\nFragile<\/i> is an odd album, even for a group that’s gone
\nthrough as many metamorphoses as Yes. The fact that it’s also the
\nalbum that broke them to a global audience is just one more
\nmilestone along the unpredictable path tread for 35 years now by
\nthis groundbreaking prog-rock juggernaut.<\/p>\n
Two important elements of the Yes mystique made their debuts on
\nFragile<\/i> — Rick Wakeman’s keyboards and Roger Dean’s
\nvisuals. Wakeman was already a minor star in Britain as a solo
\nartist when Yes came calling, looking to fill the keyboard slot
\nwith a player on par with recently recruited guitarist Steve Howe.
\nFor his part, Dean was just the cosmic illustrator to bring the Yes
\nsound into a third dimension with his sprawling sci-fi
\nlandscapes.<\/p>\n
One of the most unique elements of
\nFragile<\/i> was driven by the most straightforward motivator —
\nmoney. Wakeman’s recruitment saddled the group with substantial
\nfinancial obligations — synthesizers weren’t cheap in 1971! — at
\nthe same time they were under pressure to deliver their next album.
\nAs a result, the album was somewhat of a rush job, consisting of
\nfour pieces composed and played by the band, and five tracks
\ncomposed — and in some cases performed — solo by each member.<\/p>\n
This could have been a recipe for a disjointed disaster if not
\nfor one simple fact — the three longer band pieces, the eight- to
\n10-minute mini-opuses “Roundabout,” “South Side Of The Sky” and
\n“Heart Of The Sunrise,” are three of the strongest tracks this band
\never rolled tape on. If you need evidence, consider this: all three
\ntracks were staples of the regular set on their 2002-03 world tour,
\nmore than thirty years later.<\/p>\n
Though “Your Move” from
\nThe Yes Album<\/i> is currently making a move for this title
\nthanks to a spate of movie soundtrack and trailer placements, as of
\ntoday the single track most non-Yes fans identify with the band is
\nFragile<\/i>‘s dynamic opener, “Roundabout.” Its quirky
\ncombination of sharp, concise acoustic and electric licks, flashy
\norgan and synth figures, and Chris Squire’s bounding bass line are
\nall characteristic of the best Yes works — a cacophony of virtuoso
\nplaying that still manages to incorporate strong pop hooks,
\ncreating a whole that’s both dazzling and much more than the sum of
\nits parts.<\/p>\n
“South Side Of The Sky” has been regarded by fans for years as
\nthe proverbial one that got away. Hard-edged, guitar-heavy verses
\nframe an extended bridge that features Wakeman’s lyrical
\npiano-playing under complex, gorgeous harmonies from lead singer
\nJon Anderson, Howe and Squire. For more than thirty years, fans
\nbegged fruitlessly to hear this overlooked nugget played live,
\nuntil the band finally gave in and tackled it — to thunderous
\nresponse — on their 2003 tour.<\/p>\n
“Heart Of The Sunrise” is Yes at its most hard-edged (if you can
\ntruly use that phrase when describing a band containing Jon “if we
\nwere flowers\u2026” Anderson). The opening section is Squire in
\nhis prime, propelling Howe and drummer Bill Bruford through a
\nhammering sequence that shifts, grows, cycles and repeats until
\nAnderson finally comes in with a soft, delicate verse around 3:35
\n— right about the time most “pop” songs are finishing up. The
\ncontrast is striking, and remarkably effective.<\/p>\n
Wakeman and Howe’s solo tracks are impressive if somewhat
\none-dimensional showcases for their instrumental prowess. Anderson
\nand Bruford’s pieces are brief and somewhat puzzling, if
\nentertaining. Squire’s piece, “The Fish (Schindeleria Praematurus)”
\nis the standout among the solo segments, a showcase for his unique
\ntechnique on the bass guitar that manages to be both amazing and
\nevocative in a primal way.<\/p>\n
While by its nature uneven in places,
\nFragile<\/i> remains a superb album, as well as the logical
\nstepping-stone to what came next — the band’s masterpiece, the
\nboundary-shattering opus
\nClose To The Edge<\/i>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":24519,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[],"artist":[5713],"rating":[5613],"class_list":["post-37809","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-yes","rating-rating-a-minus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/37809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37809"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/37809\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37809"},{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=37809"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=37809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}