Every new album which comes out has to be judged first and foremost on its own merits, it goes without saying. However, there are some releases whose significance make it impossible not to factor in to any assessment such things as how it is likely to appeal to the target audience, and how it fits..
Jon Anderson – Animation – Expanded & Remastered (Esoteric)
Here endeth the decades-long wait for a decent CD version of Animation... Artists often find themselves at a crossroads by their third release (there's even an unofficial syndrome named for that very quandary), and when change is afoot, the fan base can quickly become disenchanted. But Jon Anderson was on a creative ascent at the..
Jon Anderson – Olias Of Sunhillow: Remastered & Expanded Edition (Esoteric)
'Olias for me was like going to music school for three months solid without breathing.' Of the solo debuts released in fairly quick succession by Yes members following their Relayer era, it's long been Jon Anderson's otherworldly concept album Olias Of Sunhillow that gets mentioned at the top of the heap more often than not...
ARC OF LIFE (Yes-related) – Debut Album Out Now
ARC OF LIFE's self-titled debut album is out now. Arc Of Life is a new progressive rock supergroup featuring three members of the current YES line-up, vocalist/guitarist Jon Davison, bassist/vocalist Billy Sherwood and additional drummer Jay Schellen. On keyboards, one of the most interesting talents in the “new” progressive rock scene in the US, Dave Kerzner (Sound of..
Kepler Ten – A New Kind of Sideways (White Star Records)
Nothing to do with celestial carryings-on, Kepler Ten are a British prog-rock trio comprising Alistair Bell, James Durand and Steve Hales. Originally formed in 2015 by Steve and James when doing Rush tributes, they released their debut album Delta V in 2017 to widespread critical acclaim. They then recruited guitarist Alistair (who got the gig..
JON ANDERSON – Song Of Seven (reissue) (Esoteric)
(The title track) remains the finest composition Anderson has recorded as a solo artist It's probably fair to say that Jon Anderson's solo work outside of Yes, like his collaborations with Vangelis, has generally been best described as the figurative 'Curate's Egg' - good in parts. Following his first solo release, 1976's Olias Of Sunhillow,..
YES RELEASE ‘IMAGINE’ FROM FORTHCOMING ‘THE ROYAL AFFAIR’ LIVE ALBUM – LISTEN HERE
To mark what would have been John Lennon’s 80th birthday, YES have released Imagine as a single through BMG Records. The track was recorded at the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas during the encore on the final night of their 2019 US Royal Affair Tour and will be included on The Royal Affair Tour Live..
Fragile – Golden Fragments
This album is clearly better than anything the real Yes have produced in this millennium. What is your emotional reaction to the phrase ‘they are a tribute band’? Most would probably admit to an instinctive negative feeling. After all, where is the creativity in being a tribute band? Despite this stigma, the number and quality..
JOHN LODGE – New single ‘In These Crazy Times’, with Jon Davison of Yes
PHOTO: Dana Grubb John Lodge - bass guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for The Moody Blues - recently released a new single called In These Crazy Times (Isolation mix). It’s available to download on Amazon, iTunes, and all usual streaming services. John recorded the track in his home studio in Florida and he performed vocals and guitar..
Vulkan – Technatura
Vulkan (the Swedish word for Volcano) is a heavy progressive rock band from Karlstad, Sweden. They started out in 2006, making a few recordings under a different name which they later changed to reflect the heavier sound they were creating. Heavy, epic and with a true sense of melody wrapped within a musical structure that..