YES/FRAGILE SD 7211 (-71) US

 

 A band more or less unprecedented when it came to combining efficiently performed complicated structures with catchy.  I've already praised the surrounding "Yes Album" and "Close To The Edge" LP:s and now it's time to show love for this.  When it comes to music my mind is like a tape recorder.  If I really like a song it becomes a part of my system and there it stays forever, almost note by note. Not consciously, though with the right trigger it will emerge in me as it was.  Haven't had or even heard this LP for a couple of decades, but after finding this copy already the first spin took me back to the early seventies and the impression I got when digging it then. After all this time I still knew almost every part and got the same feeling of adventure and experienced the same joy.  I'd like to pick every single track as favorites, but we can't do that so here's just a few. "Long Distance Runaround" where Howe's guitar skillfully conterpoints the vocals. The epics  "Roundabout" and "Heart Of The Sunrise", both offering abrupt changes between sweet and frenzied, yet managing to keep the flow intact for my pleasure. I also very much like Howe's acoustic "Mood For A Day", showing he didn't need electricity to glow. The audio on this US press is very good.  "PR" on label and matrixes shows a Presswell pressing and "AT/GP" on matrix that it was mastered by Georg Prios at Atlantic.  Issued and reissued on all possible formats all over the world through the years. Premiere UK on Atlantic "plum" label (2401019). Japan 2003 CD on Rhino Records (WPCR 11513) came with two bonus tracks. Early US had label as shown here in a glossy fold/out cover and an eight page booklet with art by Roger Dean and pics of the band.  (YZÄ*) (JÄZ*)