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• Reviews & Spotlights
Jon Anderson: Survival & Other Stories
Survival & Other Stories - A Spirited Solo Record from Jon Anderson!
Jon Anderson is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and pro rock pioneer best-known for his work in Yes, Vangelis and Kitaro. In recent years, Jon has been working on solo projects and collaborations.
About four years ago, following a serious illness and his untimely dismissal from Yes, Anderson posted a "musicians wanted" notice on his website. He received numerous samples and submissions from around the world. Jon then melded music from this wide range of artists with his lyrics and yielded Survival & Other Stories.
As a result of this process the eleven track CD has a broad musical pallet full of patterns and personalities. Yet, the CD remains cohesive with Jon's distinctive singing style. Anderson still pens lyrics that are elusive but the themes of life, love and survival are evident. There are even a few lines of Yes songs subtly mixed into the creative compositions.
There are philosophical elements to the music mixing with the prevailing message of hope. Many of the songs are about change and reminding us that "you are the love, you are the light" (Big Buddha Song). An array of instruments are used but the sounds are subtle allowing the melody and Jon's muse to be the focal point of each track. Survival & Other Stories is an engaging and spirited record!
With a recent collaboration with Rick Wakeman under his belt, this CD, two more solo releases in the next two years promised on the liner notes, and a rumored reformation with Trevor Rabin in the works - it's clear that Anderson is thriving and not just surviving - and has managed to turn a negative situation into a very positive outcome.
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Review by Laura Turner Lynch |
Jon Anderson
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