INVENTION OF KNOWLEDGE

This week I have decided to review an album that has been out for several years, released in 2016. The album is a collaboration between Jon Anderson (Yes' original legendary singer) and Roine Stolt the founder/guitarist/co-lead vocalist of The Flower Kings (as well as Transatlantic and several other projects). The album is called 'Invention of Knowledge.' Roine Stolt has made no secret of his deep respect for Jon Anderson's talent. Some Flower Kings members and a former unofficial touring member of Yes plus some other notable proggers are on board as well:

- Jon Anderson / lead & backing vocals, synth, percussion, co-producer - Roine Stolt / guitars (acoustic, electric, lap steel, Portuguese), dobro, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals, co-producer & mixing

With: - Tom Brislin / grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, synthesizer - Lalle Larsson / grand piano, synthesizer - Jonas Reingold / bass, backing vocals - Michael Stolt / bass, Moog Taurus pedals - Felix Lehrmann / drums - Daniel Gildenl'w / backing vocals - Nad Sylvan / backing vocals - Anja Obermayer / backing vocals - Maria Rerych / backing vocals - Kristina Westas / backing vocals

I have heard many of the tracks individually before, but this is the first time I am giving it a thorough start-to-finish listen. There are four parts to the album as listed before the track that begins each segment.

Part I: Invention of Knowledge

Track 1 - Invention

The track fades in with volume swells on guitar notes, Jon's harp, and other ethereal sounds. Jon sings some parts in harmony as well. It's a beautiful intro. It's like a modern version of the intro to 'The Revealing Science of God,' on Yes' 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' album. Just before the one minute mark, what seems like the first verse begins with acoustic accompaniment. There is a short but very good guitar solo after a phrase or two of vocals, then an ascending instrumental phrase and the true first verse begins'nice! I love the vocal and instrumental arrangements in this track. It truly does sound like a hybrid between Yes and the Flower Kings. There are lots of layered vocal parts. There is a brief but wonderful instrumental break around the 4 minute mark. Stolot takes a guitar solo at around 5 minutes. There is a bridge around 5:45. A softer section begins before 7 minutes. It begins to build up again around 8:30, with some cool sitar flourishes. Stolt is really doing some Howe style playing on this great track. It leads right into:

Track 2 - We Are Truth

The sitar continues, along with strummed acoustic, an electric guitar melody and a BRILLIANT bass fill at 24 seconds. Jon begins singing with acoustic accompaniment. There are lovely backing vocals as the verses progress. At around 2:30, a marching snare drum beat joins in and the song becomes more rhythmic. I love the triplet rhythm figures in the vocals at around 2:45. Although no strings are listed in the credits of the album, it certainly sounds like real strings to me. If they are not then the synths are convincing! This album has a very 'orchestra and choir' feel to it. The ascending line in the guitar and other instruments at around 4 minutes is a VERY Flower Kings sound. Fantastic vocals at 4:30. This could be part of a Broadway musical. There is a nice transition to acoustic guitar and lullaby-like vocals as the track nears its conclusion. Stolt plays a guitar solo as the track prepares to transition to:

Track 3 - Knowledge

This has a grand intro! Once again, the plethora of vocalists is put to good use. I love the instruments around 1:15. This reminds me of 'Keys to Ascension' era Yes. The sound on this album is HUGE; very full arrangements. I like the 3-4 part just before 4 minutes. The music fades to nearly nothing at around 5:10; It reminds me of the transition to the 'I Get Up-I Get Down' section of 'Close to the Edge,' but it doesn't build back up. The song fades out for a good bit of time.

Part II: Knowing

Track 4 - Knowing

Organ and 'distant' sounding vocals fade in to start this one. Jon's crystal-clear voice emerges. A steady rhythm then takes shape. Piano takes the spotlight next, then guitar. Jon sings a rhythmic verse in 5-4 meter, and is joined by harmony singing. Another verse follows a nice transitional section. There is a bridge around the 4 minute point. The music is in 3 by the 5:20 mark. There is a short instrumental break, followed by wonderfully sustained notes by Jon. Excellent guitar work from Stolt at around 7 minutes. We return to 5-4 following the solo.By 9 minutes the music has become floaty and dreamy. It remains so as we transition to:

Track 5 - Chase and Harmony

Moderately slow piano takes the lead on this track. Jon then begins singing. The beat changes at around 1:15. The feel changes again as Roine takes a guitar solo. Cool guitar fill at 2:33, after Jon returned to vocals. Right before the 3 minute mark, Jon is wordlessly singing the melody along with the instrumentation, making a very nice effect. There are many meter shifts in the beautiful section after 4 minutes. Excellent crescendo and key change as we approach the 5 minute point. This section could be on a FKs album. Excellent guitar orchestration around 6 minutes. The music fades out with various sound effects.

Part III: Everybody Heals

Track 6 - Everybody Heals

This one begins very quietly and gradually begins to fade in with orchestral sounds. A drum fill brings in the band with a guitar solo at around 40 seconds. Jon takes over after the big intro with simple piano accompaniment at first. Other instruments gradually enter. This track has a very positive vibe, not just lyrically but instrumentally. I enjoy all of the meter changes. By around 3:20 there is a call and response style to the vocals. Things wind down at around 3:50, to build back up by a bit after 4 minutes. I believe I heard Stolt's voice in an identifiable way just before 4:30 (first time on the album). The call and response returns around 5:45. A cool guitar solo from Stolt follows. After that there is a piano solo, with wonderful rhythm section work on the bass and drums. This takes us to:

Track 7 - Better by Far

A piano tune takes over as the track begins. This is the shortest track at just over 2 minutes long. Jon enters after subtle percussion establishes a beat. Jon's voice is so mesmerising in this one I almost forgot to type. Excellent rhythmic interplay here. At about 1:35 the music becomes ethereal again as we transition to:

Track 8 - Golden Light

This is the second shortest track at 3:30. A fantastic multi-layered vocal arrangement leads the way here, but at 35 seconds there is an extremely complex transition to the next vocal harmony part. After another transitional part that was cool but nowhere as complex as what happened earlier, there is another very broad sounding vocal harmony section. There is an excellent synth run around 2:15, then the music gets dreamy again. Piano takes over around 2:50. I believe it's Brislin, who is outstanding as always. I wonder why he was never offered a permanent spot in Yes? (Oh, well, Kansas gets the benefit of his talents these days.)

Part IV: Know'

Track 9 - Know'

This is the final epic at 11:13 making it the longest individual track, although if the earlier segments of the album are taken as suites, then their cumulative times are longer. Jazzy guitar starts this one off. Jon's lilting vocals join in with subtle bass and keys accompanying. The lyrics on this album are 'Very JON.' The jazzy groove continues until just after 3 minutes. The piano takes over in a ballad style as Jon sings. Excellent key change at around 3:50. At 5:45, Stolt takes over on guitar. A synth feature follows. The music gets dramatic at 6:45. We are making our way toward a big finish for the album. This build up reaches a climax at around 8 minutes. Once again, Jon's vocal melodies remind me of the 'Keys to Ascension' period of Yes. Things are building up again around 9:30. After a long sustained note on the instruments at around 10:15, a piano figure takes over and gradually fades out with synth accompaniment.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

This was a wonderful listen! However, I would say, if you are not big on Jon Anderson solo albums, you might not like it as much. While Stolt's style is very much in evidence, this feels more like a very strong JA solo album than a FKs album for much of it (with occasional exceptions). But, I truly did enjoy it. As a longtime Yes fan, though, this album is frustrating in the sense that I believe that Jon was in very fine voice, and could have returned to Yes after his recovery from his health issues in 2008, and handled the role quite well. This is certainly a better album than what was then the most recent Yes album, 'Heaven and Earth.' But I digress. This is an outstanding prog album and wonderful collaboration between two prog giants of different eras. I would have liked Stolt's voice to have a larger role and take on some duets with Jon here and there, as he and Hasse often do in the FKs. But otherwise, great stuff! I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Clicked 4, but really 4.5

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