Personnel:
Jon Anderson: vocals
Bill Bruford: drums and percussion
Steve Howe: electric and acoustic guitars, vocals
Chris Squire: bass guitars and vocals
Rick Wakeman: organ, grand piano, electric piano, harpsichord, Mellotron, synthesiser
Produced at Advision, September 1971 by Yes and Eddie Offord.
Engineered by Eddie Offord, assisted by Gary Martin
UK Release date: December 1971.
US release date: January 1972
Highest chart places: UK: 7, USA: 4
Running time: 41:10
Fragile saw another line-up change – and a crucial one at that – with Tony Kaye replaced by Strawbs (and session) keyboard player Rick Wakeman. Kaye had begun to sound out of his depth onThe Yes Album, and while it does actually contain a fair amount of synthesiser, his performance was still largely organ-based. There is also a suggestion of a personality clash between the hard-partying Kaye and the more reserved Howe, but in the end, Squire and Anderson wanted something a little more orchestral, and Wakeman – who had already played Mellotron on David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ as early as 1969 – seemed perfect. His virtuosity was somewhat misplaced and underutilised in his current band, The Strawbs – as a listen to their excellentJust A Collection Of Antiques And Curios live album testifies.
The new lineup began rehearsing immediately after Kaye’s departure and worked up new material for an album which – label Atlantic and the band hoped – would capitalise quickly on the considerable success ofThe Yes Album. The material was very strong, but only one problem remained. There wasn’t enough of it. As a result, each member of the group contributed a solo track with varying degrees of success. Howe’s ‘Mood For A Day’, for instance, is a delightful classical piece – in contrast to the Country pickin’ of ‘Clap’, while Squire and Anderson’s pieces also have a lot of charm. Wakeman’s ‘Cans And Brahms’ is hampered by his contract with A&M Records, which prevented him from contributing a self-penned piece, and Bruford’s track feels a little pointless. However, the band-created pieces are astonishing. In particular, Wakeman’s parts on this (andClose To The Edge) are his most imaginative and integrated contributions to the Yes catalogue. Alongside his florid virtuosity and undoubted talents with multiple keyboards, his classical training enhanced the band’s ability to transition between sections within a single track. All four of the full-band pieces have remained in the band’s live set – more on than off – since the album was released. Yet the solo tracks blight the album just a l
