Fragile (Yes, 1971)

They just don't make albums like this anymore. I'm not saying this from the perspective that this was the greatest album ever made and everything was downhill from there. Rather, I'm referring to the structure of the album, which, by Yes standards, is actually pretty accessible. Even though it was part of a growing trend by the band to create more long-form material, it is still fairly song-based, especially compared to the two albums that would follow. For some reason the early 1970's, still in the afterglow of psych rock, was much more tolerant of album with few songs, each with 10+ minute running times. Jethro Tull, marveling at this attitude, did a parody of the genre (Thick As a Brick) and it turned into a #1 album (and then they themselves started a deep involvement in the progressive movement). Nowadays if you try to do something like this you would be laughed off the stage. Even "out there" bands like the Flaming Lips don't make 3-song albums and rarely exceed the ten-minute mark on any given song. Another unusual feature of the album is the five "mini-songs" where each member performs (mostly) solo. None of them stand on their own, but they all contribute to the overall feel of the album.

This album is Yes's sweet spot, and the mini-songs show the confidence of their most famous lineup, completed by the addition of Rick Wakeman, and, amazingly, only recorded two studio albums. The group compositions show that they perform very well together while the mini-songs helped grow the individual identities of the band's members. The even-more-prog Close to the Edge would follow shortly thereafter, butthat was enough for drummer Bill Bruford, who would leave the whole prog world behind for a long stint with King Crimson. Oh wait...out of the frying pan....

This was the only Yes album I owned for quite some time (thanks to my college BMG-binge), but I'm looking to expand. Thanks to satellite radio, I'm finally getting to hear more than "I've Seen All Good People" and "Owner of a Lonely Heart", so I'm setting my sights on additional acquisitions like their first album, and Going for the One. I'm still leery of the 1980's stuff and I was underwhelmed by footage of a reunion show from around the 2000's.