▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Jon Anderson ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Animation █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-08-06 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Opio Media ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Remastered ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ This album belonged strangely to my brother when I █ █ was 14-15 and started to play our family's █ █ records. There were also some other influential █ █ albums including Yes: 90125, Rush: Signals, plus █ █ some Saga and Asia, that had something to do with █ █ prog - of which I at the time didn't know yet. Of █ █ all these albums Animation had the strongest █ █ impact on me; more precisely, it was the long █ █ title track. It simply blew my young mind and █ █ transferred me into new magical spheres of music, █ █ the kind I had never heard before. It was █ █ PROGRESSIVE instead of normal verse/chorus/verse █ █ song structure. So I could say it all started █ █ right here (honorary mention goes to 'Telegraph █ █ Road' by Dire Straits). █ █ 'Animation' is still written in my memory even if █ █ I have listened to it very rarely since 80s. It █ █ must be the deepest existing expression of █ █ emotions about childbirth - by a man who "was █ █ there". Some chaos, pain (described by █ █ instrumental sections), and after all has settled, █ █ love and amazement of life's wonder. "There is █ █ nothing like seeing the birth of a child." It is █ █ wonderful, but probably only if you totally █ █ surrender to it emotionally. █ █ The rest of the album always remained less █ █ important. I liked some other songs too, e.g. █ █ energic 'Olympia' about sports spectacle, █ █ pastroral 'Boundaries' and colourful 'Much Better █ █ Reason'. Without title track I might say this is █ █ well produced - rather 80-ish - and arranged, but █ █ nothing very special, in a same category as 90125 █ █ or actually less interesting in compositions. But █ █ as it has that 9-minute 'Animation', I say █ █ sincerely it's clearly the best Jon solo album █ █ I've heard. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ This album was also released in Mexico (on the █ █ Polydor label) in 1982 or in 1983. At that time, █ █ PolyGram Discos was releasing here very good █ █ albums from VANGELIS, JON AND VANGELIS, RUSH and █ █ others. I did not buy then this "Animation" album █ █ from JON ANDERSON, but one cousin bought it then. █ █ In fact, that cousin lent me some very good Prog █ █ Rock albums in the late seventies to mid eighties. █ █ He had then a very good collection of LPs, most of █ █ them being imported LPs not released in my █ █ country. █ █ In 1982, YES as a band had split since early 1981, █ █ after their "Drama" album and tour with lead █ █ singer Trevor Horn , who replaced Jon Anderson in █ █ 1980. Despite the "Drama" album was somewhat █ █ successful, the "Drama" tour was problematic █ █ mainly for Horn who sometimes had problems singing █ █ the old songs from the band which were originally █ █ sung by Anderson. So, the band split, while █ █ Anderson released his "Song of Seven" album and █ █ also toured for that album in 1980. So, by 1982 █ █ YES was out of action for some time (but with some █ █ plans to reform the band, first as a band called █ █ CINEMA , with Chris Squire, Alan White, Trevor █ █ Rabin and Tony Kaye, which later became YES again █ █ when Anderson rejoined the band for their "90125" █ █ album in 1983). Former YES`s guitarist Steve Howe █ █ was in ASIA and having a lot of success with that █ █ band. YES released in late 1981 a compilation █ █ album called "Classic Yes" . So, by 1982 there was █ █ not a new YES album, and some of their former █ █ members were trying to establish themselves as █ █ soloists or as part of new bands like ASIA in a █ █ changing musical enviroment which by the early █ █ eighties was more influenced by the Pop Rock music █ █ style than from Prog Rock music style of the █ █ seventies. █ █ If Anderson`s "Song of Seven" album sounded more █ █ like a continuation of his work with YES in their █ █ aborted recording sessions in Paris in late 1979 █ █ (before Anderson and Rick Wakeman left the band), █ █ wiht more "light" Pop Rock songs with some █ █ inlfuences from New Age music and Prog Rock music, █ █ in this "Animation" album Anderson carried on with █ █ even more influences from Pop Rock with some New █ █ Age and World Music inlfuences, with even less █ █ Prog Rock influences, and even some influences █ █ from Gospel music (particularly in "All God`s █ █ Children"). So maybe he was trying to adapt his █ █ work as soloist to a more Pop Rock musical style. █ █ For this album he had David Sancious as keyboard █ █ player (a very good keyboard player who also has █ █ worked with ZUCCHERO and STING, among a lot other █ █ musicians), very good drummer SIMON PHILLIPS and █ █ other very good musicians like the recently late █ █ CHRIS RAINBOW who sings very good backing vocals. █ █ This album also has a song called "Boundaries" █ █ which Anderson recorded again as "Somehow, █ █ Someday" with YES for their "Open Your Eyes" album █ █ from 1997. I think that this song even has some █ █ Scottish Folk musical influences which made me █ █ remember a bit WINGS`s "Mull of Kintyre" hit █ █ single from 1977 (but without using bagpipes). █ █ "Olympia" is maybe the most Pop Rock influenced █ █ song. The New Age musical inlfuences are very █ █ clear in the "Animation" song. █ █ Even if this "Animation" album is really a mixture █ █ of musical styles with the Pop Rock musical style █ █ of the early eighties being the main ingredient. I █ █ think that JON ANDERSON was then really █ █ establishing his own musical identity as a █ █ soloist, maybe a bit influenced by his work with █ █ VANGELIS. This "Animation" album is a good album, █ █ maybe a bit "light" for my taste, but very █ █ original in musical style. Unfortunately for █ █ Anderson, this album, like "Song of Seven" was not █ █ very successful in the record charts. So this █ █ maybe was the main reason that made him re-join █ █ YES in 1983 for their very successful "90125" █ █ album. He even toured a bit to promote "Animation" █ █ in 1982. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Olympia 4:54 ░ ░ 2. Animation 9:10 ░ ░ 3. Surrender 3:51 ░ ░ 4. All in a Matter of Time 3:04 ░ ░ 5. Unlearning (The Dividing Line) 4:59 ░ ░ 6. Boundaries 3:23 ░ ░ 7. Pressure Point 4:37 ░ ░ 8. Much Better Reason 4:26 ░ ░ 9. All Gods Children 4:31 ░ ░ 10. The Spell (Bonus Track) 11:43 ░ ░ 11. Spider (Bonus Track) 2:51 ░ ░ 57:29 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░