after much consideration I have come to the conclusion that The Fragile does not really work that well on vinyl. while there is definitely something to be said for the value of the "intermission" provided by flipping or changing a record, The Fragile is spread across six(!) sides. that's a flip, a disc change, a flip, a disc change, and another flip. combine that with the compressed range of vinyl applied to such a high dynamic range piece of music, and you've got a deeply imperfect listening experience.
the fact of the matter is, The Fragile was composed and sequenced to fit onto two compact discs. there is one intermission, between "The Great Below" and "The Way Out Is Through." This is great. It neatly divides the album into two sonically distinct halves, and gives you a moment to breathe and consider what you've just heard between them. it works beautifully.
