Reviews (page 8 of 13)
- 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
Yes, Roundabout is genuinely fun and the rest of the album is interesting enough to make a listen through decent. Probably don’t need to hear it again though and I know there are two more Yes albums on the list and I fear they won’t be as palatable as Fragile
3.1/on one hand, roundabout is glorious. but on the other, what is the rest of this album doing. vinyl was in collection.
Three stars for being not outrageously obnoxious like a good bit of the 70's prog on here. It doesn't grab me as particularly remarkable, it's just on here because of Roundabout. The cover is cool.
1971 So, I've got this, and for a while I used to wax lyrical about how Yes should be reverred in a godlike status. The musicianship and technical ability being demonstrated is pure prog. However, whilst I love the opener, 'Roundabout' and the production of the album as a whole. I find, as I've got older, it's all a tad arrogant and self-indulgent, and interludes between the main tracks are simply 'look-at-me' statements for each member of the band. Punk needed to happen. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Show-offs ★★★☆☆ (6/10)
I've already listened to his album (18). Starts really strong, then gets boring as Yes usually is. But that first track is really something.
I keep forgetting that I actually enjoy this record. Even if Yes can become a little tiresome.
Enjoyed a lot of these, especially roundabout, felt some tracks could have been shorter though
difficult
Just a note before I dive into Fragile too far: I think "Roundabout" is one of the great rock songs. Not just of prog, but of all rock music. It is tight, and rocking, and melodic, and weird, and I love it. Also, until I looked up the lyrics on this listen, I always thought it was "Marlins come out of the sky and stand there." "Mountains" makes a bit more sense, I guess? Anyways. I've always particularly loved that middle break that repeats the introductory guitar part, with the chorus sung over different chords - it's beautiful! That being said, Fragile really could've been boiled down to an EP. "Roundabout" "South Side of the Sky" "Long Distance Runaround" "Mood for a Day" "Heart of the Sunrise" That's all you need, and I think you can even lose one of "Sky" or "LDR." I really enjoyed The Yes Album so I was a bit let down by Fragile - it's got Rick Wakeman after all, and Roundabout! But overall it just doesn't hold together as well. Oh and one more thing - Bill Bruford is a boss. Good lord, this guy. One star for him, one star for Roundabout, one star for the rest of the album combined + the artwork. THREE STARS
Quite proggy. Jazz rock to some extent. I find it hard to take seriously but this was more enjoyable than some of the others I've heard in this genre.
started out great, but lost steam after roundabout, and never got back to where it needed to go.
To be continued…
This is the 2nd Yes album I have been dealt so far, they’re not a band I particularly knew coming into this and just like with The Yes Album, I’m left liking the proggy nature of this but feeling like I’d need more listens to properly appreciate it. I also think I preferred The Yes Album.
Fine-gile
Should be right up my alley but felt like a mixed bag.
it was fine
hehe funny bassline
Ok
One minute I’m a little leprechaun frolicking around, the next I’m an English lad having a night in town with my boys in the 70s
Prog rock! Sounds great. I was impressed with the bass and drums on these tracks. Hard to believe this is from 71. Fun album!
Some real bangers on here, but a lot of it just doesn't work for me.
Not as good as Close to the Edge, but still some good stuff. I like Heart of the Sunrise.
Ok cool Prog rock goodness Got bored about three songs in but good musicianship
"Roundabout" is perfect in every way; It's dramatic, it's funky, it's fun, it's epic in scope, it's just a truly great song. While the album never reaches this high again, the longer form songs ("South Side of the Sky" and "Heart of the Sunrise") are still great, and there are pairs of songs ("Long Distance Rundaround" and "The Fish", "We Have Heaven" leading into "South Side of the Sky") that compliment each other well enough that they could be one song. and then you have the filler of "Cans and Brahms", "Five Per Cent for Nothing"'s angular jazz thing, and the actually. pleasant "Mood for a Day" which seem like unnecessary detours that didn't add anything.
Alright, I appreciate how incredibly nerdy this album/band/genre is. If you like prog rock and renaissance fairs, this is probably right up your alley. Album length is a big dose for this kind of music and I don't think I need more than a few tracks at a time, no matter how good the guitar work is, or how nasty the baselines are. Seriously, the opening bass riff on “Roundabout”? Disgusting. About 1/2 the songs feel like they started with some sheet music for some kind of very obscure classical guitar music and then they just decided to jam around it for 6 minutes. If they just did that with far less singing, maybe I could handle more.
No.
Feared the worst but pleasantly surprised how much of this I actually quite enjoyed.
Roundabout is iconic but the rest of this doesn't ever really come close to reaching those heights again. 6/10
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would, some decent prog rock in there but a lot of forgettable stuff in here as well,
don’t have much of an ear for prog rock, i.e. not sure of the conventions of the genre, but it was definitely really interesting and engaging to listen to with all the funky time signatures and combos of instrumental and vocals. great bass on ‘roundabout’, spectacular guitar on ‘mood for a day’. i liked the kind of singing in round on ‘we have heaven’. not sure that i’ll listen again but didn’t dislike it! neutral!
Liked the instrumental components of this album. I’d listen to it in my free time.
Ooof. This was super exhausting. I admire the musicianship, but this brought up a strange dilemma: why am I going crazy for almost the same thing as Fripp & co are doing here when it's The Decemberists or MGMT or other modern prog-y bands that clearly have inferior musical (and often also lyrical) abilities to Yes while at the same time I'm just unable to open up to this album? I have the same feeling I did with the Peter Gabriel LP: I'm too stupid for this. Anyway, one fewer thing to want to have on vinyl, at least :)
Profoundly uncool music, made by and for those for whom Pink Floyd is too conventional. It is nonetheless pretty good, particularly in its bookending epics. I am stunned to learn that Red House Painters' Long-Distance Runaround is actually a Yes cover.
Just ok!
Yes
A couple good prog rock tracks that get washed out by excessively long jams that do nothing for anyone.
5/10
Enjoying this more than I thought I would. Mix of styles and never really know what's going on
got jojo-jumpscared which was cool. the rest of the album is just okay. i liked that there was interesting instrumentals but it really blended together for me. good music to have in the background when you work!
Es raro. La diferencia de duraciones en las canciones, los mil instrumentales. El primer tema está bueno, es largo y parece que setea lo que va a a venir... Pero no. Ni te esperás lo que va a venir.
high three this was awesome sometimes
i liked some of the songs quite a bit
Actually much cooler than I expected, I still don't really expect to return to it but was enjoyable for sure. I would like to listen to an entire album that sounds like the last minute of Heart of the Sunrise. Yes clears Rush for sure Fav song: South Side of the Sky
If you want a whimsy, wimpy King Crimson
3/5 only real good song was roundabout and the rest where mostly just doodling by the musicians. Fun listen but not planning to return.
Roundabout is elite. Everything else is pretty meh though unfortunately.
A range of genres. Rock one minute, medieval the next, instrumental, funk. Always love the unique sound of Jon Anderson's vocals. Feels experimental given Rick Wakeman's influence on synthesisers and the new sounds they were producing. But there are better Yes albums than this one
“Roundabout” is quite good. But from this vantage point, the album just seems like competent, not transcendent, prog-rock. This isn’t the prog-rock I’ll return to when I (rarely!) have that itch. And this isn’t even the Yes album I’d turn to when I want to hear the band. (90125, from my “own” era, is what I’d want to hear.)
Roundabout is the obvious high point of the album. But just like with other Yes albums, it’s all solid and makes fantastic background music
When I hear extremely progressive rock like this sometimes I think they're just doing too much. It just comes off as pretentious. Complexity is fine so long as it doesn't detract from actually being enjoyable. When they just rock out without getting too weird it actually sounds really good. Favorites: Roundabout, Mood for a Day Least Favorites: Five Per Cent for Nothing
Wide range of musical styles in one album. The good songs were good but some of the filler was a little too out there for my taste.
it's almost good, a little too prog rock for me though ( i did wonder what kind of person was listening to this back in the day .... )
Oh God. Back in the 90s, before streaming music, Yes was the bane of my existence. They would stop your classic rock radio station in its tracks. “Muthafucka, I came for Led Zeppelin, not ten minutes of carnival organ.” Swearing off this for 25 years, now it’s … pretty good. I get it. Let’s bury this thing, Yes.
Yes is one of those bands who are often cited as influences for bands I love (in particular Rush), but I don't seem to love the same way.
Appreciated the classical tracks
Ummm…edgy!
3.7
3 out of 5 Lot of slow songs. I’m a big fan of Yes but not all their songs.
Albums with long running tracks just don't click with me.
only listened to part of it
More enjoyable than I expected with some cool bass and guitar parts but overall the band is just not my cup of tea
Only knew Roundabout, and there's some great bass and guitar riffs on this (though I can do without all the various keyboard overload). "Heart of the sunrise" was a real ripper!
Re-listen
I kind of outgrew a lot of prog-rock stuff. The classical like guitar parts are pleasant to listen to, but I wouldn't cal the album my thing. Just feels very like long songs, progressive rock, misses a bit of pop catchyness I find. The last 15 seconds I was a bit like, what is going on, what is this.
I guess I should get high. I'd probably get high and listen to this again.
As a fan of other Prog or "Progressive" music, Rush, Genesis, Polvo, etc. Yes, is one of those bands that I knew existed but I had never heard, or if I did hear them they did not make an impression on me. Before listening to this album I did go and see what other people thought, and it does seem to be similar to me. A mid album from a mid band. Although there are 3 bangers on this Roundabout, Fiver Per Cent For Nothing, and Heart Of The Sunrise.
Gut
Generelt: Er de lange låtene inspirert av Bohemian Rhapsody og Queen? Eller generelt progrock? Er jo vanlig med veeeldig lange låter, men Bohemian Rhapsody var veldig pioner på akkurat den. Kult album, men kommer nok ikke til å høre på det igjen? Frekk basslinje på første låt, god damn. Progrock, 100 prosent. Mye som sklir inn i hverandre, deilig at det føles ut som en lang improvisasjon av noe slag på første låt. Andre låt på albumet - wow, barokk-vibes. Gir mening når det er Brahms i tittelen. Albumet er fullt av overraskelser. Tredje låta; gøy med koring og litt polyfoni. Og selv om det går i 6/8, føles det ikke helt slik. Litt fucka rytmisk. Dette er gøy. Fjerde låta: Hva slags modalskala er dette på refrenget med modulering? jeez. Akkurat som første låt, veldig proggete - føles litt ut som en lang impro med spesielt piano i midten av låta som bare improviserer. Spennende oppbygning med koringa - hvor går det hen? Fortsatt spennende skala på pianoet. Litt skuffende oppbygning og overgang til vokal igjen. Sjette låt: gøy med tostemt rytmisk start, fucka rytmisk her også. Går det faktisk i 4/4? Følers ikke slik i starten. Gøy start og slutt hvertfall, og rytmen satte meg ut. Syvende låt: denne går faktisk i 7/4. Føles ut som en forlengelse av forrige låt med overgangen. Deilig med gitar som ikke tar helt over, og begge gitarene som bare ligger i bakgrunnen og plukker. Samme med bassen. Åttende låt: Samme med barokk-vibes. Veldig klassisk med kun akustisk gitar i starten. Ser for meg en kar som sitter med gitarkroppen mellom beina på en scene med et betraktelig gammelt klientell på operaen. Ble litt mindre klassisk halvveis ut i låta, og mer frekt spansk gitarspill nærmere slutten av låta. Niende låt: Veldig kontrast fra forrige låt, hahaha. Betraktelig mye hardere lyd og trommer, og gøy med orgel-lyd. Gøy med halfbeat, mer spaced/atmosphere-sound på halfbeat. Kul oppbygning med synth, repetativt gitarspill etc., til vanlig beat. Fuck, hvordan plukker bassisten så kjapt? Akkurat som første låt, drit lang låt med følelsen av lang impro/miks. Så mange forskjellige deler i én låt, følelser og sjangre/stiler. haha, hva var overgangen med synthene? Tiende låt: Call and response-start. Det er gøy. Samme rytme som repeteres, hvor går denne spenninga hen? Siste låt er som første låt, bare en tidligere miks? Overtonene <3 Og med en faktisk barokk-klassisk gitar outro. What?!
Another Yes album. This sure is proggy, but for some reason feels more tolerable than their other records on this list.
This is hard for me to rate: on one hand I really like the musicianship and the parts that just "groove", on the other hand the singing really detracts from the aforesaid parts. This could be a classic like most of the WAR albums if the artists would just hang out in a space instead of moving to something else in the effort to show off. Be that as it may there are 3 or 4 really good songs on here and the album should be on the list as an example of great keyboard and bass playing if for nothing else.
Some of the short instrumentals are meh, but when this rocks out, there’s some fantastic riffing and I don’t even hate the keyboard solos.
Actually quite a nice album to listen to. No songs added to my playlists though.
nerdz
pretty nice album, i enjoyed mood for a day and heart of the sunrise
1. To be continued...meme song. 70s prog rock. 2. Short song. Kinda classical. Sounds like it would be in period drama in the 70s. 3. Another short one. 70s folk rock chant. 4. Feels/sounds like Mastodon a little bit; a slightly dark edge, more dramatic. Actually like this one. Good for a prog Playlist. 5. 38 second nonsense. 6. Kind of a filler song. Did move me much. 7. Another short song. Weird song name that is also the only lyrics. Too lazy to Google what it means. 8. Nice acoustic guitar. You can tell the guitarist knows what their doing. Slight Spanish feel. Almost a modern day Melody in the middle of the song. 9. 3 and a half minutes before the first lyric. Prog journey type of song. 10. Song about hitch hiking in America? Idk. Michigan mentioned! Kind of a bluegrass feel. Sound like what America might sound like if that makes sense. 11. The first song but an earlier mix/version.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Roundabout, Long Distance Runabout Yes album number three on the List. In my opinion, this album is not as good as Closer to the Edge or The Yes Album. It's a perfectly cromulent album, its just not clicking the same way the other albums did. I may need to have a few more listens. Closer to the Edge had the epic 18 minute eponymous song on side A that pretty much sealed the deal for me, and The Yes Album had both Starship Trooper (which I had not heard until listening for the first time) and I've Seen All Good People (which surprisingly isn't their most popular song, and in fact its more surprising that Roundabout is their second most popular song by plays). Anyways, even after 3 listens, the album still didn't really click.
Some songs were very good, others just a bit repetitive.
Enjoyed this more than close to the edge but still not massively up my street. Easy enough listen
Good musicians. Too many drugs.
It was okay. Made me want to listen to steely dan
Not my favourite style of music.
Really good i want to be a nerd so i actually enjoy it but i know its good, prog rock is not yet my thing... but one day... it will be
Forgetable i think didnt get to finish it
I like Yes and there are a few great tracks on this album but it's a little uneven?
𝘍𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 showcases Yes at the height of their technical prowess, with standout tracks like 𝘙𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 and 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 delivering the full force of their prog rock vision. The musicianship is top-tier, and each band member gets a moment to shine — literally, through individual solo pieces. But that’s also where the album stumbles. The constant shift between sprawling band epics and short, sometimes whimsical solo interludes makes the listening experience feel uneven. The flow suffers, and not every piece earns its place. Impressive in parts, essential in context — but not quite the cohesive masterpiece it wants to be.
probably earns another star or two if listened to while driving around on a sunny day with the windows down not bad by any means, but found this album a bit of a slog to get through when listening actively. i like Yes’ hits (aka the guitar hero songs) but maybe i’m not just a huge prog rock guy. shoutout to Heart of the Sunrise - starts off “oh damn this is a jam”, look down and see its 10:35 long lmao. probably has the opposite effect on me than what the artist intended
Not my fav prog rock album. No doubting they’re all brilliant musicians and one or two songs I enjoyed.
Progressive Rock.
Heart of the Sunrise was longer on a different edition. From Wikipedia, I discovered there was a hidden track originally. I was able to hear it on the original from Spotify.
A couple of truly great songs and a fair amount of noodling.
Is this album a Jojo reference?
3.5 Early Yes is a mess. But a joyful one at that. The covers were excellent ("No Opportunity Necessary") and the originals were taking shape ("Starship Trooper.") When Rick Wakeman joined, the writing sped up and they figured our to bottle the lightning ("Heart of The Sunrise" and "Long Distance Runaround." They even got a badass single with "Roundabout." The cohesion is not on "Fragile" and it is so vaunted in places. So, it makes me wish they slipped their amazing cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America" in there. Then it wouldn't be so full of itself. Which ultimately is their downfall, ("Close To The Edge" is alive with tension and a need to make it work AND make it fit together - therefore, their best.) and the exposure of taking yourself too seriously as the Achilles Heel of Prog Rock.
-6 charisma +9 bass on "Roundabout"
Like the hits
So much music so little reason
dont like
Mwah, sommige nummers zijn wel oké, andere minder.
This was an interesting new discovery. Not sure why it's in this list, but some solid organ rick - kinda 60s psychedelic type stuff.
Rating: 6/10 They can play their asses off, no question about that. The longer songs were all quite good, even though these songs would oftentimes meander and the band would focus on the wrong ideas. The other songs are pure filler.
5/10
Fun and creative but a bit all over the place with no guiding thread
it's pretty interesting but there are one too many indulgent guitar solos (an inescapable part of this genre, i suppose.)
Roundabout is too long but a banger. Then two random songs that I do not need again. That is the prevailing theme of this album, a great instrumental idea that’s too long followed by little snippets that don’t add much. There is a straight primus song on here that rules though. Heart of the Sunrise is great until he starts singing but then it will not end. Feeling a hard 3.
I’m conflicted. Half of this is really good, but then it overstays its welcome and becomes everything that sucks about prog rock. These dudes can clearly play and the bassist is stellar in particular. I think the album gets progressively worse with each song, im feeling a strong 3/5 still though.
I’m on a streak of fair to middling albums. This is one of them. I have affection for Yes because I greatly enjoy prog rock, but this album is a little underwhelming. Fine, perfectly OK, but nothing special.
Way too long but the first disc was pretty good. Had the meme song! Did not listen to the rest. So 3 stars
Nerdy singers talking bout sum nerdy shi idk didn't listen much but the mixes and unique production was fire lot of ear candy and doubled vocals
michelle found it extremely enjoyable, which in skeptical about. she appreciated the instrumentals. i thought it was aight.
solid classic rock
I once was so down for prog rock. I also was a teenage stoner at the time. Now, while I appreciate the musicianship, I don’t have the interest or patience for the epic jams. 3.5 stars
Heard a bunch of these songs. Not something I will listen to often but decent.
Since I started listening and buying Rock music (55 years ago) I have skirted around the prog bands without ever going fully in, loved Genesis and Jethro Tull at the time but don't revisit their music hardly at all these days. Yes passed me by, but I gave it a good go this morning - listening to 'Fragile" twice, there is a lot to admire in the sheer musicianship in the band but it didn't connect for me on a deeper level I am afraid. YES? sorry lads, but it's a NO for me!
So so
Good album. Yes has a unique sound that I like in small doses. A whole album starts to get a bit tiring. Fortunately they’re not long albums.
This was kind of interesting. For starters I was floored to find the theme music of the "To be continued" meme. The rest of the song is quite good, as is the rest of the album. It's a unique sound the band has, and parts of the album feel pretty epic in their composition. It's nice... But I don't think it's totally my thing. I can acknowledge how the music is well put together, but I don't feel the need to listen to more.
Banging opener. Uneventful continuatio.
I want to like Yes, I really do, but they don't make it easy. There's some great stuff in here (like the surprisingly funky Roundabout) , but there's also plenty of noodling for the sake of noodling that frustrates me. Heart of the Sunrise is the best and worst of Yes all within 11 minutes. In the hands of a more restrained band that guitar part has the making of an absolute rock classic, but instead it's a sprawling opera that dilutes it to the point where it could barely be considered a coherent song, let alone a great one. Bumping it up to a 3 just so I don't disappoint my dad too much.
Was excited to listen to this one, but was disappointed. "Roundabout" is a great track, the rest is your typical boring 70s prog rock with noodling and jamming.
Sometimes great, sometimes too kooky.
• 3/5 • love love the baseline on Roundabout, but don’t find the rest of the album enjoyable - too experimental/prog/self-indulgent
A lot to digest with this one. The musicianship is obviously top notch, and for me the opener is probably still the most enjoyable. Plenty of other musical surprises peppered throughout, especially a very original and different take on America. I was wanting to like it more, but it just didn’t quite get there for me. It’s still quite good, just not the next level I was hoping for.
Really only one song on this that does anything for me, and the rest mostly not really my thing.
Yep, Yup, Yeah, Yea, Uh-huh, Sure, Sure thing, Absolutely, Totally, Definitely, For sure, You bet, Affirmative, Indeed, Without a doubt, Of course, By all means, That’s right, Roger that, Aye, A-OK, Indubitably, Fo’ sho’, Hell yes, Hell yeah, I do, I will, I can, Consider it done, No doubt, Sure enough, Right on, Word, Mm-hmm, You got it, 10-4, Sounds good, Works for me, Copy that, I’m in, Count me in, Naturally, As you wish, Fine by me, Why not, All right, Looks good, Okay, Okie dokie, Yes.
Hard to keep up the pace after a banger of an opening track. Thought this was good but not great. 3.25/5
A wonderful mess of an album. Bookended with two of the best Yes songs (Roundabout is an all timer), but the middle of the album feels like sketches of an idea rather than a coherent work. A joy to listen to this album as a bass player though, Chris Squire really had it going on here.
This is reductive of me but this album really is just the home of Roundabout and 8 other songs... South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, and Heart of the Sunrise are good but man these runtimes are brutal. Not enough meat for the duration but some really great sounds.
I hear a lot of pink Floyd Wish you were here, but it was released 4 years prior! Especially South Side of the Sky. I don’t mind this record. It probably needs a few listens to take it all in.
OK
I have my problems with Yes albums. I really like prog rock, but the influences from classical music or jazz, for example, should not get out of hand so that the virtuosity overshadows the melody. Ian Anderson's voice also depends on my mood. But the album has some great moments and the positives outweigh the negatives.
why is it so looooooonnnnnnggggg
In equal parts impressive and annoying. I’ve never really cared about virtuosity in music. Here it’s a bit much ”we play rock music but we’re serious musicians”. I don’t feel it. Except when I do. There are some intensely groovy parts. Especially the first two-three minutes of ”Heart of the sunrise”. And ”Roundabout” is great. I think I am at risk of being sucked into the black hole of prog rock if I stay in it’s proximity. I should probably put on something with worse musicians quickly.
Favoriten Mood for a day
Back half of this album was much better than the front half, mostly bc they kept their mouths shut and just played their instruments. 2.5 stars. Will not listen again willfully.
A lot of the songs sounds like roundabout
I’ve never knowingly listened to Yes though I generally like prog rock as long as the concept isn’t too tossing, but I didn’t enjoy this as much as I expected to. Something about the mix of soft sound and classical references didn’t work for me.
Mars volta vibes, wel te weinig echte liedjes
It has the traditional prog problems of dragging on too long and beating its best ideas into dust. I like quite a few long songs (Queen's The Prophet's Song, Taylor Swift's full All Too Well, Elton John's Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, and Rush's 2112 come to mind), but those songs feel distinct moment to moment; they adapt both lyrically and musically as the piece progresses, while still feeling like one thing. This just feels like dragging out solos to give the vocalist a break. That's a shame, because there's a lot of good in the three grueling songs, especially Roundabout and South Side of the Sky. They even find a way to play out ideas in record time. We Have Heaven goes on too long at 100 seconds. It's a weird record to evaluate song to song as a commercial album, because there's three songs that are a "usual" length (which I'm GENEROUSLY saying is two to seven minutes), and two of those are just riffing. Still, despite being frustrating in its construction, there's a lot of good in this. Long Distance Runaround stands out as a hidden jem, South Side of the Sky works great when it focuses, and Roundabout has a LOT of moments that are aching to be fleshed out on their own. I wonder how much of what I'm critiquing here is affected by the industry, and the format that people consume music. First, it might sound samey because they didn't have access to the tools that later artists did. And not even new recording or processing equipment, it took advanced computing to even understand how and why certain instruments sounded the way they did. Less than a decade later, the available sounds from a single chord on an electric guitar grew rapidly. Also, these tracks can't be pressed for 45's, and radio hates long songs, too. TikTok and similar platforms have given rise to short songs in recent years. It will be interesting to see how popular music progresses in the era of... this. What will song length mean? What will albums mean? The longest number 1 song was broken a few years ago by an extended cut rerelease of a failed single, and three years previously, biggest song in the world was under two minutes. There's clearly a shift in music consumption that the industry has not figured out yet. I'm curious to see what will happen, because the music industry is usually the most interesting when technology creates new methods of either production or consumption, and we're at both. That barely related to this album, but it felt good to get it out. It's a bit of a chore, but there's a lot of good bits. I understand why it was influential, and I like a lot of what it influenced more than I like it.
é muito interessante que sim, tem algumas músicas convencionais ao mesmo tempo, uma parte considerável é tipo OST de primeira rota de absolutamente qualquer pokemon da era GB/GBC/GBA/DS não vou dar uma nota baixa pq eu curto prog escondido, mas saibam que sem roundabout esse álbum seria bem esquisito das ideia
hoje somos todos LINEUZINHOS chapados de maconha na mesa de jantar!!!!! aí, achei que gostaria mais. parece que tem uns filler entre as música, sei lá. não eh ruim, mas falta algo pô
Know the band, Roundabout is a banger. Wouldn’t go out of my way to play the album, but wouldn’t change the channel if it was on.
Yup... It's prog
I remember going to see Yes in concert at Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln, NE sometime in the mid seventies…it was one of my first concerts. What I remember most about the concert was that the band started an hour late and I was pissed off, screaming “where the hell have you been?”, while they walked out onto the stage. Today I would call it rock star entitlement. Anyway, I didn’t particularly enjoy the concert, as I was familiar with only 2 or 3 of the songs, and my attitude was a bit foul due to their tardiness…and the songs seemed to go on forever, with lots of meandering riffing. Which is not unlike this album. Having said this, I enjoyed this album more than I expected…but still, prog rock just isn’t my thing. I liked the band’s hits well enough, but could take or leave most of the rest of their work. Another 3 star album for me.
Some solid B sides
Fairly interesting, the instrumentals are quite good, but I'm not the biggest fan of the vocals, and the lyrics don't grab me.
70’s
70’s rock
First song is great Very groovy Kinda lost my interest
Reminds me of Styx? Some fun, playful instrumental things happening.
I know this is well done and highly complex, but I'm not a musician so I cant reach the levels of appreciation required to give it a high score. It wasn't bad but its never done a lot for me.
Good album, only one real hit though.
i dont care
Favorite Track: Roundabout
I only liked the first track. Every progressive rock band sounds similar to me. Who knows, maybe I find something I like along this journey. 5/10
Familiar with Roundabout but most of this was new for me….very different. Appreciate it but not something I feel like going back to right away. Needs some listens.
My least favorite Yes album so far. Not bad but not interesting enough for a 4. 3/5 Highlights: Roundabout We Have Heaven America
Interesting record. Not my favorite Yes record, but nice. Still, just a 3 for me.
This album goes way back to my high school days. Roundabout was ubiquitous on the radio back then, and is still played occasionally now. Long Distance Runaround is another track heard frequently now on the classic rock channels. Some of the music on this album is very good, while some is forgettable.
5/8/2025: Roundabout is a jam. Not all that into prog rock, but solid.
Has a few really good songs (particularly the opening Roundabout) but is kinda lopsided with a few pieces that are mostly these instrumental bits that lean into more folk stylings. While I'm not a bit fan of Folk these songs just like they would have been better as full-bodied songs at best or unfinished jam sessions at worst. Seriously Roundabout does a lot of heavy lifting 『TO BE CONTINUED』
This album contains Yes' best known song. Unfortunately, that's about it. The only other real track of note for me here is "Heart of the Sunrise", the rest of the album is fairly mediocre filler.
I thought close to the Edge was a Masterpiece, Roundabout is a great song, but am I completely off the ball by feeling this album is pretty one hit wonder? I really enjoyed the fish as well but nothing else on the album had any strong effect on me. 6/10
Alternativ 70’er rock, funk, symfoni, lidt mærkelig instumenter
I know and like this album!
once again another classic. unfortunately not really up my ally so i feel like i cant give it a 4, but it wasnt bad enough to be a 3. 3.5 potentially
I don’t have much to say I’m a little bit confused to be honest. Like when it was good it was great, and then the rest had me raising a brow. Heart of the Sunrise reminded me of the War of the Worlds album which brought me back to my early childhood - loved that. The bass on this album is legendary holy wow, kind of an Audioslave vibe sometimes but way before Audioslave so I wonder if there are some influences there?
roundabout - i had no idea what i was in for. then i realised it was that meme sound and i started laughing. then i heard the bass. then my head exploded. "kaboom!" it went. this song is ridiculously good. THE GUITAR SOLO?? ORGAN SOLO??? HELLO??? can and brahms - pretty nice but very unexpected. we have heaven - i do love a good old ritual chant. south side of the sky - back to the original sound. holy fuck this guitar is good. bass goes so hard too. production on all of these songs has been phenomonal too. PIANO SOLO??? what is going on? drums in this section are amazing. back to part a now. holy frickin shit the guitar is good!!! next 4 songs were okay but nothing stood out to me. heart of the sunrise - very long song. 11:26 is longer than i would normally tolerate. this song is interesting - but i dont know if its interesting enough to be 11 minutes long. vocals are very cool. i do like it tho. it reminds me of king crimson. overall it gets a 3/5. whilst the highs were very high the lows were very low and thay has kinda skewed the rating. will be listening to this one again tho.
woof
Pretty good prog rock. Some screechy parts in songs
Simple and dope
This band is more prog rock than I expected. Good combo of interesting/complex music with a few radio hits.
This is an odd album. There's some interesting melodies, album is pretty experimental. Decent but not really grabbing me either.
3/4
it was...ok. Not my style but i didn't not like it. Not going to listen to it again. Nothing stood out
You know roundabout was written while going round a roundabout? They didn’t exit until they were completely happy with the track. Then they recorded it going around a roundabout too. Listen back. You can real feel the roundabout. UK prog rock pioneers, Houmous & Chutney gave them the idea! Absolute magic! 3.0
Technically this album is pretty cool and when the funky bass kicked in on the first track I was like, let's go. Not too long after that, I wanted to actually go. Heart of the Sunrise is a cool track I guess, but I kept thinking of my daughter's criticism of 'I no like this.' Almost went with a 2, but I think I would go 2.5 and bumping up to 3 for the technical proficiency and imagination it takes to put these songs together.
Really not feeling this one. Roundabout is clearly a classic, and the pure skill on display is out of this world. The problem is that the end product is overly long, meandering, and contains a pointless Simon and Garfunkel cover.
is that a JoJo reference???
I know Yes have a stellar reputation, and that this is supposed to be one of their best albums, but it really isn't the sort of progressive rock that does it for me. To be fair, there are only a few broadly prog rock bands that do (King Crimson, Soft Machine, Pink Floyd, Mahavishnu Orchestra, some Hawkwind)
"Heart of the Sunrise" is the banger here. The rest is overplayed or simply dull.
[guy pointing at TV meme]
I liked it more than I thought I would. The bass slaps on multiple songs. I heard pieces that influenced Radiohead and some other bands. I enjoyed it.
Groovy. Maybe not my style but fun to vacuum to.
Feeling great that I already recognized the first track as one from JoJo’s outro song. Enjoyed the flamenco elements in “Mood for a Day”. Second half of the album from “Fish” down was enjoyable for me. My favourite track is still “Roundabout”
Pretty much same as the past Yes album. Would be higher if I was into prog music. Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround being the standouts and classics here. South Side of the Sky and Heart of the Sunrise are solid cuts too, but there's a lot of short little interludes that really don't smoke much for me.
Ratatat x Mike Oldfield x 80s JoJo! Fun surprises, good sounds. A bit underwhelming as a full album
Never got in Yes, despite loving King Crimson for example. So, "Fragile" being their probably least annoying album, is a sold 3 for the great instrumental chops on display. Artistically I always found the band wanting, craft over vision etc. and enjoyed the Roger Dean artworks better than the laboured concepts of the actual songs and albums.
At times it felt like work listening to this album.
Look - this album intro is KILLER. Roundabout is a classic, no doubt about that. The intro, the iconic bassline, the harmonies on the vocals... does that mean the whole album is classic though? Not really. It's fun at times, but nowhere does it ever match the levels of the first track. It's rather weird at times and honestly, it is a pretty mid album to the end. But I love Roundabout so much. 3/5
Ahh Yes, what an interesting band and one of prog rocks finest! It was definitely a prog rock album!
The musicianship was clear and impressive however I do not enjoy this long “jam band” style of music. I prefer songs that have a tighter arrangement. Not for me but I can see how people would like it.
I think listening to Rush first made this effort more palatable. Although I still don't really know what was going on in the 70s that made prog rock fashionable, this album at least at a few more interesting ideas and harmonies compared to some of the others from the same genre.
Pretty good in parts, definately leant more into the parts of 70s Prog I find more palatable, particularly Floyd.
Sonically more interesting than most of the tedious prog rock drivel this list serves up, but still decidedly mid. At least I can say I don’t feel this album was a waste of time as there were points of interest throughout.
Harmless old rock