Reviews (page 11 of 13)
Honking album, but roundabout is an absolute banger so it gets a 2 star.
Not a fan of Yes, and this album was especially annoying. They're just another one of those overhyped 70's bands.
weirdly only really feels like 4 songs on here. very long except!!!! when it isn't!!! it's fine
Some cool sounds, but to be honest, I couldn't get through the first record. The idea of a four hour album is only for the most devoted of fans...which I am not
Really not my cup of tea, I felt like I was being 4 4ed to death, way to straight and rocky for my taste
A point for giving us the Red House Painters cover of Long Distance Runaround
No Durability by No Thanks
Na that’s ok
Thank god punk came around and killed this garbage. I played Brahms when I was forced to play piano as a kid, it doesn't suddenly make you deep guys. Long Distance Runaround is the only tolerable song on here because it's the only one where the artists managed to pull their heads out their asses for a song. If I wanted to listen to guys noodle around on their guitars I'd just listen to the Grateful Dead or some other hippie rock band, at least those guys sound like they're having fun instead of thinking they're creating the next 1812 Overture or something.
So I realized Yes may be the ultimate TikTok music. Great in any 1-minute segment; but a whole 40-minute? No thanks.
I like prog but this is bad prog. Self indulgent, tedious and pretentious.
Interesting! I knew "Roundabout" but everything else was new to me. This felt like a grab bag album. It wasn't bad but it was very forgettable.
Overall just Meh for me, but I’m very familiar with roundabout and it’s the one single included which is interesting
I appreciate the complexity, but some songs were just hard to sit through.
Some decent musicianship here... But this wasn't for me.
Wasnt the biggest fan of this album, couldnt really listen the full versions of any of these songs. There is really something missing here i mean the ones that were only instrumental were just repetitive. I wouldnt really listen to any of these songs except "Long Distance Runaround"
2 - So Shmedium I really was underinspired Fav Songs: Mood for a Day // We Have Heaven
Good
para comenzar. no me gustó tanto y a decir verdad, no tengo mucho que destacarle a este disco más allá que tiene una interpretación que me agrada. fuera de lo anterior, disco simplón y repetitvo desde el tercer tema. este album es para tenerlo de fondo (y sí es que) mientras haces algo más interesante que buscarle algo destacable a yes y su disco
if you're into instrumental sure, but I did not like this album. struggled to pay attention and cannot imagine trying to listen to the deluxe version
No
Okayish
No, my second Yes album in under a month. Too much prog rock for me again who needs a nearly 11 minute prog version of Simon & Garfunkle's America? Not me. 2 stars
Nearly made the mistake of listening to the super deluxe edition… the fist song was good vibes and then got a bit bored
All roads lead back to JJBA.
Just not my genre - this kind of psychedelic rock... Could work for a BBQ, idk
Tedious and pretentious
Liked the first song and the last song. Unfortunately, there is a double album of well-played but forgettable songs
Prog rock just isn’t my thing. There were a couple of good songs on here but I didn’t enjoy the majority of this album.
A great start to the album with Roundabout kicking things off. Very cool guitar licks and a soulful bass coming through to complement the high end vocals and synthesized keyboard. Things were tempered quickly thereafter. One song (Five per cent for nothing) sounded straight out of a video game and I have no idea why that was included on the album. Middle of the road for the rest of the tunes. It’s decent rock and roll, but there is nothing special about this album in my opinion.
Maybe I’m not sophisticated enough to get Prog Rock, but I bet it sounds great when you listen to it sitting alone in your parent’s basement on a Friday night. I penalized them one star for that cover of America. That was unforgivable.
Definitely an interesting experimental kind of album, but not really something I'd consider a "must listen".
Weird. Like Renaissance Fair rock.
Kende alleen het eerste nummer van tiktok
lol I mean it’s fine? some songs way too long but it is funny how hard Roundabout goes despite its new connotation
4 disks, 4 hours running time! FML. Made the decision to judge this off the 1st disc, as the others seemed to be the same songs just remixed. It was ok, not sure if I’d be rushing back
Strong start, and generally I quite like prog rock, but this was pretty uneven and all over the place.
Me: Mom, can we get the Pink Floyd album Mom: We have Pink Floyd at home This is the album at home ...
Unfortunately faded into the background for me after Roundabout, which is not enough credit to the band that went from this album to do "Close to the Edge" (which surely will pop up on this list if this did?) to somehow going on to write quintessential 80s pop cheese in the form of "Owner of a Lonely Heart"
not my type
meme song was cool but otherwise unremarkable
No
i like the first song because of the meme, i like how complex and groovie the songs are, but its not up my alley yet i apreciate them
I prefer my progressive rock to have more bite than this. That memey lick on Roundabout is amazing though.
No
Better than Tommy
Not my style
Top 3 South side of the sky Long distance runaround
Didn't save any songs but it was fine
Nothing wrong with it at all. Interesting. But I didn’t like it.
Not for me.
I really did not like this album very much. I can appreciate the musicianship however, this was not my cup of tea. I’m not a big fan of just endless guitar wanking.
MAGA men.
Not really sure how to place this album genre. Wasn't bad, but not great either.
Too self indulgent. Minus one star for absolutely butchering America.
Zeppeli: "Bastard... How many bland proggy dad rock albums are on this list!?" Dio: "Do you remember how many breads you have eaten in your life?" <----TO BE CONTINUED---|\| Genuinely, when I saw that this album had come up I rushed to see if "Roundabout" was on it - at the time, I thought this was the one Yes song I knew, having not realised that "Owner of a Lonely Heart" was also theirs. I found myself genuinely getting hyped seeing that it was the opening track, and was ready for some JoJo's Bizarre Adventure vibes. "Roundabout" is great. It's way too long, but it's great. It grooves, it rises and falls, it's just a good time. The rest of the album is more eclectic and proggy, and unfortunately every other song is also too long. This results in an album that feels drawn out and unanchored - a slightly torturous mess that doesn't give you a sense of stability for even a moment. Sometimes this would be a good thing - an album constantly keeping you in suspension and holding you there, forcing you to engage as it pulls you further along... unfortunately this isn't one of those. It's somehow both too bland and too nonsensical. It's a shame, I usually like experimental, proggy stuff. It's not completely dreadful, it's just... not great and too much of it.
Not a fan.
It's the Jojo meme song.
⭐️⭐️1/2
Top songs: South Side of the Sky
I've only enjoyed certain classic prog-rock artists, but not all. This isn't quite my cup of tea, even though the first is an all time classic, incredible musicianship and performance. Wish i was into it more.
This was ok, I guess? It had some interesting use of difference musical influences (think I spotted some Latin-style instrumental stuff) but some of these were way too long without actually developing a great deal. Felt like jamming within the confines of a song at times. Bleh
I think I was intrigued for about 20 seconds. I then got the annoying vocals and just to make matters worse there was organ music like it was taken from Brighton pier. Seaside organ anyone. Nope! At times it was also like there was an exorcism going on and could be taken from a dodgy film. I did enjoy the delivery, recording quality and skills, but it was so chaotic and mashed that I failed to engage with it as an album. OK, I could probably find a song or part of it I enjoyed. "Mood for the day" I thought the album had finished and I was listening to a new artist to enjoy. The next and last song was then another shift from the norm which typified the album. It was largely excellent, but it went on too long and had too many elements to it that ultimately ruined it. Interesting experiment I guess but too much I didn't like about it to consider it a coherent masterpiece.
There are three good tracks on this album. 'Roundabout', 'Mood for a Day', and 'Heart of Sunrise'. The rest of the album feels like unnecessary padding. Have I mentioned my hatred of the electric organ? Overlayed with the squeaky vocals, it got quite grating. Also, despite its varied nature, most tracks seemed to be quite shallow arrangements. Certainly not as expansive sounding as other prog rock offerings. The album has a peculiar, very British vibe that somehow remind me of films like 'Willow' or 'Time Bandits'. It's interesting that I just can't imagine anything like this being recorded now. I've always thought that Yes have a pretty middling ranking in British prog rock and this album just cements that view.
Seriously though, this is what you get when you let musicians do whatever they want.
4/10
It’s just not for me. Talented sure and there are moments of greatness throughout, but I just don’t really like it. Most prog rock just sounds cheesy/corny to me and this one is no different. 4/10
Interesting listen, not really for me but I gave it go
Prog rock, wakeman Roundabout
Yeah…actually no.
Respectable ability throughout but nothing jumped out to me that I particularly enjoyed
No.
Used to listen to the shit out of Roundabout from a compilation album I had as a younger lad. The rest of this album is garbage though. And not the good kind. +1 rank for the nostalgia of the only good song on the album.
If you have heaven, then for the love of god send me straight to hell.
Progressive rock is very versatile. I am more of a Golden Earring or Klaatu fan. On this album, only “Roundabout” really deserves attention.
Couple of goods songs but mostly music you have to pretend to understand and look very serious and nod at.
Oh, no, another progressive rock from the 70s. Mood for a Day is very good classical guitar composition.
Nothing very inspiring or exciting to hold on to.
If you dissected their songs, there are parts that are truly great. But for me, this is the sonic equivalent of wearing a paisley shirt with plaid pants.
Sheesh - just roundabout
Not bad but not my vibe. And why were some songs so long???
To symphonic not for me
There's some brilliant musical ability on show... But sadly it's so disjointed. Did they randomly pick songs up off the floor and call it an album? Something good here... But it's hiding somewhere.
A little to prog for me. I enjoy there later stuff better. Too many mediocre guitar solos
Progressive rock it's just not to me. But I can't deny the are incredible here.
I audibly groaned when this came up as the next album to listen to. I get that it's important to listen to different styles and that Yes exemplifies the progressive rock scene of the late 60s and 70s, but damn some of their music is hard to listen to. the opening to Roundabout is iconic, of course, but I don't need 8 and a half minutes of that song. The next two short tunes (under 2 minutes) were unlistenable. South Side of the Sky was pretty interesting, but again long--almost 8 minutes. The next three were interesting and listenable: Long Distance Runaround (the other radio play from this album and a proper length), the Fish (fun bass line and only 2.5 minutes. Mood for a Day is medieval, so up my alley, but not sure why it's on a rock album. I can see that as a musician, this might have been fun music to play, but damn I don't want to listen to most of it.
They make really good hits but not my kind of music😑
This is fine idk? It’s cool but like meh won’t return
Wow! I almost started to miss generic dad rock! For real this is giving nothing.
Not my thing. I can appreciate the musicianship, but to overblown.
gives off king gizz if they were a band in the 70s
Some fine musicianship wasted on painful levels of proggy pretension.
оце прям плоттвіст, що перший же трек - це мем. не моє, на жаль, не зайшло
Writing this Jan 5 ‘26. Catching up on a few old albums I missed. T1 classic song, makes me think of that old meme and trying to learn that little lick at the end of the intro. Such an iconic baseline aswell. T2 very refreshing T8 feels like a Jerry Garcia solo . Maybe from “Garcia” album. Overall a nice album. Not a lot of standout unique sounds. Not that this is common, but there were other groups doing this same type of different much better than this. Thought between 2 and 3 stars
*1971. English prog rock. *Starts with Roundabout, which is the only Yes song I know and has no business being 9 minutes long. *Strange combination of sounds. Some is pretty typical 70s rock, but there are too many synths. *When it’s more rock and less synth, it’s not bad. RATING - 6/10
Partly heard before Saved 3/9 Top track: Roundabout
70s rock. Prog rock. Just don’t enjoy this genre.
It was OK but I remember nothing about it
I enjoyed Roundabout for the first few minutes, but then it just kept going. The story of this album. Songs were either too short, or too long.
Roundabout is ok.
Pretty boring
I appreciate the musicianship here, but just can't get into Yes. Roundabout is a fun song, but it's too long and meanders a bit too much for me. Highlights: "Roundabout"
Cracking first track. The rest of it deserved to be thrown into stark relief by punk.
Not one I enjoyed - didn’t really get it
Not my usual vibe but nice to discover a new artist
Interesting.
Soooo boring
einmal beiläufig gehört, aber ich bin wohl zu jung um das zu verstehen.
Around the age of 12 the song pretty fly for a white guy was one of the coolest songs in my world… Keep them separated was pretty up there too. This type of album makes me think about slamming a can of beer and then crushing it on your head to go skateboarding and also all of the jackass movies a little bit. Did anybody else wait for the last track at the very end for the hidden bonus song?
Alors quand j'ai vu la pochette j'ai cru que ça allait du Hip-hop OG bien crade. Si je m'attendais à ça mon ptit. J'adore Roundabout j'avais oublié que je l'aimais. Correction enfaite j'aime que l'intro...
Não gostei
I just don't seem to fit with them. Vocals, keyboards, songwriting. It just doesn't do it for me despite some clearly outstanding musicians.
Cool guitar riff half way through ‘America’, interesting jazz bass line in the unfortunately abbreviated ‘5% for Nothing’, but overall not my jam. To much same same vocals and synth predominance that’s weirdly prog AND carnival at once.
General quite long. Enjoyed the first song but found it a bit self-indulgent and overly long
your next line is IS THIS A JOJO REFERENCE
No.
I don’t know how to feel about this album. If it weren’t for the first track, which I agree with another user is basically a "lure," I wouldn’t even be listening to this. I don’t know if I’m just too naive to understand progressive rock, even though I like Rush.
This album has some pretty good songs to go along with some real awful music. 2.5
Really could’ve been much shorter. The weird interlude things didn’t really add much, and it actually made the album feel really stilted. The songs themselves were good, but it felt like everything took more space than it needed. Favorites: Roundabout, South Side of the Sky, Heart of the Sunrise
Interesting ideas but fairly flat for me. Feels like sketches and a bit disjointed. Reasonably listenable but not much going on below the surface. Maybe I just don't like prog as much as I thought I did.
Bit OTT
So, I knew a guy in highschool who was crazy smart, very socially inept, pretty funny when he wasn’t being obnoxious as hell. This dude looooved Yes. Talked to me about how incredible they were. I never really listened to him, cause it was 1996 and I figured that Yes probably sucked. Turns out, I was 100% right. Yes is truly terrible. My probably autistic acquaintance in highschool had terrible taste in music, and I just confirmed it today. It’s not that they’re unskilled. Their guitar player truly shreds; inventive, dexterous, probably a joy to listen to in his own right. The bass player is incredible. The drummer is talented. The singer blows dogs for quarters. Put it all together, and you get a band that sounds like one part Wagner, and one part a cacophony of screeching cats. I didn’t know that was possible, but Yes found a way. 2/5
The musos are good, no question about it. The music the produced was not for me, the album was a chore. Roundabout was good but the rest wasn't particularly enjoyable to listen to.
Same as the Yes album - I don't really like the album or the melodies. Did not manage to get into it after 2 listens so I gave up. 2.5
Only small sections grabbed me and too much wanking in between.
Heart of sunrise is echt een gaaf nummer. Zeer muzikaal, maar het pakt me niet.
Prog rock - prog-ably not for me.
Roundabout is incredible, and this is obviously well made (pretty blown away that this came out in 1971), but I just didn’t have an enjoyable time listening to it
Another one that’s ok but didn’t rock my world. It’s starting to feel like anyone who released an album in the 70s is on this list.
Luck warm 2/5
I think there is a lot of this kind of music out there and it is not my cup of tea. Wasn't particulary bad either but I wouldn't listen this again.
Well, I’m going to go against the grain here. I just found this dull and annoying. Some of the guitar noodling and piano plinky-plonking was fine.
Eigenlijk maar 1 goed nummer (roundabout)
Prog tends to leave me a bit cold, which is bad news for Yes.
Smoggy proggy
Ok
Not my jam but I feel the vibe :)
Weird wankery. Sounds like it might be impressive technically but the output is a bit shit
More like, no
Overall, not my favorite but a couple songs stood out
Roundabout shares some of the same DNA as Supertramp so that one is a hit for me. The rest of the songs don't sound like that though. Instead they feature annoying noises and incoherent melody.
It wasn’t terrible … but I still don’t like Prog Rick
It’s like the definition of mid. Nothing you would turn off in the background but nothing that blows my little mind. Some great riffs throughout.
I literally had an hour and a half Genesis album two days ago, that exhausted all of my patience. What the hell is going on with the randomness of the track structure? Here's an 8 minute track (that albeit is a relatively decent album opening), here's a minute and a half of Brahms? What? Felt properly conceited at times. Stop with the high quantity of prog rock.
I don't know why Wizards had such a grip on Rock music in the '70's, but good golly I'm happy that reign has ended. 2/5
Not going to lie, this was more noodly than a stir fry
It was good for a song and a half.
I was duped, I thought this was a continuation of the yes album, oh how wrong I was, besides roundabout this album was a real challenge to get through, not much to write home about, the only other positive I can really give is that they’re great musicians
one meme song, the rest are ok
Not big on prog rock. Waiting for Aja by Steely Dan
'I'll be the roundabout / The words will make you out and out.' What can only described as a letdown for the nonbeliever, Fragile goes from being an innovative pop-prog record to a schooled but meaningless play of chops in less than two mins. B/c even the hit single, which I admit does get into your head, and for that reason is a semi-success, is too long and too uninteresting to save this record from itself. 'Did we really count to one hundred?' That’s how it feels listening to this ersatz mind-fest: counting aimlessly, never doing the dirty work to yoke thinking w/ feeling. Moments of beauty exist on the acoustic instrumental 'Mood for a Day,' but by then it's too deep in faux intellectualism.
I remember!
Virtuosic playing all around. But after Roundabout it sounded to my ears like a group of people trying to show off rather than make interesting music.
Worked my way through this album more intrigued about it than feeling any sort of love for it. Some strong moments and interesting technical work from the band, but ultimately the album feels disjointed and massively self indulgent. Some elements are utterly bizarre and feels like the band are experimenting for the sake of it, some are momentarily very good. The opener and closer are very good at least. Maybe I'm missing the point of the album but it's not a fave of mine at all.
A chaotic mess with a couple of breathers.
Can't complain. Maybe would not listen again.
Really not my cup of tea. I thought the warbling organ cover of Simon & Garfunkel's America was particularly self-indulgent.
Outdated, bloated, and a likeness to jazz with its random noodling and songs that went nowhere.
This is just as pants as the other offering we’ve been served up. Pick a lane lads, too much noodling.
Coming into this I only knew Roundabout from this record, and dreaded listening to prog rock for its pompousness and the fact that the only people that seemed to enjoy it were constantly high. The album is fine, the band is undeniably talented, but it doesn’t leave me wanting to listen to more prog. Roundabout is a good track, as is parts of Long Distance Runaround, and the solo at the end of Mood for a Day is pretty, but too much of this album just isn’t engaging for me. 4/10
2.5?
I do not know what to do with this. There were some very interesting bass lines and overall vibes. On the other side, this entire record is very all over the place and does not establish a good overarching rythm for me, which makes it rather hard to listen to. Maybe just dont get the concept of this lp.
Prog Rock is not my favorite. My heart sank when I first saw it was a Yes album because I thought it would be an exhausting ordeal. Instead it was just...fine. I recognize the exceptional musical ability of these guys, but that just never affects me in any meaningful way. I will always take the ugly rawness of punk over the mathematical cleanliness of prog rock.
Apparently peak technical prog rock. Very interesting to experience the musical surprises that were synched perfectly across all instruments, and I can't deny that these guys can burn, which I guess was the point they were trying to make. The album itself is basically three long songs featuring this experimental long format plus some solo showcases. For my taste, only the Mood For a Day solo was worth the listen. Of the jams, I liked Roundabout the best. Overall, not sure this is my thing, but I can appreciate its complexity and difficulty, and it's not unpleasant to listen to.
Jojo…. Oh jojo… you are so bizarre…
Minute 2:07 to 5:36 on South Side of the Sky, the bass on Long Distance Runaround, and The Fish bump the rating to a 2. I'm trying y'all.
Not for me
I found it hard to finish this album because some of the songs were long and I tuned out the music after a while. I really liked the album cover though.
Some nice riffs and bridges showing great potential, but too clean for me. It lacks something and somehow that kills the vibe for me. That said, I would not be surprised if this influenced a whole lot of bands who built this into something much more raw, and I grew up on those bands.
Why is Brahms on here? Like pretty much everything on here, it's more of more. This album is really like 2 (maybe 3) songs with a boatload of filler in between 'em, and the songs have filler, too. Virtuosic, but also boring.
An album which would have been vastly improved with no vocalist. 2/5 with vocals, 4/5 in my imagined version without.
I really tried to like this. Roundabout sucks you in but after that it’s boring high-concept prog that is better forgotten.
It took me a couple of tries to get through Roundabout and I can't even remember listening to the rest
Yes? Ummmmm…. No. Not so much
Progressive
Nice to hear the origin of the first song, rest of the album was fine.
Not my favourite.
Not really my thing
Couldn't finish it...
Roundabout is a certified banger! The rest is...fine? A bit too much, but fun in parts.
A prime example of where less definitely would have been more.
This was cool to hear, for one reason or another. I'm sure that Roundabout is the only reason this album is on the list, thanks JoJo. But, that speaks to just how great a song it is, so much of what it has is what I liked about a lot of songs on this album but that song's sticking power is undeniable. It's unfortunate that this is the only song that kept my attention. Favorite song: Roundabout
Roundabout continues to be a banger, otherwise this album can be appreciated but not enjoyed
Just not for me. Listened to the original version and still couldn't wait for it to end.
Has some bops but I'm not a big YES guy.
Really impressive instrumentation, vocals not for me.
Aw man. I knew and like Roundabout, but the rest of the album is so...experimental?
Starts of great but then becomes just okay.
Ah, Yes... A band I’ve heard many times in passing during the 80s, without ever trying to know more about them. I was eager to listen again with a different perspective. Sadly, it was an underwhelming experience. It’s not bad – it’s certainly creative, the jazzy moments are nice... But I’m really not on board with the vocal part of the album, the singing feels lifeless. Despite numerous good ideas and laudable attempts to innovate, the end result just leaves me mostly indifferent. Heart of the Sunrise was the only song that I kind of digged (and only the instrumentals), but it was too little, too late. Won’t listen again.
pioneers of prog rock? sure, I give you that. They probably, inadvertently, had a major impact on me but how I got from Yes to TOOL is another story. In the end, I cannot say I am a fan.
Ooooh, like Yes a lot but never heard anything from this album. Super slay. edit: honestly -- it was good, but nothing memorable.
2.5
Appreciate that Yes are iconic and skilled and innovative etc but couldn’t listen to this
Not really
Dad- 5 Mom- 4.5 Mike- 3 Lori- 5 Michael- NA Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 4.38
Even as a prog rock fan this was a step to far for me. I wonder if it would score more if I listened a few times? Maybe.
Me and prog. A never ending rivalry. It wasn't terrible.
Some songs I liked but in general jut not my favorite genre of music.
couldnt really hack it
I feel like I would love this love, but it may be angry listening to it on a long drive.
Perhaps worse than I ever imagined it would be. Could just about tolerate the sub-two minute “We Have Heaven”. Thanks, but no thanks.
A little overlong and some tracks are bleeps and samples of a min or so. Roundabout is fantastic and some of the tracks are ok Prog rock but nothing to write home about. some anoying piano on some tracks that is unecessary
I can absolutely appreciate the musicianship, I just don't like the music the musicians make.
It’s a bit too prog-y for me but I do appreciate that they kept it relatively short.
Too much prog rock for me. Like...way too much prog rock.
These guys were just having a good time making music together. Roundabout was pretty good but nothing that stood out to me in a decade of other awesome prog rock.
Yes? No, not for me...don't really like them or get them...
2/1001 :: Yes - Fragile Heard before? ❌ Would I revisit? ❌ Rating: Light 4 Fav Tracks: Heart of the Sunrise, South Side of the Sky Apparently this Prog Rock virtuoso of an album was released in 1971 but you could've fooled me because it sounded really 80's to my ear (and not in a good way)... While I had never listened to this album there were 2 songs that were very familiar. Roundabout & Long Distance Runaround are staples on my local classic rock radio station (i95 FM). And Roundabout being the first song set the tone for the album. These musicianship is highly skilled, but there was a ton of bad synth and noodley guitar work which frankly is not my bag. Ironically there were many elements here that reminded me of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (who I love) but without the edge and that was my issue with it. Also felt like half the songs were instrumentals and my TBH i only really liked parts of my Fav Tracks (Heart of the Sunrise, South Side of the Sky) as both of those songs could have used a real haircut IMO. Now on to No. 3 !
Goeie funk bij momenten Kinda saai though
This album was ok not my kind of genre typically so wouldn’t listen again but it was interesting to hear something different from what I am used to
Prog. If that word makes you tingle go 4 it. If not, settle in for the slog. There will be moments where youre like, this is ok. But those moments will be interrupted w inexplicably annoying turns. Not my bag
The harmony at the end of The Fish is reminiscent of ... Eagles? CSN&Y? Mood for a Day was pretty, too.
Cool instrumental to start off. Besides that….
I've been waiting for the day I could write something positive about a prog rock album... and today is not that day.
Has its moments with some nice and catchy tunes, but overall, it just doesn’t hit for me. While I can appreciate the musicianship and creativity, it feels a bit too scattered and doesn’t quite resonate. It’s just not my cup of tea.
I've heard only a couple of these songs before. I do appreciate some of the juxtapositions, but overall, this isn't an able I'm come back to.
Even though this album has 2 great songs (the opener and closer), the lead vocals really throw it off for me. For the most part, it is a bland rock project with too many things that they try to tackle. A better album from this era would be Boston's self-titled.
Ihan on passelia musisointia, mutta en tästä itse paljoa perustanut.
dnf
Was about as long as tedious I would have expected 2*
eh
2 stars Some good tracks, but doesn’t feel like a full album. The instrumentals sometimes feel like half ideas. The longer tracks are that indulgent.
If, like me, you hate keyboards, moogs, and synthesizer, this album never had a chance. The best track on it was written by someone else and has no keys!
Another where one album from the band would be sufficient. It’s a yes album, like the others. Fine, but nothing more.
The only Yes album I can almost listen to. They’re still doing all the prog shit or at least an initial version of it while retaining *some* songwriting chops. Mostly, any patience I have for them is derived from a cool “Long Distance Runaround” cover Joggers, a Portland indie band, did in the 00s. But there’s still all the other wanker “putting the classic in classic rock” nonsense - this time it’s a classical guitar recital piece and a Brahms something or other. Could not give less of a shit about that blokes.
I guess I just don’t love funky bass lines.
Maybe? Nah. I liked the instrumentals, but the rest is too much in that Rush-Iron Maiden vocal/guitar-space.
Roundabout obviously slaps, rest of the album is a bit underwhelming
Tää olisi parempi levy jos kaiken Roundaboutin ja Heart of the Sunrisen väliin jäävän trimmaisi surutta pois.
Did not care for
Apart from Roundabout (classic), the album feels a bit repetitive.
Oh joy, it’s the “Roundabout” album… This music doesn’t really do a whole lot for me, I’ll be honest; I like the boisterous bass guitar, the early ‘70s organ keys and synth, and some little spots here and there but as a whole… forgettable, not my tempo.
Not a fan, wouldn't listen to it again but it isn't awful
Not for me. However... there should be one Yes on this list. I can guarantee this isn't the only one.
One minute I am listening to Roundabout, the next minute I am transported to a medieval time where I am drinking mulled wine while I await the commencement of the grand jousting match. The king and court are dressed in their finery, smiling upon the gathered crowd who have been given a reprieve from their toils in the fields. All is merry this day. Or maybe that was a dream I had when I fell asleep listening to Cans and Brahms, which could serve as the soundtrack for a cable access puppet show, also about royal courts and such. There are a couple of great moments in here, but a bunch of yuck too. A couple of tracks throw squawks and bloops over unusual time signatures, incorporating some of the worst aspects of free jazz. Each member going on a separate 32 bar quest, assured they will bring it all together at the end to make it semi palatable. Not a fan of prog for prog's sake. Two stars for Roundabout.
Fine but not for me
Gets 2 stars for Roundabout. The rest is just prime Rick Wakeman knob twiddling guff.
I grew up with Yes fans for parents so it's very difficult to give this an unbiased listen. I have always liked Roundabout as tune, but generally prog rock's tendancy towards 8 minute noodling tracks is not my thing. I would listen to Runaround and Long Distance Runaround again though. 2/5 (I'd get 2.5 if I was allowed half stars)
in all honesty i did not like this at all. thought it was shit tbh. it kinda goes to show that just because you're a great player with super advanced technique, it doesn't automatically make a good song. i was surprised when i heard the first song, still don't remember where i've heard it, but the bassline is phenomenal all the same. same with that one song about halfway through, incredible guitar technique but would i listen to it again, probably not. really out of place interludes that made the album feel really disjointed and confusing. i'm sure this is someone's cup of tea! just not mine...
I recognize that a lot of work went into this. The people who like it probably really like it, and I’m so happy for them. I want to be a person who could not just tolerate but maybe even enjoy 11 minutes (and 31 seconds) of whatever noodly insanity was happening in the one that was 11 minutes (and 31 seconds), but it’s not in me. I can’t, and I won’t. I did like “Mood for a Day” though.
I admire the musicians in this band for their technical prowess at each of their respective instruments. The hallmarks of a competent prog rock album are all here in Fragile, but accessibility to the listener remains an issue. An album like this requires patience from its audience. After the frenetic energy of Roundabout to open, there’s a good 30 minutes of slow moving soundscapes that are beautiful, but don’t really go anywhere. That is until the stellar conclusion in Heart of the Sunrise. So I can’t in good conscience give Fragile anything higher than 2 stars no matter how much I admire the skill and musicianship on display. ⭐️⭐️
Dit album heeft wel een paar leuke nummers, maar is ook veel gepingel. Ik had toch iets heel anders verwacht van de band "yes". **
Not a fan of the experimental nature of this album.
Nog meer progrock, moet dat? De gitaar in de intro en outro van "Roundabout" klinkt als die in een nummer van Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Voor de rest wel een aardig nummer, niet zo deprimerend als die meuk van Genesis laatst. Ik kan nog steeds niks met dit soort nerdrock, maar ik heb ook zeker ergere varianten gehoord. "Long Distance Runaround" is wel oké. "The Fish" zelfs best goed. Hé wat grappig, in de afsluiter "Heart of the Sunrise" hoor ik een sampletje van Pusha T's "What Would Meek Do?". De rest van dat meer dan 11 minuten durende nummer is helaas niet om door te komen. Zoals wel vaker bij progrock, begint het met een aardige intro en wordt het per minuut slechter, pompeuzer en kitscheriger..
Not my cup of tea
Circus ass music
Second 70s prog rock album in a row. This genre will just never be for me. I appreciate being exposed to it. Everything is helping me contextualize a lot of music throughout eras. I will probably never listen to this again.
I can see why people like this, but I'm not one of these people unfortunately. <-To be continued :^)
Not into it
instrumental stuff was the best part. could not do the vocals. would not care if I ever heard again
meh
Not my bag.
I have never been excited by progressive rock...that I found sometimes self-indulgent...This record production sounds "modern" for its time (nice bass)...but a bit gimmicky
boring
I really liked the first song. The rest of the album blended some interesting musical/instrument ideas, but was boring overall.
Like, there’s some good musical arrangements and complex compositions. But it’s lousy to listen to unless you’re really into progrock.
I don't get it. I'm not a prog rock girlie. Heart of the Sunrise was ok but other than that I didn't really like any of it.
Den enda låten jag reagerade på var meme-låten
no, except for "Roundabout". 2/5
Recognizable classic rock - yet nothing I would buy or go out of my way to play.
Progr. Rock, 1971 -> 2
Finally some silly circus music!
na ez sokkal jobban tetszik, mint a multkori tőlük (a roundabout meg a south side of the sky!) de még mindig végtelen unalmas. 😆 ezt a túlságosan művészkedős rockot a pink floyd(pár albumá)nak még elnézi az ember, mert kibaszott zsenik, de ez simán csak unalmaaaaaaaaas.
oh no not prog rock
Nothing stood out to me. I get why it is a huge deal but I personally don’t think I would listen to it ever again.
Roundabout isn’t half bad, but the rest of the album is. I lost interest quite fast afterwards. This is everything punk rebelled against.
I like that one song
------get back here
My only experience of Yes up until today is Owner Of A Lonely Heart. Wow! This album is nothing like that is it. Roundabout was good, the rest was a lot of noise and noodling and what the hell was the cover of America! No thanks, not “Yes” please.
Everything sounded the same lol
Always want to like Yes because my Dad loves them, but something about them just leaves me very underwhelmed. It's not bad, it's just not good and I just don't really want to listen to them again after a whole record. Close To The Edge was a better record, I thought
Other than Roundabout this album wasn’t very good. I’d give it like a 1.5 so I’ll round up and give it a reluctant 2 :/
Thought I liked prog rog but not so much - oh for owner of a lonely heart
Some very cool performances and interesting parts, but too probably just too weird for me tbh
No
Prog rock. Does it take talent? Yes. Do the songs drag on way too long? Also yes. YES.
Nah bro
A rough listen for me, and a good example of how I’m sure there will be many albums on this list that are “technically good” but really don’t resonate with me. I was just bored, to be honest. Tough sell when every song on the album is either thirty seconds or ten minutes long. Some nice guitar tho, I enjoyed Mood for a Day the most out of any other song on the album.
It’s all about layers, but not the kind that fit together. The music sprawls, ambitious and overcooked. It feels tangled, like too many ideas competing at once. It’s more exhausting than exhilarating.
Saved Prior: Roundabout Off Rip: None Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Really wish Roundabout had just continued for the entire album instead of the tomfoolery we got
2 Stars (5/15)
not my cup of tea i think, gonna give it another chance tho
Patchy ! Liked the solo one with guitar but very mixed bag
2.5
This is #day122 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and... while this is not entirely terrible, I don't feel this music. It does nothing to me. It sounds like the guys are jamming and having fun, mostly each on their wave, and I'm just not progressive enough to appreciate it. Or, I'm not in the mood for a day. That said, I can try to understand its novelty (?) given the year of the release. Still, it's a 2 out of 5. Looking forward to #day123.
roundabour is amazing but the rest is just not my jam
Now I know where the meme comes from
Yes, you need better songs for a higher rating. Favorite Song: "Roundabout"
Fav song: Mood For A Day (Roundabout close second though) I think this album is super interesting, especially for the time period. I would have rated it higher but it's just a bit too lost in the sauce in places for me personally. The production is solid though, especially in the low end. That bass really packs a punch. Not to mention the performance! The technical skill from each band member is extremely impressive. But yeah, just waaaaaay lost in the sauce! Side note: the 10 minute songs are actually kinda sick and interesting, especially America.
Roundabout? Amazing The interludes? Whatever The other two songs? They are good but nothing I care a whole lot about even after listening to it. I used to listen to this a lot as a teen but I realize it was mostly Roundabout
More like No, amirite guys?
No Simpsons: No
At points I thought I was back in medieval times, which I would normally love but this is just too weird for me
A very intriguing album. I don't think I've heard anything quite like it before. It's definitely more of a one-off, interesting piece, something to experience for its uniqueness, rather than songs I'd find myself actually puttin on. Overall, not for me.
This irked me some. Long Distance Runaround lost me. I don’t know. I usually like Yes but this is a nah
great start into the album but unless from few 10 minutes stretches there are not many songs to really listen to. Them cuts doesnt feel necessary for the album. its not a transition its just... there?! so yeah 2.5/5.0 doesnt work that well for me as a album
Less cohesive than the other project from them I got.
only gets more than a 1 star cause of roundabout
With such a strong (if long) intro, it’s a shame the middle is so mellow and frankly boring. What’s there is beautiful and well done, but so much time elapses and suddenly you’re hit with another flashy song for the outro. The musicality is good when there; unfortunately, the length kills this one.
I only liked the jojo song