At last – the brilliantly barking mad solo album by Yes man Jon Anderson from the mid-1790s gets the remastering and expanded edition treatment.
It’s a remarkable album not least because it’s a true bona-fide solo album. And that’s because Jon not only wrote the whole thing – plays all the instruments himself teaching himself to play them too.
After the tour in support of their classic Relayer album, Yes went on a sort of hiatus which saw the band members fill the time by working on solo projects. The most notable effort (in my opinion) bar Jon Anderson’s album was Chris Squire’s Fish out of Water.
Anyhoo – Jon’s project was the progged-out up to eleven concept album Olias of Sunhillow. The story told on the album being that of the planet Sunhillow ravaged by volcanic eruptions, the population needing a new home, main man Olias building the equivalent of a Noah’s ark to take them there (the Moorglade Mover) and then how they get there.
It was issued in 1976 in lavishly packaged vinyl. I can recall buying my copy at the time and how I wish I still had it. Add it to the long list of albums from the old days I’ve lost over the years.
Now the expanded and remastered CD version is here. A remastering of the original album, a 5.1 surround sound version and a nice booklet telling the story of the making of the album. Such a pleasure to hear the far out, spaced out tripped out brilliance of it.
Sure, Jon’s voice is unmistakable and some of the album does sound very much like Yes. That said, he puts his own stamp on things very much with simple yet deceptively complex repeated rhythms, tribal drumming and chanting type stuff all with a spacey/ethereal feel throughout.
So unusual it’s quite hard to explain, so have a listen to Meeting which merges in to Sound out the Galleon.
Over the remainder of the album there’s all sorts going on as the story unfolds. It’s prog sure enough – though not prog as we know it.
Different, unique, bonkers yet brilliant. There’s nothing like it and it has to be listened to thoroughly to fully grasp it and appreciate the magnitude of it all.
Bag yourself a copy, settle down, put on the headphones and immerse yourself in to another world created by Mr Anderson.
According to the booklet notes, a sequel may be in the works. How good would that be? Make it happen please Jon.