When guitarist Steve Howe came aboard the good ship Yes in 1970, the wind caught the sails just right and a chemistry began to coalesce. Together, they recorded and released 1971’s The Yes Album to great commercial and critical acclaim. To move forward with a more progressive sound, another changing of the guard occurred when keyboardist Rick Wakeman replaced Tony Kaye. Yes quickly hit the studio and cut their second album of the year, Fragile. The stakes were most definitely raised for the prog rock crown with this album. “Roundabout,” the album’s single, became a Top 20 hit single in the States. It provided a peak into an extraordinary piece of work, where each player gets a chance to show off when they’re not all together, creating future progressive rock standards. The flow of Fragile is like two bottles of fine wine on a Sunday afternoon —  with a chaser thrown in at the most unexpected moment. Remixed and repackaged numerous times, Rhino’s four-CD, single Blu-ray Disc Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) redefines the album’s prominence and place in the Yes story. Along with a remastered version of the original album on both CD and vinyl, there’s two discs of Rarities, mostly outtakes and alternate versions of the songs, previously unreleased nuggets like “All Fighters Past” and “The Dean,” and some live leftovers. For audiophiles, the centerpiece of the collection are the Steven Wilson remixes — in stereo, 5.1 surround, and Atmos on the set’s Blu-ray Disc. Instrumental mixes by Wilson without vocals are on the second CD and the Blu-ray Disc. Fragile (Super Deluxe Edition) deserves a deep dive. The surround and Atmos mixes open newly discovered portals into the soundscape and immerse the room in a sonic bath. “Roundabout,” “South Side Of The Sky,” “Long Distance Runaround,” and “America” are as illuminating and fresh as they were in 1971, with an added boost in depth and dimension. The Rarities discs offer early arrangements of every song, with takes of “Roundabout” and “South Side Of The Sky” giving listeners a glimpse into each song’s development, as well as the group’s process recording them. The booklet that accompanies the set includes an essay by Syd Schwartz filled with additional info, anecdotes, and context around the album’s creation. When it was released, there was little doubt about Fragile and its potency. The solo bits may have confused the critics, but when the five players came together, it addressed all their concerns. The album’s fantasy-laden, space-age cover by Roger Dean, his first for Yes, was emblematic of the music. The complete package for the 1970s, Yes became a headliner because of Fragile and never looked back. The epic “Long Distance Runaround” and “Heart Of The Sunrise” reamin in regular rotation on the setlist. “The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus)” and “Mood For A Day” have served as gateways for both bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Steve Howe to exploit their talents for audiences worldwide. “South Side Of The Sky” is occasionally rolled out in concert for prosperity. Of course, the current lineup of Yes can’t leave the stage without playing “Roundabout.” When it came to naming the album, singer Jon Anderson stated it derives from “being in a band was a very fragile experience for everyone…” Despite the connotation, Fragile is very much a cohesive and consistently satisfying listening experience that’s withstood all that’s shaky and about to come unglued in rock and roll and beyond. ~ Shawn Perry

According to the New York Times, a call this week with Kamala Harris and about 300 donors, as well as several listeners, was described as unproductive. Sources told the Times that they found the meeting to be of little value and even, at times, condescending. They believe “the message ignored donors’ legitimate concerns about the Biden-led […] The post Laughing Kamala Held a “Ludicrous” Call with Donors appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

ABC News reported in December 2022 that Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s security in D.C. was equivalent to a “mini-state” visit. Hundreds of law enforcement and intelligence officials were activated. We can provide security for a foreign leader but not a Republican political candidate. The Secret Service now admits they denied added security for Donald Trump for […] The post Looks Like the Democrats Do Want Donald Trump Dead appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Former President Donald Trump appeared on Saturday at his first rally since he survived an assassination attempt one week prior. This campaign event took place in the critical swing state of Michigan and became the first time Trump appeared at a rally with his new running mate Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) following the Republican National Convention. Below are five highlights from the rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan: “Bullet for democracy” The crowd erupted into cheers after Trump rebuffed Democrats who have called him a “threat to democracy.” He harkened back to the shooting at his rally last weekend in Pennsylvania during which a bullet ripped through his ear. “They keep saying, ‘he’s a threat to democracy,'” Trump said. “I’m saying, ‘What the hell did I do for democracy?’ Last week, I took a bullet for democracy.” TRUMP: "They keep saying, 'He's a threat to Democracy.'" "Last week, I took a bullet for Democracy!" pic.twitter.com/g0Es9Em0FN — The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 20, 2024 Project 2025 In the moments leading up to his quip about democracy, Trump distanced himself from the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” that offers a policy agenda for a conservative administration that reportedly involved people who worked for him. As previously reported by The Daily Wire, Democrats — including President Joe Biden and his campaign — have sought to link Trump to the project in hopes of painting him as a political extremist. “I’m a person with great common sense, I’m not an extremist at all,” Trump said. “Like some on the Right — severe Right, came up with this Project 25, and I don’t even know, I mean some of them I know who they are, but they’re very, very conservative.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP He added, “They’re sort of the opposite of the radical Left, okay? you have the radical Left, and you have the radical Right, and they come up with this pro — I don’t know what the hell it is. ‘It’s Project 25! He’s involved in Project…’ and then they read some of the things, and they are extreme, I mean they’re seriously extreme. I don’t want to know anything about it.” Trump went on to accuse Democrats of spreading “misinformation and disinformation.” Trump: I don’t know what the hell it is this Project 25. I don’t know anything about it. I don’t want to know anything about it. pic.twitter.com/A6XqLeQ70R — Acyn (@Acyn) July 20, 2024 Elon Musk Trump lauded Elon Musk, who endorsed the former president’s campaign shortly after the shooting last weekend. “I love Elon Musk,” Trump said before mentioning that he read Musk had committed to giving a new super PAC supporting Trump $45 million a month. Trump spoke about electric vehicles, which are a big part of Musk’s company Tesla, saying he’s “totally for them, but whatever the market says. And if it’s 10% of the market, 12%, 7%, 20% — whatever it is — it’s okay. But you can’t have 100% electric cars.” Trump also talked about how he called Musk and said the reusable rockets created by another of the tech billionaire’s companies, SpaceX, were the “coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” Trump joked about how the government would need several decades to come up with such an innovation. He also said, “We have to make life good for our smart people … and [Musk is] as smart as you get.” TRUMP: “I love Elon Musk” pic.twitter.com/xFitVckyqd — ALX ?? (@alx) July 20, 2024 Pelosi turns on Biden Trump alluded to reports that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is among the growing number Democrats who have pressured Biden to consider dropping out of the 2024 race after his poor debate performance a few weeks ago spurred concerns about his age, health, and electability. “Did you see Nancy Pelosi is selling out Biden now? Did you see? She turned on him like a dog. ‘I don’t know if he should continue’ — all of a sudden. Where did that come from? She was 100%, all of the sudden she’s not sure. ‘Not sure’ means he’s gone,” Trump said. TRUMP: “Did you see Nancy Pelosi is selling out Biden now? She turned on him like a dog. ‘I don’t know if he should continue’ — Where did that come from? She was 100%, all of the sudden she’s not sure” pic.twitter.com/4134bvazYT — ALX ?? (@alx) July 20, 2024 Combover It wasn’t just his political adversaries who got mocked. Trump won some laughs by poking fun at his own combover. “I have to just interject, if you would turn off those cameras ’cause I don’t want this, see the screen up there of me?” Trump asked. “That’s very severe, that combover, that’s a severe sucker! What’s with that one? It looks okay from the other side. But that is very severe, I apologize. Man. I looked over, I said whoa. Look at that. Wow. That’s like a work of art.” A self-deprecating Donald Trump making fun of his own comb-over could be the wild card his campaign needs to secure a landslide. pic.twitter.com/Zoh6o94ZD9 — L A R R Y (@LarryOConnor) July 20, 2024

A top House investigator shared on Sunday a sneak peak of what sorts of questions will be asked when Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testifies about the security failure underlying the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania last weekend. Set for 10 a.m. ET on Monday, the hearing “will serve as the beginning” of the “process to get answers for the American people as to what went wrong with an agency that has a no-fail mission,” House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) told “Fox News Sunday” anchor Shannon Bream. Comer, who subpoenaed Cheatle to appear for the hearing, noted how a spokesperson for the Secret Service denied reporting that claimed the Trump campaign requested more resources, but The Washington Post “confirmed” that the former president’s team asked for more. Lawmakers have “a lot of questions as to how they’re [the Secret Service] managing their money,” Comer also said, adding there have been “lots of investigations” of the Secret Service over the years “and reports issued that they lacked proper training, that they did not efficiently spend their funds.” Questions have been raised about how a shooter, identified as a 20-year-old Pennsylvania man named Thomas Matthew Crooks, managed to get onto a nearby rooftop and begin shooting with an AR-style rifle roughly 150 yards away from the stage in Butler, Pennsylvania, before the Secret Service could stop him. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP A bullet ripped through Trump’s right ear, causing blood to pour down his face. The shooter also killed one rally-goer and injured two others. A Secret Service sniper reportedly shot and killed the gunman from another building while other personnel rushed to protect Trump and escort him off the stage. Multiple investigations into the incident have been opened, including an expansive inquiry in the GOP-led House. Part of the hearing on Monday will likely focus on whether Cheatle should remain as director of the Secret Service amid calls for her to resign or for President Joe Biden to fire her. “Our question for Director Cheatle is: are you competent to run the Secret Service? We want to know who is at fault for what happened,” Comer said. “Every American can tell that there should never have been allowed anyone on that roof.” Comer said the “fact that there are videos showing that people were trying to notify the authorities, that there was a person on the roof with a gun and nothing was done about it and that shooter was allowed to get that many shots off at President Trump. That’s unacceptable.” He added, “Not only do we need answers, but people need to be held accountable. And that’s what the director is going to have to answer tomorrow. She’s going to have about a six-hour hearing and she’s going to have hundreds of questions that she’s going to have to answer and the American people will be watching that hearing.”

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he will not seek reelection in November, bowing to pressure from high-ranking Democrats and media figures who fear he will be unable to defeat former President Donald Trump. In a letter addressed to the public, Biden said that while it was his intention to run for reelection, “I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.” Biden has faced pressure to bow out since his disastrous debate performance in June, which even his allies say raised serious concerns about his ability to discharge the duty of the office. Biden’s decision to drop out of the race came after CNN reported that Biden had softened his stance toward the idea after resisting calls to even consider it. “He’s being receptive. Not as defiant as he is publicly,” a source told CNN. “He’s gone from saying, ‘Kamala can’t win,’ to ‘Do you think Kamala can win?’ It’s still unclear where he’s going to land but seems to be listening.” CNN’s report followed an interview that Biden did with BET in which he said he would be open to the idea of stepping down if he was diagnosed with a “medical condition.” Hours after the interview was released, Biden was diagnosed with COVID and withdrew from the campaign trail. The 81-year-old president has struggled in the weeks following the first presidential debate to quiet voices within his party who are pushing for his ouster as they worry he will drag down Democrat candidates across the country. Biden told Democrat governors in the days immediately following the debate that his 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. schedule was taking too much out of him and that he needed to sleep more, work less, and not have events after 8 p.m. First Lady Jill Biden and Biden’s son, convicted felon and crack cocaine addict Hunter Biden, have reportedly taken more control over the president since the debate, believing that some in the White House cannot be trusted and are sabotaging him. Hunter Biden has effectively become Biden’s gatekeeper and controls who gets to see his father. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Some of Biden’s aides were reportedly “beat[ing] the s*** out of any Democrat member who raises questions about Biden’s mental fitness for office. During his first major interview following the debate, Biden refused to commit to taking a neurological exam when pressed by ABC News host George Stephanopoulos. When asked if he would consider dropping out, Biden responded: “I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get outta the race,’ I’d get outta the race. The Lord Almighty’s not comin’ down.” Stephanopoulos was asked on the street following the interview if he thought Biden should step down. He responded: “I don’t think he can serve four more years.” The White House confirmed earlier this month that Biden has been evaluated by a Parkinson’s disease expert during his yearly physical exams after numerous doctors stated publicly that they believe Biden has the disease. During another major interview, Biden repeatedly exploded at with NBC News’s Lester Holt for asking him basic questions about his fitness, declaring “I have command of my faculties.” In an interview with “360 With Speedy,” Biden said that Obama asked him to be vice president in 2020 when Trump was in office. Biden said, “But I didn’t plan on running because when I, in 2020, when I, my, when Barack asked me to be vice president, I, uh, I, I joined him, which was a great honor and, uh, but after that I became a professor at the University of Pennsylvania.” Obama tapped Biden for the vice presidency in 2008. Biden served two terms, leaving office in January 2017. Dr. Tom Pitts, a Democrat who is a quadruple board-certified neurologist based in New York City, told NBC News during a television interview that it was obvious to him that Biden had Parkinson’s disease. “You notice when he turns it’s kind of end-block turning; it’s not a quick turn,” Pitts said. “That’s one of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s; it’s rigidity and bradykinesia, slow movement. And he has that hallmark, especially with the low voice they said was a cold; hypophonia, small monotone voice like this over time is a hallmark of Parkinsonism.” “Shuffling gait, we call that ‘little steps,'” he noted. “Loss of arm swing from the rigidity; when we walk we have a nice cadence, he doesn’t really swing his arms, and end-block turning, meaning he kind of pivots around his foot.” “I could have diagnosed him from across the mall.”

Doreen Cook never thought she’d live long enough to see her granddaughter’s wedding, but she defied the odds and celebrated in the best way possible—with an all-night dance party. Several years ago, doctors diagnosed the 93-year-old with aortic stenosis, a heart condition that blocks blood flow in the aortic valve. In 2023, she was told the condition had worsened, and there was no treatment to help. Her doctors said it was time to prepare for the inevitable, and her time would be short.  But Doreen proved her doctors wrong when she headed to Marbella, Spain, for her granddaughter Rhea Cross’ week-long wedding celebration. One video from the trip shows the proud grandma owning the dance floor and wowing the guests with her karaoke skills. According to SWNS, via Good News Network, Doreen spent the next day napping on the beach. Grandma’s Favorite Memory Was Watching Her Granddaughter Say, “I Do” Rhea said her grandma was “living her best life all night and really became the life and soul of the party.” “It was so wonderful having her there for the entire trip,” she shared. “Especially knowing the doctors didn’t think she’d make it.” “We took every day as an opportunity to have fun,” she added. After returning to her home in the UK, Doreen needed two blood transfusions, and now she’s recuperating from seven nights of pure joy. “It was fantastic. I loved it,” she told the publication. “My favorite part was watching my granddaughter get married, after being worried I wasn’t going to make it.” This story’s featured image is by Andrei Beiu via Shutterstock. The post Grandma Told She Wouldn’t Live To See Granddaughter’s Wedding Became “The Life And Soul Of The Party” appeared first on InspireMore.