(2020) Jon Anderson - 1000 Hands


Review:
It’s been decades in the making and is finally getting an official release. Yes co-founder and its longtime vocalist and songwriter, Jon Anderson, release his long-awaited solo album, 1000 Hands, on July 31, via Blue Elan Records, on CD, digitally, and on a deluxe 180g two-LP set. (The title was briefly available in 2019 at Anderson’s website and at his concerts.) 1000 Hands, as the name implies, includes collaborations with many others. While that may not total 500 (i.e., 1000 hands), the album, produced by Michael Franklin, does feature contributions from many of Anderson’s former Yes bandmates including, notably, the group’s late bassist Chris Squire, as well as longtime guitarist Steve Howe and drummer Alan White, and keyboardist Rick Wakeman and guitarist Trevor Rabin (the Yes alums with whom Anderson toured with recently). Not content with that epic challenge he then scored Voices for a unique ‘upside down’ orchestra of 12 double basses, 24 cellos, 6 violas,8 violins and a harp, so the bass instruments lead, which really gives the whole piece depth and resonance. Actor Kiki Layne, from If Beale Street Could Talk, reads pieces of the declaration as Richter uses mini movements to create different moods around different parts of the declaration. Journey uses birdsong and drones fighting against the declaration read in different languages forcing the listener to think what does the right to freedom of movement actually mean when an orange lunatic wants to build a pointless wall. Choral adds voices from the Middle East swirling round Richter’s huge strings, and stabbed notes, to make the point that if we actually adopted the declaration, we might not be in the mess we are in as children drown in the Mediterranean fleeing oppression. Many of the 25 tracks on Voices are short, but when pieces like Little Requiems – Pt. 2 go longer, as Davison sings pure notes over incredibly lush strings, it is hopeful, sad, optimistic and troubling. A bit like the human experience in many ways. Richter rounds off with the meditative Mercy, which has echoes of his billion-streaming classic Sleep, offering a strangely hopeful call to arms to force our masters to adopt the declaration, which is really only common sense. As our planet continues to burn Max Richter has created a moving and at times beautiful album where every time you listen you hear, or feel, something new about what it is to be a fully paid up member of the human race.





Tracklist:



Media Report:
Genre: prog-rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits