VOTD 12/6/2024

 Yes: Fragile Outtakes (Atlantic/Rhino)

Purchased new at Eide's

"I can't believe you like that band." -My wife.

For better or worse, we have some affection for some things from our past, whether it's music, films, television programs. Some things that affect you in your youth (say, 12-16 years of age) will vindicate themselves with time. The moment I watched Monty Python's Flying Circus from the first episode I viewed, and that opinion has hardly diminished with time. I watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail for at least the sixth or seventh last week, and loved it. 

On the the hand, the first LP I bought for myself was Kansas' Leftoverture. I listened to it many times and could probably identify every song from it to this day. But do they mean much to me now? Not so much. It was fine when I was 13. 

I was really caught by "Roundabout" when I started listening to FM AOR stations as a teen. AOR is now an antiquated term, Album Oriented Rock, radio programming that's not just based on singles but album cuts. A classic example would be Steely Dan's Aja album; I'm pretty certain I heard every piece on that album broadcast on the radio at some point other another. While "Roundabout" itself was a single that eked its way into the American top twenty (but not the top ten), it's atypical for both content and length. I guess there's a single edit, but the full length piece is over eight minutes in length. Not friendly for AM radio, but worthy of AOR FM stations.

Based on that, not long after Leftoverture I bought a copy of Yes' Close to the Edge. It's an album that continues to impress me. I mean, I see the excesses and silliness of Yes as well as anyone: the flowery, nonsensical lyrics, the pomposity. They were also a snap performing band with pretty incredible vocal harmonies. There was Jon Anderson's boy-soprano lead vocals, but it was bassist Chris Squire who sang the far more difficult harmony vocals. I saw him do it on one of the last tours before he died, and he was still coming up with the goods. 

Despite being the album source of "Roundabout" I never liked Fragile as much as CTTE. It had some strong pieces on it, but the decision to give every band member their own solo-led piece interrupts the album more than gives it a flow. I think most or all of the outtake versions on this vinyl issue have made it onto some big Fragile retrospective collection before, but I don't own that and don't need it. A single LP is fine. 

This album largely follows the same format as the final issue. Rick Wakeman's solo contribution, "Cans and Brahms" is thankfully not included on this album. I'd argue it's the most unnecessary track on the final album. (Some have said Bill Bruford's "Five Per Cent of Nothing" is a total waste, but I can hardly begrudge its 35 second length. I wonder if he had started composing the jazz fusion pieces that would be the basis of the Bruford band repertoire? Those works wouldn't have fit with Yes particularly well.) Replacing it in the track order is "All Fighters Past" which didn't make the final cut. It's a fairly conventional song. I can hear that the organ line was recycled into CTTE. 

I have mixed feelings about studio outtake albums, despite owning a number. I know for myself, if I've left a performance off an album, it's because I didn't feel it was worthy of release. I do enjoy outtakes when I want insight into process. The various Miles Davis box sets have many partially or completely unused performances and pieces. I find it very interesting to hear what he edited and what he kept. I've written here about some of The Residents' reissues with unreleased tracks, which are occasionally interesting but generally it's easy to see why they didn't make the cut.

Here, the pieces are all in an earlier and rawer state than the final product. There are missing vocal lines, some changes in arrangements, even occasionally lines that would be later removed. It's not an album for anyone who doesn't know the original album, but it might be interesting for the more-than-casual fan. 

Whether Yes or The Residents or Miles, they all got to spend a lot of time in the studio to develop their albums. The process of recording, listening, adjusting, rearranging and replaying influence the results. (I think The Residents built their own studio rather than having to pay for studio time.) The most time I've spent in the studio to record an album was three days, and one of those was basically just to set up. I guess what I'm hearing is the process influence the final results.