Yes – Fragile (Super Deluxe) (2024)      


Review:
…featuring Steven Wilson’s newly remastered and remixed audio, rare and previously unreleased live and studio tracks. Fragile was recorded on the heels of the band’s expansive 1970-1971 international tour – one which took them to the U.S. for the first time, performing in such cities as Los Angeles, Seattle, New Orleans, Orlando, Detroit, Asbury Park, and New York City. They returned home to the U.K. for one final concert in London on July 31, and began rehearsing in August for a new LP. Before long, though, creative tensions bubbled over with founding keyboardist Tony Kaye, and he was dismissed from the band. Plans also fell through for a return to the U.S. to record with producer Tom Dowd in Miami. Strawbs’ Rick Wakeman was invited to join the group; he reportedly had a concurrent invitation to join David Bowie’s touring band. Wakeman opted for the relative freedom of Yes; the story goes that both “Roundabout” and “Heart of the Sunrise” were already in progress by the end of his first, fruitful day with bandmates Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Bill Bruford, and Steve Howe. Recording began in earnest in August at Advision Studios, and the band took full advantage of the facility’s 16-track machine.  Eddy Offord, who had engineered 1970’s Time and a Word for Yes, returned in that capacity as well as serving as co-producer with the band. The bandmates all contributed material except for Wakeman, who was under contract to A&M and couldn’t supply any original compositions for Yes at this point; instead, he arranged a Brahms composition as “Cans and Brahms.” His stamp was felt all over Fragile, however, including on the epic “Roundabout,” soon to become a signature song for the band. With intricate, shifting melodies, classical overtones, jazz-worthy improvisations, and oft-cryptic lyrics, Fragile epitomized Yes’ progressive sound and extraordinary musicianship. A soon-to-be-famous cover by Roger Dean – his first work for the group – topped off the package. Fragile reached the Top 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and the Top 10 of the U.K. Albums Chart, and has since been certified platinum in the U.K. and double platinum in the U.S., as well. Fragile has been reissued numerous times in various formats with bonus tracks, including the band’s rendition of Paul Simon’s “America” and a rough mix of “Roundabout.” Steven Wilson previously revisited Fragile in both stereo and 5.1 surround for an expanded 2015 reissue, and has done so again for this new set, additionally offering a new Dolby Atmos take on the album as well as new instrumental mixes of vocal tracks, allowing for a full “music-only” version of the album. The prime material from previous reissues is included, plus the U.S. single versions of “Roundabout” and “Long Distance Runaround” that reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. Nine previously unreleased tracks will be included, including alternate studio versions, an instrumental version of “America” and three tracks recorded at the Academy of Music in New York City in the winter of 1972. — SecondDisc


   


Track List:
Disc 1: Original album remastered
01 - Roundabout (2024 Remaster)
02 - Cans and Brahms (2024 Remaster)
03 - We Have Heaven (2024 Remaster)
04 - South Side of the Sky (2024 Remaster)
05 - Five Per Cent for Nothing (2024 Remaster)
06 - Long Distance Runaround (2024 Remaster)
07 - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (2024 Remaster)
08 - Mood for a Day (2024 Remaster)
09 - Heart of the Sunrise (2024 Remaster)

Disc 2: 2024 Mixes (previously unreleased)
01 - Roundabout (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
02 - Cans and Brahms (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
03 - We Have Heaven (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
04 - South Side of the Sky (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
05 - Five Per Cent for Nothing (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
06 - Long Distance Runaround (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
07 - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
08 - Mood for a Day (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
09 - Heart of the Sunrise (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
10 - We Have Heaven (Reprise) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
11 - Roundabout (Instrumental) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
12 - We Have Heaven (Instrumental) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
13 - South Side of the Sky (Instrumental) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
14 - Long Distance Runaround (Instrumental) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
15 - The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) [Instrumental] (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
16 - Heart of the Sunrise (Instrumental) (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)
17 - We Have Heaven (Reprise) [Instrumental] (2024 Steven Wilson Remix)

Disc 3: Rarities (* previously unreleased)
01 - Roundabout (US Single Edit) (2024 Remaster)
02 - Long Distance Runaround (US Single Edit) (2024 Remaster)
03 - All Fighters Past (Steven Wilson Mix)
04 - South Side of the Sky (Early Take) (2024 Remaster)
05 - Roundabout (Rehearsal Take;Early Mix) (2024 Remaster)
06 - Mood for Another Day (2024 Remaster)
07 - We Have Heaven (Full Version) (Steven Wilson Mix)
08 - South Side of the Sky (Early Version) (Steven Wilson Mix)
09 - Long Distance Runaround (Steven Wilson Edit*)
10 - Heart of the Sunrise (Steven Wilson Edit*)
11 - America (2024 Remaster)
12 - Roundabout (Early Rough Mix) (2024 Remaster)
13 - We Have Heaven (Acapella) (Steven Wilson Mix)

Disc 4: More Rarities and Live (* previously unreleased)
01 - Five Percent for Nothing (Alternate Version) *
02 - Heart of the Sunrise (Alternate Version) *
03 - Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Alternate Version) *
04 - The Dean
05 - America (Instrumental) *
06 - Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Live at Academy of Music, New York, NY, 2/19/1972) *
07 - Perpetual Change (Live at Academy of Music, New York, NY, 2/19/1972) *
08 - Yours is No Disgrace (Live at Academy of Music, New York, NY, 2/19/1972) *


Media Report:
Genre: prog-rock
Origin: UK  
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits
Compression mode: Lossless
Writing library: libFLAC 1.2.1 (UTC 2007-09-17)


Note: If you like the music, support the artist.