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JON ANDERSON & THE BAND GEEKS: TRUE

Jon Anderson

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Jon Anderson Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks: True album cover
4.18 | 113 ratings | 13 reviews | 42% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2024

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. True Messenger (5:50)
2. Shine On (4:18)
3. Counties and Countries (9:51)
4. Build Me an Ocean (3:19)
5. Still a Friend (5:01)
6. Make It Right (6:07)
7. Realization Part Two (3:32)
8. Once upon a Dream (16:31)
9. Thank God (3:48)

Total Time 58:17

Line-up / Musicians

- Jon Anderson / vocals
- Richie Castellano / bass, guitar
- Rob Kipp / guitar, keyboards
- Chris Clark / keyboards
- Andy Graziano / guitar, bass
- Andy Ascolese / drums

Releases information

Label: Frontiers Records
Format: Vinyl, CD, Digital
August 23, 2024

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
and to NotAProghead for the last updates
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JON ANDERSON Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks: True ratings distribution


4.18
(113 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of rock music (42%)
42%
Excellent addition to any rock music collection (45%)
45%
Good, but non-essential (5%)
5%
Collectors/fans only (5%)
5%
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
3%

JON ANDERSON Jon Anderson & The Band Geeks: True reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Hector Enrique
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars After sharing the stage on a tour that reviewed the legendary discography of Yes, Jon Anderson and The Band Geeks decided to join forces to develop "True" (2024), a proposal that ends up paying tribute in a large part of its content to the legendary British band.

Anderson is solvent and plethoric, with a surprising vocal performance that is hard to find bumps, which are to be expected due to the natural deterioration that the relentless passage of time demands. Very well accompanied by the band led by Richie Castellano, which is not limited to the role of mere accompaniment to the singer, but provides great textures and atmospheres that complement and enrich the work.

"True" is constantly overflown by the convoluted silhouettes and structures that were part of the history of Yes, as in the energetic "True Messenger" and "Shine On" that could have been part of the eighties "90125" and "Big Generator", but above all in the progressive seventies sonorities of "Counties and Countries" with the Wakemanian keyboards of Chris Clark, or in the unvarnished beauty of "Make it Right" and the stupendous introduction that Castellano's Spanish guitars create for Anderson's melancholic singing with sparks similar to the "Turn of the Century" of "Going for the One", and in the enormous "Once Upon A Dream", one of the best on the album, with opening verses reminiscent of "The Revealing Science of God" from "Tales From Topographic Oceans" and a central part twinned with the fantastic "Awaken", also from "Going for the One".

And the more intimate Anderson is also present, both in the spiritual and emotional "Build Me an Ocean', and in the grateful recognition of his wife in the closing piece "Thank God".

A far cry from the orchestral and participatory "Change We Must" (1994) and even further from the conceptual "Olias of Sunhillow" (1976), two of Anderson's most outstanding albums, "True" is probably his best work in decades.

4 stars

Review by rdtprog
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams
4 stars This band has been on tour with Jon Anderson as a tribute band in recent years, playing the classics songs. This album by the name of Jon Anderson and the Geeks is new songs that are more linked to the old Yes sound than what Yes has done in the last decade. What strikes me first is how big is the production of bass player Richie Castellano. His bass sound is similar to Chris Squire's using the Rickenbacker bass. The keyboards of Christopher Clark have also a similar sound to Rick Wakeman. As for Andy Graziano's guitar, it has flashes of Trevor Rabin and a bit of Steve Howe, especially when the music showcases the classical guitar. The first part of the album is really strong, and you can feel the nostalgia of the Yes we love with soaring keyboards, intricate guitar, and solid bass. And what to say about the voice of Jon, who is still bringing that magic. In the second part of the album, the songs are more intimate, letting the voice of Jon shine in a more mellow atmosphere. This is not a perfect album as "CTTE" and "Fragile", but it is the best Yes album since "90125". 4.5 stars
Review by kev rowland
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Reviewer / Special Collaborator
4 stars Jon Roy Anderson is 80 years old next month, but there is nothing on this album which shows any sign of age and there is no doubt it is one of his finest releases for many years, and his last album, 2019's '1000 Hands: Chapter One" was pretty good. In The Band Geeks he has found kindred spirits, and together the relationship is pretty fine. Back in 2014, Ritchie Castellano (Blue Öyster Cult) began a podcast called 'Band Geek with Richie Castellano' which somehow morphed into a YouTube band featuring a fluid line-up of friends and guests who covered classic numbers, including songs by Yes, which brought them to the attention of Anderson. One thing led to another, and they toured together in 2023 playing classic Yes numbers and now we have an album of all-new material which includes two epics, the 16 and a half minute "Once Upon a Dream" and the nearly 10 minute "Counties and Countries".

Given this started initially as a covers band, and then a Yes covers band, perhaps it is not surprising that this sounds very much like a Yes album from the classic period, not so much '90125' but earlier. Apart from Jon on vocals, the line- up is Richie Castellano (bass, guitar, keyboards, vocals), Andy Ascolese (drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals), Andy Graziano (guitar, vocals), Christopher Clark (keyboards), Robert Kipp (Hammond Organ, vocals) and Ann Marie Nacchio (additional vocals). The guys had been touring the classic sound, and with two keyboard players they have managed to capture the majesty of Wakeman, while Castellano has upped the bass so we can all have a walk along the Squire-style lines, and Ascolese is a wonderful drummer. The guitars are not quite as Howe-like as they could be, but we still get some nice classical lines here and there.

This is not the debut album by a band from 2024, but instead sounds more like a follow-up to the classics. If I had to place this with the canon then I would say it probably slots in post 'Tormato' but pre 'Drama' and is probably the best Yes album since 'Going For The One'. Given that Castellano wasn't born until 1980 that is quite an achievement. I know I would much rather play this than any Yes album from recent decades, and I am sure many other fans will feel the same. It may not have the Yes name on the front, but it has Anderson's, and with The Band Geeks alongside this is an album Yes fans cannot miss.

Latest members reviews

5 stars A wonderful, resurgent album from the former lead vocalist (and musical heart) of Yes. Jon's solo output has been a mixed bag, with some really good work, but also some mediocre or lackluster endeavors, and often quite different from the music of Yes. But here he returns (having just turned 80 yrs o ... (read more)

Report this review (#3112767) | Posted by BBKron | Tuesday, November 5, 2024 | Review Permanlink

5 stars One hallmark of a progressive rock album is its requirement that one listen multiple times to achieve true appreciation. Analogously, upon purchase of a new pair of dress shoes, one must "break them in." Back in the 1970's, Yes' "Tales from Topographic Oceans" and "Relayer" were two such "pair ... (read more)

Report this review (#3103650) | Posted by ken_scrbrgh | Friday, September 27, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars The "True" of Everything If you read reviews or news or share your experience listening to Jon Anderson's latest record, you'll hear one word everywhere: Yes. Many people consider this record a new Yes album, but it's not. This journey doesn't start here. After recording Magnification and th ... (read more)

Report this review (#3092816) | Posted by Stoneburner | Sunday, September 22, 2024 | Review Permanlink

5 stars True is the new album by Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks. It has been receiving many accolades, so I am truly looking forward to digging into it. I have heard the first two tracks that were released prior to the full release of the album. I was highly impressed. This will be my first time he ... (read more)

Report this review (#3090993) | Posted by yarstruly | Monday, September 16, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars This latest offering by Jon and his Band Geeks is a TRUE delight! To be honest, as much as I appreciate Jon's vocals and lyrics going clear back to the beginnings of Yes, I have mixed emotions about much of his recent solo albums as they have leaned a bit too far into the world music sphere for ... (read more)

Report this review (#3088896) | Posted by SilverLight59 | Sunday, September 8, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Veteran Cosmic Rocker Jon Roy Anderson is back in the world of prog adventures, resurfacing from the treacherous vortex of contemporary music, where nobody seems to have the right to be heard for more than a couple of ... days? Reaching up, and holding on tight to his sonic gear of choice (micro, of ... (read more)

Report this review (#3088018) | Posted by Heart of the Matter | Thursday, September 5, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Jon Anderson with The Band Geeks for this 17th album that gets people talking. 'True Messenger' opens the show; acoustic guitar on Jon's inimitable voice; a bit of organ, drums, bass, but it sounds like Yes. A real message sent to his Yessian comrades, yes I can do it, even at 80. I'm not going ... (read more)

Report this review (#3087549) | Posted by alainPP | Tuesday, September 3, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Finally, a YES album that doesn't disappoint. Oh, I'm sorry. Did I say YES. Well, what I meant to say was, I think the band YES wishes they had made this album. What a wonderful surprise it was to hear this brand new debut album from Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks. The album is filled with ... (read more)

Report this review (#3086115) | Posted by Four Corners Guy | Tuesday, August 27, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars And here it comes! One of the most anticipated albums of the year, at least for me, that I am always looking for artists who can create soundscapes and transmit feelings as powerful as the old Yes, so I don't really care who does it. I personally loved the last two albums by the band Yes and I a ... (read more)

Report this review (#3085188) | Posted by Soul2Create | Saturday, August 24, 2024 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Jon Anderson has finally released an album that is perhaps the closest to the musical world of Yes, anything he has released as a soloist or in collaboration with others, with the exception of the Invention of Knowledge album with Roine Stolt and Olias of Sunhillow, of course The best compositions ... (read more)

Report this review (#3084936) | Posted by fluiddruid | Friday, August 23, 2024 | Review Permanlink

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