Listening to Fragile

^ I have never warmed up to the song America, either original or with Yes (or with The Nice). However, I do like Mood for a Day, and even more so, The Fish (specially if I consider it part of the same Long Distance Runaround, which sounds incoplete to me without it following).

richardh wrote: Fragile is a messy album but the three best tracks (Roundabout, South Side Of The Sky and Heart Of The Sunrise) are just unbelievably good. Prog taken to a new level <tick> but it needed another outing for the band to hit the bullseye.

Perhaps if they could have used what became Catherine of Aragon instead of Cans and Brahms the album could have achieved it. I have been listening to it that way and it makes perfect senses.

Logan wrote: 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.

TCat wrote: progaardvark wrote: I don't stay folded for very long. Have you tried dry cleaning yourself?  Many dentists would agree. Out of the classic Yes albums from The Yes Album to Going for the One, Fragile lands somewhere in the middle while, even though I like it, Going for the One is on the bottom for me.  While all of the others in that group of albums are 5 stars each, GftO is a 4 star, mostly because of "Parallels".  It's hard for me to put the other ones in order though as it depends on my mood.

AlanB wrote: 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.

^I'm worried you don't realize Aja has a perfect mix. It can't get better for my ears.

Anyway, love Fragile, but haven't heard it in 40 years.

Edited by Grumpyprogfan - June 17 2021 at 15:36

What I used to think: "tell the moon to tell the marcher."

Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - June 17 2021 at 15:08

dougmcauliffe wrote: 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.

Really??? Ever heard Aja? Steve better not touch that mix.

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

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.