I agree mainly with Drive and Queen Boo about this album: lots to like about the big band numbers, though the solo efforts are a mixed bag. I like
We Have Heaven, though I would've liked it more without the open/close door gimmick.
And here's Queen Boo on
The Fish:
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Originally Posted by Queen Boo
it starts out very simple and only becomes more complex as it builds up with each bass overdub carefully layered over each other and I think it sounds f*cking awesome specially when the vocals come in, also the way Howe's guitar solo at the end of Long Distance Runaround segues into it is really cool.
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Yep, to me this track has a structure similar to
Würm, but this time they take it to another level and get it right.
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Even Cans and Brahms is pretty charming in it's own kitschy way even if it is the weakest moment on the album, the reason Wakeman chose to cover Brahms for his solo track is because he was still signed with another label as a solo artist and wasn't able to have songwriting credits on the album so he couldn't use one of his own compositions.
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Well, this is a sad reason to spoil an album by putting in a track that is so out of place. Wakeman should've had the good grace to stand down completely if that was the case, or do something that was writ by one of his new bandmates.
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Roundabout is a track everyone agrees is great but Heart of the Sunrise is the real highlight for me and it's the one that comes closest to the symphonic sound they would achieve with the next album which I'm well aware Troll also dislikes, I don't agree at all that it's lacking in structure or memorable melodies, there's a neat new hook being added like every 30 seconds, I admit the first time I heard it I thought the transitions from one section to another were too abrubt but the more I listened to it the more I realized how it all came together. It's one of my favorite Yes songs.
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Like most Yes songs,
Heart Of The Sunrise has loud complex band instrumental sections interspersed with the real gems: Jon Anderson's melodies. With the recurring line,
"...on to the heart of the sunrise" this track has a wonderful lurching build up to the climactic section:
Dream on ... on to the heart of the sunrise
Sharp ... distance
How can the wind, with its arms all around me?
Sharp ... distance
How can the wind, with so many around me?
I feel lost in the city
That's the high point of the album, imo.
Other tracks:
Mood For A Day fits in much better on this album than its equivalent,
The Clap, did on The Yes Album. It's a very welcome, soothing respite amidst all the pyrotechnics going on elsewhere on Fragile.
Five Percent Of Filler Piece is pretty useless, imo, but
Roundabout is so good that JAnderson's 30-second outro hardly gets a mention. It's beautiful, and with lyrics that even Trollheart could sing along to:
Dadadada Da Da Dup