Fragile

 

    This album has "it"; no clue what "it" is, but Fragile has got it. One of prog rock band Yes' most well known albums really earns its reputation, with its rich sound and inventive style that present a remarkable listening experience. The creativity shown throughout each track is astounding, with each song seemingly having its own completely unique identity while all still remaining a cohesive unit. Although I described Yes as prog rock earlier (as they are most known and classified as) the music is able to really break away from the title through its eclectic mix of styles and timbres while still maintaining everything together in a satisfying track progression (which somehow is pretty emblematic of prog, huh?). The main unifying factor is the composition, which I think every member had a hand in somewhere, and it is amazing. The overall atmosphere of the album is incredible, with it being one of the best examples of auditory storytelling I've heard, being able to convey strong emotions and narrative even without any lyrics to guide it. The instruments and melodies are meticulously used to invoke strong imagery that I've hardly seen matched elsewhere. And going off of that, most of the songs are very melodic, focusing a lot on melody and harmony, especially for solos and the numerous sections of vocalization, which are just great. And despite it going past its restrictive quantification as so, it's an incredible piece of prog rock that is deserving of the reverence that it's held in today. If nothing else, it's worth a listen just to hear it, you know?

    Highlights: Roundabout, We Have Heaven, South Side of the Sky, Long Distance Runaround, Heart of the Sunrise. 

Rating: 6/6