YES – FRAGILE LP – Nr MINT A2/B1  PROG ROCK

Yes – Fragile
(Atlantic Records   ATL50009)
Matrix No’s: A2/B1

Gatefold Sleeve in Excellent/Very Good+ condition
– some wear to edges/corners
No Booklet

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are 1 or 2 light surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Yes are an English rock band formed in London in 1968 by singer Jon Anderson and bassist Chris Squire. The band has undergone numerous formations throughout its history; nineteen musicians have been full-time members. Since June 2015, it has consisted of guitarist Steve Howe, drummer Alan White, keyboardist Geoff Downes, singer Jon Davison, and bassist Billy Sherwood. Yes adopted several changes in musical style, from rearranged covers to progressive and art rock in the 1970s, before moving towards pop in the 1980s. They have sold 13.5 million RIAA-certified albums in the US.

Yes changed their name from Mabel Greer’s Toyshop and performed rearranged covers of rock, pop, blues and jazz songs as evident on their first two albums. A change of direction in 1970 led to a series of successful progressive and art rock-style albums until their disbanding in 1981, their most successful being The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972). Yes toured as a major rock act that earned the band a reputation for their elaborate stage sets, light displays, and album covers designed by Roger Dean. The success of “Roundabout”, the single from Fragile, cemented their popularity across the decade and beyond.

In 1983, Yes reformed with a new line-up that included guitarist Trevor Rabin and a more commercial and pop-oriented musical direction. The result was 90125 (1983), their highest-selling album which contained the US number one single, “Owner of a Lonely Heart”. From 1990 to 1992, Yes were an eight-member formation after they merged with Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe to release Union (1991) and complete its tour. Since 1994, Yes have released albums with varied levels of success and completed tours from 1997 to 2004. After a four-year break in activity, they resumed touring in 2008 and continue to release albums; their most recent is Heaven & Earth (2014).

Yes are one of the most successful, influential, and longest-lasting progressive rock bands. In 1985, they won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance with “Cinema”, and received five Grammy nominations between 1985 and 1992. Yes have headlined annual progressive rock-themed cruises since 2013 named Cruise to the Edge. Their discography spans 21 studio albums. The band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2017.

Fragile is the fourth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on Atlantic Records. It is the first to feature keyboardist Rick Wakeman, who replaced Tony Kaye in 1971, and the first to feature cover art by Roger Dean, who would design many of the band’s records.

Upon its release in the UK in November 1971, Fragile hit number 7 on the UK Album Chart, which would prove its highest position there. It later reached number 4 on the US Billboard 200 during a stay of 46 weeks. Its release in the United States was held back for two months because of the chart momentum of their previous record, The Yes Album.

Track listing

The track “Heart of the Sunrise” ends, after a pause of several seconds, with a reprise of “We Have Heaven” that begins with the sound of a door being unlatched (“We Have Heaven” on Side One of the album ends with the sound of a slamming door). This hidden track is not referenced on Fragile’s cover or album labels. Original pressings of Fragile also list the duration of “Heart of the Sunrise” as 10:34, omitting the timing of the hidden track.

Personnel

• Jon Anderson – vocals
• Bill Bruford – drums, percussion
• Steve Howe – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Chris Squire – bass guitars, backing vocals
• Rick Wakeman – Hammond organ, piano, RMI 368 Electra-Piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog synthesizer