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"With “True”, Jon Anderson takes us on a retrospective but never nostalgic journey through the history of Yes. The album that every band fan has been waiting for (too) long."
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5/5
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At an age when many people are enjoying a well-deserved retirement, when many of his colleagues have thrown in the towel, and after resolving the health problems that led to his abrupt exclusion from his iconic band, Jon Anderson continues his musical and spiritual quest with the release of his new opus, soberly christened “True”. To do so, the man with the golden voice has teamed up with a combo of talented musicians, met by chance following a performance of a Yes classic that literally blew our octogenarian away, the perfect opportunity for him to return to his first love, and plunge into the making of an album that “Yes could have done if we'd stayed together”.
If Jon Anderson's discography is sometimes uneven, the start of this new production immediately (re)immerses us in Yes' heyday. Seemingly taken from “The Ladder”, “True Messenger” opens this short musical hour with a highly polished sound and production, notably featuring Andy Graziano's guitar, which slips effortlessly into Steve Howe's clothes, while Richie Castellano provides bass parts that would not have been disowned by the band's historic incumbent.
The musical journey evoking the band's different periods continues with 'Shine On' and its “Big Generator”/“Union” period trappings, set against a backdrop of melting bass, while an epic first track ('Counties and Countries') generates infectious optimism, with luminous vocals subtly enhanced by splendid orchestrations carried by devilishly talented musicians. The vocal harmonies are superb, as is the perfect marriage between guitar and keyboards.
The album's highlight, 'Once Upon a Dream', spans over sixteen minutes and develops everything Yes fans have come to expect from such a legacy. Beginning with a recitative strongly inspired by “Tales From Topographic Oceans”, this magnificent track gently builds in pressure, linking numerous themes and rhythmic variations with an ever-present coherence that smoothes each passage from one part to the next. It's another opportunity to underline the instrumentalists' phenomenal ability to fit into the Yes garb, without ever blushing at the comparison with their glorious elders, while Jon Anderson seems to have rediscovered the voice of his 20s (or thereabouts). Just listening to the rhythm of the bass/drums duo will satisfy more than one progressive rock fan, while the melodies seem insanely obvious. There's no doubt that this track is one of Yes's greatest.
This crazy production ends with a typically Andersonian track, reminiscent of his work with Vangelis, whose title sums up all the hope it carries, both in its content and in its musical evocation, which carries the listener away in a very special quietude, to be punctuated by a few moments of silence for total impregnation.
With “True”, Jon Anderson takes us on a retrospective but never nostalgic journey through the history of Yes. It's the album that fans of the band have been waiting too long for, the one that the current incarnation of the brand is no longer able to produce.
- Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. True Messenger 02. Shine On 03. Counties And Countries 04. Build Me An Ocean 05. Still A Friend 06. Make It Right 07. Realization Part Two 08. Once Upon A Dream 09. Thank God
LINEUP:
Andy Ascolese: Chant / Claviers / Batterie Andy Graziano: Chant / Guitares Ann Marie Nacchio: Chant Christopher Clark: Claviers Jon Anderson: Chant Richie Castellano: Chant / Guitares / Basse / Claviers Robert Kipp: Chant / Claviers
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
3.8/5 (4 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.7/5 (3 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH JON ANDERSON
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT JON ANDERSON
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