What does it sound like?:
Perhaps a somewhat ironic title for this collaboration between Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty which was originally slated to appear much earlier in the year. It comes a stand alone cd or as a cd/dvd package.
This is a live album recorded last September, with some extra work done to the source recordings in the studio, although that probably applies to most live recordings.
It has to be said that despite now being in his seventies and having had various health problems over the past few years, Anderson’s voice is still in fine shape and he is singing as well as ever.
There is a mixture of reinterpretations of old Yes material together with a handful of new compositions, and some pieces which are loosely based around existing Ponty solo material.
Of the Yessongs, the shortened version of And You and I, similar to the way it was performed on the Anderson Wakeman tour a couple of years back, works best.
However, it is the songs built around Ponty’s solo work and the new material where the album really soars, with the combination of Jon’s vocals and Ponty’s violin really taking off. Ponty’s violin replaces the traditional lead guitar in these songs, and perfectly complements Anderson’s vocals.
What does it all *mean*?
After all these years, Jon Anderson is still out there on a quest to create new music and move ever forward in new directions.
Goes well with…
If you like Anderson’s work, be it with Yes, Vangelis or his solo material, then this is well worth exploring, and of course fans of Jean-Luc Ponty’s extensive work and collaborations over the years will also want to hear this new music.
Release Date:
Might suit people who like…
I wouldn’t describe this as a prog album, although of course one can’t avoid associating Anderson’s voice with his work over the years with Yes. Remember though that is long in the past now and this is where he is at today. Give it a listen – Anderson and Ponty are moving forward, not looking back!
We’re waiting… 🙂
What does it sound like
Perhaps a somewhat ironic title for this collaboration between Jon Anderson and Jean-Luc Ponty which was originally slated to appear much earlier in the year. It comes a stand alone cd or as a cd/dvd package.
This is a live album recorded last September, with some extra work done to the source recordings in the studio, although that probably applies to most live recordings.
It has to be said that despite now being in his seventies and having had various health problems over the past few years, Anderson’s voice is still in fine shape and he is singing as well as ever.
There is a mixture of reinterpretations of old Yes material together with a handful of new compositions, and some pieces which are loosely based around existing Ponty solo material.
Of the Yessongs, the shortened version of And You and I, similar to the way it was performed on the Anderson Wakeman tour a couple of years back, works best.
However, it is the songs built around Ponty’s solo work and the new material where the album really soars, with the combination of Jon’s vocals and Ponty’s violin really taking off. Ponty’s violin replaces the traditional lead guitar in these songs, and perfectly complements Anderson’s vocals.
What does it all mean
After all these years, Jon Anderson is still out there on a quest to create new music and move ever forward in new directions.
Goes well with
If you like Anderson’s work, be it with Yes, Vangelis or his solo material, then this is well worth exploring, and of course fans of Jean-Luc Ponty’s extensive work and collaborations over the years will also want to hear this new music.
Might suit people who like
I wouldn’t describe this as a prog album, although of course one can’t avoid associating Anderson’s voice with his work over the years with Yes. Remember though that is long in the past now and this is where he is at today. Give it a listen – Anderson and Ponty are moving forward, not looking back!
Unable to get this to post using the ‘post an article’ page, hence reduced to doing it this way.
Any excuse to post this chestnut from Ponty from 1975
Some further info (from Yescography)
“Intro” [Minko] (1:18); sort of an overture for the album
•”One in the Rhythms of Hope” [Ponty/Anderson] (4:34); previously demo’d under the title “One with Everything” and listed on other formats as “One in the Rhythm of Hope”; based on Ponty’s pre-existing “Rhythms of Hope”
•”A for Aria” [Anderson/Enrico Tomat] (3:22); a new composition
•”ICU” [Anderson/Damon Anderson/Sean Anderson] (3:55), elsewhere known as “I See You Messenger”; heard as a demo on Kickstarter and previously just called “I See You”; a new piece
•”Owner of a Lonely Heart” [Anderson/Rabin/Squire/Horn] (5:04)
•”Listening with Me” [Ponty/Anderson] (5:39); heard as a demo on the Kickstarter page under the name “Listening” and based on the pre-existing Ponty piece “Stay with Me” from Ponty’s 1979 album A Taste for Passion
•”Time and a Word” [Anderson/David Foster] (5:30); reggae version, largely based on Anderson’s recent solo version
•”Infinite Mirage” (3:47); previously listed here as “Infinity”, a new piece, heard as a Kickstarter demo and incorporating Ponty’s pre-existing “Mirage” from his 1977 album Enigmatic Ocean; music: Ponty, lyrics: Anderson
•”Soul Eternal” (4:58); described previously as a new piece by Anderson, his solo version previously appeared on YouTube; “Infinite Mirage – Soul Eternal” is credited to Ponty/Anderson
•”Wonderous Stories” [Anderson] (4:01)
•”And You and I” [Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire] (3:00); similar arrangement to that by Anderson Wakeman
•”Renaissance of the Sun” [Ponty/Anderson] (6:36); this is the piece previously listed here as “Sky Vista (Renaissance)” and based on Ponty’s “Renaissance” from Aurora (1976)
•”Roundabout” [Anderson/Howe] (5:25)
•”New New World” [Anderson/Dunlap]; from Anderson’s Survival & Other Stories
I have to confess that the thought of a reggae version of Time and a Word sends a shiver of foreboding up my spine, remembering as I do The Messenger from The Ladder.
Still, kudos to Anderson for never staying in the same spot musically. I wish his former colleagues could say the same…
Yes, that is the weakest song on the album – shame because it’s a personal favourite ….. just not in this version!