Yes – Fragile

This sounds great! Wish I didn't buy the Atlantic 75. I found nothing specacular about that LP. Sealed resale on eBay not even going for what I paid. This pressing you can't go wrong - highly recommend.

This pressing, above all, is harmonious, warm, very clean, with a strong presence, especially in the mid and high ranges, which in any case is an intrinsic part of the sound of some rock bands in those years, and especially with Yes. I mean, it is like a very "baroque" guitar and piano sound and distortions... as if Mozart suddenly played this kind of rock of our times with portable cassette radios (for those of us who already have gray hair, you may understand me).

The sound of this pressing is quiet, very quiet in several parts, but maybe... to my taste, it's a little bit "narrow". I would have loved a little more separation or distance between the instruments... but I don't know how possible this could be with Yes's music.

The pressing is, overall, a very organic sound, clean and very sharp.

But that Yes and Fragile contains dense sections, and these dense sections show her hands up, especially on the original records. Here, with this new cut by Kevin Gray, some of these dense sections are in a lower range of presence, with less distortion to the ears, and that is a great point and advantage with this version, as the dense sections are anyway more difficult to enjoy, specially if you are an analog tube amplifier listener as me. But it is part of the package anyway with Yes, dense and eclectic. If this was an order in a Michelin restaurant over the dinner table, maybe I think to ask for a “chas -chas” with more bass drive and a wider separation.

I’m far from regretting buying this record recently. I love it! It's an important and distinguished member of any vinyl collector's shelf. The original six-page booklet is fantastic BTW.

FRAGILE REISSUE COMPARISON TIME:

2016 KPG pressed at Record Industry
2018 Steven Wilson Remix by Optimal
2019 Mofi 1 Step pressed at RTI
2025 KPG AP 75th pressed at QRP

It took a while to do this and ive finally compiled my thoughts on these records and how they sound. The most important thing to is these are MY observations on MY kit therefore catering to MY tastes. The kit in question is fairly humble comprising a timewarp Pioneer PL-51 direct drive, with an AT VM95ML cart into a Project Tube Box S2 into a Musical Fidelity M2Si and finally into Focal Chora 806 bookshelves with all cabling courtesy of Atlas Equator and Hyper (all about £1800 not including the Pioneer which i was lucky to inherit). My pressings of these are excellent quality examples but YMMV, i generally found the 45rpm and better vinyl of the Mofi and AP75th to be best but the two 33's are superb for the money.

I will start by firstly but positively dismissing the 2016 KPG cut. While its very very decent in isolation i feel it sounds the thinnest and most uptight sounding press of the four especially at the end of each side. Kevin did his best but imho its the one i would reach for least of my four. If it was all i owned id be happy but always thinking could it be better!?

Thats where the 2025 AP 75th comes in... its basically the 2016 cut but fixed.... smoothed out a tad, opened up abit, fleshed out somewhat and dynamically livened up to boot. Its what the 2016 cut dreams of being. Its just easier and more relaxing and enjoyable to listen to. Its very organic sounding.

The Steven Wilson remix is..... excellent tbh! Theres going to be those who cant bare the thought of Fragile being butchered and reassembled with digital equipment in play, but analogue snobbery is not something i care much for and he has done a very nice job. In one respect it betters the 2016 and thats remaining consistent of sound through the ends of sides. I like the full, smooth sound. I like the balance. However, where Wilsons take on Tales of Topographic and Relayer are - and imho here - ABSOLUTELY DEFINITIVE versions of said albums, his Fragile remix is more a nice curio. I cant say it better than the original, just different. Maybe at 45rpm over two discs i would have a hard time not saying it might be definitive.

And finally the Mofi 1 Step. God i hate the packaging of these things and the labels branding taking precedence over the artists work. Anyway.... whoaa, the bass and drums are up a few db here alright! The top end is silky silky silky and the soundstage is great. The 45rpm offers up the advantages of spreading the grooves wide and again like the AP there is that sense of ease you only get from a large displacement, just like a motor car with a big torque-y engine. The sound is really as if its a Chris Squire and Bill Bruford remix designed to bring them to the fore. Jon and Rick are more distant and Steve has abit less bite. Abit of a midrange hole is present perhaps but this is like the SW Remix in that its a different take on the original EQ for better or worse. For those with very lean and/or bright systems and those whose tastes are bass and drum oriented they will likely prefer this version the most. But its arguably the least balanced of all four cuts. Your system and tastes are the defining things and i can see people saying this is by far the best Fragile has sounded or by far the worst. I like it, but im not sure i love it. The packaging and the lack of authenticity slightly bug me for a label that puts the words Original Master Recording atop its reissues but if someone says Fragile sounds better here than anywhere else i couldnt really disagree.

In all honesty, for pure listening pleasure i enjoyed all four reissues and i dont think you can go wrong with any of them. Its going to come down to tastes and systems as much as anything. Theres no doubt the 2016 KPG has its full potential released and realised in the 2025 AP. Arguably it should as its double the money but with the quality of packaging, reproduction and pressing itself this would be the one i would keep if a gun was held to my head and i was forced to pick one to keep. The SW Remix is now available outside boxset ive got on green vinyl and at rrp i think its a must own copy as its got its own strengths (though the green vinyl might be noisy and more distorted as i often find with Optimal colour presses). Even if i hated the SW remix i would keep my copy as the boxset has Relayer and Topographic versions i simply cannot live without now. And finally theres the Mofi.... expensive, ridiculously packaged but superbly pressed and potentially best of mastering... it really has my head abit fried lol. I dont know where i personally stand with it despite all its obvious qualities. Its definately one of the good One Steps but its not the definitive version of Fragile imho.

Thanks for reading and happy collecting!

Interesting to compare this to the newly released Atlantic 75. This copy sounds veiled and softer in comparison, lacking the clarity, focus and presence of the new version. Both are from the “original analogue master tapes” but are they the *same* tapes? Or are the updates that Kevin has made to his mastering system since 2016 the reason the new version sounds so much better? Who knows. Either way, this is a really nice version. Probably the best sounding you can get in modern AAA, apart from the new 45RPM A75.

Hard to believe I found this at a big box for under $35 — as someone else said, it can PROBABLY get better, but at what cost? Just amazing job by Kevin. This is certainly one of those records to put on, sit back, enjoy the presentation and your equipment.

A dang strong copy and relatively quiet. I've had it for a year now. Kevin Gray was doing his thing here; as usual, he's on top of his game. It's 5/2024 and this can be purchased in NM or M or sealed for $30~, what more can you ask for in that price range? Could it be better? I'm sure it could, but not in the sub-$60 price range. Buy it, you won't be disappointed. Herein is a link to a fantastic and up-to-date shootout of this album and other Yes albums: https://www.youtube.com/live/TLastCWoooI?si=y2At3ye6OQ9NPUaa&t=2525
Equipment:
Pre-amp: Schiit Freya +
Phono-pre: Sutherland 20/20 MK I
Phono: Rega P6
Cart: Hana ML
Amp: Anthem MCA 220 G2
Speakers: Klipsch Forte I
Cables: Audioquest Water interconnects throughout and AQ Rocket 33 speaker cables.

Perfect vinyl, very good sound and zero noise, good and flat pressing.

Lopsided stereo mix for my copy- still a great album but L/R balance on amp will need to be adjusted whenever I spin it.

Nice pressing. Quiet vinyl. Punchy clear sound. Time to retire my old VG original pressing.

This is the fourth version of this wonderful album that I got today. My other are from , 1971, Italy, year unknown and a CD from 2003.
This version here from 2016 is the best soundin of all!!!
Not noisy, clear and powerfull, it is awesome! Lovely. Fantastic.
If you can get one of this, buy it!
I listen on a Thorens TD 1500 with Ortofon 2M Black and Technics-SL-1410 MK II with Signet Am10s cartridge with an ATN 132EP stylus.