Written: 11th August 2024
The words legend or icon are often overused but in the world of progressive rock, Jon Anderson has earned the right for either of these words to be attached to his name. Now seventy-nine years old and on tour with The Band Geeks - playing a selection of Yes classics and songs from their upcoming album - he is as active as he has ever been.
From the first track, True Messenger, it is clear that True is an album that will appeal to fans of Yes’s music and Jon Anderson’s ruminations on spirituality, mysticism and cosmic consciousness. Opening vibrant acoustic guitar is soon joined by the rest of the band in motifs that would not be out of place on some of Yes’s classic material. Lyrically, True Messenger is an exploration of unity, transcendence and the ethereal nature of existence. Everyone can see each day / Chasing all the sense of understanding / Dancing on the powerline / Chiming the sense, the storyline. Although the guitar lines that inhabit the first track are redolent of Steve Howe, they are beautifully played and there is enough of the band’s own personality to not make it seem like a homage, the final brooding guitar solo being one such example. Shine On continues the themes of the human experience with an examination of resilience in the pursuit of dreams. During a delightfully joyous song, the band shows just how well they gel with some wonderful harmonies, infectious bass lines from multi-instrumentalist Richie Castellano and captivating rhythms. A short, quieter central segment adds more delicate atmospheres from Anderson.
Next up – the ten-minute Counties and Countries - is the first epic of the album. A lyrical odyssey that delves into the quest for belonging, the recurring imagery of the Gardens of Eden suggests a place where purity and harmony reign. Evoking feelings of nostalgia, hope and serenity, Counties and Countries finds Anderson rejoicing in the connections that define our lives. For I received it on that day / The gift of love was here to stay / Asking for the love that would always deliver / Asking for the love yet to come. With musical sections ranging from pastoral to deeply progressive, the track gives each member the opportunity to shine, the different keyboard and guitar solos all adding something special to the track without ever feeling indulgent. Jon Anderson’s voice belies his age and remains celestially alluring throughout the album. Build Me An Ocean changes the mood, starting with a sensitive piano and voice combination with plaintive acoustic guitar in the background. A similar section at the end of the track bookends a grander central passage. Complete with a short but heartfelt acoustic guitar solo and background vocals from Ann Marie Nacchio, which add a flowing majesty to the song, Build Me An Ocean highlights the band’s ability to make even the shorter tracks feel epic. Still A Friend sees The Band Geeks playing with tempo and time signatures, Castellano clearly having the time of his life as his bass rides a wave of dancing notes.
Make It Right – with exquisite Anderson vocals – takes its time to develop and steadily builds towards a glorious finale, the last guitar solo reaching for the heavens and Nacchio’s vocals, once again, adding tender ambiences to the overall sound. Realization Part Two, which deals with how life gives back what we put into it, contains some charming interplay between acoustic guitar and keyboards. In certain moments redolent of Never Going Back by Fleetwood Mac, its celebratory nature draws listeners into Anderson’s world.
As a member of Yes, Anderson helped to compose some of the most revered epics in the history of progressive rock. The wonderfully crafted sixteen-and-a-half-minute Once Upon A Dream is the band’s attempt to recapture the feel of some of those timeless pieces. With an initial section built around a rhythmic lyrical idea that Anderson had been playing with, Once Upon A Dream begins with a playful, hypnotic structure that paints life as an ongoing, dynamic process of challenge and self-evolution. It’s enough to stick around looking for it / It’s enough to challenge it, took around / Once upon a time you were looking for / Dance around it, tiki-tai, tiki-tay / Cup a sound now, chook around / chook around / Everything now, moving out, moving out. Blending time signatures, different lead instruments and Anderson’s lyrics, the track builds in a way that will find huge favour with fans of 1970s Yes, including some lyrical nods to his former band. It’s enough to sit around looking for it / It’s enough to challenge it, look around / Once upon a time you were searching for it / Here we go to the heart of the sunrise. Seven and a half minutes in, a quite different aura – divine and radiant – descends. Allowing the time for the soulful, otherworldly brilliance to take hold, subtle synths, gossamer light piano, and sonorous background guitar combine with graceful elegance. This continues until eleven and a half minutes into Once Upon A Dream when Andy Ascolese’s drums crash down and the guitars start to soar – the final solo is exquisite - as the track climbs towards its conclusion via a strident organ solo - which conjures memories of both Awaken and 90125 - from Robert Kipp. As the final notes fade away, listeners will be left reflecting on an incredible modern progressive rock epic.
Ending the album, Thank God focuses on the transformative power of a significant relationship and a deep sense of appreciation for the presence of a beloved person in our lives. I know I’ve been waiting for my life to exist / In a new world / A new place in time / You mesmerise me with your love of the Earth / Seems you knew we would forever entwine. In some ways the simplest song on the album, it balances the complexity of the multi-part Once Upon A Dream. However, by no way does this mean it is a throwaway track and it is evident just how much the lyrics mean to Anderson.
True stands as testament to the enduring appeal of Jon Anderson, his voice and his lyrical philosophies. He and each member of The Band Geeks is on excellent form throughout and they have produced an album which captures the essence of the music for which Anderson is best known. Sitting somewhere between the sound of Yes from the early 1970s and 90125, it is an excellent progressive rock album. A truly collaborative compositional effort, in particular between Castellano and Anderson, True will ensnare any fan with even a passing interest in this style of music. Essential.
True is released on 23rd August 2024.
For more information:
Jon Anderson’s official website: www.JonAnderson.com
Band Geek official website: https://richiecastellano.com/bandgeek/
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