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What About Jon Anderson's Voice and His Lyrics?
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Mortte View Drop Down
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I also adore Jon´s voice. As the most of the people I don´t understand Jon´s lyrics, but I think they´re very positive all the way and really today´s world there aren´t too much positive things!
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My dad has told me that Jon sings like what he believe elves would sound like. Like Middle-Earth elves, not like Santa elves, to be clear. As for the lyrics, I believe choosing them more for their sound than their meaning is valid. Take Christian Vander. My man came up with a whole language for that.
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Originally posted by M27Barney M27Barney wrote:

A seasoned witch to call you from the depths of your disgrace...
What could be clearer than that? 😎
When seasoning a witch I'd advise flakes of sea salt, a good pinch of freshly-ground black pepper and some thinly-sliced garlic.

Really though you're better off just making a soup out of them. They can be tough as old boots.


Edited by Mascodagama - April 30 2020 at 16:37
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Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

it is, a personal journey and if you don't get it, why are you throwing stones at Jon? 
Let me be perfectly clear. I was NOT throwing stones as Jon. I happen to like his vocal style and his way with words which even if they weren't created with a specific meaning in mind have a magical quality that one can read a multitude of interpretations into.

For the record my favorite record of all of his records be it with Yes, Vangelis, Animation, or Solo remains this one - 
Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow album cover

I'll do one better than that. It's my favorite album period. 

As for Jon's voice I once read an interview or saw an article or something that said his voice is actually above the range of a tenor. It's interesting that in the early days of Yes he sung in a lower register because he was sort of ashamed of his higher voice or maybe wanted to sound more masculine or something. By the time they did Fragile his natural voice was unleashed and you can hear the difference between his singing on something like "heart of the sunrise" and "no opportunity needed no experience necessary."
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Originally posted by judahbenkenobi judahbenkenobi wrote:

Another acquired taste. I think his voice suits the music just fine. Just like Jon Davison's vocals fit the Heaven and Earth music

Jon Davidsons voice is very annyoying and whiney ---sounds like Jon Anderson on helium....it's the difference between a kazoo and a clarinet. 

BTW--His voice on Vangelis--So long ago so clear is sublime


Edited by twosteves - April 30 2020 at 18:19
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You only need to hear him sing on 'Awaken' to know he has an otherworldly voice.
It might sound cheesy, but hearing him sing on songs like that sends me to another world, it's so beautiful.

I mean...I've thought to myself, "What the hell are these lyrics?" many times, but in the end it doesn't really matter, as long as it sounds good.
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Originally posted by Spacegod87 Spacegod87 wrote:

You only need to hear him sing on 'Awaken' to know he has an otherworldly voice.
It might sound cheesy, but hearing him sing on songs like that sends me to another world, it's so beautiful.

I mean...I've thought to myself, "What the hell are these lyrics?" many times, but in the end it doesn't really matter, as long as it sounds good.

I always thought he was saying "Awaken venomous touch!" I was like, why is Jon Anderson singing about snakes or spiders or something?
Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)
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Loving all the love for Jon.

I've been in the same room with Jon often enough to see him forget the lyrics, to hear him hit some clunker notes, to watch him come in a few beats too soon or too late...but when he gets it right...


...man...

...when he gets it right, there isn't another sound like it in our existence.

That I am acutely aware of.

Nothing personal for anyone concerned, but for me, there is no Yes without him. It has become something else.
Perhaps finding the happy medium is harder than we know.
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Yep all hail our little kaftan wearing prog pixie from ...um.. Rochdale . Bless. Trying to think of anything to say about him is difficult. I never cared for Yes until I saw them live then it all clicked. I agree that Yes is not really Yes without him. I also do enjoy the first three albums he did with Vangelis especially The Friends Of Mr Cairo which showed there was more to him than being a cosmic elf.
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Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Yep all hail our little kaftan wearing prog pixie from ...um.. Rochdale.

Wasn’t it Accrington?
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Originally posted by lazland lazland wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Yep all hail our little kaftan wearing prog pixie from ...um.. Rochdale.

Wasn’t it Accrington?
 

yep you're right , no idea where I got that from LOL
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Originally posted by Frankh Frankh wrote:

Loving all the love for Jon.

I've been in the same room with Jon often enough to see him forget the lyrics, to hear him hit some clunker notes, to watch him come in a few beats too soon or too late...but when he gets it right...


...man...

...when he gets it right, there isn't another sound like it in our existence.

That I am acutely aware of.

Nothing personal for anyone concerned, but for me, there is no Yes without him. It has become something else.

See the thing about Yes lyrics is if you forget them, you're probably screwed. They don't make quite enough logical sense a lot of the time to figure out what the next line was probably supposed to be about, lol. Love em though.
Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)
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Originally posted by lazland lazland wrote:

adore both the voice and lyrics. My favourite vocalist.

I agree with my Welsh friend. Clap
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!
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Originally posted by AFlowerKingCrimson AFlowerKingCrimson wrote:

Originally posted by Slartibartfast Slartibartfast wrote:

Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

it is, a personal journey and if you don't get it, why are you throwing stones at Jon? 
Let me be perfectly clear. I was NOT throwing stones as Jon. I happen to like his vocal style and his way with words which even if they weren't created with a specific meaning in mind have a magical quality that one can read a multitude of interpretations into.

For the record my favorite record of all of his records be it with Yes, Vangelis, Animation, or Solo remains this one - 
Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow album cover

I'll do one better than that. It's my favorite album period. 


Please enjoy this little bit that I recorded at a "Voice of Yes" show in Chicagoland some years back:
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

[QUOTE=Slartibartfast]
...
Let me be perfectly clear. I was NOT throwing stones as Jon. I happen to like his vocal style and his way with words which even if they weren't created with a specific meaning in mind have a magical quality that one can read a multitude of interpretations into.

For the record my favorite record of all of his records be it with Yes, Vangelis, Animation, or Solo remains this one - 
Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow album cover

hI,

It wasn't intended to you directly but to everyone else ... like you, that has been for a long time (along with TFTO) one of my favorite albums ... and a special one for my heart!

My only comment is that too many of these comments listed above are all towards a top ten orientation and individuality and words well written and placed are not considered a part of top ten, because the audience is the boss, and the artist is a nobody!

That's the one thing that scares me about "progressive music" ... too many of those folks around!
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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I find Jon's voice beautiful. His lyrics are not all bad, and has some really beautiful poetic ones.
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his voice angelic, his lyrics devilish (devilishly hard to understand).

A seasoned witch could call you from the depths of your disgrace
And rearrange your liver to the solid mental grace
And achieve it all with music that came quickly from afar
Then taste the fruit of man recorded losing all against the hour

yeah, whatever. I think this is a song about constipation Evil Smile


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta
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I love his voice, one of my very favourite singers, if not my favourite one overall. And his lyrics, they may not make much sense at times, but overall I do enjoy the way they sound when he sings them.
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Originally posted by Sacro_Porgo Sacro_Porgo wrote:

Originally posted by Spacegod87 Spacegod87 wrote:

You only need to hear him sing on 'Awaken' to know he has an otherworldly voice.
It might sound cheesy, but hearing him sing on songs like that sends me to another world, it's so beautiful.

I mean...I've thought to myself, "What the hell are these lyrics?" many times, but in the end it doesn't really matter, as long as it sounds good.


I always thought he was saying "Awaken venomous touch!" I was like, why is Jon Anderson singing about snakes or spiders or something?




My wife says she hears Awaken with a Mustache.
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He's a great lyricist. I prefer lyrics like his that aren't so on the nose and not so easy to interpret, like a lot of Dylan's. Poetic. Jon's are more colorful and give sense of wonder. It gives them a lot of replay value.
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