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In 1971, Yes released a song that showcased everything progressive rock was capable of.
Clocking in at nearly 11 minutes, "Heart of the Sunrise" closed the band's landmark album, Fragile, with an ambitious blend of intricate musicianship, shifting time signatures and sweeping melodies. Although it has often lived in the shadow of the album's biggest hit, "Roundabout," the song has earned a lasting reputation as one of the finest compositions in Yes' catalog.
Its complexity was no accident.
Written by Jon Anderson, Chris Squire and Bill Bruford, "Heart of the Sunrise" combined thunderous instrumental passages with moments of surprising restraint, creating a musical journey that reflected both the excitement and isolation of modern city life. Anderson later explained that the lyrics were inspired by arriving in London at dawn and watching the city come to life, contrasting its energy with a longing for peace and human connection.
"'Heart of the Sunrise' is a great piece," Anderson told Songfacts. "One of the things that was always important for Yes was to create music for the stage to perform, not to make a record. We were very lucky to go in the studio and make records, but our main game was to put on a show and entertain the audience, and in doing so we put that into the record. So by '71, '72, we were stretching our wings to do longer-form pieces on stage."
The song also captured Yes at a pivotal moment in its evolution.
Fragile was the first album to feature keyboard virtuoso Rick Wakeman, whose classically influenced playing became a defining element of the band's sound. But the band was not an overnight success.
"It was very gradual," Anderson told Louder. "We found a manager who had ties to America, and then suddenly we're going over there with Jethro Tull [in mid-1971]. They'd had a big record [with the Aqualung album], and the first show was in front of ten thousand people, all looking at me. I was shaking. I could sing a little bit and play tambourine, but that was all. So I watched Ian Anderson, and I saw he had a choreography - he knew exactly how to do something at a certain time in the song. So I went: 'Oh, that's how you do it…' Cos I used to stand there like an idiot. I still stand there like an idiot. The next time we went to America, we were driving somewhere and "Roundabout" came on the radio."
Alongside Steve Howe's inventive guitar work, Chris Squire's unmistakable bass lines and Bill Bruford's dynamic drumming, "Heart of the Sunrise" demonstrated why Yes was quickly becoming one of progressive rock's most adventurous bands.
"It was the most complete but precise example of what Yes was doing," said Squire.
Despite never being released as a single, the track became a centerpiece of the band's live performances. Over the decades, it has appeared on numerous concert albums and remained a favorite among longtime fans, who often rank it alongside Yes' greatest works despite receiving far less mainstream attention than songs like "Roundabout" or "Owner of a Lonely Heart."
More than 50 years after its release, "Heart of the Sunrise" continues to stand as one of progressive rock's defining epics. Overshadowed commercially but revered by fans, it remains a reminder that some of the most influential songs aren’t always the biggest hits.
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