Yes fans rejoice. For those waiting for high vibrations to go on from Jon Anderson – imbued with the spirit of Yes in their arrangements – “True” is the answer you’ve been waiting for. Let’s cut to the chase right in this first paragraph: this new album is easily the most accomplished Yes-inspired release that Anderson has released in 20 years (since “Magnification” and “The Ladder”), and perhaps the best album he has appeared on not being attributed directly to Yes.
“True” is to Jon Anderson what “Rio” is to Trevor Rabin. “Olias of Sunhillow” notwithstanding, there are only a couple of albums in his solo catalog that approach the degree of maturity, performance, and sheer delight that “True” holds. There likely won’t be an Anderson fan out there who won’t adore this album.
With that said, let’s dive into the history and details of this new album. Most will already be aware that in 2023 Anderson called up The Band Geeks and asked them to go out on the road with him for a short tour. After a triumphant run, playing some of Yes’ most challenging material, fans were elated. Although the obvious reality was that Anderson was gigging with a literal cover band, no one seemed to mind. Rather, there was relief and even celebration that he was aligning with musicians who could play this material on the same level as 70s-era Yes.
Look, no one can truly replace Steve Howe or Rick Wakeman, and given my preference I’d rather hear Anderson playing and creating new music with those guys, amongst others. But since that’s not in the cards, Anderson is finally moving on and making the “Yes album” he has been wanting to make with Howe for the past decade. In The Band Geeks – particularly Richie Castellano, Andy Ascolese & Christopher Clark – Anderson has discovered extremely talented and creative musicians with whom he can not only play classic Yes material live but write exciting new music with that Yes DNA. “True” is the triumphant result.
After 2023’s summer tour was complete, Anderson surprised band leader Castellano with the request to collaborate on new music for an album. Although Anderson writes music every day, he seems to have a penchant for not completing his creations into a fully realized album for general public consumption. His garage must have dozens of albums awaiting completion, the material for “1000 Hands” being one prime example (which was only completed thanks to the tenacious efforts of producer Michael Franklin).
Fortunately, he seems to have picked a worthy collaborator in Castellano, who not only dove right in to create & arrange songs with Anderson, but actually finished and released a full hour of music within a year’s time. What’s truly remarkable is just how good the songs herein have turned out. One would expect this kind of writing, arranging, recording, and production to take multiple years, making the speed of this release all the more impressive.
Musically speaking, “True” is most aligned with the album “The Ladder”, though influences from the Rabin years and classic 70s Yes shine through on every track, along with vibes of Anderson’s solo career. Most people reading this will already have heard the first two singles. “Shine On” is a sunny rocker, a pop hit-in-waiting, calling to mind “Talk”-era Rabin material. Filled with positive lyrics, multi-layered vocals, and flashy instrumentation, it likely surprised many with its energy and enthusiasm. “True Messenger” takes the listener deeper into the Yes lineage, with bulked-up musical muscle and Anderson’s spiritually-infused lyrics sailing strongly out of his mouth, this is Yes music for the 2020s, just like “90125” was for the 80s, and “Keys” and “The Ladder” were for the 90s. An unexpected dirty guitar solo at the end underneath Anderson’s incantation prayers seals the deal. Those two songs alone would make this new album worthy of celebration. But they are not the best material on “True”, not by a long shot.
“Counties and Countries” has been floating in Anderson’s head (and sometimes on stage with an acoustic guitar) for a while but on “True” it finally receives a fully fleshed-out version. Orchestral flourishes, Hammond organ and synth solos, soaring slide guitar, propelling bass, and – most importantly – strong melodies from Anderson, make this piece a wonder to take in. At nearly 10 minutes, “Counties” is a mini-epic in the tradition of “Starship Trooper”, and certainly one of several highlights on the album, getting better and better with each listening. The arrangement includes powerful changes in dynamics, with the orchestration calling to mind the earliest days of the band when they would cover “Something’s Coming” or “America”. Wow, it’s becoming apparent that something special is going on here.
“Still A Friend” and “Make It Right” are shorter than “Counties” but no less powerful. Castellano’s bass is a powerhouse throughout the album, always bringing to mind Chris Squire in spirit but still serving the flow of each song. “Still A Friend” is propelled by the bass during the first half of the song, keyboard runs reminiscent of “Homeworld”, backing vocals adding layered texture to increase the energy, up until a transcendent break at the 3-minute mark where slide guitar (sounding nearly like Howe’s pedal steel) sweeps in: “We are the dream that happens time and again, you are the sky that sings that song to me, you are the love that happens time and again, you are the ocean that I see every day…” Classic Anderson at his best.
“Make It Right” opens with classical guitar, including tremolo picking, a beautiful contrast to the more symphonic moments on the album. In a lilting 3/4 time, the first half is reminiscent of Anderson’s song “Boundaries”. As flavors of accordion and ultimately organ join in, Anderson builds to a wonderful chorus that even has a choir of voices joining in for a moment. The piece ends seamlessly segueing into “Realization – Part Two” (how prog is that? No one has any idea where “Part One” is) which is a beautiful shorter acoustic piece. Featuring bouncy fretless bass, excellent support vocals, and a couple of classic Jon “Woo!”’s, it’s as joyous as some of the acoustic material on “Song Of Seven”.
As good as all of these songs have been, the 16-minute-plus “Once Upon A Dream” still awaits. Here Anderson and The Band Geeks pull out all the stops, aiming for an epic that approaches “Awaken”’s grandeur and scope. They just might have succeeded, too. Building on a one-note vocal lyrical sequence – a nod to “Revealing Science of God” – the band patiently builds the tension with symphonic touches and the drumming of Andy Ascolese. The epic boasts numerous sections, during most of which Anderson is singing, meaning that there are not a lot of extended instrumental passages. But fear not, unlike some of his solo recordings (and some of his work with Roine Stolt), the emphasis here is on strong melodies. From the ethereal “Awaken”-like atmospheres in the middle to the roaring “CTTE”-ish church organ solo with accompanying rowdy bass, the song is familiar yet fresh. A triumphant centerpiece for the album.
There are a couple of gentler songs as well: “Thank God” is a love song for wife Jane where Anderson recounts how he literally saw her in his dreams before meeting her. While a song dedicated to his wife seems inevitable on every Anderson release, this one is done quite well and features a potent chorus. Even better is “Build Me An Ocean”. With an initial foundation of piano and acoustic guitar, this song once again demonstrates how skillfully The Band Geeks can accompany and flesh out Anderson’s vision into something truly moving.
It has to be said that on these two songs, Anderson’s voice sounds a little weaker and a wee bit frail, more similar to the years after his health crisis when he recorded “Survival & Other Stories” and “Open”. His voice still retains his beloved tone, there simply is a little less force there than even five years ago on “1000 Hands”. This likely is just one of the few places that Anderson shows his 80 years, though his live concerts continue to impress and belie his age. In addition, the more upbeat pieces on the album find him sounding in as strong a voice as ever, sometimes thanks to multi-tracked layered arrangements.
“True” is extremely well produced, balancing the wide range of instruments and dynamics, while importantly keeping Anderson’s vocals at the fore. Castellano knows how to bring out the best from Anderson in the recording studio so that he sounds vital, relevant, and inspired. There was much controversy over the whimsical album cover design, but please don’t let that impact your experience in any way. Simply put, “True” is a wonder to behold and a late-entry highlight in Anderson’s storied career.
Released By: Frontiers Music SLR
Release Date: August 23rd, 2024
Genre: Progressive Rock
Musicians:
- Jon Anderson / Vocals
- Richie Castellano / Bass, guitar
- Andy Graziano / Guitar, bass
- Rob Kipp / Guitar, keyboards
- Andy Ascolese / Drums
- Chris Clark / Keyboards
“True” Track List:
1. True Messenger
2. Shine On
3. Counties and Countries
4. Build Me an Ocean
5. Still a Friend
6. Make it Right
7. Realization Part Two
8. Once Upon a Dream
9. Thank God
Order “True” HERE
“True” is the Yes album that many have dreamed of yet few expected would actually materialize. Succeeding on nearly every level, this hour-long journey finds Anderson inspired, creative and in top form. His co-conspirators in The Band Geeks have proven themselves to be ideal co-writers, arrangers and producers, bringing Anderson’s inspirations to life in the most authentic way imaginable. Simply put, “True” is a wonder to behold and a late-entry highlight in his storied career
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Songwriting
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Musicianship
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Originality
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Production
