Work progressing on Anderson / Rabin / Wakeman project

Rick Wakeman has confirmed via his website, RWCC, that plans for a project between Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman are definitely going ahead.

Here's a quote from Wakeman's site:

Wayne has mentioned to me that he received a lot of e-mails to the site displaying their displeasure at the news that the proposed project with Trevor Rabin and Jon Anderson was not going ahead. I must admit I threw my head in my hands when he told me as it is, to the very best of my knowledge and certainly Jon’s as well, total rubbish.

There are some not very nice people out there who like to stir things up, and believe it or not, we know who some of them are. They are the equivalent to people who start computer viruses and I have no time for them. I have always said that if you hear a rumour, log into this site, and if it’s confirmed here, then it’s true. If it isn’t, then treat it as a rumour started by somebody who thinks they know something, but actually don’t!

Just two days ago I received some music from Jon for the Trevor, Jon and Rick project, and it’s tremendous. I’ve also sent some stuff to both the guys as well, so unless there really is something I don’t know, then all is progressing really well.

-Rick Wakeman

So there you go peeps, a Yes album in July and an Anderson/Rabin/Wakeman album in the works.

Jon Anderson speaks about Benoît David, Yes and his future plans...

Jon Anderson, long-time vocalist of prog-veteran band Yes has recently, and for the first time, spoken about his replacement in the band, Benoît David - a Canadian vocalist from a Yes tribute act and new-prog band Mystery, a very different sort of replacement from Trevor Horn, who replaced Anderson for the 1980 album Drama.

Jon Anderson is well known for being a very spiritual kind of guy, and doesn't seem the type of chap who'd hold a grudge. He has accepted the limitations his recent bad health has left him with and prevent him from taking up his place - front of stage with Yes.

Anderson recently gave a telephone interview with The Hamilton Spectator, and sounded rather at peace with his place in the world and with his former band mates. "They were busy. They were just guys who had to make a living" he says.

Anderson admits that he is in no shape for touring with Yes, unable to do 4-5 shows per week. An asthma attack in 2008, which almost killed him, has left him unable to push himself as he once did, similar to his close friend and former Yes keyboardist, Rick Wakeman who suffers with heart problems and can no longer tour (he is replaced in the band by his son, Oliver Wakeman). The two have recently released an acoustic album titled The Living Tree and was released last year, a short UK tour followed.

Regarding his replacement, Benoît David, Anderson seems flattered "imitation is the biggest form of flattery" he says. It seems that Anderson is now truly retired from Yes but he holds out some hope of spending time with his old friends.

Anderson is currently working on 2 operas and 3 musicals and says "you can't think the best music I ever made was in 1972". Which is a bold statement considering that Yes released Close to the Edge and Fragile around that time, and The Living Tree certainly doesn't hold a candle to them. Yes are also to release a new album this summer, Fly From Here, the first since 2001's Magnification and is also produced by Trevor Horn.

Anderson has said nothing more of his sequel to Olias of Sunhillow, which is apparently called Songs of Zamran, son of Olias.

One thing is very clear - we have not heard the last of Jon Anderson...

Olias of Sunhillow

My first review will be the album Olias of Sunhillow, primarily because it's where the name "QoQuaq" comes from.

Olias of Sunhillow is by Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, and was his debut solo album. Released in 1976 it was the most commercially successful of all the Yes solo records released that year, beating Chris Squire's Fish Out of Water.

The album was inspired by the Roger Dean designed, fantastical album cover for Yes' 1971 album Fragile, which depicts a glider escaping a dying planet, pictured to the right.

The album tells a story in which there are three central characters; Olias - the architect given the task of building a glider called the Moorglade Mover; Ranyart - tasked with piloting the Moorglade and Qoquaq - the leader of the people of Sunhillow.




Tracklisting

1. Ocean Song (3:05)
2. Meeting (Garden of Geda) / Sound Out the Galleon (3:34)
3. Dance of Ranyart / Olias (To Build the Moorglade) (4:19)
4. Qoquaq Ën Transic / Naon / Transic Tö (7:08)
5. Flight of the Moorglade (3:24)
6. Solid Space (5:21)
7. Moon Ra / Chords / Song of Search (12:48)
8. To The Runner (4:29)

I see no reason why some of the tracks have been condensed into single tracks on the CD version, where as they were seperate on the vinyl. Also, the new CD version has a poor reproduction of the artwork, which is fantastic in the original vinyl version, which includes a story to acompany the music.
This is the only album which sees Jon Anderson play (nearly) all the instruments which include guitars, synths, drums and even harp. Lyrically it is very clever and well worth a listen for any prog fan, especially fans of Yes.

QoQuaq Recommends:

"Sound Out the Galleon", "Flight of the Moorglade" and "Solid Space".

Rating:

5/5

Title: Olias of Sunhillow
Label: Atlantic Records
Genre: Progressive rock / new age music
Release Date: 24th July, 1976

This album is available at Amazon and iTunes.