OPEN

One may ask how can a musician have the strength and lucidity to create a 20-minute composition after so many years of being in the musical realm. Jon Anderson is still capable to do such a thing, like if he was that 20-year Yes frontman, and that is something that we have to praise. "Open" is a track that he just released as a digital download, via iTunes.

And is it worth it to review one song? Yes (pun intended), because it is a complex and well- crafted composition that shows the quality (we all know his quality) Jon Anderson still have as a composer and performer. The song is divided in several passages, it starts like if it were a film score, with that orchestration making happy and intense sound; later it slows down, Anderson's voice appears softly and accompanies that pastoral sound. After five minutes there is a moment I truly enjoy, when the intensity is higher, one can appreciate the emotions that he adds with his voice, and with the other instruments.

I will quote Anderson in order to explain a little bit: "To create this work, I sat with my 19th Century guitar and strummed ideas last spring 2010. Songs just poured out of me that week, and before I knew it I had created a long form musical idea, and with the help of Stefan Podell's powerful orchestration, we put together what is now 'OPEN.' It has 4 movements all intertwined, and seems to have a life of its own. For those who love this kind of music, I feel so happy to present it as one of many I hope to create over the coming years"

I like the intercalation between purely instrumental passages with beautiful landscapes and mellow and pastoral sounds, with the moments where Jon's voice enters, reaching high and low notes, creating diverse atmospheres. After ten minutes, there is a moment of tranquility when the music slows down considerably and creates a peaceful sound. Later as you imagine, the song changes, increasing and decreasing in rhythm, but never with drastic changes, all of them are soft and go well with the previous passages.

At minute 16 the song returns to the sound it offered in the beginning. The song overall is colorful, wonderfully written and easy to enjoy. Now remember that this is a Jon Anderson release, not a Yes one, so do not expect something like "Gates of Delirium", no, you better download it and listen to "Open".

Enjoy it!