1000 HANDS - CHAPTER ONE

Jon Anderson will forever be associated with Yes, titans of the genre this site is dedicated to. His was the voice which first got me into serious progressive music all those years ago in the heady mid-70's.

He has also released a number of solo albums, and it is fair to say that most people reading this will state that nothing has come close to topping the first one, Olias of Sunhillow, although my personal favourite is Change We Must.

1000 Hands is a project gestating for something akin to 20 years. Only Gabriel seems more pedestrian in completing new work.

The album features a cast of thousands, but is notable for having former Yes cohorts Howe, Squire, Rabin, Wakeman, and White involved. For those eager to see any classic lineup reunited, it must be said that this is the closest Howe will get to Jon these days.

It is an eclectic mix of music, but what does really strike one is just how good that wonderful voice still sounds. Anderson plays about with his familiar interests, namely spirituality, Native American sounds, the cod reggae heard here on First Born Leaders and once presented to embarrassing effect on Teakbois from ABWH, choral and orchestral arrangements.

It is a tad too diverse in my opinion to succeed wholly, although there is much to enjoy. The "Now" suite of music is split into three parts, and might have worked better as a whole piece, because it evokes some lovely sounds and arrangements, with Anderson really sounding as good as he ever has done. The album closing sequence gives you goosebumps, with Howe shining on classical guitar. Oh, what might have been, eh?

Ramalama is a fun track, full of grooves. The choral arrangements backing Anderson on First Born Leaders at the denouement absolutely rescue a track which commences with aforementioned cod reggae.

The other famous Anderson, Ian of Tull fame, plays a lovely flute backing track on Activate, and this together with some lovely string and choral pieces bring what would have been a somewhat rambling piece of lyricism in the first part to life. The track is almost 9 minutes long, and the closing half is nothing but a joy, full of life, sound, and a vibrant celebration of music and life.

In varying forums and reviews, the greatest criticism has been reserved for Makes Me Happy, an extraordinarily weird piece of pop music dedicated, naturally, to Janeeeeeeeeeeeee. The video accompanying this really has to be seen to be believed to appreciate the extent of how years of imbibing smelly weed can turn the mind upside down. Joking aside, my view here is that the track does, actually, make me smile, and that isn't such a bad thing, is it?

In much the same vein, only Anderson could really pull off a track such as I Found Myself. It is another love song, and the words will be familiar to any long time fan. Think of If Only I Knew from The Ladder, and you will be very close, but this does feature some fine violin, pulsating bass lines and pretty choral effects.

Twice in a Lifetime is a curious track, at once baroque, then something akin to a sea shanty at times. The violin playing on this is deeply moving, and it is here that I believe Anderson could have been far more adventurous, certainly given the time it took to realise this work. For this song would have been quite gorgeous had it been performed with a full symphony orchestra, rather than the bits and pieces it has. As it is, it is pleasant, but not a great deal more than that.

The other single release from the album is WDMCF, an acronym for Where Does Music Come From? This is another sort of maddening track for me. There are some wonderful vocal arrangements, more orchestration, and it was born from his chanting of a morning (as you do. A cup of tea normally does me, but it takes all sorts), but, again, this could have been so much more. It directly segues into the title track, 100 Hands (Come Up), and this, again, cries out, as with the previous tracks, for a full symphonic arrangement and live performance. It is far too bitty, the jazzy piano and double bass solos especially simply sounding completely out of place. There is a personal bias here. I have always loathed trad jazz, especially its pretentious sound patterns dressed up as improvisation, and this track sails too close to that particular wind for my liking. However, when the violin, keys, oboe, brass, and voices soar towards the end, the result is stunning, and a very frustrating shout out for what could have been.

To summarise, an album which has taken so long to produce should not sound, as much of this does, rushed. There are some lovely highlights, but they are too few and far between. In fact, that could almost be a narrative on Jon's entire solo career, and proves to me that old adage that great bands are made of a collective of genius, working closely together for a common goal. Thus Yes. Far greater together than apart.

I can only award this 3 stars. Good, but utterly non-essential. A shame, really.