by Geoff Bailie
It was around this time last year that I was flicking through the BBC footage of the Glastonbury festival, when I was shocked to hear a band playing Yes’s Heart of the Sunrise! It turns out that hip hop star Lizzo was using that piece of music as the intro to one of her songs! It amazed me that more than 50 years after this album came out, the music occasionally creeps into the mainstream! Like Lizzo (though that may not be her intention!), Rhino Records is keeping the legacy of Yes alive, continuing with the new super deluxe reissue of Fragile, following on from, and in the same format as, last year’s The Yes Album.
So what do you get here? First up a vinyl copy of the original album mix, remastered by legend Bernie Grundman. This makes my third Fragile vinyl version – I’ve got an early pressing I bought second hand about 30 years ago, plus the version in the box set of the Steven Wilson remixes on vinyl. In terms of sound and pressing quality this one the best in my opinion. While I like Steven Wilson’s remixes a lot (see later) this just feels a bit more authentic – it’s the original mix, on vinyl, presumably “as the band meant you to hear it”.
Next up we have 4 CDs of material, as follows. First up you have a CD version of the Grundman remaster used in the vinyl – just the regular straight album. Disc 2 is the 2024 Steven Wilson remix plus instrumental versions of each of the tracks (apart from Five Per Cent For Nothing, which already is one!). In 2015, Pangeric reissued the album complete with a remix by Wilson. For this reissue he was brought back to remix his surround mix from that release for Dolby Atmos. He also took to the opportunity to make some small changes to the stereo and 5.1 mixes from that time, and that’s the mix that is here. I was a big fan of the instrumental remixes from the Pangeric reissue which were “locked away” on the accompanying Blu ray – so for me it’s great to have these in a more accessible format. The remix plus the removal of the vocals uncovers all sorts of details which … well you know they’re there, but you get to focus on them in a very different way. Steve Howe’s guitar on South Side of the Sky is incredible plus even with a familiar track like Roundabout, you can hear the complex backing track that it has.
Discs 3 and 4 are probably the places where those who have the Pangeric releases will focus to see what’s there that they haven’t got! Having extensively cleared the archives for that release, we couldn’t really expect there to be a whole lot of treasure left unfound. So instead what Rhino have done is gathered the very best of that release, the earlier Rhino reissue from 2003 plus some additional finds to present as complete a package as possible. Therefore you’ll find US single edits of Roundabout and Long Distance Runaround, along with Steven Wilson edits of LDR and Heart of the Sunrise, early takes of Roundabout, South Side and Mood for a Day. Mood for Another Day contain elements that end up in Relayer’s To Be Over while All Fighters Past ended up being reworked into parts of Tales from Topographic Oceans. There are also alternate versions of some songs with interesting variations, the regular and instrumental version of the track America. In addition, the track The Dean has to be mentioned. Trailed as an unheard work in progress, Yes Fandom has identified it as not being a Yes track – that might be because either it wasn’t identified or because of some production error. No answer to that at time of writing and disappointment that it wasn’t picked up (even the most casual Yes fan would identify that it’s not Yes which is concerning!) but it is what it is.
Perhaps the (next) most exciting thing for many will be the live tracks – LDR/ The Fish, Perpetual Change and Your is No Disgrace all live with Bruford in 1972. The YesSongs live album released after Bruford had left the band had 2 of these from a different show, and the versions here are really excellent to go head to head with them. A 1972 Yours Is No Disgrace with Bruford is a rare find, and it’s a really great version. Most Yes fans will be familiar with the YesSongs versions and it’s interesting to contrast Bruford and White playing the same track. Bruford brings a bounce and lightness to the track, where White’s version is driven and powering. Bruford adds colour with little flourishes on cymbals and percussion very much reflective of what he’ll soon bring to King Crimson in the Larks Tongues era. When it comes to the guitar solo part, the Bruford / Squire / Howe combination make this into something where all 3 players are both working apart and together. It’s a brilliant performance! Some have asked – why only 3 tracks? – and Rhino have been upfront and said that it’s because that’s all they could find.
The box set also contains a Blu ray which – unlike some other recent box sets – is packed with audio material. You get the remaster of the original album, the 2024 mix in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 and stereo, plus all the instrumentals. And America is included in most of the above!
I have to admit that when these box sets were announced I was a bit skeptical, really on account of what had been released previously / the relatively small amount of new content. However the Fragile release has changed my mind. This 12 inch format means you get the album art in a size that the band and artist intended, a superb remaster of the original mix (again as the band intended). Then with the Steven Wilson remixes and the additional tracks you get a different audio perspective (including an Atmos mix) and all sorts of insights into alternate versions. Then finally some examples of the material being executed live. As a complete package, it’s hard to beat!
Order here:
https://Rhino.lnk.to/FragileSDE
Yes: Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition)
CD Disc One – Original Album Remastered
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
6. Long Distance Runaround
7. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
8. Mood For A Day
9. Heart Of The Sunrise
CD Disc Two: Remixes & Instrumentals2024 Remixes
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
6. Long Distance Runaround
7. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
8. Mood For A Day
9. Heart Of The Sunrise
10. We Have Heaven (Reprise)
2024 Instrumental Mixes
11. Roundabout
12. We Have Heaven
13. South Side Of The Sky
14. Long Distance Runaround
15. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
16. Heart Of The Sunrise
17. We Have Heaven (Reprise)
CD Disc Three: Rarities
1. Roundabout – U.S. Single Edit
2. Long Distance Runaround – U.S. Single Edit
3. All Fighters Past – Steven Wilson Mix
4. South Side Of The Sky – Early Take
5. Roundabout – Rehearsal Take/Early Mix
6. Mood For Another Day
7. We Have Heaven – Full Version (Steven Wilson Mix)
8. South Side Of The Sky – Early Version (Steven Wilson Mix)
9. Long Distance Runaround (Steven Wilson Edit) *
10. Heart Of The Sunrise (Steven Wilson Edit) *
11. America
12. Roundabout – Early Rough Mix
13. We Have Heaven – Acapella (Steven Wilson Mix)
CD Disc Four: More Rarities & Live
1. Five Per Cent For Nothing – Alternate Version *
2. Heart Of The Sunrise – Alternate Version *
3. Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)- Alternate Version *
4. The Dean
5. America – Instrumental *
Live at the Academy of Music, NYC (2/19/72)
6. Long Distance Runaround / The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) *
7. Perpetual Change *
8. Yours Is No Disgrace *
Blu-ray
2024 Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
2024 5.1 Mix DTS-HD MA
2024 Stereo Remix
2024 Stereo Remaster
2024 Instrumental Mix
Tracklist
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
6. Long Distance Runaround
7. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
8. Mood For A Day
9. Heart Of The Sunrise
10. We Have Heaven (Reprise)
11. America
Fragile LP
Side One
1. Roundabout
2. Cans And Brahms
3. We Have Heaven
4. South Side Of The Sky
Side Two
1. Five Per Cent For Nothing
2. Long Distance Runaround
3. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)
4. Mood For A Day
5. Heart Of The Sunrise
* previously unreleased
