The solo tracks on Fragile

I never found them to be much of a problem for the quality of the album. Yeah, the group tracks are the ones that make the album great, but the solo ones are either too short to do harm or actually good in their own right. Five Percent is indeed too short, if you get distracted you might actually miss it. We Have Heaven actually sounds nice (even if weird) as an intro track for South Side. Mood for a Day is a very good track by its own right. The Fish, though by itself might sound out of place, actually completes very nicely Long Distance Runaround, both of which sound as if they were one only song, and both of which benefit from being attached to the other. That leaves Wakeman's one, which is perhaps the most forgettable (besides Five Percent), though not particularly bad. Still, I wish he had been able to use what became Catherin of Aragon in Fragile, as I understand was the original intention, but couldn't be done so because Wakeman's own label wouldn't let him have writing credits with Yes (that song actually features the whole Yes instrumental line-up)... that would have made Fragile even greater than it is (though that track would have been sorely missed in Six Wives).

"I never thought about it until I saw people complain online". "The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus)" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, "We Have Heaven" serves as an introduction to "South Side Of The Sky", my favourite track on the album, and the others I never really thought about one way or the other. I do love "Fragile" as it is and wouldn't change any of it.

I'm not really fussed about the solo tracks, a I have commented elsewhere for my digital playlist of Fragile I've discarded the 5 short solo tracks and tacked on 'America' for a more satisfying listen.

Edited by Floydoid - September 10 2024 at 00:46

I thought I had responded to this topic before, but it must have been a topic with the same theme. Fragile is the most significant Yes album to me (and one of the first albums I ever bought) and I like having those pieces. I like diversity, and while it can interrupt the flow, it's more in a good way. the just juxtaposition can add contrast, dramatic tension and release and heighten a mood. It present varied moods for the day, one might say, and I give it the clap for that (to reference another song, this time by AC/DC).

"The Fish (Schindleria praematurus)" is a highlight of the album for me, and it acts like a kind of coda to "Long Distance Runaround". I also love "We Have Heaven" and I love the contrast when going into "South Side of the Sky" as then it hits you harder.

I'll vote for they make the album more interesting, and actually they help to make this Yes' best album for me.