OLIAS OF SUNHILLOW

Anderson's first solo album is in my opinion his best, and certainly his most progressive. He undertakes all vocal and instrumental duties himself which, given his limited proficiency with any musical instrument (especially when compared with his peers in Yes!), means that there are no scorching guitar solos or dexterous keyboard breaks. Anderson's does not however over-run the album with singing in the traditional sense, but rather uses his voice mainly as any other musical instrument.

There are straightforward songs, such as "To the runner", and "Flight of the Moorglade", and these understandably have hints of Yes about them. Many of the others however are more structured, while having an ambience which gives the album a hypnotic, relaxed feel.

When talking about this album in 1976, DJ Alan Freeman (who did more in the UK than anyone else in the 1970's to bring prog to the masses), spoke of the "musically complex mind" of Jon Anderson. That description fits this album well. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it is well worth the effort. The LP had a nice double gatefold cover and printed inner sleeve too.

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