Fragile' (fra - gee - lay)

[haroldthebarrel]

Get it? Like in a Christmas story? When the dad gets the light up woman's leg-lamp?

Oh well, see the movie, anyways, I jsut want to comment that Fragile is the brother album to The Yes Album in my Eyes, as the first Yes album is a brother to T&aW, and Relayer and Tales are brother albums etc.... I guess Close to the edge is very much it's own album. But many don't give Fragile the recognition of being a brilliant album like they might Relayer or GFT1. I think that Fragile may actually enjoy the most recognition, but that of being an album stocked with hits and royalties.

Take away Roundabout and Heart of the Sunrise, Long Distance Runaround, and you have an album more die-hards will appreciate as an album that isn't "stale" or "overplayed", but take those three tracks away and you also don't have an album. You also don't have the essence of what Fragile is. It's one thing to despise 90125 because it's an attempt at cashing in on wide reputation, and pop music for money, but Fragile is different. Yes didn't know Roundabout was going to be a hit. Nor the other two songs. They didn't know that they were about to start something big....the popularization of prog.

[SilentlyFallingFish]

Fragile was the first Yes album I listened to after 9/11. I needed a respite from the news simul-cast that was on my favorite rock station on Long Island. After being inundated by the constant broadcast, I found a discarded cassette copy of Fragile under my car seat. That scratchy, mangled tape sounded like gold. The blistering Hammond organ, sultry acoustic guitar, and complex rhythms and harmonies made me forget for just a little while. An hours drive home didn’t seem so bad that day either.

[Yes Rocks]

First Yes album I purchased and the rest is history!

Paul

[dyingpoet]

Fragile is my personal favorite YES album, their best effort ever, and it belongs right up there with the best albums of the modern era: Dark Side, Zepplin II, Sgt. Peppers and others.

It is a near perfect balance of musical creativity, instrumental expertise, lyrical depth and genre conglomeration. None of the tracks were overdone, and the variety of style is apparent between them, but the overall sound and "feel" of the album is consistent throughout. The active transitions between tracks, the extreme blend of the hardest rock with the lightest touch within the same songs, the virtuoso performances apparent both in exposed sections as well as within the ensemble all lend credibility to those of us who hold Fragile up as the YES masterpiece.

I have always thought is was a shame that this particular line-up only produced two albums together, with all due respect to the rest of the guys, but these five were definately the strongest mix of talent in the band's history. This album stands alone on YES' highest tier of achievement.


- d.p.

[YYY]

Today I found my Fragile CD that I'd forgotten in the trunk of my car after about 2 months. I played it at full volume. What a relief!
As 'Roundabout was just beginning, I thought to myself (((hmmm, I 'm should skip this song))). Fortunately I didn't. I was beginning to believe that old stuff about Roundabout being overplayed on the radio and loosing its freshness.

Actually - THAT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE! Right from the intro, with Wakeman's synth crashing into Howes harmonics - this is still an amazing kickass song. How original! - and then that beautiful lone guitar just before they all start jamming at full throttle with Chris pumping on the bass. Whether they planned it or not, that song was destined to be a hit and it still rocks.

Also I enjoy the fact that - like many classic Yes songs - there's a point in the music where it starts to become hypnotic "and there you are - in Yes Heaven once again. I will never put down
'Roundabout again and leave it on the setlist forever.

by the way - I agree that "Fragile" is the sister to"The Yes Album"
but Relayer is the brother to "Close to the Edge". Both have the same format: 3 songs: one epic - one jam out tune - one soft & lush. Topographic is unique to itself...........

[WhiteKnight]

Originally posted by haroldthebarrel
(fra-gee-lay)

Damn. That is exactly the way I would say it in italian. To think that me and my friends auto-conditioned ourselves to call it a la english.

WK

Originally posted by YYY
by the way - I agree that "Fragile" is the sister to"The Yes Album"but Relayer is the brother to "Close to the Edge". Both have the same format: 3 songs: one epic - one jam out tune - one soft & lush. Topographic is unique to itself...........

YYY, you and I are on the same page again. Tales is unto itself and perfect in every moment.

Regarding Fragile though, it was when my local radio station decided to play the entire album without a break one Sunday evening that my life changed. I had been a completely fallen away Yes fan--for decades. One day I was driving home after seeing a really cool foreign film. I was alone in the car and it was dark. I was searching on the radio for something to take me home. My local "classic rock" station was the first station that I could find that did not have a commercial on it and lo and behold they just started Roundabout. I thought, hmmmmm. I think I'll listen to this. Mind you, this happened in 1999. Then they continued on and played the whole album. I had to sit in the car until it was over as I had arrived home before the album was over. I was mesmerized and spellbound like I was so many years ago. It was then that I knew I had to have Yes back into my life.

I had even just missed Yes when they came into town--about one week before. So, I got on Yesworld and saw they were going to Indianapolis and the rest is history. It's Yes, Yes and only Yes ever since.

It was Fragile revisited that changed my life. I love Fragile and am so grateful for that radio station for playing that wonderous recording and bringing Yes back into my life--as if they never left.

[maninawhitecar]

First I'd like to say Hello! It's very cool to be able to talk with fellow fans. Fragile was the first album I heard by Yes. I had on headphones... I just closed my eyes...it was heaven! I won't sit here and knock ANY of their work, I love it all. Fragile holds that special place in my heart.By the way, Magification ain't bad either!

Hey there maninawhitecar! Welcome to the site. Yes it is fun to have a place to talk about our wonderboys! And you're right about Magnification too.

I look forward to seeing more posts from you. Come by often.

And on the same note, I just realized something late last night. It was Fragile that brought me to our boys--so many years ago and it was Fragile that brought me back--after being gone for too long. Grateful, that's all I can say.

[gathernear]

The first time I ever heard Yes was Roundabout on the radio. I was 11 in 1971. This was the single version, chopped down to three and a half minutes, except at the time I didn't know it was edited. It was like WOW, the most different kind of music I've ever heard. The guitar was brilliant, the organ wild, and I didn't recognize the bass as a bass. It sounded like a clavinet. I'll never forget that. I don't think a piece of music has ever hit me that way. And it only got better...


Larry

[Alexander]

It should be re-emphasized that 'Fragile' explored many emotional feelings in a way that was not yet familiar to most rock listeners. There was an implicit acceptance of something greater than the human.

Interesting point, Alexander.

[dyingpoet]

Indeed, Alexander, Fragile represents the real fruition period of a style and motive of rock music started by the Beatles' later work and others, and that is the emphasis on substance behind and within the music. With Fragile and other albums and different groups from the early seventies, rock began seriously evolving into more than something you could move to, but something that moved you emotionally, spiritually and lent respect to the material beyond the backbeat. A veritible confluence of the voices of humankind, if I may wax poetic a bit. (And thank God they were there to do it!)

- d.p.

[maninawhitecar]

Holy smokes you guys are deep!!! lol

It makes sense though...given who our heroes are.

[gathernear]

Holy smokes indeed. This isn't your typical rock and roll.

[Alexander]

It creates respect for mankind as well. By desiring and recreating a more profound union between beings--and lending optimism that such a union is possible.