Roundabout

Experience "Roundabout," the iconic 1972 progressive rock masterpiece by Yes. From its instantly recognizable acoustic guitar intro to its complex instrumental passages and soaring vocals, this track from the Fragile album became an unlikely hit and remains a cornerstone of classic rock radio.

Released on Yes's landmark 1971/1972 album Fragile, "Roundabout" achieved surprising mainstream success for an eight-minute progressive rock epic. It opens with Steve Howe's legendary acoustic guitar harmonics intro before launching into intricate interplay between Howe's electric guitar, Chris Squire's driving Rickenbacker bass, and Rick Wakeman's Hammond organ flourishes, defining the band's virtuosic sound and arrangement skills within the genre.

Featuring dynamic shifts in tempo and mood, "Roundabout" showcases Jon Anderson's distinctive high vocals delivering abstract, impressionistic lyrics. Bill Bruford's crisp, complex drumming provides a powerful foundation. The song's innovative structure, technical brilliance, and catchy (though complex) nature made it a progressive rock benchmark and an enduring signature track for Yes, influencing generations of musicians with its unique blend of complexity and accessibility.

SONG MEANING: Jon Anderson has explained that the lyrics for "Roundabout" were inspired by a van journey Yes took from Aberdeen to Glasgow, Scotland. The imagery reflects the experience of driving through mountains and seeing roundabouts appear unexpectedly in the landscape ("Mountains come out of the sky and they stand there"), creating a dreamlike, impressionistic feel rather than a straightforward narrative about the journey itself.