Reviews (page 7 of 13)
Mood for a Day is a standout and raised the overall album to a 3 for me.
i would so listen to this if i was smoking a blunt at 11am in may 1971 on the rooftop of the random guy I spent the night with
So… on here we have four proper songs and some random stuff Yes cooked up in the studio. I loved it on my first listen, on the second listened it showed its flaws. What exactly the idea behind including Cans and Brahms as well as We Have Heaven on the album was is beyond me. But damn - Roundabout, South Side of the Sky and Long Distance Runaround are hard hitting bangers.
jojos🩷
Starts out with one of the great opening tracks on any album, but gets a little lost after that. The longer songs allow the band to find grooves that are the real highlights of the album. The bass and keys are exceptional. 3.5/5 Probably will listen again
Meh
As much as I would like to enjoy this album, it just doesn’t speak to me. There may have been a time when I could have, but that ship has sailed. For what it’s worth, Fragile is a masterpiece of progressive rock music, maybe even the gold standard. Roundabout is a great track. Just not for me. So this is a masterpiece: a 3 star masterpiece. 3 stars
Groovier than I thought it would be
Yes but not yes wow. Always felt that Yes was not really my cup of prog-rock tea. Too much emphasis on the high pitch vocals of Jon Anderson and less on structuring a good song. Also this release felt somehow disappointing. Some good passages, but also, for me, typical Yes songs which were not really engaging.
it's okay. i was very surprised to hear that a very familiar internet sound came from the first track - the more you know.
More like a maybe for me
Brilliant musicians playing brilliantly, but so obsessed with the prog that the songs get lost
I personally think that if songs are going to be long, they should be interesting. I like Roundabout, but a lot of the rest of this feels like sitting in the room during an aimless albeit delightful jam session. The cover is great though. Rating: 2.5
Compared to the other prog I've been subjected to thus far, this sounds more like they're trying to do a lot of things at once, rather than just trying to overplay. I didn't dislike it, but I'd certainly much rather listen to someone playing one genre with clarity than indecisively cycling between four.
Starts out with a great song in Roundabout, but outside of one or two others songs, the album seemed more experimental. They added a new keyboardist and a few songs seemed like they were just trying to show off his skills. Even with all that, still a decent album.
Much better than expected. Not going to be a regular listen but Roundabout and We Have Heaven are great.
One of these days I’ll get Yes. Extra point for “Roundabout.”
It's fine, but prog rock isn't entirely my thing.
Pretty enjoyable for the most part. Decent ratio of parts that were cool to parts that sucked.
Yare Yare Daze... Roundabout is an all time classic immortalized by JJBA, to the point where everything else feels extra and not up to par.
I don't think I've ever listened to this album in its entirety. Two of the most classic classic rock songs known to man are on this album, "Roundabout" and "Long Distance Runaround". Everything else is filler. Masterful musicianship but I can see where this wouldn't resonate with today's listener. Such a disparity with 1:39 minute songs sandwiched between 8 min and 11 min songs. "South Side Of The Sky" is just not catchy at all and "Five Per Cent For Nothing" was cutting room floor stuff. How does "90215" not make this list? It's an 80's masterpiece of songs/hits, production work & is still relevant today. "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", "Hold On", "Leave It", "Changes" are all radio songs. 3 stars, outside of the two megahits it's kind of a miss songwise.
omggg album que tem a música do to be continued de jojo hiiii
I was so prepared to have a clever one word review that just said "no", but I actually enjoyed parts of this album. I mean, the cover of "America" was terrible, but it really had its moments.
Proggy rock with psychedlia in places. Roundabout is fun - noodly bassline, harmonics played on the guitar, and is that a moog? It does drag on a bit though Lots more instrumental work here than the previous Yes album on this list, e.g. harpsichord. Not sure it's better for it - does it want to be prog rock or an orchestral piece? Vocals are also not strong enough.. maybe a better singer or stronger in the mix would elevate things. The Fish starts nicely, bringing together the rock and some alt instruments. Bit short though, doesn't build into anything. Best track - The Fish 3 stars - it's fine, but doesn't evoke much feeling in me. Feels too technical but not fun.
I know the first song to this cause it’s a the anime ED to Jojo. Im such a Weeb. Its actually a really good song though. Damn these songs are long but they got some real good instrumental though.
6/10
Talented musicians for sure but I just can’t get into Yes. Voice is annoying too
I like Yes. But it all sounds the same.
awesome band name. I wrote so many notes about the individual songs omg I am so sorry if you are reading all of this lol. roundabout - 4/5 (omfg its that songggg!! its actually good tbh) cans and brahms - 2/5 (quite a switch up lol) we have heaven - 5/5 (the end freaked me out so much omg but why is this lowkey kinda giving alice in wonderland vibes) south side of the sky - 5/5 (so cool that the songs mix together I love that sm) five per cent for nothing - 3/5 (okayyy give me nothinggg) long distance runaround - 2/5 the fish - 4/5 (was not going to write that latin part in the song name) mood for a day - 2/5 (okayyyy medivalll) heart of the sunrise - 1/5 america - 2/5 roundabout (early vers) - 5/5 ( i kinda like this better than the og 35/55 = 3/5
Alright. But not something I think I could love.
This record was great. Roundabout is an iconic track. Favourite Track(s): Roundabout, Heart of the Sunrise Least Favourite Track(s): The Fish
a comparación del otro álbum de yes no me encantó este, aunque la guitarra de mood for a day estuvo muy buena
I realize now that I didn’t know what Yes was about.
I had a visceral reaction to the opening of this album. It was like the world stopped (get it haha). Anyway, I liked this for the most part. But I can't say it'll really stick with me tbh. I wish I found this more engaging, but I just don't fully gel with it. Good stuff, not mind-blowing but a couple of the tracks are pretty good. Fav Track: Roundabout
One of the most up and down albums I've come across. Starts out hot out of the gate with the great tune 'Roundabout', then goes immediately into back to back 90-second long twinkly neo-classical, ren fair songs. It keeps going back and forth like that for the whole album. Didn't care for the short weird tracks, but I enjoyed most of the other ones that had actual structure and lyrics. This is a 3/5 if I've ever seen one.
Good classic vibes. Not sure I'd come back for this but it was an overall enjoyable enough listen
if the whole album was like roundabout, heart of the sunrise and mood for a day, that would rock
Better than I thought and could well be a grower. Will probably return to it at some point.
This is my first Yes album. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like there are only about 4.5 actual songs on this. I do like Roundabout and South Side of the Sky.
Man, if you've got all album with funk, theatrical musicals, and you're not really sure what genre your band is, then l have a list for you.
A mixed bag
Some fun songs and you can really see the influence it had on future prod rock.. Little bit long though. Didn’t actually finish it
Roundabout is one of the first songs I remember being obsessed with as a kid. I don’t feel like the rest of the album lives up to it though. Very prog-y. Too prog-y perhaps.
The album was better than I expected, but I've heard Roundabout way too many times from Jojo.
Maybe!
Did it like it? The band name!
Thought I would hate this surprisingly likeable.
Thursday, 21 May, 2026 Chris Squire on the bass carries this album. Howe gets the attention, and Wakeman is great on the keys, but it is the rhythm section of Squire and Bruford.
Muy bueno, no conocía la banda.Me gusto que era una mezcla medio jazz.Muy movido
This album was okay. I’d heard Toundabput and Long Distance Runaround when I was younger. I was never a Yes fan. I would classify this as experimental. Lots of jumping around from one genre to another. I’m sure my dad is still listening to this on his way to the store…
Good classic prog' rock
I don't know what to do with this one. I mean, like, FUHHHHk I hate prog rock. But! ☝️ Roundabout SLAPS. I'm calling it a 3, but I am capital-C-Conflicted about that. Tell the moon dog Tell the march hare Tell the moon dog Tell the march hare I need to go listen to some punk to reset.
At times Yes can bring all of their talents together to produce music that is exciting and inspiring. When they indulge themselves individually or go on some sort of Beach Boys harmony expedition, the album becomes annoying. Chris Squire’s bass sounds like a rubber band being stretched and bounced around like a basketball. His huge sound on the big hits “Long Distance Runaround” and “Roundabout” go a long way towards making up for Jon Anderson’s vocals and overly earnest fantasy lyrics. Bill Buford contributes a similar energy as Squire in allowing the band to thrive instrumentally. I find Steve Howe’s and Rick Wakeman’s playing interesting when they can harness their classical bent into the flow of a song. The instrumental passage of “Fish” displays an interesting discipline compared to the rest of the album as for once the musicians do not overplay; at least until Anderson has to multitrack his voice halfway through the song. Too often this is not a band, but individuals seeking to outdo one another. The interludes scattered throughout the album add little, other than wow, “Steve Howe can play classical guitar. Rick Wakeman knows Brahms.” The same can be said for many songs as incredible passages of interweaving sounds then fall prey to an overdone soloist or vocalist. The closing track “Heart of the Sunrise” epitomizes this mix as its King Crimson opening jacks up the listener, but then the faux classical-fable elements cause the song to crash. A band of members who may be too good for their own good.
Enjoyable throughout, but likely because of the long tracks, things blended together, and it was hard for me to pick songs out of it that were favorites. I liked the groove of everything and the voice was pleasant, but it was general in the middle. But yes to Yes. Boo me off stage now.
Great early prog rock album. I only knew two tunes from this album. The classical and jazz influences are obvious. I love the early synth sounds. Musicianship is off the scale among these guys. I will definitely listen to them again.
Ganz okay, irgendwie eine komische mischung von songs
pretty good, i liked the guitar and songs are good length, some songs repetitive but still the guitar songs are good
Not really for me, but I can see the appeal for the funky psychedelic sound with classic rock vocals
It was me, Dio!
Good stuff! ★★★
Roundabout is a hell of a way to start an album. Following it by a quaint classical piece was certainly a choice. It picks back up again by track 4, but nothing can quite match the opening track.
Good
Their most accesible album. 'Roundabout' is up there as one of the most iconic songs of progressive rock. 8/10 [KEEP]
Elaborate noodlin'. Impressive musicianship, song writing and creative passages and set pieces, even if at sometimes it sounds too elliptical and tiresome. Shout out to Paul Simon's America cover.
Prog rock album. Pretty good listen, couple of good car friendly tracks mixed with some longer tracks that might not be suitable at least for a short drive.
Not my cup of tea .. Objectively speaking, it’s diverse, and I like the voice.
Sounds like Zelda music
I like it
Roundabout whips ass
a good album I'll never listen to again
Feels like a concept album wiht a story to tell but also musically just not my vibe.
The cohesiveness of this album is lacking but I think it adds to an interesting and unique artistic expression. Yes, as a whole feels so ahead of its time. Jon Anderson’s vocals should be placed in the late 70s and 80s, and their use of such complex time signatures is wacky. The bass is also is also way more at the forefront of the songs here, which makes it feel very groovy.
Great background music
muy chill, de este álbum sale un meme, me gustó
One big single and a bunch of experimental "trippy" music. It's a fun ride, but nothing I would listen to regularly.
Roundabout gave me crazy flashbacks to internet memes
älska yes, hade klarat mig utan superduperdeluxeremastered men bra prog-rock.
3/5. Läskigt långt album, skönt att det bara var 9 låtar. Bra dock, även om jag skulle säga att det var en väldigt annorlunda progrock än den jag är van vid
well i already listen to ir tbe logn songs are rellaygood very you knwo pyscodelical the change of rhytm and all of that but its not that goos but its not bad well roudnabout is a temazo but heart of the surnise is better its not an album i would revisited only the songs not the album
I felt like there were a lot of filler songs on this album. But instrumentally, this album was fantastic. Favorite track(s) Roundabout
Prog rock. Great for a bit, but just too much after a while. I nearly finished the album, largely due to the fact some of the tracks were thankfully under a minute in length.
Oh, I don't know. Roundabout is great, some of the rest is okay, and there's a few moments that are just Monty Python-ass clown music. Self-indulgent, yes. Fundamental? Eh. It's fine. Kinda makes me wanna watch anime.
this is a definitional reference for dad rock
Coincido con una review que vi con que es medio una trampa. Me sorprendió mucho el arranque con Roundabout, pero después me terminó pareciendo un poco larga la canción. En general es un disco muy experimental, fue hasta casi divertido escucharlo. Siento que te tiene que gustar mucho para escuchar esto en la diaria. Para escuchar una sola vez, me gustó bastante.
I'm SO excited fr, since I watched Jojo's Bizarre Adventure I got obsessed with roundabout and listened to it after every episode, which is pretty rare since I normally skip intros and outros completely. I really hope the rest of the album can keep up at least somehow, so I can give Yes a big yes in ratings. Sooo after finishing the whole thing I have to give a 3.5 but since I can't rate half points I will round down to 3 - sorry yes. I liked it, but not quite enough to give a 4.
A strong opening with ‘Roundabout,’ but the rest doesn’t quite reach the same level. There are some great tracks, but I didn’t really enjoy the interludes
Random, muchos instrumentales, algunos moooy largos, buenos ritmos me gustó la musica
This is an album I’ll remember forever. Listened to it multiple times in one day.
Phenomenal keyboard work with a song dedicated to Brahms
It wasn't bad.
Strong start with Roundabout which I love. The rest of the album is interesting, but doesn't reach the same height. The America cover was a fun surprise. Favorite songs: Roundabout, The Fish, Heart of the Sunrise
279/1001 Yes - Fragile Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ I did enjoy the noodly psych of this and was constantly engaged, definitely one I'd be happy to revisit
Musical masturbating?
Love me some Jojo
I'm not a huge fan of Yes. It was alright prog, but not my particular style.
So pretentious. I typically really like "prog" but Yes has always been a "No" for me... More like a 2.7. I think it's Steve Howe that I don't like.
There were moments of guitar and bass brilliance and Roundabout is an all time song but the album as a whole felt like it was made up more of musical ideas and not complete songs. My dad has been challenging me to learn "Mood For A Day" on guitar for 20 years and I still haven't.
2.5 - I’m not a no on Yes, but I’m not a yes on Yes either. I enjoyed some of the prog rock moments, but not the mixing with classical music.
Musically complex, intricately composed, and not for the faint of heart. I've always been impressed and challenged by Yes, and that is on display here. They'll tease you with a catchy hook, and then bury it in layers of prog rock sound. Definitely influential in the genre.
No conocia ninguna cancion del album, sabia que existia una banda llamada Yes pero nunca le di bola. Muy buen sonido muy charly epoca seru y maquina. canciones agregadas: 4/9 album muy britanico de los 70 progresivo
The first song on this album is so good, get you really pumped up to listen to a... really mediocre album. Songs have bizarre lengths. Why does a 7-minute song go into a 30-second song? None of the songs, besides the first again, are all that memorable or all that good.
So confusing. Sometimes good, sometimes just realllyyy confusing.
Roundabout es joya El resto del álbum disfrutable, siempre sonidos frescos
that one song bruh
Experimental prog finnin parts I like roundabout but everything just feels too long
Most solo stuff is ok. Mood for the Day being the best. 5% of nothing is filler. Group songs, my favorite is Heart of the Sunrise.
Very proggy, but too much for my taste at many times, sometimes I'm listening to some nice build-up to a melody and it gets interrupted. It has some standouts but aaah the proggy-ness of it all sometimes makes me like it less. 1. Long Distance Runaround 2. Mood for a day 3. Roundabout
Very interesting to hear true prog rock. It was okay.
The most prog of all that has ever progged. Kinda annoying tbh
I was quite enjoying the first track but it all became a bit too noodly and self indulgent for me later on. The pseudo classical seemed unnecessary showing off really. Very much of its time. 3
Roundabout Long Distance Runaround Heart of the Sunrise
Great album of course from a super-group. I've heard these songs many times though it's been a while. I was really hoping to pull some nuance that I hadn't heard before but no. The album sounded muffled. It is a known issue with the recording that the re-issues have tried to fix. Oh well. Maybe the 60th anniversary AI edition will fix it!
Desperado goes to the circus. I'm here for it.
The instrumentals were not really my thing. But I enjoyed the actual songs (ha). 3.5
If you like prog rock, I can't see any reason why you wouldn't like this album. But if you don't, then aside from some iconic guitar riffs, there isn't much for you here. It could be a solid introduction to what prog rock from this decade was, but there's always a certain pill you have to swallow when it comes to this genre. It's nerdy, it oozes nostalgia, but ultimately it just feels too niche to really shine. Highlight: Roundabout (the guitar parts of it)
I expected to hate this - pretentious, noodly, soulless prog. But it had some nice moments when they stopped showing off and noodling about.
Definitely a mixed bag.
Maybe if I listened to this more I'd get into it, but it never really caught me on two runs through. A bit too clever and nerdy?
I like prog rock, but I don't "like" like prog rock. Fragile is super proggy prog rock. I like it. Roundabout is an absolute classic banger, always a favorite. The rest is a fun and intersting listen, but not something I revisit very often.
Purely Yes. Very virtuous musicians. The voice captivate the mood of the song.
It's fine. Probably the prog rock band that I like the most. But just not my thing
Progressive rock.
Prog rock is absolutely not my favourite. In particular, I dislike self indulgent guitar solos. The voices sound so young! Which was strange to me as I associate Yes with old men. That was the case in the 1970s, even more so now of course.
Fun vibe/beat. Enjoyed 'roundabout'. Enjoyed the piano moments. 3/5
Prog isn’t for me, but this was less meandering and 70s fantasy rock than some of their other albums so it was tolerable.
I recognized Roundabout. Great song.
***An ok album, easy listening
it was fine but morning stuck out to me
It was fine, a bit too repetitive
Beetje te experimenteel maar wel goed
super cool music, guitar, musicianship, psychedelia.... there are many points where I can really hear where KGATLW got inspired for their early sound. but also, I don't think it warrants 4 or 5 for me as a matter of personal preference.
Shoutout to the reviewer who said that this was Roundabout and an album full of scrapped Super Mario 64 music and weird experimental jams. They were not wrong, however, I did enjoy listening to it!
Saw them in concert when I was 20, they have some hits you forget are them. Decent album.
Brings back fond memories of my college buddy since he put it on often. About a third of it was good, but I have a problem with the rest. Too prog-rock for my general listening.
i think i only knew "Roundabout", so this was an interesting listen-- with "Roundabout" in a vacuum for me I wouldn't have guessed this was a mostly prog rock group, and that sound is way more evident on later tracks. we haven't rolled a lot of prog rock (that I can remember, anyway), but this stands out as the best (read: the only good) prog rock album so far. "Long Distance Runaround" was also a lot of fun.
Roundabout fucking rules, the rest of the album has lil’ flashes of brilliance. But I’m learning that’s the prog rock thesis statement: “We’re going to try a whole bunch of wacky shit, and maybe some of it sticks”
I love the unique idea of “each band member gets his own song for the album”. It’s a super fun concept that gives the album flavor, though there are better Yes albums out there
Great background noise
A strange album. There are some very cool moments on here, especially Roundabout, but then most of the album sounds like a recorded jam session - and while technically the playing is very good, I didn’t find most of it very interesting.
Felt like it dragged a bit
Delightfully silly! I used to listen to a lot of prog back in the day and I loved it. Listening back now it does seem like a lot of self indulgent twaddle! But fun none the less.
Dużo różnorodności, Roundabout oczywiście znałam. 3,5/5
I've never really understood prog rock... and listening to this entire album did very little to further that understanding. Talented musicians for sure, I just can't get my head around the concepts.
Pretty sure putting a bunch of really good songs surrounded by some filler songs is actually a jojo reference 3.5
Just from the opening track! YES LET'S GOOO. I got a bit bored further into the album. The fire died down.
5/10
Wasn't incredibly impressed.
Yeah. OK.
Yes, I liked!
Glad I know where the audios from now. You know the one. Also some genuinely good rock in here but some that wasn’t totally for me. Cool ending though
I did enjoy this album more than I thought would. I won’t be listening to it in full again, but I’ve taken a couple songs from it. I also love how short it is. Not my vibe, but not bad at all!
Some really banging music brought down by nonsensical intermissions.
sim FAVS (top 3): roundabout, south side of the sky, mood of the day mençoes honrosas: we have heaven, lond distance runaround, heart of the sunrise MEU DEUS É O ALBUM Q TEM A MUSICA DO TO BE CONTINUED KKKKKKK AMO. tirando isso, legal o album eles arrasam nos instrumentos de corda fez uma baita diferença nota final: 3.5/5
Roundabout is a grrrreat track. The rest of the album is all flash no substance. Seriously what is the point in the extracts from Brahms - so pretentious. Its great to have this sort of craftsmanship and ambition in music, but I don't think this is it. Yes have better albums. 2.8/5
Roundabout - 3.5/5 Cans and Brahms - 2.5/5 We Have Heaven - 3/5 South Side of the Sky - 3/5 Five per Cent for Nothing - 2.5/5 Long Distance Runaround - 4/5 The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus) - 4.5/5 Moddo for a Day - 3/5 America - 3/5 Roundabout - Early Rough Mix - 3/5 3/5
preciso ouvir ainda omg depois eu mudo
Yes have influenced several of my favorite bands, and I wish I could get into their music, but this just doesn't really work for me.
cult asa woodstock music
Yesss but not their best work
Went in knowing it was a prog rock big deal, and while the musicians are super talented, the genre just isn't my general thing. I dig the technical stuff and that killer bassline in "Roundabout", but the rest of the record was kinda hit or miss. All the experimental bits and those short, solo instrumentals felt more like each member showing off than a good cohesive listen. Overall, it was whatever for me. There are some awesome moments, especially in the longer songs, but the whole pretentious, over-the-top art rock thing made it feel like a drag. It's clearly amazing for people who love that kind of complex, symphonic rock, but as someone who isn't into that whole musical wizard thing, I found it to be kinda forgettable and not something I'd listen to again.
keb maar enkel deel 1 geluisterd want wtf 4uur ma twas wel een vibe 3.5
Solid project Roundabout is a feat of music and the rest of the album doesn’t really reach the same heights that song does Feels like a bunch of pretty good or ok songs sandwiched between two prog rock masterpieces
This is a tough review to write because there was a time when I would have given this a 5/5. In fact, upon seeing this album pop up, I thought 5/5 was within reach! But after giving it my full attention for the first time in 15 years, I feel that even a 4/5 isn't quite correct. In many ways, I love Yes. They've written some of my favorite musical moments—and some of them are on this album. But, like so much of prog, there are also a lot of moments that seem to exist for stroking the band members' egos, rather than contributing to the song. It's maximalist to a fault, overwritten and under-felt. I saw a video of Rick Rubin working with Flea on "Give It Away." Rubin keeps telling Flea to "give it space" and not to be "too note-y." Yes could have really used a producer with that mindset on Fragile. "Long Distance Runaround" is a great and underrated track though. No notes on that one (except for the many, many notes throughout it).
At least it wasn’t Too Loud™️
Roundabout is incredible, great lyrics, interesting instrumentation, long play time with development over the song. Rest of the songs are more a mixed bag. I would have rated this album higher if 3-4 of the duds were left out of the album and it was just a tad more cohesive between songs.
The songs with lyrics are good, but fillers like “Five percent for Nothing” really harms it
This is the second Yes album for me in this project. And just like last time, I still can't really get into their music. I like the genre. In some ways, the music reminds me a lot of Genesis, a band I love. But still, I can't get into Yes' music. And that was also the case with this album. 3/5
Roundabout
V/Rv
+ roundabout, baaaass - a lil wacky
Prog blæææh
This is pretty good. The first song hit me with a wave a nostalgia. This a 3 but like a good 3, not like these other 3 albums out here
Loveee the breakdown in Roundabout but way too long for no reason. didn't really care for the instrumentals except for Heart of the Sunrise.
This was ok
Enjoyable, upbeat background music for today.
Long forgotten album. Very nic eto hear it again. I remember well the Roundabout, but also the log distance runaround. Or is this inly a remindrer on the Yessongs Live album?
Sometimes felt a little bit like a disjointed sampler album (for example, when it stumbles into part of a Brahms symphony...)
First song’s a banger then it kinda fizzles.
The only Yes I know is Roundabout and Owner of a Lonely Heart. One of those is on this album, and it's 8 and a half minutes long and I liked it. The rest of the album is OK, it gets a little too proggy and Jazz Odyssey-y at times. Not bad, not great. I'd rather spend the time listening to Floyd.
Wasn't really expecting the old school vibes - decent listen
Fragile is undeniably beautiful, full of rich instrumentation and those soaring, sky-high vocals feel god damned transcendent. I appreciate the ambition and the progressive spirit, but a lot of it drifts into vibing and fiddling around - great as a background listen, less so if I’m looking to be fully locked in or emotionally grabbed.
Roundabout slaps, the rest not so much. Really wanted to love this one, alas
Good album
The guys know how to compose, and play songs
# Album Name: Fragile # Artist: Yes # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: Like one good song on the album. The rest are fillers or just ok. # Top Tunes: roundabout # Would I listen to it again? No. Just some of it
Pretty but a bit boring
I got so caught out by Roundabout being an anime hit, otherwise it’s okay, not bad but not impressive to my ears.
3.5, some good stuff, some weird stuff
Mehhhh not really a fan. Felt like stale classic rock dad would listen to.
Some highlights in what started off sounding like nonsense but once my ear tuned in was enjoyable. Could not do this every day
All I knew about this band was hearing “Roundabout” on the radio often back in the day. The best parts of this album are excellent, especially the production, keyboards and harmonies. There are two or three tracks are more or less filler. In addition, I like my music rougher around the edges. So I’m afraid prog rock may not be for me . Torn between a strong 3 and a weak 4. Going with the 3 for the incongruous cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “America”. I added “Long Distance Runaround” to my Generator playlist.
It is so funny that this gets recommended after I started watching JoJo's Bizarre Adventures with my father a week ago. The album starts with the very noticeable and meme song 'Roundabout' which, all jokes aside, is a great prog rock track filled with twists and turns. I specially loved the acoustic guitar melodies at the intro, middle and end, and how funky the bass is though the whole track. From this point, I don't think the album reaches the high point in which the first song leaves. 'Cans and Brahms' and 'We Have Heaven' are very short songs that don't do anything interesting. They can even be described as interludes. The first one is an extract from a classic piece that reminded me lot to Emmerson, Lake & Palmer, a group that I'm not a fan of. The man point of other song is the use of layers of harmonizing voices repeating the same lyrics over and over again. Talking about the voice, I am not a big fan of the singing in this album. Is not bad, I believe it is a bit inexpressive. The next song, 'South Side of the Sky' is the third longest cut of the record, and I wish it was shorter. It stars and ends with some rather decent riffs, but the middle is just more harmonized voices. If I didn't like what the previous song did, what they did in this one makes no difference to me. What I'll give the song credit for is that it has a cool piano interlude which feels very classical. The forth track, 'Five Per Cent for Nothing' I think is quite fun. It is the shortest one, but feels like a chaotic mathcore song. 'Long Distance Runaround' is one of my favourite parts of the list. In terms of structure, it is very simple for prog rock. There is nothing extra fancy like complex solos or chaotic transitions. It is just very pleasant melodies. The following track, 'The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)', features some intrinsic melodies, but if feels bit too one-dimensional, and 'Mood for a Day' is an instrumental which consists exclusively of an acoustic guitar with a classical tone to it. As the second and third songs, these one also feel like interludes, but at least they are a bit more interesting. Finally, the project ends with a very prog rock epic, 'Heat of the Sunrise'. As the initial song, it has very chaotic switches between pure energy and calm moments. What I liked the most about it are the fast guitars and bass that adds a very frenetic feeling to the song. Overall, a decent album. I do think having 5 of 9 songs that come across as interludes ruins the experience a little bit, it still manages to be solid.
A big improvement on the previous Yes album, which is more testament to how bad that was than how good this is. A solid slice of prog rock that didn’t outstay its welcome. A bonus point for Rick Wakeman being a guest in Dictionary Corner on Countdown in the Whiteley days.
Even though it was relatively recently, I barely remember listening to the previous ‘yes’ album and this one is likely to leave a similarly small impression. I didn’t immediately dislike this in quite the same way though, not to say I particularly enjoyed it either. Seemed to be less meandering, bit more focussed, and less spinal tap than ‘close to the edge’ was. Probably won’t revisit it though.
- the intro made me think of the jojo to be continued meme so it was hard not to giggle - roundabout - i rlly like the bass, lowk wish it wasnt so associated with the meme cuz its fire - an 8 minute song is kind of crazy tho - we have heaven - rlly like this ones intro - all these songs are so long and theres so many - im curious on how long it took to make esp since each song has so much detail - five per cent for nothing - shocking little filler that made me jump - long distance run around - kind of a dizzy sound which fits with the title - rlly like when the vocals cut in - heart of the sunrise - like how it goes from boom guitar to the mysterious little synthesizer in the intro - kind of reminds me of cary on my wayward sun with more synthesizer
Liked it
Favorite songs: We Have Heaven, South Side of the Sky, The Fish
Kind of a “let’s be weird for the sake of being weird”, which I guess is a bit of a time period. The opening track is an absolute banger, even if it’s overplayed because of a meme, but hearing the whole song was cool.
Hammond B3 organ ftw
I wasn’t expecting to get “JoJo-ed” XD The album was a great listening choice and I’d listen again. Theres a lot going on musically that I’m not knowledgeable enough to pick up on but I enjoyed it nonetheless the less. Not a “top to bottom banger” everything hits but some songs are better than others.
Love roundabout Long and sprawling much like the instrumental sections in all the long songs. Tha amount of songs over 5 mins put me off a bit, pushed it down from a 4 to a 3.
Incredibly familiar
4h 6min? Yeah not listening to all that. But roundabout is cool cause the to be continued meme. And the 40 min or so that I listened to were really chill. 3 stars cause the Spotify Ultra Deluxe version is way too long
Slay acoustic guitar
+++
Depends on my mood kinda thing. Today I wasn’t really feeling it and it felt like a bit of a slog at times. There were some fun moments, though! I don’t think prog is my favorite generally, it’s just hard to escape into? A little too self aware? Like they’re constantly going: look how cool this part is!!
There was good in this
Nice album
The most 1970s thing ever - 9 tracks, 5 of them sub 2 minutes and the others all long as hell. 3 of the long ones were pretty great though so can't rate it too low!
Meh. Middle of the road.
I think I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. Very intricate, but not great for the aux.
The singles are classic, rest of the album I found underwhelming.
Interesting in places but very noodly
Ok so, I like prog rock. I've heard Yes before, but not an album. This is what I was expecting, maybe slightly let down by the end of it but I'd buy this record if I saw it at a decent price. Then again, this listen just affirmed that I should buy 'any' Yes album if I find it at a decent price. The production quality and the musicianship is exquisite, especially for the year, early '70s with this shredding potential. I'm happy to have heard this, I just don't know if I feel the need to revisit it. Fits into a cluster of albums worth giving a spin when the mood is right. 3.4/5
This album is a bit better than a few of the last boring 60’s rock album that I’ve had on the list - but it’s not that special either. Just not a fan of the back ends of the longer songs - have a great hook then just overstay their welcome.
interesting sound, not quite what I was expecting but cool background music
instrumental. mom and dad both said they listened to this back in the day
really liked the vibe of this one, didn't get to absorb the lyrics but I will definitely be listening again!
Technically excellent, roundabout is awesome, but have to be in the right frame of mind to listen which isn’t often.
Enjoyed aspects of it. At times I just did not really like the singing. I liked the mix of instrumental songs and moments with songs that had more singing. "Roundabout" - I enjoyed the start and then the end of the middle to the end, but for a brief part in the middle I was not loving it. Ending up liking the song, but thinking it was a bit longer than needed. "Cans and Brahms" - Whimsical. "We Have Heaven" - Too repetitive for me. I didn't like the sound. "South Side of the Sky" - Did not like the singing in the start but enjoyed the end (6 minutes and on) where it picked up. "Five per Cent for Nothing" - Did not like. "Long Distance Runaround" - I just don't like the singing. "The Fish" - I liked the vibe. "Mood for a Day" - Peaceful. I really liked the sound of it. "Heart of the Sunrise" - The start is really cool. I liked this one. "America" - Was a little long at the start but at 2:30 in it picked up. Then I liked it for a bit, but by the end I did not really enjoy it. I like the original more.
"Roundabout" - it's funky, i dig, heard it before and i like it until about halfway then i get a little annoyed until it picks back up "Cans and Brahms" - not what i expected but i fuck with it "We Have Heaven" - i'm annoyed "South Side of the Sky" - really like the guitar, the song overall is ok but very interesting, really like the end "Five per Cent for Nothing" - not a fan "Long Distance Runaround" - i dont like his singing "The Fish" - i kinda dig it "Mood for a Day" - i really like this "Heart of the Sunrise" - i fuck with this heavyyyy "America" - i much prefer simon and garfunkel but i dig this one too
Roundabout is a classic and gets a 3 regardless
I think you had to be there.
Disjointed track by track but some solid tunes
Was hoping to like this more than I did. I think the first and last tracks were the best but everything in the middle was pretty forgetful.
Man...it's hard to take Prog Rock seriously. But I'll give the other reviewers creisdt here - the muscianship is extensive, even if its not osmething i'd come back to often.
2.5
Roundabout is incredible. The rest was kind of okay.
Pretty good like a 7-6.5/10
I’m just not much of a prog guy. But Heart of the Sunrise is pretty rad.
A low 3 at that just a few redeeming
Yes always strikes me as the type of prog that gets in its own way. Either way, the first track is in Jojo's and maybe it should be a 4 on that basis alone but I wasn't into it and turned it off.
Dad rock at its finest? It's not for me but seems like an important album in progressive rock.
Algunas muy buenas. Otras se hacen difícil de escuchar.
some fun parts with the guitar, otherwise not too memorable
i love roundabout i like long distance runaround rest of the songs were decent
Thought this was great. I really recognise the first songs intro and it’s been bugging me for 3 days way. It’s a great mix of folk, pop, soul, funk and some disco. A really interesting listen, especially five per cent for nothing - almost quite jazz like in its composition. I would call this a dad album. Would give a 3.5 if possible
First time ever listening to YES. Roundabout - fun guitar intro. Funky bassline. Oh this song is eight and a half minutes long. cans & brahms - interesting, sounds like christmas we have heaven - this is a jam! love it south side of the sky - windy intro, funky prog is fun. never been a huge prog fan, like some, love some, but mostly meh for me. ...rest was fine. lots of great instrumentation, but not a style that's necessarily for me.
Proge as it can be. Mix of everything in nice way but includes also lows.
Decent rock album, except it's too much "all over the place". Flamenco guitar was the final straw to me. While I like prog rock, it's usually the bloody artsy fartsy crap that really get me. While it played through, I lost interest in actively listening after around one third or by midway through.
Acceptable.
This isn't the first time I've listened to this album. I've been deeply enamoured with Progressive Rock as a teen, and Yes have certainly been some of the bands whose music I explored and enjoyed. Fragile is packed with intriguing music and sports a fascinating album cover art, both of which can surely spark a teenager's imagination. I don't listen to Prog Rock as much nowadays (spare a few bands that still hold a special place in my heart) as I've gone deeper and explored slightly less pretentious sounds. I believe this era of Yes is still innocent and the band was still in their prime. Still an enjoyable listen, but after hearing it countless times earlier in my life it doesn't quite scratch the itch like it used to... Nonetheless, some of the shorter ditties are simply beautiful, though the longer songs sometimes fall into sounding bland and exhausting without remaining fresh. I do like the tension created in the last composition of this album - intense, paced, full of contrasts, playful and suspenseful.
A weird album that's mostly just 3 songs? It's good but the real standout here is Roundabout, the rest of the album isn't really standing on its own. Yes don't quite have the star power of other classic rock groups.
Very cool. JoJo's. Super deluxe version nails home how good these songs are.
initally feels too noodly. but after the full listen, i kind of really dug it. That said, i would not want this in my general library. If a twelve minute jam song came up on shuffle, i would not be happy.
a lot more instrumental than I think of Yes. It's okay, not something that resonated with me aside from the couple of rifts that were nostalgic.
A fun, moody mix between Pink Floyd maybe and Steely Dan. Would listen again.
Blew me away at first. How something so progressive that sounds so good came out so early in the 70s. Kind of trails off at the end with instrumental fiddly guitar bits, but overall was a good album.
Había una canción que escuché por mucho y no sabía el nombre, hoy lo conocí
Some great drums and guitar sequences, but does not stand out among other 1970s prog rock releases
This was pretty ok. If I’m being honest i just don’t like prog that much (Pink Floyd being an exception) and there wasn’t much of this that was interesting to me. Fav songs: roundabout, south side of the sky. Some of this was def cool but i felt like i had to weed through so much random stuff listening wise that it’s not that fun to listen to overall.
Roundabout :D Aber weiß nicht, ob ich n Fan vom Remix werde >.> Der Rest ging an mir vorbei wie Hamiltons Karriere bei Ferrari. Schnell und ich hab nicht wirklich was mitgekriegt......
Witzig, das outro aus Jojos Bizarre Adventure und einigen Memes. 3-4 Sterne, aber prog Rock wird einfach nicht mein Favorit.
-probably my favorite Yes album i’ve heard. the grandiose prog rock songs are awesome and also easier to get into than on the other albums i’ve heard imo -some of the interludes / shorter songs made it feel a little lackluster but even so they were fun. pretty cool album. thank you JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure for introducing me to Roundabout at a young age -Favorites: Roundabout, South Side Of The Sky
Good album
I enjoyed Roundabout, and the rest of the album is good, but for me not great. Still enjoyed listening to it though!
The Good: Well, it’s positive. Right? The Bad: It is kinda forced on you… what if you like “no”? The Ugly: So fragile, that it breaks too easy… Right, or left, it is what it is. Great opening song, the rest could have been a giant skip, as far as I’m concerned. Prog music is a tough nut to crack, sometimes it can be really nice, other times it feels too forced. In Yes’s case, it’s more than forced. I can understand that the musicians are all top notch, they show it constantly, which is why it is hard to listen to. Anyway, I think that I will stay positive and give the album an upgraded 2 1/2*
I recognize the first song from the "to be continued..." meme so that made me laugh a bit. Other that this album also isn't really my thing. That one song where there was a lot of just acoustic guitar was very nice!
Turns out im a fan of prog rock. 3.5/5
i listened to this a year ago.
Un virtuosismo con poco sentido. A mí esta música no me dice nada. Tiene más de ejercicio físico que de experiencia artística. Aunque reconozco sus méritos.
In the world of prog rock, "irritating" and "actually really cool" are close bedfellows. And I don't think any album illustrates this more clearly than Fragile by Yes. The highs of this album are high enough that it really feels like the lows are an intentional decision to not make good music. To explain the structure of this album a little, there are basically 3 huge, epic songs, all of which incredible centerpieces: there is one complete, structured song that's a more manageable three minutes. But the other 5 songs, stringing everything together are all short sketches and experiments, each recorded solo by one of the band members. These songs are really a mixed bag. We start with Roundabout, a momentous accomplishment: prog at its coolest, and rocking a hell of a baseline. But then, we immediately follow it with Cans And Brahms, keyboardist Rick Wakeman's solo contribution to the album. It is an arrangement of several Brahms excerpts and easily the most deeply obnoxious moment on the project. This is prog is all of its stupidest glory, it gives goofy high fantasy vibes and I hate listening to it. Just two songs later, South Side Of The Sky even does the neo-classical thing a lot better, and that song is amazing, veering into the most atmospheric tendencies from classical music. *And* immediately after Cans And Brahms we get We Have Heaven from Jon Anderson, which is a much better little experiment. It has the cadence of like a sea shanty and the vocal layering is great. Then at the start of side two we get stupid again. Bruford's Five Per Cent For Nothing almost works, but it *is* obnoxious. Although it is a brief 37 seconds, which saves it a little. But it is followed by Long Distance Runaround, which I know is well-loved, but to me it just kind of sounds like Thomas The Tank Engine, and I can't explain it. The Fish and Mood For A Day both work, then we close with Heart Of The Sunrise. A really great song, it reminds me of the break in 21st Century Schizoid Man sometimes, and at other times it reminds me of Words by Neil Young. Regardless of this, it very much works. There are some great songs here, and at its best, Fragile embodies the best of prog, but it also indulges in the worst.
Good but at the begining i thought it was going to be better
Long songs and too much instrumental
Solid, but kinda carried by Roundabout imo.
This album has a lot of flavors. I can see that it would be influential.
For all the notes on display here this is all about the bass tone for me. I'm a simpleton and heart. The music moves in all directions at once but the bass provides a solid foundation and something to hold onto. Downright groovy even in 7/8 time...
5/10
Instrumental jazz. One good song other than that nothing too special
Prog rock at its best. I was surprised I liked it as much as I did.
My appreciation for this album puts it out of two, but nostalgia bumps it up to a three
drôle d’album, je comprends pas trop le concept lol. la musique baroque était une bonne addition. 3.5
Not bad. Feels a bit dated, but probably ahead of it's time although it definitely has some keyboard bits that feel very much tied to the 60s and 70s. Not bad though.
I've wanted to hear the keyboard solo inn 'Roundabout' since 2003! This wasn't what I was expecting from Yes but I had a good time listening
Too much fiddle-faddlin’ with the damn organ synth but otherwise pretty rockin
Experts in their field but it’s not a field I prefer to play in often. 3/ 5
I‘m probably the only one who doesn’t know Roundabout? Enjoyable prog rock (found it better than dark side of the moon because better hooks) But then it was a bit aimless showing off of instrumental skills. Also: sounds like early zelda soundtrack
Really like this! 3
Roundabout saves this from a 2
I wasn’t into the first several tracks, but it ends well, with the last track being my favorite
I am also a fan of JoJo
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
This felt like the 70s.
OK, another new band for me. Strangely, they remind me of The Beatles in the early days. Good tune, Good album.
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
Yes, Roundabout is a big hit. The rest is decent.
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.
5/10 Mid Sounds stale and there's nothing exciting sonically or lyrically
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.
Classic prof rock.
Recognized the first song right off the bat. Pitchfork: n/a Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs Roundabout Long Distance Runaround
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.
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
Roundabout is a masterpiece of music. There's no doubt. But prog rock really requires the right mood at times.
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.
3/5
Solid album