Yes Release Super Deluxe Edition of 1971’s Fragile
Extended box set shines a new light on the prog greats’ classic fourth album
Fragile, the fourth LP from English prog rock icons Yes, returned to record shops this weekend with a brand new Super Deluxe Edition that’s sure to elate longtime fans of the band.
“It was a magical experience….the music was wonderful,” singer Jon Anderson said of the album and the origin of its title. “But Fragile was the word I suggested for the name of the album because being in a band was a very fragile experience for everyone….you’re never sure who’s gonna be around next week….and if the album would do well…”
Originally released on November 12, 1971, the LP marked the first Yes album to feature Rick Wakeman on keyboards, taking the place of founding member Tony Kaye after he departed their ranks to form the short-lived rock band Badger. Fragile also was the first Yes album to feature the art of longtime collaborator Roger Dean on its cover, setting off a long and fruitful partnership that has lasted right up through the group’s latest album, 2023’s Mirror to the Sky.
“Few marriages of sound and vision are as perfectly suited as Yes and Roger Dean – it was like they grabbed the same shooting star simultaneously,” expresses music journalist Syd Schwartz in the liner notes to the Fragile SDE. “The iconic Yes logo was still an album away, but Fragile established a cosmic vibe forever associated with Yes…”
Fueled by the popularity of the single “Roundabout” and its equally beloved b-side “Long Distance Runaround,” Fragile would catapult Yes into the Billboard Top 10 here in the States in February of ‘72. with sales that earned them double platinum status. And 53 years later, it remains a creative high point in the lifespan of the group’s classic lineup of Wakeman, Anderson, guitarist Steve Howe, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Bill Bruford.
The Super Deluxe Edition of Fragile is largely generous in its content, spread across four CDs, one LP and a Blu-ray disc. A remastered edition of the original album can be found on both the first disc and the vinyl, whose lacquers were cut by veteran audio engineer Bernie Grundman (Steely Dan, Michael Jackson, Prince). The second CD, meanwhile, contains a brand new mix of the record by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson, including the instrumental versions of each cut that really allows the listener to submerge themselves in the complex interplay between the musicians.
CDs three and four, however, are where you’ll find the rarities that make this edition so super deluxe. In terms of studio materials, both discs have plenty of rough mixes, alternate takes and single edits of key Fragile cuts, including the Wilson-mixed full version of the deep track “We Have Heaven” and an alternate version of “Heart of the Sunrise” that really accentuates the peerless bass work of the late Chris Squire. There’s also some tasty non-album numbers on hand as well, namely the band’s 10-minute transformation of Simon and Garfunkel’s “America” and “The Dean,” a bluesy instrumental that showcases the fire within Howe’s flying fretwork.
What’s missing from the SDE of Fragile is an abundance of live material. In fact, there’s only three tracks of it, culled from the band’s appearance at the Academy of Music in New York City from February 19, 1972. So while we get a nice taste of this tape with crisp performances of “Long Distance Runaround” going into “The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus),” one of Fragile’s best tracks, as well as “Perpetual Change” and “Yours Is No Disgrace” from The Yes Album (also released in ’71), it’s a drag the compilers did not include the entire recording of the show here. Maybe one day, right?
Found within the Blu-ray are Steven Wilson’s new mixes, including the album in Dolby Atmos and 5.1 Mix DTS-HD MA, giving the prog rock geeks with the jacked up sound systems something to really fuss about.
The 2024 version of Yes, which includes Howe (guitars, vocals), Geoff Downes (keyboards), Billy Sherwood (bass guitar, vocals), Jon Davison (vocals and acoustic guitar) and new drummer Jay Schellen, will be touring North America later this summer with Deep Purple. See below for the list of dates.
Tour Dates
Aug 14 Hollywood, FL Hardrock Live
Aug 15 Tampa, FL Hardrock Live
Aug 17 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Aug 19 FT. Worth, TX Dickies Arena
Aug 21 Cincinnati, OH PNC
Aug 22 Detroit, MI Michigan Lottery Amp.
Aug 23 Chicago, IL Credit Union Amp.
Aug 25 Toronto, ON Budweiser
Aug 27 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Aug 28 Gilford, NH Bank NH
Aug 30 Camden, NJ Freedom Mortgage
Aug 31 Holmdel, NJ PNC Arts
Sept 1 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach
Sept 3 Bridgeport, CT Hartford Healthcare
Sept 4 Saratoga Springs, NY Broadview
Sept 6 Bethel Woods, NY Bethel Woods
Sept 7 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube
Sept 8 Scranton, PA Montage
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June 7, 2024
One of the best! I listened to them nonstop in high school. Absolutely amazing musicians. Those bass lines are phenomenal!
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