Yes and the album ‘Fragile’

In opening a new year with the Matt Lynn Digital blog, we begin musically by reviewing an album released on this date, January 4th, 1972 per All Music. The English progressive rock Yes released the album Fragile with members Jon Anderson of Accrington, Lancashire, Chris Squire of Wembley, Middlesex, Steve Howe of London, Rick Wakeman of London and Bill Bruford of Sevenoaks, Kent, which we look into today.

(Presented here is the album cover for the album Fragile by Yes).

The opening song for Fragile was Roundabout, which as stated here proved to be a “breakthrough hit and one of their most well-known songs, but the band wasn’t looking for a hit at the time.” The keyboard as played by Rick Wakeman and the acoustic guitar play of Steve Howe to begin the song are both really strong and pronounced with this song.

(Presented here is the cover art for of the Dutch release of the single Roundabout).

The song Cans and Brahms proved a bit of the point above that Yes was looking to establish their sound as a band. The instrumental here experiments quite clearly, with Wakeman having done the arrangement. As quoted here, Wakeman said the music as presented “was dreadful, but contractual hangups prevented me from writing an original solo track.”

(Rick Wakeman of Yes).

We Have Heaven presents multiple vocal layers while seemingly expressing a psychedelic trip with their sound. Jon Anderson wrote the piece. As mentioned here, the lyrics in play were “Tell the moon don’t tell the marcher … He is clear … We have heaven”.

South Side of the Sky included liner notes in a remastered version that are quoted here. “The liner notes to the remastered edition of Fragile [described] the song as about a tragic polar expedition that ends in death.”

The instrumental Five Per Cent for Nothing comes in at 35-seconds long. Drummer Bill Bruford was the driving force for this song, which features his play.

(Bill Bruford of Yes).

Long Distance Runaround was written by Jon Anderson. Anderson was quoted here as saying the song was about “how religion had seemed to confuse me totally. It was such a game that seemed to be played, and I was going around in circles looking for the sound of reality, the sound of God.”

(Jon Anderson of Yes).

Chris Squire wrote Fish (Schindleria Praematurus). “The title comes from Chris Squire‘s nickname: he was dubbed “the fish” because of his tendency to take long baths. He also happens to be a Pisces,” as indicated here.

(Chris Squire of Yes).

Mood for a Day was written by Steve Howe. In discussing the writing of the song here, Howe mentioned that he “had settled down and just started new roots in [his] life and ‘Mood For A Day‘ was supposed to represent a happy mood for a day. I was about 28 when I realized there should be something more in my life than just the guitar.”

(Steve Howe of Yes).

Written by Jon Anderson, Bill Bruford and Chris Squire, Heart of the Sunrise fills approximately half of the second side of the Fragile album. In speaking of the philosophy underpinning this song and the album, Anderson was quoted here as saying that one “of the things that was always important for Yes was to create music for the stage to perform, not to make a record.” It was from that perspective that the lead singer for yes mentioned this song made him proud.

Matt – Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Def Leppard and the album ‘Hysteria’

The Def Leppard album Hysteria was released on Monday, August 3rd, 1987. My 12-year-old self was a big fan of this album, which featured musicians Joe Elliott of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Rick Savage of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Rick Allen of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, Phil Collen of Hackney, London, Middlesex, England, and Steve Clark of Hillsborough, South Yorkshire, England.

(The cover art for the 1987 Def Leppard album Hysteria is shown here).

Women charted 80th in the United States. Per Songfacts as sourced here, the band knew that “women don’t like songs called “Women,” especially when they’re prurient tales of male desire set in biblical times. When they released this song, Def Leppard knew that it would gin up their core audience but would have little appeal to the female fans who had made them superstars.”

(Women was the second overall single but first released in the United States for Hysteria. The song was released as Hysteria‘s first single in Canada, Australia, and Japan).

Rocket charted 12th in the United States and 15th in the United Kingdom. Playing on the notion of rocking the song while using the title rocket, the band lyrically references music by The Rolling Stones, Elton John, The Beatles, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Chuck Berry and Queen.

(Rocket was the last single from the Def Leppard album Hysteria, with a release in January 1989).

Animal charted sixth in the United States and 19th in the United Kingdom. The recording of the song “took three years to complete,” as referenced here. Besides the accident to drummer Rick Allen, the move to change producer from Jim Steinman to Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange made a big difference with this song.

(Animal was the first single released internationally to support Hysteria, becoming Def Leppard‘s first Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom).

Love Bites introduces the notion that singer Joe Elliott wanted to emotionally invest in physical intimacy with a lady. That the song approaches this in a ballad format really helped the band resonate with ladies.

(Love Bites was a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. It became a top-10 hit in Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The track peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart for the United Kingdom).

Pour Some Sugar on Me charted second in the United States and 18th in the United Kingdom. The song became an anthem of sorts for the band, with influences as indicated here including The Archies and T. Rex. Illusions to physical intimacy from this song, metaphorically, are quite clear.

(Pour Some Sugar on Me reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States on July 23rd, 1988. The song ranked number 2 on VH1‘s 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s in 2006).

Armageddon It charted third in the United States and 20th in the United Kingdom. The song plays with words similarly to the song Rocket from earlier in the album, with the lyrics “Are you getting it?” being answered with “Armageddon it”. As referenced here, the large influence of the change of producers was felt with this song. “Lange took over for Jim Steinman, whose sessions were scrapped in 1985. With Lange, they created songs with a rock bombast and commercial appeal, and this one also played great in stadiums.”

(Armageddon It was released in 1988, going to No. 3 in the United States. It also reached the top 10 in Canada and New Zealand and the top 2 in Ireland and the United Kingdom).

Gods of War “is as close to a protest song as you’re going to hear from Def Leppard,” as noted here. The song didn’t receive much critical or commercial love, though the ask to avoid getting into wars is noted.

Don’t Shoot Shotgun returns more strongly to the world of the platform of love, or at least intimacy, with a protest of sorts into jumping too quickly into a physical expression of love.

(From left, Joe Elliott, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, and Steve Clark. This was Def Leppard‘s line-up for the 1987 album Hysteria).

Run Riot feels like an early in the setlist song intended for concerts in support of the Hysteria album. Lyrically, the song itself invites an investment in the glamorous perspective of rock-n-roll where hedonism has it costs but still feels worth it.

Hysteria returns to the ballad style with a song that charted tenth in the United States and 26th in the United Kingdom. As indicated here by guitarist Phil Collen, “The song really is about finding spiritual enlightenment[.] Not many people know that because it sounds like just getting hysterical, but it’s actually about that. It’s about finding this deeper thing, whether you believe it or not.”

(The tenth track on Def Leppard‘s 1987 album Hysteria was the song Hysteria, the fourth single for the album. The single was released in November of 1987).

Excitable offers a clear invitation for returning energy to the band in a concert. The song itself can be interpreted when listening to the album itself in a more intimacy-based context, with the exploration of what you feel outpacing what you think.

The Hysteria album ends with a ballad adjacent song named Love and Affection. Lyrically, the album ends with the offer of a one-night stand of experiencing intimacy where the singer invites the company for the night to give in to the invitation. This song thematically fits with the album, though the offering of so many lyrics without a true bridge back to a chorus strikes me as a bit weak for the finish.

Matt – Wednesday, August 3, 2022