Better late than never indeed and progressive rock fans shall rejoice. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jon Anderson, venerable frontman of iconic prog-rockers Yes across three tenures between 1968 and 2008 and prolific solo artist pulls one from the vaults to form his 15th solo album titled 1000 Hands: Chapter One. And yes, this one was well worth the wait
Anderson has released this album (originally titled “Uzlot”, apparently) a full 30 years after first launching the project back in 1990. Featuring a nearly endless list of guest performers, including the late Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and even ex-bandmate/ guitarist Steve Howe on a track, the album was shelved and mostly forgotten until a few years ago when the alto-tenor voiced Anderson met with Grammy-nominated producer Michael Franklin.
Franklin’s producing credits include Pat Travers and fellow Yes alums Patrick Moraz and, of course, Rick Wakeman. With Anderson recording, the full vocal tracks and Franklin reaching out to his, apparently endless musician contacts, 1000 Hands: Chapter One was brought back to life and, after delivering a small run of copies on his 2019 solo tour and online, 1000 Hands will finally get the proper release it deserves via Andreson’s new partnership with Blue Élan Records.
Apart from the aforementioned Yesmen, 1000 Hands features as impressive a line up as can be imagined, featuring multitude of performers including Billy Cobham, Carmine Appice, guitarists Steve Morse, Journey’s Jonathan Cain and Anderson’s former touring partner Jean-Luc Ponty.
That’s where the title 1000 Hands comes from, all of the brilliant musicians who played a part in making the record,” Anderson said in a press release. “Michael acted like something of a casting director, bringing so many great players. It was really exciting to hear the record open up and become what I had always envisioned.”
The sessions turned out so well, in fact, that Anderson decided to include four new songs on the album, with brand-new lead vocals. “Jon is such a remarkable writer and singer,” raved Franklin. “His newer songs were fabulous, and they fit seamlessly with the rest of the album. Everything came together beautifully.”
So the question is – how does 1000 Hands stack up to the many other albums that Anderson and his collaborators have released. Well, for starters 1000 Hands sounds nothing like a finished product of the early ‘90s. The vast majority of the album’s eleven tracks sounds surprisingly relevant, while still remaining exactly what one would expect from a Jon Anderson solo effort. In fact, this is probably Anderson’s most listenable solo album since 1980’s Song of Seven, a recording that featured songs written for Yes’ 1978’s mix received Tormato album.
Standout tracks here include “WDMCF” or (Where Did Music Come From), an example of a multi-rhythmic dance-driven song that features multitracked vocals over a driving bass drum beat that could fit, somewhere between the Burning Man crowd or a club remix; but then it shifts gear into a short but beautiful piano interlude featuring jazz legend Chick Corea.
“Activate”, an almost nine-minute song on the verge of being an epic reunites the Yes rhythm section with an (in his prime) Alan White and, of course, the Doctor himself, Chris Squire. The song features Jethro Tull lynchpin Ian Anderson and his signature flute and captures the feel of vintage prog classics with surefooted confidence. This was one of the songs that Andreson, White, and Squire were able to track back in 1990, and it is one of the tracks Yes fans, in general, will feel most “familiar” with.
The title track is where Anderson, Cobham, Corea, Ponty, Cain, Squire and the rest of the roster truly shine. It is a lovely piece of modern jazz-pop, utilizing steel drums and African percussion that eventually resolves into something more akin to the end of 1977’s “Awaken.”
While there are a few more surprises on 1000 Hands, including a surprise duet between Anderson and his wife, Jane and even a shocking appearance from “man of 10,000 sound effects”, Police Academy’s Michael Winslow, this album doesn’t rely on the gimmicks of musician padding or the fact that much of it was recorded long ago. 1000 Hands is a progressively thought-provoking album that will forever stand on its own hands and feet.
