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

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.