CHANGE WE MUST

In the early 90s with a new job, a new mortgage and a new baby I have missed a number of albums that I'm still discovering. "Change We Must" is a song present on "Page of Life" that's one of the last vinyls that I have bought and the last album of the duo. Having seen in a shop that the album was including songs like State of Independence, Hearts and Hurry Home, I thought to a compilation and didn't give it any attention.

Now I know that I was missing one of the best things ever released by Jon Anderson, very different from his masterpiece Olias of Sunhillow but comparable to it in terms of quality.

Some songs are effectively not originals, but the fact that they are arranged and executed by an orchestra gives them an added value. The orchestral arrangements are reminding of the orchestral parts of "ELP Works", that's an underrated album that I like very much, and starting this album with this version of State of Independence gives already the idea of a masterpiece.

There are some songs that I think were previously unreleased. "The Kiss" is signed as Jon and Vangelis, but I don't remember to have heard this song previously as well as Candle Song, still from the duo.

"Chagall Duet", featuring the vocals of some Sandrine Piau is an interesting and unusual (for Jon) song, only "Hearts" is for me too similar to the original and not at the same level, probably because I'm a fan of 90125.

So this is an excellent album orchestrated in an Aaron Copland style and with an excellent vocal performance of Jon. Also the songs composed by Jon alone, like "Under The Sun" show the good shape of Jon whose verve was apparently gone lost with "Deseo".

Only 4 stars, but I could later change my mind and add the fifth