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Anteater · 02-09-2010, 06:51 PM

Jon Anderson – Olias of Sunhillow (1976)

"Hold my life, cross the path, course and curl my dreams away...."

1. Ocean Song (3:04)
2. Meeting (Garden of Geda) (3:34)
3. Dance of Ranyart (4:19)
4. Qoquac Ën Transic (7:08)
5. Flight of the Moorglade (3:24)
6. Solid Space (5:20)
7. Moon Ra (12:48)
8. To the Runner (4:29)

If there is anything the 1970's had in excess (beyond fear of nuclear doom and oil crises), it was concept albums. Albums about "X guy/girl involved in blahblahblah" that listeners didn't really give a shit about anyway, or maybe a four part suite about the elements and the earth or whatnot. In either, with a few exceptions, concept albums could be just as annoying as they were potentially engrossing...when done right.

This particular album, a blend of Prog. Rock and New Age, is such an album done right. Olias of Sunhillow, the 1976 debut solo album from one of the most distinct sounding frontmen of any any generation, Jon Anderson of Yes, is an album that not only engrosses the mind on sheer musical listenability, but also manages to bring its concept to life without you needing to have any inkling of the specifics of its story (basically the Exodus in space) in eight tracks of various length and content.

Perhaps most interesting of all however, Jon Anderson did absolutely everything here himself; instrumentation (guitar, harp, synth, percussion, etc), vocals, songwriting, and even recording. In a time when independent releases were generally maligned or oftentimes considered extremely risky, Anderson destroyed all expectations and managed to win some critical acclaim from both fans of his parent band and the Yes-hating critics alike.

Rather than start at the beginning though, I'll simply illustrate a few of my favorite pieces; 'Dance Of Ranyart' is an acoustic, harp-based illustration which defines the beauty of this album best before segueing in its last two minutes into a soaring vocal display by Anderson. It's a perfect lead into my personal favorite piece here, "Flight of the Moorglade", a track about Olias and his fellows animating a space ark/ship into being through song. To put it simply, its three and a half minutes of glowing, upbeat space-themed joy, and serves as the album's centerpiece.

Side B marks a shift in the mood of Olias of Sunhillow, as the Moorglade has set off into space and must now endure a perilous journey to Earth. 'Solid Space' is an epic, static-tinged escapade into the atmosphere, building its density and volume throughout its five minute run, and features some rather noble sounding synths. This leads into the 12-minute 'Moon Ra', which is divided into two main halves: the dissonant title part, which swells high then low before leading into a surprisingly tender middle/end section driven entirely by acoustic guitar. 'To The Runner' is a dreamy, low-key closer of a track that ends the album on a contented note, completing the voyage and a call to the listener to look beyond the here and now toward something more. And to be honest, it's one of the best closing tracks I've ever come across; it packs a major ambient wallop.

If space opera, high-mind concepts and science fiction isn't your bag, then this is definitely one of those albums that may make you scratch your head at first. But give it time; the gorgeous arrangements, heavenly yet airy voice of Jon Anderson and captivating atmosphere are all excellent and may win your ears over before you even realize it.

In the derivative and generally eye-rolling genre known as New Age, Jon Anderson's debut stands out like a fireball on a moonless night in Siberia, larger than life in both conception and execution. This is not only one of the best solo outings of the 1970's, but in all likelihood the best New Age album of all time...and that's saying quite a bit.