Jon Anderson's "Olias of Sunhillow": Qlassiq en Transic or Dud?

Ha ha ha

Actually, Patrick Moraz' liner notes are even more insane...

I give you--in its *almost* entirety--the liner notes to Patrick Moraz' 199Windows of Time solo piano album, which is 60:00 in length. What's scary is that it is actually fairly coherent compared to his liner notes for Future Memories II.

WHAT TIME IS IT? A CONCEPT IN THE ILLUSION OF TIME SENSES, TIME AND UNITY

So many places, so many faces, so many notes, so little time. So much time, so few places, so few faces, so few notes!

Is time just a concept or really a constant? And if so, to what, to whom, to where, to when? Which Time is it? Eternal? Absolute? Constant? Relative? Referential? Real? Objective? Relative-constant? Relative-constant to the Absolute? etc., etc...Is Time an Illusion? If so, is TIME FELT the Reality? ALL IS RELATIVE!

While listening to this CD, you may feel that you are "spending" only a few minutes, or maybe an hour (give or take a few seconds), depending on your emotional response based on so many different factors at that particular moment.

Each NANOSECOND spent listening to this music will make you "feel" the time with various degrees of accuracy "relative" to the time established on this planet to determine finite durations (in contrast to eternity). Suppose this "established" time, let's call it "objective-time" is the constant measure systematizing the sequential relations that each event has to any other (past, present, and/or future), You, nevertheless, will feel the "variance" of time during the listening experience, affected by your own emotions which are generated by or through your very own SOUL, (which, is , itself, eternal and therefore in exact opposition to any finite duration).

Speaking of opposite, would you say time spent, or time gained? (You may agree or disagree!). Whichever your preference, suppose time itself, as pertaining to a system based on some primary units (length, mass, time, seconds, hours, days, centuries, etc.) is a constant in the Absolute. And the time "needed" to listen to this CD in its entirety is also a constant, though relative, because it represents a "referential" passage in the absolute, the "passage" of time, the two entities cancel each other for the duration of the relative-absolute. As the duration of Eternity is impossible to fix (since Eternity is infinite) and because the two "constants" cancel each other during the specific "passage" of that time (representing EXACTLY 3600 seconds), what's left is the individual "feeling" of having SPENT, or GAINED, and AMOUNT OF TIME which is DIFFERENT to that of the established absolute unit and which represents the given situation evaluated by the conscious, the subconscious, or the unconscious mind in relation to the personal "feeling" of each and everyone's soul. As "Time is of the Esssence," and the "Soul being the Essence," Time, whether deemed the absolute constant or the relative-constant, looses its constancy and becomes relative to itself during the "referential passage," which then becomes the measuring instrument of that relativity by becoming the constant.

The reason I chose to set the duration of this album to exactly one hour was motivated by two main factors:

1. Being able to control the outcome of the output of "extemporized" material (extemporaneous/extemporization whose latin etymology "ex-tempore" meaning literally outside time) thought critical listening for selection purposes by reasons none other than the highest impact of the music on a level of emotional essentiality rather than technical perfection or specific timing in the present context; which actually seems paradoxical, or even anachronistic, but demonstrates clearly that by exploring the depths of one's thoughts, there can be complete interactivity, in the form of creative agreement between two forces in opposition, i.e., the right side of the brain, the inspiration (poetry of creation) and the left side of the brain, the mechanical manipulation (prose of fabrication), thus enhancing the degree of "productive creativity" due to a faster, more instantly responsive "emotional-stimulus" (Instant-Response-Feedback) versus a slower "memory-access-time."

2. My desire to offer the listening FREEDOM OF CHOICE to enjoy, after evolutive and personal accurate evaluations--hence the 3600 second exactly--the passage of the "elapsed" time, from an EMOTIONAL state, based on one's individual pure emotion of the soul or one's complete (or partial but NATURAL), suspension of consciousness induced by the PERCEPTION of one's "TRUE FEELING," rather than by the establishment of a dictated, rigid, unemotional and inexorable march of a measurement artifically perpetuated to "CONTROL ABSOLUTELY," and which is pushing humankind from a state of relative freedom to that of an inevitable, unbearable, involution.

I feel compelled to address the fact that, still inside the mother's womb, the unborn baby's strongest perception through the senses is the heartbeat's rhtyhmic, and sometimes arrhythmic pulse of the mother, as they are still "communicating" through the umbilical cord, the first timely perception of the outside environment the human child comes to at birth, happens through sound. Our auditory apparatus is the only one of the five senses that can evaluate accurately time in its constancy, as well as time in its relativity. Even if one can "see" time through one's eyes, either on a time-keeping device or through astronomic calculations, the evaluation from the sense of vision must by in relation to the "movement" of that vision, be it natural (elements, sunset, sunrise, day, night, etc.) or artificial (movie, television, computer graphics, games, etc.)

The other senses, touch, taste, and smell have to rely on extremely complex memory-related and not-so-accurate evaluation-mechanisms and cannot, at least up until now, differentiate time-increments as precisely as seconds, milliseconds, much less nanoseconds.

In a not too distant future, our organisms might be able to smell, taste, and/or touch time on a much more accurate basis. However, it is through our hearing and, on a somewhat more limited basis, visual senses that the highest level of accuracy is achieved in the perception of time. Time being constant, time means regularity. Therefore unity. What does unity mean in the context of time regularity? Unity is the state of being combined with others to form a greater whole. Starts with one or has the "synchrony" of ONE. Because of time, rhythm, meaning the division of time as a constant entity in the context of regularity is the engine of synchrony. Synchrony is the mechanism of togetherness that entities of different and non-specific origins need to communicate between each other and cause contemporaneousness to happen, given a certain context, simultaneously or not. That contemporaneousness creates a unity which makes the whole end product greater than the sum of its non-specific original entities.

Or:

The WHOLE is greater than the sum of its parts

TIME IS THE CURRENCY
OF OUR FUTURE
SPACE ITS BANK

INFORMATION IS THE FREEWAY
OF OUR KNOWLEDGE
CREATIVITY ITS CONTINUUM

FREEDOM OUR SURVIVAL

THE POWER OF AN IDEA
LIES
IN THE SIMPLICITY
OF ITS DELIVERY,
BUT
THE POWER OF A/THE WORD
LIES
IN THE SIMPLICITY
OF ITS INTERPRETATION..."

[Believe it or not, the liner notes even GO ON after this!!!)

Fine people at Rhino that did those marvellous remasters of Yes albums, please do the same to solo Yes-members' albums. Thxbye.

A HA! Found it. Ready for Round 2? Here are the liner notes to Patrick Moraz' 1984 album Future Memories II. LUKE...I am your father....

SUBJECT

"How basic can you get" is a song about a "Hacker" who has visions and phantasms about his relationship and his highly sophisticated obsessions between him, his computer, and the world around him.

For information, a "hacker" is a computer-addict, but under the positive aspect of this particular type of addiction. The song itself, although portraying in very simple words, take from the general computer-user vocabulary, the three major attitudes of the human being face-to-face to the machines in general:

a) his state of spirit the kind of machine
b) his relationship with the computer on an almost sensual basis (touch-terminal-physical-psychological)
c) his impulsive feelings towards the computer ("professor" provoking a sort of passive resistance to his own teacher) his pseudo-temerity defying the discipline of his emotionless master (processor...) his impotent bursts of anger towards a phenomenon which, although not quite universal, is totally irreversible: "Byting-Humanity-Unanimity".

The song, however, is meant to be as "tongue-in-cheek" as it can be, considering the subject involved (My Pet My Pet My Pet...Muppet S-H-O-W).

This specific phrase to implicate, over a menacing muscial progression, that computers can be and are in reality FUN to play with and manipulate (like in "puppet").

And to conclude about the song itself, the phrase to remember as the kind of punchlines is the title of the piece, "How basic can you get," meaning that computers are in fact becoming denominators of everybody's society and that although there are several and "languages" being spoken and "digested" by a growing number of computers each second on this Planet, the most accessible and easy way to operate a computer is to have the simplest forms of expression and languages in order also to communicate to the vasted audiences possible. A universal basic language (Beginner's All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code).

It is therefore indispensable that a very simple base of thoughts, representing the symbolic stereotypes of the kind of society, formed through the relationship Man-Machine-Memory:

1) Man, the image of Man, its characteristics, physical, and spiritual, and moral...too. His memories...

2) Machine, the computer as a machine, its characteristics, performances, qualities, and inconvenients, its memory capabilities.

3) Memories, Brain memories from Men and Machines, Memories catalysing fusion of ideas, images, visions, dreams, sensations, and feelings...a Memory is as irreversible as Time is inexorable. As soon as something happens somewhere it is already being recorded somewhere. It's already provoking a micro-reaction which in its turn is provoking an irrevocable processus of chain-reaction.

Growing processus but always through an immutable cycle, every time renewed with progressing phases of development.

A train of thoughts can be formulated by a rapid succession of images cross-fading from metamorfusions, in relation with the text and the music, i.e.: fingers-numbers-graphics-computers-faces of machines-of people-children-women-men-one person, unidentifiable-inflating-bursting-the sea-the sky-the sounds-graphic sounds-cathedrals and temples geometric figures-pyramids-shapes-silhouettes-spheres-notes-numbers-letters-masses-lines-skeletons of buildings, of people, of machines, of memories...

1. Man
a) as a whole entity
b) as part of society
c) of a microcosm
d) as an individual
e) as a human being
f) as a specialist
g) as a receiver/giver
h) as a transformer

2. Machine

a) As part of a system
b) As a processor
c) As a receiver
d) As a "digester"
e) As a computer
f) As a transformer
g) As a modifier of personalities and societies

3. Memory

As a non-tanglible processus which helps Time to materialise through an event and maintains the current of events scanning at unprintable speed every metamorfusion...As a catalyser of thoughts and ideas...connecting brainwaves

Do Children classify objects by form or colour?

Do Computers develop a character of their own according to their respective memories?

Are Emotions "programmed" through memories?

his cameos on the vangelis solo albums are hilarious/good though

http://www.nomorelyrics.net/song/140278.html

Where in my place?
where is my home?
Where is my place?
Where is my friend?

ha, ha, haa
ha, ha, haa

My friend

I agree the jon and vangelis albums are uneven and often simply funny, but this album makes me think of what yes would have sounded like if vangelis had joined the band.

and if that isn't v. playing on this album himself, then there's been a rather extensive equipment loan

so yes Classic

There sure are a lot of harp sounds on it. I don't think of it as a folk record, though. But that's just me.

Listening to this today, for basically the first time (have heard on and off before, but never actually listening closely). It's pretty good, maybe a bit *too* cosmic for me -- but it also reminds me of Panda Bear. Then it struck me that Animal Collective mania dried up amazingly quickly after their peak, almost like a bunch of people realized they were listening (or more accurately, covering) music that was essentially a Gen Y Yes (Gen Yes?), and tried to escape the crime scene as fast as possible. haha or not, whatever. I like this record more when Jon Anderson is singing than when he goes for the Yes-like walls of synthesized symphonia.

the opening sections are great, it tapers off a bit imo

it's ok, but it's no Fish out of Water.

Thanks for the revive. This is AWESOME

akm, actually listened to Fish Out of Water right after this, and I think quality-wise, it's probably about even -- but yeah, aesthetically, I like it better than OoS.

Fish Out Of Water is a remarkable 'earbud album'. It's mixed super well.

Adore this album, love Fish Out Of Water too (was discussing it on prog listening club thread) but love Olias as maybe top10 all time prog.

?

Jon Anderson's synth-folk masterpiece "OLIAS of SUNHILLOW" performed live and complete at UMASS LOWELL on April 22nd, 2013. Jon was with us via SKYPE to open the concert, and a powerful night of music was enjoyed by all. Musicians included special guest Thomas Deis of 'Project Moorglade' as well as a 60 voice choir and live synth, percussion, mandolin, and more all played by college students from the University.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQm-7HlaHco

On first listen, really enjoyed this...and then I heard Fish out of Water, which is even better

The new Jon Anderson/Ronnie Stolt rekkid promised shades of Topographic Oceans and Olias, had a listen on Spotify and what it delivers is desultory Prog lite that makes no impressions whatsoever, boo!

love Olias of Sunhillow so much

it took me tons of listen to get into olias. haven't given up on invention of knowledge yet. this could be the closest we ever get to the long-promised olias sequel

I know what you mean Reggie, Olias is so opaque in places it's hard to listen through the fog and then it just eventually seems to click.

As much as I'm dying to hear Anderson return to it, Invention Of Knowledge just isn't odd enough to be any kind of sequel in my mind, it's really so plain :(

Also, Solid Space is such a fucking jam, the way the two halves of that huge synth riff plays with the timing of the track is total bliss.

I thought "Open" was the sequel? Or at least the start of it.

https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-story-behind-jon-anderson-s-debut-solo-album-olias-of-sunhillow

Thanks for that. But surely he didn't do all the voices?

Saw this related story.
https://www.loudersound.com/features/the-real-reason-why-jon-anderson-won-t-be-making-another-album-with-vangelis

That's funny about one of his obscure solo albums being a hit in Quebec. I should chase those solo albums sometime. I like Song Of Seven too.

glad Dominique noticed the Panda Bear thing upthread. when I first heard Person Pitch my thought was "he's not the modern Brian Wilson, he's the modern Jon Anderson". he's really good at it, but man, this was an album that only Jon could make. I don't buy for a second it's secretly Vangelis. I mean, it was possibly Vangelis's gear, but none of the keyboard parts are complex or technical at all. they sound like Jon's vocal lines. that's what makes the album special. you could easily teach yourself to play this.

He's undersung as an instrumentalist; in the QPR video, he's playing rhythm guitar through the middle section of "Gates of Delirium" and handling all the changes of key and time signatures.

I've seen the Panda Bear/Animal Collective thing so much, in fact a friend turned me onto the album way back when with this comparison. It's a bit like ELO's Time in the crystal ball stakes.

Absolutely fantastic album, not incidentally. My favourite Yes record for sure.

I'd hesitate to say "favorite" because I love certain Yes records so much but I will say this album has a bunch of really cool moments which make me feel the same as the best Yes stuff and none of the other members' solo records come anywhere close. some of them will have neat moments of technicality and they all kinda sound like Yes but the real spine tingling "sky is opening" type stuff, that's all Jon

Wish Anderson's Animation (version with amazing bonus tracks) and Wakeman's No Earthly Connection were part of the conversation more often because I was hugely impressed by them. I'd rate plenty of the solo albums above all but the very best of Yes.
Anderson has these really distinctive extended storytelling tracks in the early 80s (one track each in Song Of Seven, Friends Of Mr Cairo and a bonus track on Animation) and I think it's a shame that kind of thing doesn't really get discussed in his legacy. I still haven't got past the early 80s yet so I wonder how many surprises he pulls out. Kind of waiting to see if Esoteric will continue the reissues but I have no idea if that's even planned.

the thing is I never really see Anderson's other solo albums in the used bin. I've seen Friends of Mr. Cairo and picked that up, it's good but also so different than what I expected that I actually thought I'd gotten the wrong LP when I first put it on (up to the point where Jon's voice actually comes in). I have a bunch of Wakeman records and some of them are better than I expected - there's some really cool playing that would fit on a Yes album - but a lot of modern prog guys do that kind of stuff. I'd like to pick up some more of Jon's records but RYM doesn't seem to think many of the others are all that good. the one he did with Roine Stolt a few years ago was really nice though.

Always surprised by how many Wakeman albums are in the shops. I'm on White Rock right now and all the preceding albums are amazing (haven't heard his actual debut which was a covers albums).

I recall Anderson saying that one of his albums (In The City Of Angels?) was a big hit in one country and nowhere else. Looking through his discography I had no idea he was on so many Mike Oldfield albums and a Robert Downey Jr album!

He appears with so many bands I haven't heard of.

There was actually a RYM review where somebody said one of the Animation songs was stuck in their head for decades and I had that in mind for a long time.

I have to keep in mind that 3 Ships has an expanded track list on the reissue. Hope it doesn't get reissued again too soon because I'm just starting to get to an age where I'm buying better versions of things I already have.

The version of "Days" on Tormato bonus tracks is much better than the one on Song Of Seven. Shows you how good a singer he is that he can carry it so beautifully with just his voice.

Surely one of the best artwork-inspired albums ever.

I love “Olympia” off “Animation” (I think it’s thatvalbum. Sorry, not Googling cuz I’m being lazy) but Jon really shines for me best on most of the Vangelis collabs. I always felt that he sounds lost on most of his post-“Olias” solo records. Like no matter what great musicians he surrounds himself with the songs or arrangements just can’t gel with his vision(s).
As for Wakeman I can really only enjoy “Criminal Record” and “…Henry VIII” while the others are brought down by awful vocals or noodly, aimless playing. Something YES, up til “Drama” or 90125, was never guilty of for me.

One of the Animation bonus tracks I keep talking about is "The Spell" demo, which must actually be two songs, Anderson said he was obsessed with the concept but he could never explain or finish it. It seems like he has a ton of unfinished stuff (there are a few demo compilations and more to come possibly) and wikipedia says there was a sequel to Animation that was never released.

I've said a bunch of times that Wakeman's early vocalists are not an ideal fit but still do an admirable job on Journey To The Centre and No Earthly Connection. And Roger Daltrey is great on Lisztomania, who I guess is not that dissimilar in style but I imagine Ken Russell had him picked before Wakeman?
The speedy bits on King Arthur really knock my socks off.

Hard to find some of the Lost Tapes albums, I'm really intrigued by the idea of From Me To You (birdsong and loops), although some fans hate it.