FRAGILE

Yes is a band that's hard to talk about, because their music for me represents a kind of rare perfection that sets them apart from "prog-rock" in general, and I'm especially tempted to start pushing the virtues of their most glorious recordings (TALES and RELAYER, of course). I gave in to that impulse when reviewing Close To The Edge -- this time I'll do my best to stick it out. Fragile is (duh) an absolutely necessary album to own and listen to, and this is of course where Rick Wakeman joins the fold, completing the band's aspiration for all-around virtuosity. Everyone is probably familiar with the classic track "Roundabout," but despite its radio airplay, this song (the full-length version) remains a masterpiece of the genre and should be listened to with fresh ears in order to appreciate all of its nuances. One of the tightest, most note-perfect rock music expressions, ever. On that token, "Heart of the Sunrise" is also a masterpiece of the genre, and should be listened to with fresh ears in order to appreciate all of its nuances (such as the most glorious drums/bass/mellotron passage ever recorded). Also, "South Side of the Sky" is a masterpiece of the genre, and should be listened to with fresh ears, in order to... ...