Fragile (Expanded) [Original recording remastered]

The opener "Roundabout" was a huge hit, and rightfully so. Every single aspect of the song- vocals, guitars, keyboards, drums, and especially Chris Squire's ferocious and unrelenting bass- are perfect, and blended together to create one of the greatest classic rock songs of all time. No matter how many times I hear this on the radio, I'll never get tired of it.

"South Side Of The Sky" is one of my all-time favorite Yes songs. This is a band that rarely treads on the darker side of music, but when they do, it works great (i.e., future classics like "The Gates Of Delirium" and "Machine Messiah"). Bill Bruford gives a stupendous performance- it's probably the closest to straightforward rock 'n' roll as this jazz fusion drummer would ever get. Guitarist Steve Howe gives a hard and heavy performance comparable to Led Zeppelin. The middle section of the song, with Wakeman's foreboding piano and the gorgeous vocal harmonies, is the highlight of the entire album for me.

The three and a half minute "Long Distance Runaround" is pretty typical of early-70's AOR, but it's great nonetheless, with its playful guitar and rich rhythm section. "Heart Of The Sunrise" is the longest song Yes had recorded up to that point at eleven minutes. This is a true fan favorite that is played at most every Yes concert. However, to offer a dissenting opinion, I don't like this song. The opening section, while seeming brilliant the first time you hear it, loses its effect after being repeated ad nauseam what seems like constantly throughout the song. Jon Anderson gives an impressive unaccompanied vocal performance, but it really doesn't fit in the context of the song. "Heart Of The Sunrise" is just plain boring, to put it bluntly. It seems like it belongs on Yes's 1974 dud "Tales From Topographic Oceans."

The "solo" pieces are a mixed bag. Rick Wakeman's "Cans And Brahms" is pointless, as is Bill Bruford's 35-second "5% For Nothing" (even though it is interesting from a technical standpoint). Jon Anderson's "We Have Heaven" is upbeat and comical- it's a very fun little ditty. Steve Howe's acoustic solo "Mood For A Day" is good, but pales in comparison to the live version on 1973's Yessongs. Chris Squire's "The Fish (Shindleria Praematurus)" is easily the best of the solo spots- not only is it incredibly impressive; it's also very fun to listen to. "The Fish" is presented as an add-on to "Long Distance Runaround."

The bonus tracks include an early mix of "Roundabout" which is interesting to listen to once, but then becomes pointless, as it's not much different than the final version. Yes's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's "America" is a masterpiece. It's kind of misleading to call this a cover, as the only resemblance it has to the original is the lyrics. Steve Howe gives what is in my opinion his greatest guitar solo on the ten-minute track. If this were part of Fragile proper, it would be its best song.

The remastered and expanded Fragile is definitely a must-have for any music fan, if only for "Roundabout," "South Side Of The Sky," and "America."