With their third album in toe of The Yes Album under their belt and bringing Rick Wakeman from the
Strawbs into replacing Tony Kaye as he would form Badger, it was the beginning of the golden-era of Yes career as
they were about to climb the boat and sail into other lands that will soon
become their classic which was their fourth entitled, Fragile. That and the Definitive Edition reissue CD release this
year from the Panegyric label, shows that this reissue is the perfect time to
relive those memories.
The reissue which includes the CD in a new stereo mix done
by the Wizard of 5.1 mixes of Steven Wilson and also including the Blu-Ray/DVD
release of the album in different formats including the original mix, 2015 mix,
the Rhino 2002 mix, and the Vinyl needle drop transfer. The new mix that Wilson
has done on here, is spectacular and the clarity itself is much better and you
can close your eyes and imagine listening to the album all over again.
What I love about the reissue of Fragile is not just the album itself, but the additional bonus
tracks that are on here. There is the rehearsal take and early mixes of Roundabout and South Side of the Sky, a
full version of We Have Heaven along
with the acapella version, and All
Fighters Past. Now this track is a killer. This was an earlier beginning
their sixth album, Tales from Topographic
Oceans.
But it’s a wonderful composition featuring the late great
Chris Squire’s Rickenbacker Bass nailing those chops with a crunching sound
followed by Steve Howe’s guitar, Rick Wakeman’s organ work, and Bruford’s drumming
setting the fantasy tones to embark an amazing journey on what you are
exploring to delve into. But I’m getting off-track, let’s get straight to the
album.
Steve Howe brings his classical guitar roots into the mix
with a flamenco marimba influence on Mood
for a Day while Squire’s bass goes into a funk-overdrive with The Fish (Schlindleria Praematurus) with
the harmonic sounds between him and Howe as they create the improvisations of a
fantasy twist. Bill Bruford’s composition of Five Percent for Nothing was originally known as Suddenly It’s Wednesday, shows Bill at
his best creating some of the intense drum work on dealing with the contracts
and not getting the royalties they deserve from their former manager.
Rick Wakeman brings a shining torch to the keyboards on the
Organ and Harpischord of the third movement of Symphony No. 4 in E Minor on Cans and Brahams. The dramatic finale of
Heart of the Sunrise is a classic. I
can hear the clarity of the Piano, Synths, along with the Bass sections and
Mellotron parts in the opening adventurous wonders of Roundabout. But again on the piano part, Steven raised it up that
was buried in the multi-tracks along with the synths.
Which was unearthed and had my eyebrows lit-up hearing that.
But it’s Chris Squire’s thunderous riff on the Bass that will send chills down
to the spine as he nails it down to a “T”. It’s spacey, mind-blowing, and
spellbinding at the same time he goes into town to take it to a whole new
level. With Bill’s drumming, Rick’s keyboards, Jon’s vocals, and Steve’s
guitar, it makes us know why Chris brought the force and energy of Yes.
The 14-page booklet contains original sketch designs by
Roger Dean including the logo, liner notes by Sid Smith, interviews with the
band, pictures of the group, archive tickets, singles, and the first presses of
Fragile in the UK, US, and in France.
2015 with the passing of Chris Squire, it makes us know that the legacy of Yes
will live on. And this amazing definitive edition that Steven Wilson has done on the new mixing, brings emotional
beauty and dream onto the heart of the sunrise.
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