Fragile
Studio album by Yes
Released	26 November 1971 (UK) 4 January 1972 (U.S.)
Recorded	September 1971
Genre	Progressive rock
Length	41:11 (original release) 60:20 (2003 release)
Label	Atlantic Records
Producer(s)	Yes and Eddie Offord
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Yes chronology
The Yes Album (1971)	Fragile (1971)	Close to the Edge (1972)

Fragile is the fourth album by British progressive rock band Yes. It is best known for the song "Roundabout", which was released in an edited version as a U.S. single and became one of the band's best-known songs, along with "I've Seen All Good People" from The Yes Album. This was Rick Wakeman's first album with Yes - and also its first trans-atlantic Top 10 release. Image File history File links PetSounds 7/5/2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A Studio Album is an album of regular studio recordings. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... January 4 is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Eddie Offord is a noted record producer and engineer, who worked in his ADVISION Studio in London on some of the most famous albums in the 1970s. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Yes Album is the third album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Close to the Edge is the fifth album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... For the Swedish political music movement, see progg. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Yes Album is the third album by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Fragile was issued in the UK in November 1971, but was held back in North America for two months because of the still-growing momentum of The Yes Album. World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... The Yes Album is the third album by British progressive rock band Yes. ...

Unlike Yes' previous releases, this album showcased the band members' solo talents. This was to cut down on recording time, as the album had to be recorded and released hastily because the band needed money to pay for Wakeman's keyboard equipment, thus explaining why this is one of the few albums where all songs are over one minute away from the mean time. "Cans and Brahms" is a piece by Johannes Brahms arranged by Rick Wakeman; "We Have Heaven" is a Jon Anderson solo in which he sings all the vocal parts (a technique he later used on his solo album Olias of Sunhillow); while "Five Per Cent For Nothing", "The Fish" and "Mood For A Day" are solo pieces by Bill Bruford, Chris Squire and Steve Howe, respectively. The remaining songs are all group performances. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ... Jon Anderson (born October 25, 1944) is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes. ... Olias of Sunhillow is a progressive rock concept album by Jon Anderson, the lead singer of the band Yes. ... Bill Bruford on the cover of his album, Feels Good to Me William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential British drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born 4 March 1948), better known as Chris Squire is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon Anderson appeared on all but... Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 2004 Stephen James Howe (b. ...

A DVD-Audio version of the album was released in 2002, featuring Dolby Digital and DTS surround sound mixes and other additional features. The bonus track "America" features additional vocals in the last minute of the song which are not present in the 1972 release. The DVD-Audio logo. ... Dolby Digital logotype Dolby Digital is the marketing name for a series of lossy audio compression technologies by Dolby Laboratories. ... DTS may stand for: Digital Theater System (a multichannel audio source for synchronized film sound) Data Transformation Services (Microsoft database tool for Extract, Transform and Load operations) Dragons Tooth Sword (a fictional weapon from the video game Deus Ex) Dallas Theological Seminary (an evangelical Christian seminary in Dallas, TX...

On November 7, 2006, two audiophile remasters of the album are set to be released: an Ultradisc II Gold CD version by the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, and a 180 gram vinyl LP version by Steve Hoffman, to be released on Analogue Productions. November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL, or MoFi) is a company that produces audiophile releases of classic CDs and vinyl records. ... 33⅓ LP vinyl record album The vinyl record is a type of gramophone record, most popular from the 1950s to the 1990s, that was most commonly used for mass-produced recordings of music. ... Steve Hoffman is an audio engineer from Los Angeles, California, who specializes in remastering sound recordings on compact disc and vinyl record for record companies. ...

Track listing

1. "Roundabout" (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) – 8:33
2. "Cans And Brahms" (Johannes Brahms, Arr. Rick Wakeman) – 1:38
3. "We Have Heaven" (Jon Anderson) – 1:40
4. "South Side Of The Sky" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire) – 7:58
5. "Five Per Cent For Nothing" (Bill Bruford) – 0:35
6. "Long Distance Runaround" (Jon Anderson) – 3:30
7. "The Fish (Schindleria praematurus)" (Chris Squire) – 2:39
8. "Mood For A Day" (Steve Howe) – 3:00
9. "Heart Of The Sunrise" (Jon Anderson/Chris Squire/Bill Bruford) – 11:27
   • Includes a hidden reprise of "We Have Heaven" at the very end.

Fragile (Atlantic 2401 019) reached #7 in the UK. It also reached #4 in the U.S. during a chart stay of 46 weeks. Roundabout is the track which opens the 1971 album Fragile produced by British progressive rock band Yes. ... Jon Anderson (born October 25, 1944) is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes. ... Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 2004 Stephen James Howe (b. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ... Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born 4 March 1948), better known as Chris Squire is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon Anderson appeared on all but... Bill Bruford on the cover of his album, Feels Good to Me William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential British drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... Heart of the Sunrise is a progressive rock song by British band Yes. ...

Fragile was remastered and reissued in 2003 with two bonus tracks:

10. "America" (Paul Simon) – 10:33
11. "Roundabout (Early Rough Mix)" (Jon Anderson/Steve Howe) – 8:35

Steve Howe's use of harmonics on the acoustic guitar for the intro of "Roundabout" would become one of his most signature pieces of guitar work. America, a Paul Simon song, was made popular by 1960s folk duo Simon and Garfunkel. ... Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, half of the folk-singing duo Simon and Garfunkel who continues a successful solo career. ...

Rick Wakeman contributed to the writing of "South Side Of The Sky" and "Heart Of The Sunrise", adding piano interludes to both songs, but wasn't credited due to contractual conflicts. He was instead promised more money by Atlantic studio executives, which he claims he never saw.

In the film School of Rock, Fragile is given to the keyboardist Lawrence as he is told to listen to "Roundabout". In the movie, Jack Black tells Lawrence to listen to Rick Wakeman's piano solo on Roundabout and it would "blow the classical music right out your butt". School Of Rock is a 2003 comedy film starring Jack Black. ... Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ...

In 1998 the track "Heart Of The Sunrise" was used in the film Buffalo 66. Heart of the Sunrise is a progressive rock song by British band Yes. ... Film poster for Buffalo ’66 Buffalo ’66 (1998) is writer/director Vincent Gallos semi-autobiographical full-length motion picture debut. ...

Personnel

• Jon Anderson: Vocals
• Chris Squire: Bass guitars, vocals
• Steve Howe: Electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
• Rick Wakeman: Hammond Organ, Grand piano, RMI Electra-piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog Synthesizer
• Bill Bruford: Drums, Percussion

Jon Anderson (born October 25, 1944) is an English musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes. ... In music a singer or vocalist is a type of musician who sings, i. ... Christopher Russell Edward Squire (born 4 March 1948), better known as Chris Squire is an English musician and the bassist and backing vocalist for the progressive rock group Yes, and is the only member of the group to appear on every album (co-founder Jon Anderson appeared on all but... Martin EB18 Bass Guitar in flight case. ... Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 2004 Stephen James Howe (b. ... An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses electronic pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current. ... Acoustic Guitar Playing an acoustic guitar without a pick (fingerpicking) A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound. ... Richard Christopher Wakeman (born May 18, 1949 in Perivale, London, United Kingdom) is a British keyboard player best known as the keyboardist for progressive rock group Yes. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A grand piano from Schiedmayer & Söhne, Stuttgart. ... The RMI 368 Electra-Piano and Harpsichord was an electronic piano and the most popular instrument created by RMI. It was renowned in different forms of popular music. ... Mellotron MK II The Mellotron is an electromechanical polyphonic keyboard musical instrument originally developed and built in Birmingham, England in the early 1960s. ... The term Moog (pronounced /moʊg/ to rhyme with vogue, not /muːg/) synthesizer can refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for analog and digital music synthesisers. ... Bill Bruford on the cover of his album, Feels Good to Me William Scott Bruford (born May 17, 1949 in Sevenoaks, Kent, England), better known as Bill Bruford, is an influential British drummer known for his forceful, highly precise, polyrhythmic style. ... A drum is a musical instrument in the percussion family, technically classified as a membranophone. ... A percussion instrument can be any object which produces a sound by being struck with an implement, shaken, rubbed, scraped, or by any other action which sets the object into vibration. ...

Artwork

The cover design by Roger Dean depicts a tiny planet on the front. On the back, the planet has begun to break up and the population is escaping in a wooden space glider - a concept that was to inspire Anderson's Olias Of Sunhillow, as well as the film Floating Islands. Freyjas Castle, 1987 Roger Dean (born August 31, 1944, in Ashford, Kent) is a contemporary English artist best known for his work on album covers, which he began painting in the late 1960s. ...

The LP's accompanying promotional booklet contains two additional Dean paintings; the front cover depicts five different creatures huddled under a root system; the back cover depicts a person climbing up a rock formation. In mathematics, a root system is a configuration of vectors in a Euclidean space satisfying certain geometrical properties. ...

The inside of the promotional booklet consists of several different photographs of the band members interspersed with smaller Dean illustrations and photographs of the members' wives and children, save for then-bachelors Bruford and Wakeman.

On Wakeman's allotted page he features a photograph of his dog along with a list thanking everyone who helped further his musical career. Notably, he remarks "God Bless Brentford Football Club" (he now supports Manchester City F.C. after a dispute), along with "P.S. One future offspring." (Wakeman has had three children). Brentford Football Club are an English football club based in the London suburb of Brentford. ... Manchester City Football Club are an English football club based in the city of Manchester. ...

Front cover of the promotional booklet. Download high resolution version (600x826, 83 KB)Painting by Roger Dean from the left-inside cover of the Yes album Fragile, 1971. ...

Back cover of the promotional booklet. Download high resolution version (600x829, 63 KB)Painting by Roger Dean from the inner-right cover of the Yes album Fragile, 1971. ...

Back cover of the album. Back cover by Roger Dean for the Yes album Fragile, 1971. ...

Recording technology and production methods

Recorded in September 1971 at Advision Studios in London, the album is an analog multi-track production - the available technology of the day. Standard multi-track methods were employed, such as overdubbing, including a clever flipping of the master multi-track tape to record the backwards piano, cued by Steve Howe's guitar, for the beginning of Roundabout. This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously taped musical recording. ... Yes guitarist Steve Howe in 2004 Stephen James Howe (b. ...

Reissues

1986 - Atlantic - CD
1993 - Atlantic - CD (Remastered Gold Edition)
1994 - Atlantic - CD (Remastered)
2002 - Elektra / Rhino - CD (DVD-Audio with Bonus Track)
2003 - Rhino - CD (Remastered with Bonus Tracks)
2006 - Analogue Productions - LP (Audiophile Remaster)
2006 - MFSL - CD (Ultradisc II Gold )

Sources

• Fragile, CD booklet essay, Bill Martin, c.2003
• AllMusicGuide.com
• "Top Pop Albums 1955-2001", Joel Whitburn, c.2002