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

Asia and the self-titled album ‘Asia’

Progressive rock band Asia seemed like it might have been a holdover act from an Art rock sound of the 1970s when they offered their debut album, titled Asia, in 1982. That the band was a fusion of John Wetton of King Crimson, Carl Palmer of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Steve Howe of Yes and Geoff Downes of the Buggles certainly fed the initial, uninitiated view. Listen in for a a surprising mix that the bands debut, self-titled album reveals.

(The album cover for the 1982 debut, self-titled album Asia by Asia offered a pop music sound that sold well).

Heat of the Moment opens the album Asia by Asia as something rare for 1982. The rarity here is that the song is an apology, with the opening lyric being the dead give away: “I never meant to be so bad to you.” The song performed better in the United States than it did in the United Kingdom.

Only Time Will Tell begins where Heat of the Moment leaves off with a realization that the love he felt for a woman has ended or never was shared in return to begin with. Experiencing slightly less success than the song it follows, the chart success it had mirrors Heat of the Moment.

Sole Survivor lands third for Asia, having been released as a single with Here Comes the Feeling.

(Clockwise from bottom left are members of Asia, including lead vocalist and bassist John Wetton, drummer and percussionist Carl Palmer, keyboardist and backing vocalist Geoff Downes and guitarist and backing vocalist Steve Howe).

One Step Closer offers perhaps the clearest first sense of Asia‘s roots playing progressive rock. Thematically, the song offers optimism for love with a keyboard lead.

Time Again begins where One Step Closer ends, both in sound and in offering a parallel narrative with One Step Closer to the romantic aspirations dashed with Heat of the Moment and Only Time Will Tell.

(Asia‘s Only Time Will Tell was released with Ride Easy in the United Kingdom and with Time Again in the United States).

Wildest Dreams open the B side of the album Asia, which was released as a record in 1982. The song questions the disconnect between the ruling military class and the combatants, population and others that are less than an afterthought in military celebrations.

Without You mellows the sound heard with Wildest Dreams, amplifying it seems the darkness, the moral outrage raised personally for the singer.

(From 2006, Asia from left includes Steve Howe, Carl Palmer and John Wetton. Not pictured is band member Geoff Downes).

Cutting It Fine revisits the sense of desired affection in matters of the heart that have been dashed. The cutting I sense here is any sense of attachments, as in the disconnection comes from a series of fine cuts that simply have to end the relationship.

Here Comes the Feeling is a feeling of hopefulness, of spring after a long, cold winter of relationship despair. The underpinnings of confusion, desire, yet intellectual skepticism coupled with emotional desire to belong personified. At a human level, I am sympathetic with the hopefulness. The feelings almost certainly, in a lyric from Heat of the Moment, tells “me what your heart meant.”

(The single Sole Survivor by Asia was released with Here Comes the Feeling).

Bonus track Ride Easy feels like a return to this album with a second look into the Here Comes the Feeling through an eye of experience. The companionship of those once close have faded away, in effect returning the band to winter. The message I hear is to Ride Easy on feelings of hopefulness, knowing that pain is place journeys lead.

Matt – Saturday, March 27, 2021