Sold Date: October 30, 2021
Start Date: October 21, 2021
Final Price: $255.00 (USD)
Seller Feedback: 492
Buyer Feedback: 0

                                                                                                              YES "FRAGILE"
2019 MOBILE FIDELITY SOUND LAB "ULTRA DISC ONE-STEP UD1S SUPERVINYL MOFI", 2LP BOX SET, 45RPM, 180G VIRGIN VINYL, CATALOG NUMBER US1S-2-012, HALF-SPEED MASTERING ON MFSL GAIN 2 ULTRA ANALOG SYSTEM, CUT FROM THE ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES, MASTERED BY KRIEG WUNDERLICH, DELUXE GOLD-FOILED BOX SET, CONTAINS SPECIAL JACKETS. #2,393 OF A SOLD-OUT LIMITED EDITION OF 7,500 COPIES.
"PROPELLED BY THE TIMELESS HIT "ROUNDABOUT", "FRAGILE" THE FOURTH ALBUM BY "YES" BECAME AN INSTANT CLASSIC AND IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF PROG-ROCK'S FINEST MOMENTS. IT WAS THE FIRST "YES" RECORD TO FEATURE RICK WAKEMAN ON KEYBOARDS AND THE FIRST TO DISPLAY THE INIMITABLE ARTWORK OF ROGER DEAN. A TRUE MASTERPIECE THAT NEVER SOUNDED BETTER THAN ON THIS ULTRADISC ONE-STEP RELEASE FROM MFSL!"
""I WANTED TO HEAR SOMETHING INSPIRING". WITH "FRAGILE", "YES" VOCALIST JON ANDERSON'S DESIRE WAS FULFILLED TO AN EXTENT EVEN HE LIKELY COULDN'T HAVE IMAGINED. THE BAND'S BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM MARKS A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT FIRSTS NOT JUST FOR THE GROUP BUT FOR HOW POPULAR MUSIC COULD BE APPROACHED. IT ALSO REPRESENTS THE ALL-IMPORTANT DEBUT OF KEYBOARDIST RICK WAKEMAN, A COMPLETE RETHINKING OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLASSICAL DEVICES, IDYLLIC FANTASIES, AND TRADITIONAL STRUCTURES, AND THE ARRIVAL OF PROGRESSIVE ROCK AS A MAINSTREAM FORCE. 'FRAGILE' ALSO OPENED THE DOOR TO THE QUINTET'S LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITHY ILLUSTRATOR ROGER DEAN, WHOSE COVER PAINTING AND GATEFOLD-SLEEVE ARTWORK REMAINS AS CHERISHED BY MUSIC LOVERS AS THE AUDIOPHILE-QUALITY PRODUCTION. NEITHER FACET HAS EVER BEEN EXPERIENCED IN FINER FORM AS ON THIS COLLECTABLE SET."
"INDEED, THE MINUTE YOU REMOVE THE SHRINK WRAP FROM THE BOX, YOU'LL PORE OVER DEAN'S METICULOUS SCIENCE=FICTION SKETCHES AS YOU PULL THE FIRST LP OUT OF ITS FOIL-STAMPED JACKET AND DROP YOUR TONEARM INTO THE LEAD-IN GROOVES. A RISING MOOG CHORD SERVES AS THE CUE, HOWE'S ROMANTIC ACOUSTIC-GUITAR PASSAGE FUNCTIONS AS THE GATEWAY, AND THE ENGLISH LEGENDS DIVE INTO "ROUNDABOUT"- A LEAD-OFF TRACK FOR THE AGES. THE HIT SIGNALED "YES" HAD EVOLVED INTO A COLLECTIVE THAT MERGED BOLD AMBITION, TECHNICAL VIRTUOSITY, AND CONTAGIOUS MELODY IN A MANNER NONE OF ITS CONTEMPORARIES MANAGED."
"WRITER AND "YES" SCHOLAR BILL MARTIN DIDN'T MISS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF "ROUNDABOUT" WHICH HOLDS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING ALL THE ADVENTURES THAT FOLLOW ON THE ALBUM. IN THE LINER NOTES TO THE RECORD'S LONG-AGO DELUXE CD REISSUE, HE OBSERVES, "ALL OF THE "YES" ELEMENTS ARE HERE: INVENTIVENESS, SWEETNESS, AND WISTFULNESS, BRIGHT COLORS THAT ARE MORE SIBELIUS AND STRAVINSKY THAN 'POP', AND NOT WITHOUT AN EDGE."
"SUCH COMBINATIONS OF ALLURING SYMPHONIES AND JAGGED DRIVE REPEATEDLY SURFACE ON "FRAGILE", NO MORE OBVIOUSLY THAN ON "SOUTH SIDE OF THE SKY", AN EPIC ABOUT A TRAGIC POLAR EXPEDITION THE QUINTET PLAYS WITH  WITH A RIVETING INTENSITY, IMPECCABLE CONTROL, AND STAGGERED PROGRESSION THAT RENDERS THE NARRATIVE'S OTHERWORLDLY LANDSCAPES IN TECHNICOLOR. OR WITNESS THE SIMILARLY BELOVED "LONG DISTANCE RUNAROUND", A SPRING-LOADED ESCAPADE THAT IN ADDITION TO ITS CONCISION, WEDS JAZZ, CLASSICAL, PSYCHEDELIC, ARENA ROCK, AND CEREBRAL AURAL AND LITERARY FORMS TOGETHER IN A MESMERIZING WHOLE."
"WITH EVERY NOTE ON "FRAGILE', "YES" CONSTRUCTS CINEMA FOR THE MIND. MOBILE FIDELITY'S UD1S EDITION RENDERS IT WITH 70MM-FILM-PROJECTION REALISM."