Animation (Expanded Edition)

Animation is the third solo album by Jon Anderson, and it shows both hearkenings to the other two and a new energy and direction. When he recorded the first album, Olias of Sunhillow, he was a member of Yes. That album has a strong progressive rock texture, being composed of longer pieces that all weave into one conceptual piece. It is also important to note that that release is a true "solo" work, Anderson performing virtually every sound on the record. By the time he released Song of Seven, both his professional status (he was no longer a member of Yes) and musical theory seemed to have changed. The album was for more pop-oriented, although a few points (the title track, most notably) still contained strong progressive rock tendencies. It also differed from its predecessor in that Anderson recruited fellow musicians to accompany him. All of this brings us through the evolution process responsible for Animation. At the time he did this album, he was still not a member of Yes. In fact, by this point in time, the group did not even exist. Animation continued in the poppier, shorter song format of Song of Seven. He again enlisted the aid of other musicians, most notably Simon Phillips, David Sancious, and Jack Bruce. One thing that sets this album apart from Song of Seven, though, is that while that album seemed to carry on the rather "organic" textures of Olias of Sunhillow, this release focuses on the electronic sound more heavily. Certainly it will not be mistaken as an album by Kraftwerk or the like, but it does have a more synthetic feel to it. Anderson even commented in interviews that he was trying to create a sound that embraced the new electronic age. All that said, this album is quite an intriguing one. Much of the material is quite catchy, while still retaining Anderson's cosmic ideals and some progressive rock leanings. In fact, in some ways, this one comes across a bit less pop-oriented than some of the material from the previous release. Like its predecessor, it contains one epic piece, the nine-plus minute title track. The album is a definite favorite among Anderson's fans, although it was critically not so universally accepted. In fact, so enamored are many of his fans with Animation that a group of them are in the midst of a campaign to get the record label to reissue it on CD. ~ Gary Hill