Preordered the Close to the Edge box set coming out March 7 in the US. It has 5 CDs, a BluRay disc and the album. Getting the limited Edition that has a Roger Dean signed lithograph. Love his album covers and love early Yes.
I've gone for the same package as you, including the signed Roger Dean litho. I'm probably most excited about the Rainbow Theatre concert. No idea who's done the vinyl remaster, it'll be great if it's Kevin Gray but I couldn't find any information anywhere.
That is both informative and useful Dave, thanks. While I am not a great Yes fan it's great to know those Rhino reissues would be a sensible option for me.
9:08 if not mistaken, Rick Wakeman confirms that in his recent interview w Rick Beato. Yup, at 50:12, Beato discussing the backwards piano and how it came to be! Cheers from usa.
I received my copy yesterday. It’s beautiful! I have no other copies to compare it to but it is amazing. Has some horrible static pops from time to time but I can fix that. Thanks for the video!
I really enjoy your videos Dave, such a refreshing change from the brash American channels that dominate TH-cam. I don’t even like prog, although I always double check your recommendations just in case. In this instance I found Yes to be truly terrible but hey, each to their own. Thank you as always for spending so much time to entertain us, it’s much appreciated.
Glad you enjoyed the review. I'm really looking forward to Close to the Edge, but the jury's out as to whether I'll be able to put up with splitting side one in half...
Great video again Dave. Really glad I have my AP75 on order. You guys are so lucky on the other side of the world. In Australia we are only getting Nursery Cryme and Trick of the Tail now! Fragile AP75 will be my first ever Yes purchase and Close to the Edge to follow. Great time for PROG fans
Very much enjoyed your explanation regarding the differences between pressings. It was easy to follow since that beginning of roundabout is so distinct and recognizable.
Thanks for the review. Last weekend I reacquainted myself with my copy bought in 1972 and was sat on the fence with regard to buying the AP 2 x 45rpm release. Having watched your video it's now on order!
Outstanding video, Dave. In my humble opinion, I personally think the Atlantic 75th Analog Productions release is the best sounding version I have ever heard. Growing up listening to Yes since the early 70's, during that time through the years, I have own different copies of " Fragile" to include the original US version, the Kevin Grays 2016 re-masters, Steven Wilson " Remixes", MOFI One Step. I proceeded by passing Sides 1 and 2. I started listening to Side 3. Bill Bruford's track " Five Per Cent For Nothing," "Long Distance Runaround," Chris Squire's" The Fish," and that was it. I couldn't believe how the sound was so clear, simply amazing. Thanks for the post. Cheers from Indiana 👍.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video. We'd already played sides 1 & 2 but it was when we got to Five Percent For Nothing that I realised this new version had transcended everything I could have hoped for. I never really appreciated that track, until now it felt like just a slightly bonkers intro for Long Distance Runaround. It's amazing!
Glad you enjoyed the video. I think all of the 70s Yes albums (up until Going For The One) have had some time as 'my favourite Yes album'... The clear Rhino Fragile is definitely a great buy if you can find one.
You reviewed all of the ones I was curious about, perfect comparison! I just got my copy of the AP 2x45 version a few days ago and listened to side 1. Even on my modest/mid-tier system which is a little under 10k total, it blew me away. I have the Mo-Fi "one-step" and an early US pressing but this AP is the best to me. Every review I've read or heard agrees with you that this is the definitive version of Fragile.
Hello again Dave, I have listened to this Yes album a lot but never on vinyl but just a cassette in the car mostly way back in time . Since you praise the AP 45 so much and I have only one which is the recent release Joe Walsh Smoker You Drink Player You Get but the quality of Analogue Productions has me floored as well.. I have a few Mofi on 33 but AP takes it all to another level .
@@DaveDenyer Yes me as well, they have gOod sound quality, . The El Cassette would have been the best case tape format ever but Sony could not get it off the ground level ..
As with previous streams, this has to be considered the benchmark review. Many thanks Dave, it would appear pretty definitive now, the AP 75 series is something pretty special.
@@DaveDenyer I suspect I'm one of many with the same view. Appreciate the breadth of comparisons, the insights into the relative merits of different pressings; but above all - we can always rely on an honest review. Appreciate the time, effort and insight. Thank you, Martin
Hi Dave, really enjoyed watching your shootout. I have the Mofi and actually like it but the Atlantic 75 is on another level. I listen mainly through Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge and the sound quality is outstanding. I swear they go deeper than the quoted range, Fragile simply shines via this speaker. Cheers Dave.
Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for the feedback. I do like the MOFI: I found it an interesting listen rather than an emotive one. However as you rightly say, the AP Atlantic 75 is on another level so I'm not sure it'll stay after my next clear-out (I'm actually getting new record shelves made as the record collection has reached the overflow point). I do need to have a clear out. However if there's any album worthy of multiple copies, it's Fragile. The LS3/5As are great speakers, and the Falcons are superb examples of the breed.
My AP75 copy has been sat on my coffee table still sealed for the last week and a half... To say I've gotten disillusioned with vinyl recently would be an understatement... However, on watching this video tomorrow morning, I'll be cracking open my copy and giving it a spin... Can't wait! Fantastic video, thanks fella 👍
@@guygrundy6647The quality (or lack of) has been consistently poor. I thought i was just having bad luck, but in this guys last video, he talks about GZ Media, Mo-Fi, etc...We're continuously being gas lit that it's all part of the vinyl charm! Do me a favour, it's just poor QC...
@@johnmalone8790, I hear ya on quality control. It’s frustrating. With just a little detective work this can be avoided by passing on titles pressed at one of the bad pressing plants. If you only buy LPs pressed by veterans QRP, RTI, or Pallas, or newcomers Fidelity and Paramount, you will I think be very happy. There are many favorite bands or artists of mine that I only have on CD, SACD, or hi-res download due to the fact that their LPs are always pressed at crap pressing plants. The weekly “acousticsoundsks” and In Groove new release videos here on TH-cam usually mention the pressing plant. Sites like Discogs also usually have that info listed by release. Happy listening!
Superb review, Dave. The AP75 is simply fantastic. As a Yes fanboy myself I was so looking forward to the MoFi when it came out but came away completely puzzled by what they had done to Fragile. I do not, unfortunately, have a UK "plum" but do have an immaculate 1973 repress with which to compare. But, like you, the biggest surprise for me was the 33rpm Kevin Gray which is unbelievably good - so much so that I can see myself playing it regularly when not feeling in the mood to bounce up and down every 10 minutes for the AP75 45rpm. I'll resist the temptation to try the Wilson remix, based on your comments, so thanks for saving me £40. The excitement builds for Close to the Edge !
I have the original copy of Fragile and the Steven Wilson remix which I thought was really good, I think I now need to get myself a copy of the Atlantic 75 👍
I will still find a quiet UK 1st someday, but am done with the search with postage rates. Someday I will cross the pond and bring one back to the States with me. Until then I am VERY happy with the AP45! Thanks as always, Dave! 10k subscribers by 2026! Mash that like button, folks! Let’s go!
the AP 45 is extraordinary in presenting the power and finesse and carefully constructed nuance of this masterpiece. Bruford and Squire are operating in celestial space!
I'd be extremely interested to hear your thoughts on where a U.S. first pressing (1841 Broadway) ranks, as well as a Japanese pressing (particularly the 2000¥ first) - Japanese pressings are generally renowned, but just where do they fit in?
Hi Glen, I would certainly be interested in hearing those pressings. I have Japanese OGs and US OGs of a few albums, although I can't imagine them sounding anywhere near as good as this Analogue Productions version!
Another great review for this great album. I’ll be curious to see how Close to the Edge is from A.P. That and Foxtrot have me a bit nervous with the break-up of the two epics on each. I originally wasn’t planning on getting them for that reason, but since these are so good I bet I’ll do it. Thanks for the review.
Lovely Job Dave and I'm sure a HELL of a lot of work! Never really have cared for Steve Wilson's remixes, but I like some. Didn't care for his Aqualung, right off didn't like it. Don't like the highly praised DCC pressing either, always sounded on the various incarnations of my system to be very dull and lifeless. Traded it away for some nice albums that I actually like. Surprisingly, I really like the early MFSL pressing of Aqualung, it is far more lively and dynamic on my system. However, I do have a lossless digital version of his mix of one of my very favorite Tull albums which is Stormwatch. I think he did get that one right. I'm rather surprised that you didn't include the excellent 2016 Kevin Gray pressing which is my Go To and sounds amazing! However, now that I think about it, I believe the 75th you showed may actually be a repress of that album, sorry... 😁 Thank you! ***EDIT I just wanted to add that I really enjoy and appreciate how you express the utter, almost 'Spiritual' experience it is to be so entranced by the album because it is so good. And, I'm glad you appreciate it more now, and actually have a damn good reason to like it more. For me personally, maybe being a musician/composer myself (using both terms VERY loosely!) The Yes Album, which is many person's favourite of YES, to me it just doesn't have the compositional compelling nature and the sharp arrangements of Fragile. Fragile, to me, actually takes you on a journey and you can feel it taking you along. Whereas, again to me, The Yes album, and I have really tried to appreciate it, just seems to me to be more stationary and segmented, and doesn't seem to 'Move' me It seems to me more like strung together phrases that don't seem to 'Go' anywhere. To me, that is the biggest difference and why I find Fragile personally so compelling.
Hi Jaime, I'm glad you enjoyed this video, and particularly that you highlighted the 'spiritual' aspect I refer to. That is something massive to me and perhaps what I enjoy most about listening to music. It's also probably why I have spent so much of my life trying to develop this aspect of hifi reproduction and listening to reach a transcendent level. 🙏
Your SW remix copy must be a bad pressing - I have the box set and think it sounds spectacular. I hear more clarity and instrument separation than the AP 45, thought the vocals aren't as lush. Bottom end is relatively comparable between the two, though the higher fidelity of the 45 rpm gives it a slight edge in terms of swing. All in all, I reach for the SW remix before the AP 45 so I don't have to flip records so often.
Hi Tim, it doesn't sound like a bad pressing, more like a poor mix / master. I have only this one on vinyl but do have them all as digital files, and as I think I mentioned wasn't really impressed, but wanted to hear on vinyl anyway. I do still want to hear the other SW Yes remixes on vinyl.
Can you do like a setup video one day? It will be cool to look at all your expensive equipment. I got that green Steven Wilson one in the post a few days ago, got it for £28 so not too bad. Do prefer the 2016 though. The only original plum label, Yes album that I own is time & a word and I would agree it is very good.
Thanks for the suggestion about a set-up video. I'll certainly think about doing one. I love the first two albums, Yes and Time And A Word, The band is so 'on it'.
Glad you enjoyed the review. I've not hear the 2006 AP, but honestly, I can't imagine it's better than this new version. If anyone has both I'd love to know what they think.
@@plato801 I remember the SW boxed set going for around £100 on Amazon and having already heard these digitally I didn't bother, then curiosity (AKA the desire to hear everything Yes-related) I started looking for one. Now they seem to be around £400-500...
Thanks for including the SW remix in your comparison Dave. I have been in two minds whether to go for this & when I saw it had got a re-issue recently I was ready to pull the trigger. Will now give it a pass. I only had a mid 70s UK vinyl repress & the CD in the Studio Albums 1969-1987 box set. This latest AP Atlantic 75 release is on a completely different level to both those. @audiotomb is right, the Roundabout intro is a backward harmonic on acoustic guitar. I read somewhere that Greg Lake liked it so much it inspired him to write “From the Beginning” on Trilogy. Although the harmonic at the start of that track is played “normally,” the similarities are obvious. Thanks for saving me some money again.
Nice shout out!! Thank you. I really liked the 2016 remaster and have the Atlantic 75 on order. MoFi can do one!! I’m a bit curious. It looks to me like you are a recording engineer? So why wouldn’t you work out the sound effect at the begging of Roundabout is just a backwards piano chord??!! Keep up the good work!!
I’ve also been told it is a backward ‘guitar harmonic’… Honestly, I don’t know, I thought it sounded like backwards piano… whatever it is, it’s the awesome way to open an album. Thanks for the feedback!
Your findings across the various reissues mimick mine (i LOVE what Wilsons remixes did for Tales From Topo - which is transformingly amazing - and Relayer the most with Close To the Edge being good but Fragile and Yes Album being mere curio's) so its nice to know i have someone whose hearing tastes are close to my own, down by the river, but on the AP 75th i honestly attribute the sound quality far more to the 45rpm format than KPG and his handywork. Theres a reason why 12in 45rpm singles represent some of the most dynamic and alive sounding music in my 3000 odd vinyl. Hearing Roundabout essentially in such format is the closest ive come to hearing the album for the first time. The mind was simply blown again! So its kind of a shame we wont get Close to, Relayer or Tales From in AP's top remastered 45rpm form as they simply offer up track lengths that make it impossible. A 3 sided 33 version of Close and Relayer wouldnt be a bad idea though!! Breaking up tracks is a no no and hearing Genesis Lamb on 4 disc 45rpm from this series was annoying to say the least (the SACD kicks ass though and they shoulda stuck to 33 for the vinyl!)
Hi Tom, I'll stand by my praise for Kevin Gray, the clear Atlantic 75 version is also (for a reissue) extremely good, and what he's done with the AP Atlantic 75 is very, very more more to my taste than the MOFI (which is also 45rpm). In fact it's astonishing! Of course you are right about 45rpm being fundamentally better than 33rpm. I personally don't mind the additional side changes, but am really not sure Close to the Edge or Foxtrot will be regularly played - I'll just have to wait and see.
@DaveDenyer Ahhh Foxtrot.... another dilemma for AP with Suppers Ready. Again i would be tempted to cut at 45rpm for disc one and then keep 33rpm for suppers ready. There maybe a spot that could work as a fade out and in to do 45 but im not sure. As for Fragile i have to agree, the AP 45 is the king of my 3 reissues. The Mofi is different, mostly very good but mainly i hate the overly American excessive over branded packaging that puts Roger Deans work in the dark. I have both the clear and older black KPG 33 and they arent bad at all. The 45rpm treatment for me does wonders for South Side and Heart of the Sunrise and its hard to imagine it can sound any better. It wont happen but i wonder if Bernie Grundman could also get his hands on the tape and do a 45 because more so than the excellent KPG his masterings seem to suit my ears to a tee
@@tomwebb7091 if I could have one wish it would be for Bernie and / or Kevin to remix / remaster Going For The One (my gut feeling here is that Bernie might do the better job with this one being so bright). And of course, do so at 45rpm. Could Awaken squeeze onto one side at 45rpm? I know it would be pushing it... Of all of Yes' catalogue (up to 91025) this album is the most in need of a remix / remaster, in my opinion, heck, I'd even buy a Steven Wilson Remix if he tackled it.
@@DaveDenyer Oh yes, of course... Going for The One is now the one Yes title that NEEDS a good remastering on vinyl. Ive got the Audio Fidelity/Hofman mastered gold SACD and its FAR better than my redbook cd and Friday Music vinyl copy. Id be happy if they could just cut from the DSD that produced this disc but that aint happening! I do also believe a Steven Wilson job with GFTO would work well just as it sure does for Relayer and Tales. Ive never understood why those three Yes titles were seemingly so poorly recorded when The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge were all done well and yet came before them. I know Wilson has his detractors and when it comes to his own last few releases he has gone far down the hill for me, but his work on the Tull albums and Tales From Topo are simply mind blowingly good efforts. I almost feel this is his true calling.... remixing music instead of making it!!!
Hi Dave great video (again) I have red/plum 1st uk. It's not mint - probably Excellent at a push. It sounds great. On a side note are you or anyone else annoyed at the size of the Atlantic 75th covers.. in as much its difficult to get the records back in the sleeve? Thanks Ross
I also think the mofi is so darn smooth. It almost boggles the mind. We are so used to hearing little noise here and there. That certainly affects me somehow
I find it really interesting that the 45rpm mastered by Kevin is better than the original plumb label, which indicates to me that the tapes are fine, yet the 33rpm also mastered by Kevin is bettered by the original. I wonder what is different? The plating process? The vinyl formulation? As an aside, Kevin Gray recently criticised the one step process as a scam with misleading propaganda that does not sound as good as the normal process - that last part is a stance taken by Doug Sax, according to Chad, Chad and Bernie - hence the UHQR approach. Great video - I’ll add both of the KG releases to my list. I have the KG/SH AP version and the one step but looks like the 45 is a winner - as has been true for the Yes album and the Genesis releases. Happy days 😊🪩
I think it's just down to the speed (33/45). It 'feels' very much like the AP Atlantic 75 The Yes Album. If there's any loss in the tapes it's more than overcome by Kevin's 45rpm cut. I do wonder whether the UK original was cut from the original master tape rather than the Atlantic master which would presumably be a copy... I just don't know. I think I've seen a discussion about One-Step, maybe it was with Kevin Gray, I'll definitely look that up. Thanks for the suggestion.
where was the Kevin Gray 33 pressed? The difference between pressing plants does not get much attention but is fundamentally consequential in my opinion. RTI and Pallas(Germany) are great but QRP are in their own class.
Have the Atlantic orange and green repress (1973?), new Atlantic 45rpm and the Rhino KG 33rpm, the OG repress sounds rather bright but the new pressings sound amazing, the 45rpm is slightly sharper i found but both are very detailed with good sound stage and bass.
I thought the original The Yes Album plum was a little shrill on Howe’s guitar work. The 75 doesn’t have that issue but the US 70s Piros was well balanced and warm. had more balance and separation of the instrument microdetail. On the AP all of the nuances are presented loud and at the same volume - on the Piros you can hear Peter Banks keyboard vary in volume and there is a little more air around the instruments
Hello Dave, unrelated question. I thought you might be a good one to ask... I only have generic pressings of Dire Straits albums. I am thinking about the Mofi 45rpms, have you listened to any of them?
Hi Mark, I have two: On Every Street (but don't have an original) and Love Over Gold which I reviewed here: th-cam.com/video/sFBXULaqMs8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HRPM37zcNmPL8Iio
@@DaveDenyer Thank you Dave. Very helpful. Hearing your comments has affirmed my resolve to continue the hunt for the Pallas-pressed 33rpm box set "Dire Straits - The Studio Albums" that was released in 2013. I have a further question if you don't mind. I have never much ventured into Prog beyond Pink Floyd but I know I will regret missing a few Yes and Genesis AP Atlantic75 45's while I can. If you were to recommend 1 or 2 albums (say, the essential albums) by each of these bands, what might they be? Cheers.
I'd suggest from Yes: Fragile and The Yes Album. And from Genesis, even though I'm generally much more of a Gabriel era guy: it's between A Trick of the Tail, and Selling England By The Pound (best get both).
Nice review Dave,... but in my opinion, original British pressings from the early 70s are greatly overrated... vinyl quality at that time was terrible, I have The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To the Edge, UK first pressings... visually stunning but sonically a complete letdown. Many reissues from the 80s sound even better. In any case, any good CD, SACD or DVD/Bluray Audio is far superior to a good vinyl copy. This romaticism about the vinyl is just a business plot steered by he industry and the media to grab more money off your pockets.
Thanks for the feedback although I am really surprised by your opinion of early 70s British pressings vs. 80s reissues. I originally bought late 70s / early 80s pressings of all my favourites of the late sixties / early seventies.Some time later I hear my first 'original' from that era, which was in fact Fragile. It was massively better than the late 70s pressing I had. So, I've searched out originals of all my favourites and every time they sound better, fact is, same goes for US pressings too, late 50s sound better than early sixties, sound better than late sixties, sound very much better than seventies pressings (say, post-'73). Of course there are awful examples using poor quality (recycled) vinyl, although not all labels did this. . I'm really wondering why you've experienced this because it goes against everything I've witnessed myself, or indeed, any of my friends have witnessed...
The Vinyl in the box set that came out last year with CDs and Blu Ray, was cut by Bernie Grundman it would interesting to compare that to the Kevin Gray 33rpm.
Use some of that one step money and get you a mic. Usually when I see that a presenter doesn't use a mic I skip it, but you have a lot of good content so I stayed, but you need a mic.......please.
@@DaveDenyer I see many using a RODE branded black rectangular box clipon mic, has two small blue leds on it or something similar. Not sure if Iphone compatible though. For a channel in search of great sound you need to find something.
You are correct, the opening note is a piano note played backwards. Very cool. Great way to Start an album.
Thanks Bobby, Good to know I'm not going mad...
Great review.. thxs. Need to upgrade my Fragile holdings. Subbed
Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the feedback and thanks for subscribing.
Preordered the Close to the Edge box set coming out March 7 in the US. It has 5 CDs, a BluRay disc and the album. Getting the limited Edition that has a Roger Dean signed lithograph. Love his album covers and love early Yes.
I've gone for the same package as you, including the signed Roger Dean litho. I'm probably most excited about the Rainbow Theatre concert. No idea who's done the vinyl remaster, it'll be great if it's Kevin Gray but I couldn't find any information anywhere.
That is both informative and useful Dave, thanks. While I am not a great Yes fan it's great to know those Rhino reissues would be a sensible option for me.
Glad you found the video interesting Ian. Thanks for the feedback.
9:08 if not mistaken, Rick Wakeman confirms that in his recent interview w Rick Beato. Yup, at 50:12, Beato discussing the backwards piano and how it came to be! Cheers from usa.
Thank you so much for that link to the Beato interview, just watched it now. Yep, just as I thought. Fascinating, thanks again!
@ glad to assist, and ‘yes’, I played Fragile last night. 👊🏻
I received my copy yesterday. It’s beautiful! I have no other copies to compare it to but it is amazing. Has some horrible static pops from time to time but I can fix that. Thanks for the video!
Glad you enjoyed the video, but even more pleased you enjoyed your new copy of Fragile! Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the thorough review Dave. Your channel has become my favorite for this kind of content! Cheers!
Thanks Tony, that's so nice to know. Cheers!
I really enjoy your videos Dave, such a refreshing change from the brash American channels that dominate TH-cam. I don’t even like prog, although I always double check your recommendations just in case. In this instance I found Yes to be truly terrible but hey, each to their own. Thank you as always for spending so much time to entertain us, it’s much appreciated.
LOL, never mind Ron, it's so cool that you gave Yes a try. There'll be plenty more prog to come...
Thanks for the excellent review. The new AP Atlantic 75 sounds amazing. I can't wait for them to release the A75 of Close to the Edge next.
Glad you enjoyed the review. I'm really looking forward to Close to the Edge, but the jury's out as to whether I'll be able to put up with splitting side one in half...
Great video again Dave. Really glad I have my AP75 on order. You guys are so lucky on the other side of the world. In Australia we are only getting Nursery Cryme and Trick of the Tail now! Fragile AP75 will be my first ever Yes purchase and Close to the Edge to follow. Great time for PROG fans
Thanks for the feedback John. Your first Yes purchase eh? Wow, are you in for a treat!
As usual, you nailed it Dave! I obtained very similar results and find the AP to now be my top copy.
Thanks for the feedback. Kevin Gray, and Chad are the one's who nailed this!
Not forgetting Jon, Chris, Bill, Steve and Rick. And Eddie...
Very much enjoyed your explanation regarding the differences between pressings. It was easy to follow since that beginning of roundabout is so distinct and recognizable.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the review. Last weekend I reacquainted myself with my copy bought in 1972 and was sat on the fence with regard to buying the AP 2 x 45rpm release. Having watched your video it's now on order!
Awesome, I don’t think you’ll regret it Malcolm.
Outstanding video, Dave. In my humble opinion, I personally think the Atlantic 75th Analog Productions release is the best sounding version I have ever heard. Growing up listening to Yes since the early 70's, during that time through the years, I have own different copies of " Fragile" to include the original US version, the Kevin Grays 2016 re-masters, Steven Wilson " Remixes", MOFI One Step. I proceeded by passing Sides 1 and 2. I started listening to Side 3. Bill Bruford's track " Five Per Cent For Nothing," "Long Distance Runaround," Chris Squire's" The Fish," and that was it. I couldn't believe how the sound was so clear, simply amazing. Thanks for the post. Cheers from Indiana 👍.
Thanks, I'm glad you liked the video. We'd already played sides 1 & 2 but it was when we got to Five Percent For Nothing that I realised this new version had transcended everything I could have hoped for. I never really appreciated that track, until now it felt like just a slightly bonkers intro for Long Distance Runaround. It's amazing!
Dave I’m the same. The solo tracks prevent this from being my favourite. Other racks are amazing and some of their best.
Great Minds Jon... 😉
Thanks so much, Dave. The Yes Album today is my favourite one as well. Fragile was initially it. Might pick up the clear Rhino one.
Glad you enjoyed the video. I think all of the 70s Yes albums (up until Going For The One) have had some time as 'my favourite Yes album'...
The clear Rhino Fragile is definitely a great buy if you can find one.
You reviewed all of the ones I was curious about, perfect comparison! I just got my copy of the AP 2x45 version a few days ago and listened to side 1. Even on my modest/mid-tier system which is a little under 10k total, it blew me away. I have the Mo-Fi "one-step" and an early US pressing but this AP is the best to me. Every review I've read or heard agrees with you that this is the definitive version of Fragile.
Glad you found the video useful Jim, and thanks for the feedback regarding your findings.
Hello again Dave, I have listened to this Yes album a lot but never on vinyl but just a cassette in the car mostly way back in time . Since you praise the AP 45 so much and I have only one which is the recent release Joe Walsh Smoker You Drink Player You Get but the quality of Analogue Productions has me floored as well.. I have a few Mofi on 33 but AP takes it all to another level .
I wish I still had cassette in the car!
@@DaveDenyer Yes me as well, they have gOod sound quality, . The El Cassette would have been the best case tape format ever but Sony could not get it off the ground level ..
As with previous streams, this has to be considered the benchmark review. Many thanks Dave, it would appear pretty definitive now, the AP 75 series is something pretty special.
That's really kind of you, I'm so pleased you appreciated the review. Thanks Drum VC!
@@DaveDenyer I suspect I'm one of many with the same view. Appreciate the breadth of comparisons, the insights into the relative merits of different pressings; but above all - we can always rely on an honest review. Appreciate the time, effort and insight. Thank you, Martin
Thanks again Martin!
Hi Dave, really enjoyed watching your shootout. I have the Mofi and actually like it but the Atlantic 75 is on another level. I listen mainly through Falcon LS3/5a Gold Badge and the sound quality is outstanding. I swear they go deeper than the quoted range, Fragile simply shines via this speaker. Cheers Dave.
Glad you enjoyed the video, and thanks for the feedback.
I do like the MOFI: I found it an interesting listen rather than an emotive one. However as you rightly say, the AP Atlantic 75 is on another level so I'm not sure it'll stay after my next clear-out (I'm actually getting new record shelves made as the record collection has reached the overflow point). I do need to have a clear out. However if there's any album worthy of multiple copies, it's Fragile.
The LS3/5As are great speakers, and the Falcons are superb examples of the breed.
My AP75 copy has been sat on my coffee table still sealed for the last week and a half... To say I've gotten disillusioned with vinyl recently would be an understatement... However, on watching this video tomorrow morning, I'll be cracking open my copy and giving it a spin... Can't wait! Fantastic video, thanks fella 👍
Disillusioned? How so?
I can't wait either! I hope you have a fantastic morning John! Cheers.
@@guygrundy6647The quality (or lack of) has been consistently poor. I thought i was just having bad luck, but in this guys last video, he talks about GZ Media, Mo-Fi, etc...We're continuously being gas lit that it's all part of the vinyl charm! Do me a favour, it's just poor QC...
@@johnmalone8790, I hear ya on quality control. It’s frustrating. With just a little detective work this can be avoided by passing on titles pressed at one of the bad pressing plants. If you only buy LPs pressed by veterans QRP, RTI, or Pallas, or newcomers Fidelity and Paramount, you will I think be very happy. There are many favorite bands or artists of mine that I only have on CD, SACD, or hi-res download due to the fact that their LPs are always pressed at crap pressing plants.
The weekly “acousticsoundsks” and In Groove new release videos here on TH-cam usually mention the pressing plant. Sites like Discogs also usually have that info listed by release. Happy listening!
Superb review, Dave. The AP75 is simply fantastic. As a Yes fanboy myself I was so looking forward to the MoFi when it came out but came away completely puzzled by what they had done to Fragile. I do not, unfortunately, have a UK "plum" but do have an immaculate 1973 repress with which to compare. But, like you, the biggest surprise for me was the 33rpm Kevin Gray which is unbelievably good - so much so that I can see myself playing it regularly when not feeling in the mood to bounce up and down every 10 minutes for the AP75 45rpm. I'll resist the temptation to try the Wilson remix, based on your comments, so thanks for saving me £40. The excitement builds for Close to the Edge !
Glad you liked the review Ian. Our experiences and conclusions seem to be in alignment!
My AP has just arrived but not had a chance to listen yet, now can't wait . Cheers Dave
Enjoy it Tony!
@@DaveDenyerhave just given this a good listen too and it is outstanding album and the pressing is fantastic.
@@tonynewman1694 Brilliant! Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you for this review. My copy is en route.
You are so going to enjoy your copy David!
Well done, my dear chap.
Thanks Mackey!
I have the original copy of Fragile and the Steven Wilson remix which I thought was really good, I think I now need to get myself a copy of the Atlantic 75 👍
I think you do too Keith. 👍
I will still find a quiet UK 1st someday, but am done with the search with postage rates. Someday I will cross the pond and bring one back to the States with me. Until then I am VERY happy with the AP45!
Thanks as always, Dave! 10k subscribers by 2026! Mash that like button, folks! Let’s go!
Thanks for the support Jeff! It's a pleasure doing these videos. I'm just so glad they're appreciated. 🙏
the AP 45 is extraordinary in presenting the power and finesse and carefully constructed nuance of this masterpiece. Bruford and Squire are operating in celestial space!
It is extraordinary, you're right! I'm quite excited about the next time I play it, probably tomorrow.
I'd be extremely interested to hear your thoughts on where a U.S. first pressing (1841 Broadway) ranks, as well as a Japanese pressing (particularly the 2000¥ first) - Japanese pressings are generally renowned, but just where do they fit in?
Hi Glen, I would certainly be interested in hearing those pressings. I have Japanese OGs and US OGs of a few albums, although I can't imagine them sounding anywhere near as good as this Analogue Productions version!
I have the 2023 Atlantic 75 clear Kevin Gray cut. I think it sounds fantastic and was able to pick it up brand new for $25 here in the states
I'm sure my copy was a similar price. There's no doubt it's superb. Thanks for the feedback Michael.
Another great review for this great album. I’ll be curious to see how Close to the Edge is from A.P. That and Foxtrot have me a bit nervous with the break-up of the two epics on each.
I originally wasn’t planning on getting them for that reason, but since these are so good I bet I’ll do it.
Thanks for the review.
I have exactly the same concerns about those 2, but I will still get them…
Lovely Job Dave and I'm sure a HELL of a lot of work! Never really have cared for Steve Wilson's remixes, but I like some. Didn't care for his Aqualung, right off didn't like it. Don't like the highly praised DCC pressing either, always sounded on the various incarnations of my system to be very dull and lifeless. Traded it away for some nice albums that I actually like. Surprisingly, I really like the early MFSL pressing of Aqualung, it is far more lively and dynamic on my system. However, I do have a lossless digital version of his mix of one of my very favorite Tull albums which is Stormwatch. I think he did get that one right.
I'm rather surprised that you didn't include the excellent 2016 Kevin Gray pressing which is my Go To and sounds amazing! However, now that I think about it, I believe the 75th you showed may actually be a repress of that album, sorry... 😁 Thank you!
***EDIT
I just wanted to add that I really enjoy and appreciate how you express the utter, almost 'Spiritual' experience it is to be so entranced by the album because it is so good. And, I'm glad you appreciate it more now, and actually have a damn good reason to like it more. For me personally, maybe being a musician/composer myself (using both terms VERY loosely!) The Yes Album, which is many person's favourite of YES, to me it just doesn't have the compositional compelling nature and the sharp arrangements of Fragile. Fragile, to me, actually takes you on a journey and you can feel it taking you along. Whereas, again to me, The Yes album, and I have really tried to appreciate it, just seems to me to be more stationary and segmented, and doesn't seem to 'Move' me It seems to me more like strung together phrases that don't seem to 'Go' anywhere. To me, that is the biggest difference and why I find Fragile personally so compelling.
Hi Jaime, I'm glad you enjoyed this video, and particularly that you highlighted the 'spiritual' aspect I refer to. That is something massive to me and perhaps what I enjoy most about listening to music. It's also probably why I have spent so much of my life trying to develop this aspect of hifi reproduction and listening to reach a transcendent level. 🙏
@@DaveDenyer That's the way to do it!
Thank you Dave. Useful. LOL, 45's are a bit of a pain at my age.
I would rather have 33s as that's how the album was intended, but when they sound as good as this, I'll put up with the extra exercise... 😉
Agree the AP 45rpm is phenominal. You saved me spending time on the comparison myself. The 33 rpm KG is also excellent.
Seems we’ve reached the same conclusion. Glad to be of service!
Your SW remix copy must be a bad pressing - I have the box set and think it sounds spectacular. I hear more clarity and instrument separation than the AP 45, thought the vocals aren't as lush. Bottom end is relatively comparable between the two, though the higher fidelity of the 45 rpm gives it a slight edge in terms of swing. All in all, I reach for the SW remix before the AP 45 so I don't have to flip records so often.
Hi Tim, it doesn't sound like a bad pressing, more like a poor mix / master. I have only this one on vinyl but do have them all as digital files, and as I think I mentioned wasn't really impressed, but wanted to hear on vinyl anyway. I do still want to hear the other SW Yes remixes on vinyl.
Does anyone know who owns the original artwork for the Fragile album cover? The painting itself, I mean?
No, but that's a very good question!
Can you do like a setup video one day? It will be cool to look at all your expensive equipment. I got that green Steven Wilson one in the post a few days ago, got it for £28 so not too bad. Do prefer the 2016 though. The only original plum label, Yes album that I own is time & a word and I would agree it is very good.
Thanks for the suggestion about a set-up video. I'll certainly think about doing one. I love the first two albums, Yes and Time And A Word, The band is so 'on it'.
@DaveDenyer underrated albums mate.
Thanks for the review Dave. I'm wondering how the 2006 Analogue Productions pressing that I have would compare.
Likewise.
Glad you enjoyed the review. I've not hear the 2006 AP, but honestly, I can't imagine it's better than this new version. If anyone has both I'd love to know what they think.
The 2006 AP sounds alot like the MFSL One Step. I also have the Steve Wilson Yes Boxset you mentioned here.
@@plato801 I remember the SW boxed set going for around £100 on Amazon and having already heard these digitally I didn't bother, then curiosity (AKA the desire to hear everything Yes-related) I started looking for one. Now they seem to be around £400-500...
Thanks for including the SW remix in your comparison Dave. I have been in two minds whether to go for this & when I saw it had got a re-issue recently I was ready to pull the trigger. Will now give it a pass. I only had a mid 70s UK vinyl repress & the CD in the Studio Albums 1969-1987 box set. This latest AP Atlantic 75 release is on a completely different level to both those.
@audiotomb is right, the Roundabout intro is a backward harmonic on acoustic guitar. I read somewhere that Greg Lake liked it so much it inspired him to write “From the Beginning” on Trilogy. Although the harmonic at the start of that track is played “normally,” the similarities are obvious. Thanks for saving me some money again.
Glad you found the video useful. I'd still love to hear the other SW's on vinyl, out of curiosity really.
Nice shout out!! Thank you. I really liked the 2016 remaster and have the Atlantic 75 on order. MoFi can do one!! I’m a bit curious. It looks to me like you are a recording engineer? So why wouldn’t you work out the sound effect at the begging of Roundabout is just a backwards piano chord??!! Keep up the good work!!
I’ve also been told it is a backward ‘guitar harmonic’… Honestly, I don’t know, I thought it sounded like backwards piano… whatever it is, it’s the awesome way to open an album.
Thanks for the feedback!
Your findings across the various reissues mimick mine (i LOVE what Wilsons remixes did for Tales From Topo - which is transformingly amazing - and Relayer the most with Close To the Edge being good but Fragile and Yes Album being mere curio's) so its nice to know i have someone whose hearing tastes are close to my own, down by the river, but on the AP 75th i honestly attribute the sound quality far more to the 45rpm format than KPG and his handywork. Theres a reason why 12in 45rpm singles represent some of the most dynamic and alive sounding music in my 3000 odd vinyl. Hearing Roundabout essentially in such format is the closest ive come to hearing the album for the first time. The mind was simply blown again!
So its kind of a shame we wont get Close to, Relayer or Tales From in AP's top remastered 45rpm form as they simply offer up track lengths that make it impossible. A 3 sided 33 version of Close and Relayer wouldnt be a bad idea though!! Breaking up tracks is a no no and hearing Genesis Lamb on 4 disc 45rpm from this series was annoying to say the least (the SACD kicks ass though and they shoulda stuck to 33 for the vinyl!)
Hi Tom, I'll stand by my praise for Kevin Gray, the clear Atlantic 75 version is also (for a reissue) extremely good, and what he's done with the AP Atlantic 75 is very, very more more to my taste than the MOFI (which is also 45rpm). In fact it's astonishing!
Of course you are right about 45rpm being fundamentally better than 33rpm. I personally don't mind the additional side changes, but am really not sure Close to the Edge or Foxtrot will be regularly played - I'll just have to wait and see.
@DaveDenyer Ahhh Foxtrot.... another dilemma for AP with Suppers Ready. Again i would be tempted to cut at 45rpm for disc one and then keep 33rpm for suppers ready. There maybe a spot that could work as a fade out and in to do 45 but im not sure.
As for Fragile i have to agree, the AP 45 is the king of my 3 reissues. The Mofi is different, mostly very good but mainly i hate the overly American excessive over branded packaging that puts Roger Deans work in the dark. I have both the clear and older black KPG 33 and they arent bad at all. The 45rpm treatment for me does wonders for South Side and Heart of the Sunrise and its hard to imagine it can sound any better. It wont happen but i wonder if Bernie Grundman could also get his hands on the tape and do a 45 because more so than the excellent KPG his masterings seem to suit my ears to a tee
@@tomwebb7091 if I could have one wish it would be for Bernie and / or Kevin to remix / remaster Going For The One (my gut feeling here is that Bernie might do the better job with this one being so bright). And of course, do so at 45rpm. Could Awaken squeeze onto one side at 45rpm? I know it would be pushing it... Of all of Yes' catalogue (up to 91025) this album is the most in need of a remix / remaster, in my opinion, heck, I'd even buy a Steven Wilson Remix if he tackled it.
@@DaveDenyer Oh yes, of course... Going for The One is now the one Yes title that NEEDS a good remastering on vinyl. Ive got the Audio Fidelity/Hofman mastered gold SACD and its FAR better than my redbook cd and Friday Music vinyl copy. Id be happy if they could just cut from the DSD that produced this disc but that aint happening! I do also believe a Steven Wilson job with GFTO would work well just as it sure does for Relayer and Tales. Ive never understood why those three Yes titles were seemingly so poorly recorded when The Yes Album, Fragile and Close to the Edge were all done well and yet came before them. I know Wilson has his detractors and when it comes to his own last few releases he has gone far down the hill for me, but his work on the Tull albums and Tales From Topo are simply mind blowingly good efforts. I almost feel this is his true calling.... remixing music instead of making it!!!
@@tomwebb7091 thanks for the pointer towards the Audio Fidelity Hofman mastered gold SACD. I'll see if I can get to hear a copy.
Hi Dave great video (again) I have red/plum 1st uk. It's not mint - probably Excellent at a push. It sounds great. On a side note are you or anyone else annoyed at the size of the Atlantic 75th covers.. in as much its difficult to get the records back in the sleeve? Thanks Ross
I hadn’t really thought about it, but now you point it out Ross, you’re absolutely right, it is a pain to get the inners back in the sleeve.
I’ve got my 2016 Kevin Gray and it sounds phenomenal. I don’t think spending the money on the 45 RPM would be worth it for me.
I’ve not heard that version but Kevin Gray clearly ‘gets’ Fragile!
Love my AT/GP cut (George Piros)
I'd be interested to hear that cut. I'm hearing good things about it.
@ I can send you a DSD rip if you like
I also think the mofi is so darn smooth. It almost boggles the mind. We are so used to hearing little noise here and there. That certainly affects me somehow
I find it really interesting that the 45rpm mastered by Kevin is better than the original plumb label, which indicates to me that the tapes are fine, yet the 33rpm also mastered by Kevin is bettered by the original. I wonder what is different? The plating process? The vinyl formulation?
As an aside, Kevin Gray recently criticised the one step process as a scam with misleading propaganda that does not sound as good as the normal process - that last part is a stance taken by Doug Sax, according to Chad, Chad and Bernie - hence the UHQR approach.
Great video - I’ll add both of the KG releases to my list. I have the KG/SH AP version and the one step but looks like the 45 is a winner - as has been true for the Yes album and the Genesis releases.
Happy days 😊🪩
I think it's just down to the speed (33/45). It 'feels' very much like the AP Atlantic 75 The Yes Album. If there's any loss in the tapes it's more than overcome by Kevin's 45rpm cut. I do wonder whether the UK original was cut from the original master tape rather than the Atlantic master which would presumably be a copy... I just don't know.
I think I've seen a discussion about One-Step, maybe it was with Kevin Gray, I'll definitely look that up. Thanks for the suggestion.
where was the Kevin Gray 33 pressed? The difference between pressing plants does not get much attention but is fundamentally consequential in my opinion. RTI and Pallas(Germany) are great but QRP are in their own class.
@@markwilding3828 I'm not sure, but do agree the pressing plant matters!
I’m crying. I have the first press but now i have to spend extra money for this one 😢. You are guilty!
Sorry Alessandro. I didn't mean to upset you 😉
Have the Atlantic orange and green repress (1973?), new Atlantic 45rpm and the Rhino KG 33rpm, the OG repress sounds rather bright but the new pressings sound amazing, the 45rpm is slightly sharper i found but both are very detailed with good sound stage and bass.
Agreed. KG certainly gets Fragile!
The Roudabout intro is an acoustic guitar harmonic note played backwards
Thanks for the explanation, I’ve always wondered…
What a way to open an album!
I thought the original The Yes Album plum was a little shrill on Howe’s guitar work. The 75 doesn’t have that issue but the US 70s Piros was well balanced and warm. had more balance and separation of the instrument microdetail. On the AP all of the nuances are presented loud and at the same volume - on the Piros you can hear Peter Banks keyboard vary in volume and there is a little more air around the instruments
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll have to try and find a Piros cut.
Hello Dave, unrelated question. I thought you might be a good one to ask... I only have generic pressings of Dire Straits albums. I am thinking about the Mofi 45rpms, have you listened to any of them?
Hi Mark, I have two: On Every Street (but don't have an original) and Love Over Gold which I reviewed here: th-cam.com/video/sFBXULaqMs8/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HRPM37zcNmPL8Iio
@@DaveDenyer Thank you Dave. Very helpful. Hearing your comments has affirmed my resolve to continue the hunt for the Pallas-pressed 33rpm box set "Dire Straits - The Studio Albums" that was released in 2013. I have a further question if you don't mind. I have never much ventured into Prog beyond Pink Floyd but I know I will regret missing a few Yes and Genesis AP Atlantic75 45's while I can. If you were to recommend 1 or 2 albums (say, the essential albums) by each of these bands, what might they be? Cheers.
I'd suggest from Yes: Fragile and The Yes Album. And from Genesis, even though I'm generally much more of a Gabriel era guy: it's between A Trick of the Tail, and Selling England By The Pound (best get both).
@@DaveDenyer ordered!
I really hope you enjoy them Mark.
Nice review Dave,... but in my opinion, original British pressings from the early 70s are greatly overrated... vinyl quality at that time was terrible, I have The Yes Album, Fragile and Close To the Edge, UK first pressings... visually stunning but sonically a complete letdown. Many reissues from the 80s sound even better. In any case, any good CD, SACD or DVD/Bluray Audio is far superior to a good vinyl copy. This romaticism about the vinyl is just a business plot steered by he industry and the media to grab more money off your pockets.
Thanks for the feedback although I am really surprised by your opinion of early 70s British pressings vs. 80s reissues. I originally bought late 70s / early 80s pressings of all my favourites of the late sixties / early seventies.Some time later I hear my first 'original' from that era, which was in fact Fragile. It was massively better than the late 70s pressing I had. So, I've searched out originals of all my favourites and every time they sound better, fact is, same goes for US pressings too, late 50s sound better than early sixties, sound better than late sixties, sound very much better than seventies pressings (say, post-'73). Of course there are awful examples using poor quality (recycled) vinyl, although not all labels did this. .
I'm really wondering why you've experienced this because it goes against everything I've witnessed myself, or indeed, any of my friends have witnessed...
The Vinyl in the box set that came out last year with CDs and Blu Ray, was cut by Bernie Grundman it would interesting to compare that to the Kevin Gray 33rpm.
I agree. That would be interesting Michael!
Use some of that one step money and get you a mic. Usually when I see that a presenter doesn't use a mic I skip it, but you have a lot of good content so I stayed, but you need a mic.......please.
Thanks for the feedback. I have briefly tried using a mic but didn’t like it. If you’ve any suggestions: it has to work with an iPhone…
@@DaveDenyer I see many using a RODE branded black rectangular box clipon mic, has two small blue leds on it or something similar. Not sure if Iphone compatible though. For a channel in search of great sound you need to find something.
Thanks, I’ll look into it.