Open (Open Music, 2011)
Fans of Yes and its longtime vocalist Jon Anderson should not miss his latest work titled Open. This marvelous 21-minute epic piece brings back the magic that made Yes one of the most cherished progressive rock bands of all time. Open combines dramatic symphonic sounds alongside peaceful vocal passages with messages of peace and love and the fabulous overdubbed vocals that Jon Anderson pioneered and mastered.
Although Jon Anderson has made many solo albums, his masterpiece was Olias of Sunhillow. Open takes his music back to that level of creativity. At a time when the new Yes album is a disappointment for progressive rock fans, Jon Anderson picks up the torch with this gem, demonstrating that he was one of the brains behind the essential Yes sound.
The impressive orchestral work was composed by Anderson’s neighbor and good friend Stefan Podell. “’Forever taken to that place of understanding,’ are the first lyrics of ‘Open’, as though I am always remembering my true musical journey,” says Jon Anderson. “To create this work, I sat with my 19th Century guitar and strummed ideas last spring 2010. Songs just poured out of me that week, and before I knew it I had created a long form musical idea, and with the help of Stefan Podell’s powerful orchestration, we put together what is now ‘Open.’
It has 4 movements all intertwined, and seems to have a life of its own. For those who love this kind of music, I feel so happy to present it as one of many I hope to create over the coming years. My love ‘Janee’ has helped in production with her unique musical observations and her angel voice.”
At this time, Open is only available as a digital download. Hopefully, Jon Anderson will add more gems to incorporate it into a full album.
Open is one of the indispensable progressive rock releases of 2011, demonstrating that Jon Anderson is still one of the great creative forces in the genre.