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Listening to Fragile |
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AlanB 
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 Topic: Listening to FragilePosted: June 16 2021 at 12:36 |
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I haven't listened to this album for years. I recall being underwhelmed. So I thought I'd give it another chance. Still underwhelmed. The Yes Album and CTTE are far superior IMO.
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omphaloskepsis
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Posted: June 16 2021 at 15:37 |
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Different strokes for different folks.
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Dellinger
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Posted: June 16 2021 at 19:38 |
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For me the underwhelming one is The Yes Album. I find Fragile brilliant, and it goes toe to toe with CttE... both having the same line-up, my very favourite from the band, and any prog band at that... actually, any band overall, well, it makes the listening experience more complete if I hear them both toghether (actually, I usually hear them in my IPod, and in the list I just left out 5% for nothing, and changed Cans and Brahms with Catherine of Aragon, which actually basically has the same line-up from these Yes albums).
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Logan
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Posted: June 16 2021 at 19:53 |
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And with me I have loved Fragile (four star album for me, probably three these days, but I once adored it) and really liked The Yes Album (three star), but Close to the Edge never grabbed me. Close to the Edge is a two star album for me (although I'd give it a three if I reviewed it at PA). I like the title track, but not the rest. It really does take all kinds.
Every ten years or so I try to play Close to the Edge once, and every time it is really hard to get to the end. Maybe one decade I'll "get" it. I won't say it's strange that it's so high rated, I just don't feel the love. Close to the edge may well be superior, but I just don't like it much. But hey, most of the people wouldn't like a lot of the music I like, and the Symphonic Prog category is not one of my favourites. |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 16 2021 at 20:14 |
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Fragile seems to be very underappreciated these days. Sorry, I just don't get it. In the old days it seems this was the more popular one out of this one and CTTE but now CTTE is far more appreciated it seems(at least among prog fans). Regardless of what anyone says it's still in my top five Yes albums.
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chopper
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 01:56 |
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I'd probably rate Fragile third out of those 3, and I prefer GRTO, TFTO and Relayer. It does have Heart of the Sunrise which is one of my top 5 Yes songs but I've heard Roundabout too much and the solo tracks don't really help the continuity of it all as an album.
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Blacksword
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 02:10 |
I kind of feel the same, although I still really like Roundabout and South side of the Sky. Apart from those tracks and HOTSR The album feels a bit disjointed and thrown together, from whatever they had lying around the studio. Fish is ok. |
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Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
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Frenetic Zetetic
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 02:14 |
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The Yes Album is the most underwhelming popular entry for me. Fragile through Relayer are 10/10 records for me.
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"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
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dwill123
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 04:43 |
I agree. While I like Fragile, I don't think its in the same league of either The Yes Album and CTTE. In fact there are days where I think The Yes Album gives CTTE as serious run for its money.
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AlanB
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 04:53 |
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I like the first and last tracks on Fragile. The ones in between do nothing for me.
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Argo2112
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 07:41 |
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The big pieces on Fragile are great but some of the solo stuff does drag it down.
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HolyMoly
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 08:46 |
That said, I still would never call Fragile underwhelming (per the OP). Most Yes albums are quite brilliant in the grand scheme of things. Edited by HolyMoly - June 17 2021 at 08:48 |
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My other avatar is a Porsche
It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle if it is lightly greased. -Kehlog Albran |
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dr wu23
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 08:58 |
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Great lp, but the shorter pieces do interrupt the flow for me...would have preferred another 9 -10 min piece to sit along the other longer ones.
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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin |
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dougmcauliffe
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 10:35 |
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The Steven Wilson remix from the vinyl boxset changed my perception on the album, it seriously might be the best sounding record I’ve ever heard from the 70s. I don’t think it’s a masterpiece, but it’s a nice album to just throw on and enjoy. I have always felt there’s room on side one for just one more great track. Also, I think Heart of the Sunrise is pretty overrated, I think the vocal parts really kill all the momentum of the intro, which is where I think the song peaks. Besides that, I think it’s a little too all over the map structurally. Like I said, it’s a strong and relatively easy listen. 11th best prog album of all time? Well, no.
I think the real overrated Yes album is Going for the One. Besides the first several minutes of Awaken and parts of the title track, it’s just so wimpy and yes-lite. Really missing the grit and bite of the preceding albums, and the production really isn’t there either. |
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The sun has left the sky...
...Now you can close your eyes |
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miamiscot
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 12:39 |
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Strongly disagree.
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The Prog Corner
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someone_else
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 14:22 |
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My second favourite Yes album, after Close to the Edge and just over The Yes Album. The solo efforts don't ruin the album imho, but the highlights are South Side of the Sky and Heart of the Sunrise.
Edited by someone_else - June 17 2021 at 14:23 |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 14:30 |
Yep. That's exactly how I feel. Roundabout is probably at least as good as SSotS but for me personally it's been ruined by being played too much. Also, I can't imagine anyone listening to Long Distance Runaround without the fish afterwards. Even the live version on yessongs had LDR go right into Fish. Speaking of Fish it always struck me that it probably wouldn't have sounded out of place on tales from topographic oceans. Anyone else think that too?
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Grumpyprogfan
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 15:00 |
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progaardvark
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 15:04 |
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I don't stay folded for very long.
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i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
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Posted: June 17 2021 at 15:07 |
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What I used to think: "tell the moon to tell the marcher."
The reality: "tell the moon dog, tell the march hare."
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 17 2021 at 15:08 |
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chopper wrote: