also liked the more classical feel of Mood for a Day. I think it's a strong 4.

Sure

Probably as good as prog rock can be, with lots of rich textures and interesting vibes, and Anderson's memorable vocals, But then there is just enough of the worst of progr, too – frequent and jarring shifts in mood and tempo. Roundabout” a great opener followed by the absurd (not in a good way) “Cans and Brahms." Similarly, "Heart of the Sunrise" is compromised by arty effects and excess sophistication. "Long Distance Runaround" is among the best Yes ever did. One is surprised – and not a little embarrassed – to have any affection for this band. Really, one should loathe them, but there are hooks and melodies enough to overlook the prog guilt-by-association effect.

A few hits and some amazing musicianship.

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

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

Highlights: Roundabout, Mood for a Day

Stellenweise sehr geile Atmosphäre. Gerne mehr in dieser Richtung!

Though the meat of the album is in its anthemic, multi-part bookends, the entire LP is a rightful prog classic that dips its toes into a multitude of genres and plays with the limits of instrumentation. The personal highlight here is Chris Squire's bass work - the undeniable Ric 4001 sound defines this album and serves largely as its melodic core, pushing many of the tracks along and scoring many of the notable riffs.

TIL that "Roundabout" is some Vine/TikTok/Anime meme. Anyway, I used to not really love Yes, I think it's Jon Anderson's voice, it's too close to Dana Carvey doing "Choppin' Broccoli," but over the years I've grown to appreciate the musicianship here, some of Phish's more composed stuff is really informed by this (just listen to the "Rift" album) and I love Phish. The only thing that bugs me a little is the Brahms thing and it honestly doesn't bother me too much but there's something that feels condescending or self-serious about a rock band, even a prog rock band breaking out some classical 🎵 or playing some variations on a classical piece or whatever they're doing here. I get it, "The classical composers were the rock stars of their day" or something. I'm not saying it should never be done or it can't be done well (and it's not terrible here or anything) it just feels suspect.

Roundabout brought me back to the old internet memes. But this album aint a meme at all. It’s damn good! I like the complexcity of the songs.

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

Good I liked this before

Prog nerdy rock at its best.

Baskare

A little boring

imagine my shock to hear the meme song first. Never listened to the whole thing before, but I can say right now that it is a banger, but also does all prog rock have to be so unreasonable with song lengths? There's 8+ minute songs, and 2 minute songs, and nothing in between. All the long songs are fire, if this rating system was out of 10 I'd put this one at a 7.5/10

Some super solid guitar and drums and fun rock! Singing style wasn't my favorite but the music more than makes up for it. America is one of my favorite Simon & Garfunkel songs and I really enjoy their cover!

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

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

Jojo bassline sexy

Solid

Very nice bass and guitars, reminds me of my grandpa and he's cool af so that's good. It didn't awake anything deep in me tho, so maybe just not what I'm vibing with rn.

Pretty good, okay singing and great guitar riffs and jams

The first track is such an iconic track, but the rest of the album is also really good! Loved the guitar bits inbetween some songs. I liked some of the ideas of theirs, some were meh.

The short filler tracks (with the exception of long distance runaround which is great) were a little weak, but the bulk of this album was 4 huge pieces (almost too long and unique to call them songs). Roundabout is my favorite Yes song (though I haven’t listed to a ton of their stuff), south side of the sky and heart of the sunrise were both very interesting, and America might be better than the original

Oh I’m so horny Roundabout is a banger Whenever the album starts to lose me some crazy bass or piano pulls me back in Idk where Long distance runaround became fish but that stretch was sick (especially fish) Mood for a day totally switched up the vibe right after felt like I was in medieval times Heart of the sunrise was awesome Really cool cover of America Overall thought after roundabout the first half lulled a little but the second half was amazing

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

It's the one with "Roundabout". Love the concept of the album: about half group songs and about half songs written by each member showcasing them on their instrument Sounds like: one of the early quintessential prog rock albums Standout tracks: I already said "Roundabout" "South Side" main section has so many heavy riffs "Long Distance" THE RIFF "The Fish" do you like three bass guitars with another guitar playing melody and another messing around? "Mood" great solo classical guitar piece "Heart" heavy rapid riff followed by thick bass

As in a lot of revered prog bands/albums, I seem to have a problem with the theatrical and high pitched singers they often end up with. I have to get used to Jon's slick vocals, which are sometimes impressive but they also sound cold to me at times. Anyway, what they do have going for them though are, other than the expected virtuosity, some hard hitting beats that merges so well with the complex song structures they adopt. I find them to be at their best when they let it all out.

The problems of prog rock are on full view in the segue from “Roundabout” a great rollicking rock tune, to “Cans and Brahms” which sounds like a soundtrack to an underfunded children’s television show. The dramatic contrast, wherein ambitious prog rockers likely thought the art came in, reads as pointless, silly and self-defeating. “Made from Heaven” and “South of the Sky” redeem matters with engaging moments and passages. “Long Distance Runaround,” with its rich and satisfying hooks and layering, is the best of prog rock, with enough counterpoint to build tension and noodling to present surprise, but not too much to lose the listener. Anderson is a strong and distinct (likely underrated) vocalist. “The Fish” is groovy. “Heart of the Sunrise” is very affecting at times but compromised by the Vincent Price-y organ explorations (another example of prog rock’s original sin [they would prefer one to say Achilles Heel] of trying to do too much with every song, of burdening them with too much compositional weight and structure). Still, one believes this to be a high-water mark for one's favorite prog band.

Well that was epic and awesome!

Bit of a curate’s egg this one. Every time I was just thinking it was dreadful, something really good would happen. I actually ended up listening to it twice in a row because I couldn’t decide what I made of it. Still can’t really.

Trash or Pass

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

Excellent album. I was already familiar with Roundabout from Rock band and the song just gets better with every listen. This is my first sit down with the rest of the album and I was not disappointed!

what an adventure this album is

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

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

Surprisingly little rock but lots of instruments and "easy listening", reminded me almost of a rockier version of Steely Dan. Not bad but lacking anything outstanding or memorable

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

A seminal record in progressive rock history. The band’s use of electronic keys, thick basslines, and inventive guitar parts make the music unique and interesting.

Good, nothing particularly notable though

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

I was surprised by this album several times thinking I only knew Owner of a Lonely Heart...and then Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround played... Noice. Turns out I am not as musically illiterate as I expected here.

Oh! It's their Roundabout!

Proggið, sko. Elska þetta!

I tend to be wary of progressive rock, as ostentatious noodling and cosmic lyricism tend to throw me off. What I like about the genre are its challenging compositions and virtuosic instrumentalism, but it’s a fine line between impressive and gaudy. I was pleasantly surprised by this record, although I could’ve done without most of the shorter songs. My favorite tracks, easily, are the three big ones which take up more than half the runtime: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, and Heart of the Sunrise. Yes, the lyricism is primarily comprised of otherworldly gobbledygook, but it’s mostly unobtrusive. Yes, the group can occasionally wade into showy grandiosity, but for the most part they manage to keep it relatively tame. In the end, there’s more to like than there isn’t. Plenty of lush melodies, pleasing harmonies, and high-octane riffing satisfy the music lover in me, and the kick-ass guitar/bass combo of Steve Howe and Chris Squier will keep me coming back.

I owned and listened to this album obsessively in my early teens. I didn't realize it until much, much later -- decades later -- but I see now the early sprouts of my passion for and interest in music with varied textures and complexities. No matter; I enjoyed it thoroughly and was blown away then as I am now with the musicianship and creativity evident in this lineup. Ridiculous. I don't always love each track on their albums, including this one, but I can still appreciate what they are doing, even when they go places that just don't click with me or catch my interest the same way their other pieces do. Not sure how to put it, but maybe best I can put into words is they can be "a bit much" for me at times. Much as I usually shrink away from generalizations, I do find that's my consistent experience with so-called "progressive rock" -- some of the most amazing music I've ever heard is often categorized as such, and also sometimes the bands who specialize in that style can go over the top for me, although like all experiences with art, that is merely my own subjective experience with it. So on we go. This album holds up well. Some incredible work here. And, dang, I always loved Roger Dean's album covers he designed for them.

Roundabout is a banger. This album is also really good - Yes can be a bit annoying for me at times, but the prog experimental stuff on this is actually measured and doesn't run away with itself. Good good

One word: GREAT!

Hot dog

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

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

Delightfully odd.

More fun prog by Yes

When I was in high-school Yes was my favourite group so I reckon I've listened to this album several hundred times and can play all of the songs on air guitar with my eyes closed. This is close to peak Yes, their Zenith would be their next album Close to the Edge, but this is still pretty damned good. Get 'em while you can because unfortunately they go to shit in the 80s starting with Drama. However, I can thank Yes for opening my mind and ears and allowing me to appreciate Jazz, Classical and experimental music. I also like how on this album, each band member composes at least one track which naturally highlights their extraordinary musicmanship. Standouts are South Side of the Sky, The Fish, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise. Roundabout isn't a bad single either.

El bajo está increíble. Poquito largo para mí gusto pero en general discazo, de esos que te hacen querer saber más de la banda. Songs: Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise, America

4.25

Might increase this rating later

It's been awhile and for some reason I thought this album was going to drag in certain spots. Oh, it has its bloated moments but overall, this is a cohesive album with two of their iconic songs, "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround." And it didn't drag for me. The album is really two sides with two songs anchoring each side, starting and finishing songs. There's interludes/instrumentals in between leading to the bloatedness but, hey, this album is one of the cornerstones in the Prog Rock catalog and that's part of it. I don't know if there is an overarching theme, other than nature and driving around..eagles, sailors, the wind. Technically, the musicianship is top notch; this album may be worth getting just listening to Chris Squire's bass on "Roundabout." Three out of the four big songs (the exception being "Long Distance Runaround") have similar structures with the songs starting and ending at the same spot with all the Prog Rock instrumental craziness in between. Think of the acoustic guitar start/finish in "Roundabout." Overall, I enjoyed this listen but understand all the criticism this type of music gets and its detractors.

The explosion of prog rock in the late 60's and early 70's has lead to Yes doing quite well for themselves, especially after The Yes Album which came out just a few months prior to Fragile. So with a keyboardist Rick Wakeman added to the lineup, what would Yes produce? A great prog rock record, that's what. Opening with the iconic Roundabout, Fragile can easily be divided into four "big" songs with some interlude tracks to splice up the pacing. I don't think Yes needed every interlude track to be included, but I appreciate the effort to spread out the "big" tracks. Even then, some of the interludes server as a medley than anything else which is still nice. Yes are extremely good at writing music in the prog rock format. Ideas are fleshed out without dragging on for too long, and songs continue to feel fresh throughout the runtimes. I mostly enjoy the bookend tracks though.

Sprawling prog rock epics interspersed with some short little filler tracks. But, it all ties together sonically into a great album with some superb musicianship!

Amazing material that would be worthy of a 5 if not for tracks like Cans and Brahms, and We Have Heaven - which just break momentum. Everything else this album offers is stellar progressive rock that really set the bar.

this the one that got the meme song

I listened to this album a few years ago as part of a Yes marathon. It's a giant wank but I do like this kind of prog rock. It's cool to see how something as shit as the Beatles kinda turned into a style of music that I like. 4/5.

Very prog, very odd instrumentation at points, very enjoyable for the most part. Roundabout mostly famous from GTA V, which made it odd hearing it in its original context

listened to again some great prog

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

Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Roundabout,

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

I really liked this! I had heard of Yes before, but never listened to them. It reminds me of those math rock bands, like Maps & Atlases and (early) Foals. The songs were a bit long for me and not sure any stood out enough for me so that's why I'm not giving it the 5, but it's close!

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

Quite the blend of genres: jazz, hard rock, progressive rock... I feel like there are echoes of what would become post-punk in certain spots? I was obsessed with this album in high school (yep, nerdy, I'm aware), but I'm glad it still holds up. The bass playing is insanely impressive. Favorite tracks: "Roundabout", "We Have Heaven", "South Side of the Sky"

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

Jak wczoraj byl niszowy albumik z alternatywy progowej, tak dzisiaj z troche innej polki, wiec mainstreamowa uczta dla sluchacza kompozycji tak symfonicznych, ze ciezko ogarniac kto jak i co gra, fragile to czwarta plyta w dyskografii yesa, wiec brytyjskiej bandy, nagranany w 71 i tym samym roku wypuszczony, jest to takze pierwszy album, ktory featuruje pana Wakemana, ktory przynisol ze soba do zespolu potezna roznorodnosc klawiszowa i synthowa, ktora zarowno na fragile jak i kolejnych materialach stala sie niejako cecha charakterystyczna ich tworczosci, sam album to 41 minut i 9 kawalkow, ciekawa sprawa jest to, ze jedynie 4 z nich byly tworzone jako caly zespol, natomiast pozostale 5, to solowe utwory kazdego z czlonkow ekipy, kolejna sprawa jest podzial na traki instrumentalne, a wokalowe, bo tutaj rowniez utrzymuje sie podzial 4 do 5, nie bede ocenial pojedynczych trakow, bo pewnie zbaisowany bylbym do tych zawierajacych wokale Andersonowe, bo jest wsrod nich chocby legendarny ending pierwszego parta jojowego, wiec roundabout, ktory tak mocno wpisal sie w dzieje memologii, a jednoczescie jest swietnym openigiem tego krazka, wiec chociaz nie jest to material tworzony pod jeden motyw i idee, to jednak nastroj jaki emanuje z calego albumu utrzymuje sie jednaki przez caly odsluch, malo jest tak przyjemnie wesolo spokojnych krazkow, ktore znam, tylko pozytywne wibracje, jest dobrym okresleniem tej plyty, czasem dziwi praca dzwieku na kanalach, jak zaglowanie w niektorych momentach, nie wiadomo czy wynikajace z wizji artystycznej, czy dziwnego balansu sceny, ale sa to bledy wybaczalne patrzac na caloksztalt brzmienia, na plejke nie mam za bardzo co wrzucac, bo album juz wielokrotnie zakatowany, ale chyba uda sie gdzies wcisnac jeszcze long distance runaround, im wiecej slyszalem i wiecej wiem na temat danej plyty, tym mniej mnie nachodzi na lurkowanie lorowego i jakos zostaje przy tym co wiem, wiec same notatki albumowe rowniez sa mniej sensowne w takim wypadku

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

Opens with a meme song, hell yeah. One of those bands you hear about as a monolith, but I'd never really gotten into them. Prog group with undeniable talent. I love all the instruments at play here, especially the acoustic guitars. Would definitely listen to this again, and mark me as a "yes" for more Yes albums. Favorite tracks: Roundabout, Long Distance Runaround, The Fish, Mood for a Day. Album art: Pretty simple '70s rock cover, but the art style is nice. I like the font a lot too. Can't say I remember seeing it before, but very emblematic of its time. 4/5

okay don’t get me wrong, I LOOVE prog rock, and this album certainly had some bangers, but most of the songs just kinda sounded like throwaway stuff, like you listen to Cans and Brahms or Five Per Cent for Nothing and you just gotta wonder what the point of those songs are? like obviously every song doesn’t need to be amazing but I think there were a disappointingly high number of throwaway songs and I’m not saying I hate those kind of songs, I love The Beatles, Revolution 9 and King Crimson, Moonchild, but the point is that on an album full of hard hitting songs, you only have one or two of these weird throwaway songs to reset the mood for what’s next anyway, I really loved Roundabout (Obviously, who doesn’t?) and Heart of the Sunrise America and South Side of the Sky were also pretty cool overall it is a great album, I just had the one critique, 8/10 for me

7/10

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

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

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

Rock. Muy bueno!

Yes, here, move past sufferability into the good zone. This reminds me why I like prog, this is fun, this is playing with the medium without sticking one's head where it doesn't belong, this is a sound capable of sincerity even after being adopted as a meme.

Jag är lättköpt och mitt pris är 3-4 goa bass lines. Five per Cent for Nothing är bästa låten. Album som gjorde mig lite glad och det är värt 4 * såklart

Not big yes fan, but good tracks in here and they paved the way for future proggos so I feel comfortable with a 4 here

OoOO love it!

far from the best Yes album. 3.5

Very good album. Interesting dynamically and musically dripping with talent. I like this sound a lot and the balance between hits and ballads is really good on this album. Very ahead of its time

Pretty good - didn’t know this one…

Yes is a cooler band than I think that I've previously given them credit for. This album is good from the opening and holds up to the end. It's big and dramatic as a lot of prog rock is, but it's also fun with solid riffs 4/5

Yes! Roundabout

I say yes to yes

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

Cohesive album with great parts throughout and some iconic songs

While I'm a big fan of prog rock in general, Yes isn't my favorite. I was already familiar with this album, but gave it another couple listens. Obviously Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround are great, however the rest of the album doesn't do much for me, thus dropping to a 4.

It was a good listen, loved roundabout and heart of the sunrise but wasn't as good as the yes album. Opinion might change in the future. Would give it 7/10

That lilac wine

Will listen to more

It's Yes so of course you get masterful musicianship and staggeringly incredible compositions. I can't help but wonder if this album would be a 5/5 if 'Roundabout' didn't lead it off. As its constructed, the album can't ever reach the highs its lead (and easily most famous) song hit. It's still incredibly well done, interesting prog rock, but it doesn't land as well after hearing one of their masterpieces.

Brilliant progressive rock, and I'm surprised I have never heard this whole album. I'll be spending more time with Yes in the near future.

Roundabout, that's it mang.

Pretty good, great musicianship. Definitely prog but more to the rock side. Enjoyable listen and I'll probably try out their outher stuff. 4/5

Surprisingly good. Enjoyed and will listen again

Good, distinct album with a little spice of industrial.

PROGPROGPROGPROGPROGPROG. Best Tracks: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise

classic album, real good too

meme

A quality album. 2RS

Fantastic album. Calls and eclectic Yes.

“Fragile” by Yes (1971) From the opening sounds, this album grabs the listener’s attention. Steve Howe on guitar and Rick Wakeman on keyboards dazzle with innovative arrangements, cementing their reputations as pioneers in progressive rock—PURE progressive rock in “Heart of the Sunrise”. This is intelligent music. What it lacks in soul and profundity of message it more than makes up for in technical perfection. For 1971, this record set the pace for much of what was to come in the 70s and 80s. The running footsteps across channels on “We Have Heaven” preceded those on Pink Floyd’s “On the Run” by two years (for those who like to keep track of such things). Squire and Bruford’s rhythm section is solid solid solid. Squire even gets in on the harmonic coloring (“Heart of the Sunrise”) and jazz improvisation (“Five Percent for Nothing”). Jon Anderson’s lead vocals are pure and disciplined if lacking sonority and steady vibrato—but with excellent diction. He provides solid melodies and the group chimes in with mesmerizing harmonies, rivaling Crosby, Stills and Nash (in the studio, that is!). Chord progressions and time signatures that simply prohibit the simultaneous chewing of bubble gum. Exemplifying recording wizardry, this is a clean and crisp mix, with excellent separation that simply must be heard on studio headphones (or Klipsch equipment, but for us mere mortals . . . ). As an album, “Fragile” demonstrates that one can produce a record that starts with a leading track lasting 8:35 and sustains interest throughout. And the end of the closing track welcomes a replay of the opening track, and over and over and over again. These are great musicians who clearly enjoy making great music. 4/5

60s soul

ok

Very instrumental. More songs I recognized than I thought I would. A dope anime intro I've always looked for was on this too. A chill album, good for background music while doing art or cleaning

Roundabout, Rock sinfónico!

Mye gøy. Er ikke så fan av prog, men likevel en underholdene. Du får inntrykk av at de er gode til å spille instrumentene sine og liker hvordan flere av sangene er komponert. ironisk nok likte jeg albumets nå-meme intro-track best, den gav lytteren et godt bilde av hva som lå i vente. Likevel skulle jeg ønske at albumet kunne være litt tyngre? Vet lite om mixing og liknende begreper innfor musikk, men syntes bassen ikke var "digg nok". Den manglet en sonisk dybde jeg skulle ønske var der. Virket som om musikken kunne flagre vekk i en sommerbris, på en spinkel, nerdete måte. Kanskje smaken min er ødelagt av år med Kanyes basstrommer etc. Svak 4, eller sterk 7/10

Endelig litt progrock. Spillingen på dette albumet er jo helt fenomenal. Alle instrumentene får tid til å vises, og alt er i verdensklasse nivå. Låtskrivingen er heller ingenting å kimses av. Roundabout er en heftig åpner, og det blir ikke dårligere videre. Stemningsfullt, fengende, imponerende, innovativt. Det er vanskelig å forklare hva konkret det er som trekker meg til dette albumet, men jeg kan si at det er bare helt sykt kult. Ikke en personlig favoritt, men det går mest på smaken. Ekstremt sterk 4. Kunne sagt det var en 8.9/10.

Really interesting listen totally mood shifting, great transitional tracks 4.2

Not a desert island album for me, but one that was thoughtfully and skillfully put together, with a lot of unique and pioneering sounds.

Excellent album. The full band tracks are better than the individual ones, although Steve Howe's Mood for a Day is a great one.

This album is surprising. There’s piano solos and rock and just all kinds of stuff. It was such a variety of music on this album that it kept me interested.

Surprisingly good for 1971. Great instrumentals

A very specific sound but also mostly fun

Amazing Prog album with issues. Because of money/time problems the recording of the album had to include solo compositions of each band member. Those were not that good. The rest however is top prog, especially Roundabout.

Familiarity: 4/10 Notes: listen, when you start your album off with a song like Roundabout, you know shit stays at that high of a bar until the last measure. One of their most recognizable albums, due in part to the opening track, Fragile is a funky prog rock classic Real Rating: 8/10

incorporates classical in a way i sure like fav track: cans and brahms

Banger

One of the best prog rock bands

3.75

I liked this album

A pretty impressive feat and some incredible guitar and keyboard skillz but didn't rouse me up as much as I thought it would.

Roundabout is great. Rest of the album is pretty solid, but not as put together. So much jamming.

It’s another Yes album, YES!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- I always have a soft spot for the records my dad played a bunch when I was a kid. This is one of them.

The first track is musically interesting but I feel it gets the point across in the first five minutes. Brahms helped a lot with this second track. The vocals standout on the third track. South Side captures most of what Roundabout does but the guitars are more emphasized. Track five I don’t understand the point of when they are so short like this. They might as well make it an intro or an outro but why make it its own track? By track six the music is just washing over me. I didn’t even realize I was on track seven while listening to the one before. The transition is too smooth. Mood for a Day has pretty acoustic picking but that’s about it. They turn things up to eleven on the last track which I appreciate. This shows things to come for their next album.

hAHA trodde ikke det skulle være så funky - helt kreisi til tider, men gøy - blir en treer - long distance runaround er høydepunktet

Total 70s rock Some of the instrumental songs are enjoyable Most of it sounds pretty forgettable, though that synthesizer or whatever is pretty distinctinve.

It’s Yes! My husband says “NO!” I say “Maybe?” 3 Boolean: true, yes,

This was my second time listening to this album. I liked it a lot more than the first listen. I'm actually a big fan of 70s prog, but I haven't fully clicked with Yes I guess. This relisten encouraged me to go check out more of their discography though and I'm optimistic I'll find some good albums.

Really good. Very 70's.

wow it's the jojo meme song. and the rest of the album is pretty good too. it's not exactly my area but it's a great deal better than most rock