JON ANDERSON & THE BAND GEEKS – True

Frontiers 2024

JON ANDERSON
& THE BAND GEEKS –
True

Averse to traveling on in old accustomed ways, Starship Trooper locates a new event horizon to cross and prosper.

Ever since his return to active creativity in this millennium after a dozen-year break, Jon Anderson has tried various approaches to writing in order to escape treading the same terrain over and over. In the last decade and a half, the veteran moved from “The Living Tree” which he recorded with Rick Wakeman to "Survival And Other Stories" which saw the singer accept melodic ideas from his online followers, and to the download-only "Open" which found the chanteur fathom long-form again. And if "Better Late Than Never" and "Invention Of Knowledge" on which he partnered with, respectively, Jean-Luc Ponty and Roine Stolt might seem to signal Jon’s retreat to comfort zone, and "1000 Hands" merely collated and augmented stray pieces from different projects into one kaleidoscopic tapestry, it only emphasized how much Anderson was in need of reasserting his artistic relevance.

Cue “True”: the album where Jon’s words and tunes are aided and abetted by younger musicians, THE BAND GEEKS, who, while sympathetic and respectful of their leader’s past as the voice of YES, are determined to keep his, and the audience’s, perspective fresh by playing with vigor and composing with gusto – and this is exactly what the warbler wanted. This is exactly the reason he went for the defiant cover artwork which appalled so many of Anderson aficionados who somehow deny him the right to be contemporary and direct flights of fancy beyond the realm of fantasy or sci-fi. And this is exactly why riff-driven, funky opener “True Messenger” – admitting that “all of us can see mistakes” but allowing that “all of us can dream again” – illuminates a quintessential Jon Anderson world where almost all of the legend’s accompanists, including BLUE ÖYSTER CULT multi-instrumentalist Richie Castellano, also sing and play ivories to elevate the familiar vocals to celestial heights of new sensuality.

There’s an alternative spiritual angle applied to Anderson’s trademark idealism, culminating in the platter’s last piece, “Thank God” – a passionate paean to love rather than perfunctory prayer to a deity – and the finale’s intimate, one-on-one feel couldn’t be more striking coming straight after adventurously sophisticated, pure progressive-rock epic “Once Upon A Dream”: the stunning result of ensemble work. This work is at the fore of “Shine On” that, spanked with Castellano’s perky bass, offers effervescent polyphony to banish darkness from here and now, and though the folk-infused, magnificently orchestral “Counties And Countries” flutters on the wings of Andy Graziano’s guitar across certain frontiers, the piano-laden hymn “Build Me An Ocean” – that Jon co-penned with his old colleague Jimmy Haun as he did the other relatively brief cut, the frisky bossa nova “Realization Part Two” – and the flamenco-laced plea “Make It Right” unfold heavenly bliss in front of the listener’s third eye.

However, serenity doesn’t always have to dwell in the heart of this album, so the wondrous “Still A Friend” introduces sonic danger and drama to its context, and there’s no better way to show that Jon Anderson is still a force to be reckoned with. And yes, he’s still a friend – not only of Mr Cairo but of everyone finding pleasure and wisdom in his oeuvre.

*****

October 10, 2024

Category(s): Reviews
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