Today Im doing a three for Thursday. So this will be three classic albums by the same group or singer. Or related in some ways to each other. So todays threefer is from the group Yes. These three album flow together one after the other. In college we called them the holy three. The Yes Album (1971), Fragile (1971) and Close to the Edge (1972). The Yes Album is the third studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released in February 1971 on Atlantic Records. It is their first album recorded with guitarist Steve Howe who replaced Peter Banks after his departure in 1970. The album was written and rehearsed at a farmhouse in South Molton, Devon, then home to Langley Studios. The Yes Album was a commercial and critical success and is the bands breakthrough album. It peaked at number 4 in the UK and number 40 in the US. It is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over one million copies. The album itself one of the groups best is almost a greatest hits collection. I think every song except A Venture has remained in the groups concert set even to this day. This proved to be Tony Kayes last album with the band for a long time but his organ playing is good on this set. He apparently left or was forced out because he resisted using some of the newer synthesizer technology which was becoming available at this time. With this set the band finally achieved their goal of playing complex arrangements but utilizing catchy and memorable harmonies which remain in your head long after the song is finished. Songs such as Yours Is No Disgrace, Starship Trooper and Ive Seen All Good People prove this point. Fragile is the fourth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1971 on Atlantic Records. It is their first album recorded with keyboardist Rick Wakeman after the departure of Tony Kaye earlier in the year. Formed of nine tracks, four of which are group performances while five are solo features written by each member. It marked the bands first collaboration with artist Roger Dean, who would design their logo and many of their future covers. Fragile was the bands greatest commercial and critical success at the time of its release. It peaked at number 4 in the US and number 7 in the UK. Roundabout was released as a single in the US and is one of the bands best-known songs. The album is certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over two million copies As excellent an album as it was, it produced just one major hit in Roundabout. I remember hearing the song played repeatedly on radio back then and never got sick of it. The entire album is full of excellent, well crafted songs such as Heart Of The Sunrise, Long Distance Runaround, South Side Of The Sky and the above mentioned Roundabout. Of note, this album was also keyboard wizard Rick Wakemans debut with the band and theres a definate classical influence in the songs with the addition of Wakeman (listen to Cans And Brahms). This special edition of Fragile contains two bonus tracks in America (the full 10 min. version) and an extra version of Roundabout (Early Rough Mix) which is similar to the original version except that the vocals and harmonizing are more pronounced and the arrangement is different in certain parts. If you enjoy seventys classic rock such as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Genesis, King Crimson, etc. Fragile is a must have. Highly Recommended. Close to the Edge is the fifth studio album from the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 13 September 1972 on Atlantic Records. Following their success with Fragile (1971), Yes began to produce extended pieces which resulted in Close to the Edge, an album formed of three tracks with the 18-minute title track occupying side one and And You and I and Siberian Khatru on side two. When recording for the album finished, drummer Bill Bruford had grown tired of the bands style and song writing methods and left to join King Crimson. Released three months into its supporting tour, Close to the Edge was a commercial and critical success for the band. It peaked at number 3 in the United States and number 4 in the United Kingdom. And You and I was released as a single that reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album is certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling over one million copies. Considered Yes artistic peak, Close To The Edge is gaining the reputation of being the ultimate, all-time favorite progressive rock album. The somewhat monochromatic-sounding, side-long title cut pushed listeners to the edge back in the fall of 72, but still sounds fresh today. And You And I, the albums standout piece, has all the classic Yes qualities: chiming acoustic guitars from Steve Howe, gorgeous mellotron and synthesizers from Rick Wakeman, and Jon Andersons soaring-into-the-heavens vocals - all densely layered into complete sonic perfection. This album represents a uniquely creative era in popular music that will, unfortunately, never be repeated.
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 17:51:39 +0000
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