Yes – Fragile

An incredible record from the progressive rock legends. Combine that with an incredibly mastered 2x LP cut at 45RPM by Kevin Gray, you get an awesome package. A very good pressing.

I’ve yet to receive anything from the Atlantic 75 series that wasn’t top shelf and this release is most definitely on the top of that list. I have nothing negative to report on my #614 pressing. Super quiet and balanced and I definitely prefer this pressing to my 2006 AP pressing but to be honest this always come back to personal preference.
On a side note with all of these new releases of this title I’ve hit a personal burnout point when it comes to this tittle and I’m hoping to see some new audiophile releases in the future that haven’t ever been cleaned up.

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!

I don't have other words to say rather than: buy it now or cry later!! Its just a superb amazing sounding pressing!! Grab a copy while you can!

Sound is exceptional. Most if not all the previous reviews sing this pressings praises. One of the LP’s in the copy I have is warped but playable. Annoying for the money spent. The other gripe is the QC for the packaging. Both of the LP’s were stuffed into the jacket which severely wrinkled the inner sleeve’s causing unnecessary scuffs. I had to replace both inner sleeves because the deep wrinkled sleeve creases were damaging the records further. Hate going through the whole return thing. Just wish the personnel handling the product would be less aggressive in forcing the LP’s into the jacket. I realize rapid production is the key to selling a product but this isn’t jackhammering concrete. C’mon AP….a bit more TLC for $60 a copy.

Everything about this pressing is just perfect. Every instrument sounds exactly as it should. Squire’s bass has incredible weight and Anderson’s voice is just stunning. I put on the KG 33 after listening to this, and I think it’s close but the 45 has the edge in bass weight/texture and the instrument separation is better, including the vocal harmonization. If 45 isn’t your thing or you don’t want to shell out $60, I think the 33 is a good alternative. But to me, having this 45 is worth having in addition to the 33.

Absolutely lovely! If anyone is looking for a reference recording for hifi evals, look no further.

[non-numbered] Almost perfect, but… First off, I think this is now my favourite version, but… I’m starting to wish, and I may be wrong here, that Kevin Gray would EQ a little more rather than going for the flattest transfers of the master tapes. Some of his output is too bright (eg Rhino High Fidelity ZZ Top and Ooh La La) and would sound better tamed, whilst some are missing the top end sparkle (Rhino Relayer) and again here. This version of Fragile has probably the best bass clarity/definition and depth I’ve heard, amazing separation, great transients and dynamics, but it lacks the top end sparkle that makes say the OG plum so exciting. Adding a touch of EQ here resolves the issue, making the high end as exciting as the plum, but I do wish Kevin would address it: not everybody has EQ available. This is the sort of thing Wilson does in his remasters. Perhaps doing so would lose some of the magic of Kevin’s transfers which are best in class. I don’t know. But I do know I have a growing frustration with his output where I’m often left to EQ in order to get best results. 9.5/10

My jaw was on the floor. Good god, what a pressing. If you have to, go bankrupt just to get this record. It’s worth every saved penny.

By far my favorite purchase from the AP Atlantic 75th selection. The sonics are all there for this 45rpm reissue, and it doesn’t disappoint at all.

Highly recommend!