Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman July 4, 2024

Having just closed my Todd Rundgren: Liars Live Blu-ray review with help us, Rhino, you're our only hope in terms of getting hi-res audio of some of Todd's Warner distributed material, I will simply offer this very release as Exhibit A as to why Rhino continues to be the go to label, at least for Warner distributed offerings, for handsomely packaged "archival" recordings that feature some incredibly amazing hi-res audio courtesy of an included Blu-ray disc, along with an absolute glut of other material. When cycling through the audio options on the Blu-ray disc in this package, it becomes kind of comically apparent as to what a misnomer this album's title is, since the music, perhaps especially in its two surround offerings, is an undeniably robust and steely if still gracefully lyrical assortment of brilliantly executed instrumental elements combined with gorgeously layered vocals. All of that results in one of the defining listening experiences of its era, which, yes, can sound a little "quaint" in moments like Rick Wakeman's kind of Wendy Carlos-esque take on Brahms' Third Symphony, but which is still amazingly baroque in all senses of that term throughout a very memorable track list.

The Blu-ray's track list can be seen in the screenshots of the disc menu I've uploaded to accompany this review. The other discs (CDs) in this set offer the following:

CD 1: Original Album Remastered

• 1. Roundabout [8:32]
• 2. Cans And Brahms [1:38]
• 3. We Have Heaven [1:40]
• 4. South Side Of The Sky [7:56]
• 5. Five Per Cent For Nothing [0:36]
• 6. Long Distance Runaround [3:30]
• 7. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) [2:38]
• 8. Mood For A Day [2:58]
• 9. Heart Of The Sunrise [11:26]

CD 2: Steven Wilson 2024 Remixes & Instrumentals

2024 Remixes

• 1. Roundabout [8:32]
• 2. Cans And Brahms [1:40]
• 3. We Have Heaven [1:42]
• 4. South Side Of The Sky [8:02]
• 5. Five Per Cent For Nothing [0:36]
• 6. Long Distance Runaround [3:30]
• 7. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) [2:39]
• 8. Mood For A Day [2:58]
• 9. Heart Of The Sunrise [10:38]
• 10. We Have Heaven (Reprise) [0:48]

2024 Instrumental Mixes

• 11. Roundabout [8:31]
• 12. We Have Heaven [1:40]
• 13. South Side Of The Sky [8:04]
• 14. Long Distance Runaround [3:30]
• 15. The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) [2:39]
• 16. Heart Of The Sunrise [10:39]
• 17. We Have Heaven (Reprise) [0:47]

CD 3: Rarities

• 1. Roundabout (Us Single Edit) [3:27]
• 2. Long Distance Runaround (Us Single Edit) [3:15]
• 3. All Fighters Past (Steven Wilson Mix) [2:33]
• 4. South Side Of The Sky (Early Take) [6:20]
• 5. Roundabout (Rehearsal Take/Early Mix) [8:10]
• 6. Mood For Another Day [2:59]
• 7. We Have Heaven (Full Version) [Steven Wilson Mix] [2:20]
• 8. South Side Of The Sky (Early Version) [Steven Wilson Mix] [5:10]
• 9. Long Distance Runaround (Steven Wilson Edit)* [3:38]
• 10. Heart Of The Sunrise (Steven Wilson Edit)* [4:06]
• 11. America [10:30]
• 12. Roundabout (Early Rough Mix) [8:34]
• 13. We Have Heaven (Acapella) [Steven Wilson Mix] [1:59]

CD 4: More Rarities & Live

• 1. Five Per Cent For Nothing (Alternate Version)* [0:44]
• 2. Heart Of The Sunrise (Alternate Version)* [10:39]]
• 3. Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Alternate Version)* [6:02]]
• 4. The Dean [3:45]]
• 5. America [Instrumental]* [10:31]]
• 6. Long Distance Runaround/The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Live)* [12:35]]
• 7. Perpetual Change (Live)* [10:45]]
• 8. Yours Is No Disgrace (Live)* [13:37]]
Tracks 6-8
Recorded Live at Academy Of Music, New York, Ny (2/19/72)
[*Previously Unreleased]

An LP (you know, vinyl) is also included (with the same track list as CD 1), cut from the original analog master by the legendary Bernie Grundman.

Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This particular Rhino release features a somewhat animated main menu, as can be seen if you look at the screenshots accompanying this review and note the various positions of the planet and skies, both of which rotate as the music plays.

Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Blu-ray disc offers Dolby Atmos, DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (in a variety of options) tracks, all newly mixed by the venerable Steven Wilson. Rhino has not been consistent in how it authors its discs in terms of how you can navigate between codecs. In this particular instance, there's good news and bad news. Let's start with the less fortunate aspect: you can't use the colored buttons on your remote to toggle, and even getting to the listing of options on the menu requires navigating to the bottom each time. The good news: the song/album doesn't start over when you change, though my system experienced a brief handshake issue. Now, on to the sound: both the Atmos and 5.1 options gorgeously open up the spatial aspect of the recording, and there are numerous examples of discrete or at least directional channelization, as in the great organ bursting from the rear in "Roundabout", where Jon Anderson's backups also tend to reside. You can also hear almost vibrational engagement of the Atmos speakers in things like the lower rumbly synth washes in that same tune, but also kind of interestingly sometimes for discrete channelization of just one of Anderson's overdubbed vocals. There are other really beautifully immersive vocals in tunes like "South Side of the Sky" which fully exploit simultaneous front and rear channelization with crystal clear directionality. Now, here's where my reaction my surprise some: I think I actually prefer the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 version to the Atmos version on this disc, though I'm sure there will be some audiophiles who have an opposite take (in that regard, the aformentioned "South Side of the Sky" closes with wind sounds which may be one clear example of where some may prefer the Atmos version, and there's another potential example in the effects leading into "The Fish"). The 5.1 track struck me as more "present". Unsurprisingly the Atmos version tends to kind of waft diaphonously, while the 5.1 track sounds more "concentrated", for want of a better term. The 5.1 option also provided a better accounting of midrange and just sounds a bit brighter to me overall. One way or the other, both of the surround options offers a really fantastic way to hear interior lines with new clarity. The three stereo options are Stereo Remix, Stereo Remaster and Instrumental Version, and they sound fine, if frankly a bit paltry when stacked up against the surround tracks.

Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This is another one of those "one fan's supplement is another fan's main feature" sort of offerings, where readers of this site may understandably think of the Blu-ray disc as what they're really after. I've listed the contents for the other discs above, so will concentrate here on the rather luxe packaging. This comes in what is more or less a reproduction of a gatefold LP sleeve, here measuring approximately 12 3/4" square and about 3/4" deep. Opening the gatefold reveals a sleeve holding the LP on the left (in its own separate paper sleeve), with the outer cardboard sleeve itself holding another smaller sleeve which encloses the Blu-ray (which, in similarly hilarious "nesting doll" fashion, is in a mylar sleeve within the cardboard sleeve). The right panel has four inserts holding the CDs. That left cardboard sleeve holding the LP also encloses an oversized booklet (basically the size of an LP jacket) with archival photos and a great essay by Syd Schwartz.

Yes: Fragile Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A couple of years ago, I "broke the rules" (yeah, what else is new?) by placing A24 as a whole rather than one particular film at the pole position of my Top 10 list for that year, and I have to say if Rhino keeps going at their recent pace, I may be repeating that bit of anarchy again this year. Already Rhino has offered a slate of really great Quadio and/or Atmos updates of any number of erstwhile Warner Music Group albums, many offering a veritable glut of extras (one way or the other). This is another spectacular release from Rhino which is admittedly on the pricey side, but which delivers some amazing hi-res audio and some great bonus material on the CDs. Codgers like yours truly who still have a turntable will have even more to celebrate. With maybe just a passing, "hey, Rhino, what about those Rundgren Bearsville albums?", I'll close this by saying Yes: Fragile easily comes Highly recommended.