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░ ██ ██ Artist: Anderson Stolt ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Invention of Knowledge █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-10-03 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ Jon Anderson of Yes and Roine Stolt of The Flower █
█ Kings, making an album together? Why not? I always █
█ had the feeling The Flower Kings are heavily █
█ influenced by (early) Yes. The two blokes █
█ surrounded themselves with guest musicians like █
█ Tom Brislin, Daniel Gildenl'w and Nad Sylvan, and █
█ (ex) members of The Flower Kings for this album. █
█ Let's come straight to the point. This sounds more █
█ like Yes than ever! But without the flashy bits █
█ and pieces (more about that later on in this █
█ article). I secretly hoped for something █
█ completely different, but why should I ever expect █
█ that? Silly me! Jon has a good voice on this album █
█ in my opinion, I heard from several people that █
█ his voice isn't what it used to be, but according █
█ to me he does a great job. You can hear that Roine █
█ Stolt is influenced a lot by Steve Howe's guitar █
█ playing style, but if you're an avid fan of The █
█ Flower Kings you probably already heard it on █
█ their albums. While most of the songs carry (or █
█ dragging, what you prefer) the Yes vibe with music █
█ scores of Flower Kings, the track Everybody Heals █
█ reminds me largely of early era Flower Kings. █
█ The complete album just 'ripples' along the █
█ stream, if you know what I mean. No spectacular █
█ turns and twists or surprising elements, while █
█ that is something you would assume with Yes. █
█ Consider this as a Yes-light. The album is more █
█ than one hour long, a bit on the long side for me █
█ to keep my full attention. If you're a big fan of █
█ Yes and/or The Flower Kings, then this album is a █
█ must have for your collection. If you don't like █
█ Yes and/or The Flower Kings, then this is █
█ something you probably would appreciate as someone █
█ plays it during a visit, but not something you █
█ would buy yourself. I have to admit that I █
█ probably appreciate it more when I give it more █
█ spins in the future. This is certainly a 'grower', █
█ and presumably not only for me. Before you guys █
█ think I'm probably writing this from an 'anti-fan' █
█ view' I am actually a fan of Yes and I can really █
█ appreciate The Flower Kings! This album gets four █
█ out of five stars. █
█ Note: As you may have noticed I only mentioned one █
█ track of the complete album. This is clearly an █
█ album you should 'experience' in its entirety █
█ instead of track for track. The album consists of █
█ four long tracks, each divided into several parts. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ A combination of Jon Anderson and Roine Stolt. It █
█ should not surprise anyone, but still it├?┬┤s very █
█ nice to them both together at last. Well, it is no █
█ secret that Stolt is an avid fan of Anderson. He █
█ went as far as dedicate a whole album (The Flower █
█ King) to Anderson in 1994, long before they ever █
█ met. And anyone who has ever heard a Flower Kings █
█ album will know how strongly Yes influenced their █
█ music. So I guess that a collaboration was a █
█ natural thing to happen. Stolt even asked some of █
█ his colleagues from TFK to give a hand (the ever █
█ present bassist Jonas Reingold and current drummer █
█ Felix Lehrmann, plus his brother and ex TFK █
█ Michael Stolt for a couple of tracks). Top swedish █
█ players Tom Brislin (Spiraling) and Lalle Larsson █
█ (Karmakanic, Agents of Mercy) help along on the █
█ keyboards. And Invention of Knowledge is the █
█ result. █
█ The music here is inspired and convincing, almost █
█ like 70├?┬┤s Yes backing a Jon Anderson solo album █
█ (instead of Anderson rejoining 70├?┬┤s Yes, get █
█ the difference?). So don├?┬┤t expect long █
█ instrumental passages or anything too different, █
█ nor explicit displays of virtuosity. Everything █
█ here works for the songs. Stolt was always heavily █
█ influenced by Steve Howe and it shows, in a good █
█ way. In fact, the album sounds very fresh and █
█ exciting most of the time, with the excellent █
█ backing band providing Anderson with a lush, █
█ symphonic and creative tapestry of sounds for his █
█ unique voice. The first half of the CD is █
█ specially good, while for a time it seemed to me █
█ that the second half dragged on a bit, but a few █
█ more spins I├?┬┤m enjoying it all. This is surely █
█ a grower. █
█ At least on studio, Anderson├?┬┤s voice is in top █
█ form. Stolt takes a back seat here, providing █
█ basically multi guitars parts that remind me of █
█ (who else?) Howe, but is still very much Stolt █
█ himself, a brilliant and creative musician. In █
█ fact, keyboards, bass and everything else sounds █
█ like a mixture of classic Yes and early Flower █
█ Kings. The difference is that instead of Yes █
█ copycats, everything here turned out as a █
█ truthful, heartfelt homage to their heroes. █
█ As a whole I really loved this album. It├?┬┤s high █
█ on my top ten list for 2016, without any doubt. █
█ It├?┬┤s nothing new, really, but it├?┬┤s brilliant █
█ music anyway. Far and far superior than anything █
█ Yes has done for a long, long time. If you├?┬┤re a █
█ fan of them (and of Anderson in particular) █
█ you├?┬┤ll be delighted with Invention Of █
█ Knowledge. It├?┬┤s probably Anderson├?┬┤s best █
█ solo album to date. And probably the best Yes █
█ sounding record ever that was not played by Yes █
█ themselves. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Multiple times when listening to Flower Kings I █
█ felt: if only Jon Anderson would sing, he would █
█ greatly enhance the quality of the song... Finally █
█ my wish came true! Of course, to truly appreciate █
█ this piece and understand every bit of it, I had █
█ to give it at least 5 listens, which nowadays █
█ isn't an easy task considering how many other █
█ albums are thrown out at us in such a short time █
█ period! But it was worth every bit of it! So many █
█ wonderful parts were waiting to be discovered, █
█ even took me far enough to shed some tears in the █
█ end, which for me is the requirement to be able to █
█ give 5 stars to an album. I will leave the █
█ analysis of the songs to the professionals, I will █
█ just point out a couple of personal opinions: - In █
█ Yes songs, after lenghty instrumental parts the █
█ outburst of Jon Andersons voice always came as a █
█ revelation... maybe in this album it would've also █
█ raise the "tension" if there would be more █
█ instrumental parts (which were amazing all █
█ throughout the album!) - The 2 backing musicians: █
█ Daniel Gildenlow & Nad Sylvan could've brought a █
█ unique brilliance to the music if they would've █
█ been allowed to shine at least for a couple of █
█ seconds. - I would listen to a whole album of █
█ Roine Stolts amazing soundscape (maybe influenced █
█ by Stewe Howe himself?)... I'm hoping my wish █
█ would come true in the future. 4.5 stars rounded █
█ to 5, with respect to these monuments of █
█ Progressive Rock who offered me many pleasant █
█ hours spent listening to them! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Multiple times when listening to Flower Kings I █
█ felt: if only Jon Anderson would sing, he would █
█ greatly enhance the quality of the song... Finally █
█ my wish came true! Of course, to truly appreciate █
█ this piece and understand every bit of it, I had █
█ to give it at least 5 listens, which nowadays █
█ isn't an easy task considering how many other █
█ albums are thrown out at us in such a short time █
█ period! But it was worth every bit of it! So many █
█ wonderful parts were waiting to be discovered, █
█ even took me far enough to shed some tears in the █
█ end, which for me is the requirement to be able to █
█ give 5 stars to an album. I will leave the █
█ analysis of the songs to the professionals, I will █
█ just point out a couple of personal opinions: - In █
█ Yes songs, after lenghty instrumental parts the █
█ outburst of Jon Andersons voice always came as a █
█ revelation... maybe in this album it would've also █
█ raise the "tension" if there would be more █
█ instrumental parts (which were amazing all █
█ throughout the album!) - The 2 backing musicians: █
█ Daniel Gildenlow & Nad Sylvan could've brought a █
█ unique brilliance to the music if they would've █
█ been allowed to shine at least for a couple of █
█ seconds. - I would listen to a whole album of █
█ Roine Stolts amazing soundscape (maybe influenced █
█ by Stewe Howe himself?)... I'm hoping my wish █
█ would come true in the future. 4.5 stars rounded █
█ to 5, with respect to these monuments of █
█ Progressive Rock who offered me many pleasant █
█ hours spent listening to them! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I've been Yes fan since early 90's and listened █
█ Yes records through years without losing interest, █
█ ever. Ever before "Fly From Here" - album, when █
█ Jon Anderson had left Yes. After "Magnification" I █
█ still imagined and wished that classic Yes lineup █
█ would do one more progressive masterpiece. It did █
█ not happen, and now won't happen because Chris █
█ Squire died. To me Jon Anderson's vocals are Yes. █
█ Yesmusic without Anderson is something else. But, █
█ Jon Anderson himself is Yes. I think "Invention of █
█ Knowledge" proves it. I did not know Flower Kings █
█ or Roine Stolt, so I did not have any expectations █
█ to this new project with Anderson. Of course I had █
█ gone to Anderson's solo concerts thru years and █
█ knew that he still got his unique voice. I respect █
█ this album, because in many levels Anderson and █
█ Stolt have put so much effort to it, that it's █
█ hard to imagine that even old band mates Rabin and █
█ Wakeman would manage much better nowadays █
█ (hopefully they will..!). This "Invention of █
█ Knowledge" is as good as album could have get, █
█ considering the fact that Anderson and the rest of █
█ the band have been workin at the other sides of █
█ the World without even seeing each other. My only █
█ complain about " Invention of Knowledge" is that █
█ dynamic range could be wider. That is minor █
█ complain, because it sounds good, but in some █
█ places it could be more "fragile". Anyway, this is █
█ album I thought never to be released and █
█ defenitely deserves it's five stars. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I have played this album over and over and never █
█ get tired of it.Any Yes fan would welcome this █
█ into there album collection.I rate it just below █
█ the best classic albums of the seventies. Whatever █
█ ever you think or say Anderson was the inspiration █
█ and the the voice behind Yes and this album sees █
█ him in fine form.The tracks to me flow and link █
█ together as one piece and the music is beautifully █
█ crafted around the voice of Jon,which by the way █
█ is back to its brilliant best after his █
█ illness.The album is uplifting and I suggest would █
█ never be confined to a dark cupboard after a █
█ couple of plays █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ I was overjoyed when this collaboration was █
█ announced. I have been a fan of Jon, his voice and █
█ his lyrics, for decades now since first listening █
█ to YES changed my ears and my mind forever. I have █
█ been an avid follower of Roine Stolt and the █
█ Flower Kings since their inception in the 90's. I █
█ recognized in their work the continuation of a █
█ tradition brought to life by YES in the 70's, and █
█ sometimes felt like the Flower Kings played YES █
█ music better than YES did anymore. █
█ So a partnership like this sounds ideal. Roine █
█ could finally have the voice he has been writing █
█ for all these years, and Jon could have the █
█ musical backing that can equal the richness of his █
█ unique voice. I also hoped that these two working █
█ together might correct each others excesses of █
█ late. Perhaps Roine and his extended family of █
█ accomplished prog-rock musicians might put some █
█ punch and urgency into Jon's light-pop new age █
█ ramblings. And perhaps Jon's hopefulness and █
█ life-affirming outlook might drag Roine Stolt back █
█ from the brink of dark brooding where he's been █
█ writing lately. █
█ I knew that my hopes were impossibly high for this █
█ record, but I am surprised to see that for the █
█ most part, these hopes are not dashed. We were █
█ told to expect a long-form composition in the █
█ tradition of "Tales from Topographic Oceans" and █
█ "Olias of Sunhillow," which seemed way too good to █
█ be true. It was, but these two have given us a █
█ unified hour of music which has coherent musical █
█ and lyrical themes. █
█ It is fun hearing some of the familiar █
█ compositional elements used by Roine Stolt with █
█ Jon Anderson singing over them. The musical style █
█ is very much in the tradition of the Flower Kings, █
█ perhaps "Adam and Eve" or "Paradox Hotel" era. The █
█ pace never gets too fast, and the music never gets █
█ very hard-edged, but a variety of textures weaving █
█ in and out plus melodic changes keep your █
█ interest. █
█ My main complaint is that the phrasing of the █
█ vocals and composition of the lyrics somehow make █
█ it evident that these two are not in the studio █
█ together. It is like Roine Stolt sent Jon █
█ completed instrumental tracks, and Jon just █
█ improvised vocals over them. This leads to Jon █
█ repeating words and phrases just to fill up space, █
█ and can be a little distracting at first. I see so █
█ much potential in what was coming together █
█ musically, and I wish that this album could have █
█ been polished by a couple of weeks together in the █
█ studio, with Roine Stolt perhaps even guiding and █
█ grounding the composition of the vocals a little █
█ more. █
█ That being said, this is the best that either of █
█ them has sounded in years. I will treasure this █
█ album as a meaningful but flawed gem. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ This album is beautifully packaged and presented. █
█ Joy and love of life really come through in this █
█ release. The production is layered so Jon's voice █
█ comes to the fore. Drums will sound flat on most █
█ audio systems - if you have high wattage, a killer █
█ subwoofer, and a beryllium tweeter, you're in for █
█ a treat. Jon's voice soars over Roine's guitar, █
█ and the bass guitar and keyboard work is very █
█ nice. Jon's voice sounds really good, especially █
█ considering that he is 71 years old and has █
█ recovered from respiratory failure. If you █
█ consider this as an Anderson solo album, I think █
█ the quality lies somewhere between Olias and █
█ Toltec, which are my two favorites. Roine's guitar █
█ has the classic Flower King bite (his custom █
█ Parker Fly?) and is a great match for Jon's voice. █
█ If you are looking for Close to the Edge, listen █
█ to Close to the Edge. If you want to hear █
█ something uplifting in these troubled times, this █
█ just might cure what ails you. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Truly an epic album. This album reminds you just █
█ how essential Jon was to the sound and music of █
█ Yes. On "Invention of Knowledge" Jon soars to new █
█ heights as one of the great masters of his craft. █
█ Lyrically, IoK carries on where Magnification █
█ leaves off. Musically, I find more similarities to █
█ Relayer. This is classic style Yes music. Truly, █
█ Invention of Knowledge sounds more like Yes, than █
█ the current Yes line-up does. Anderson/Stolt is █
█ the best Yes album in a good many years. And, it █
█ is possibly the best solo album of Jon's long and █
█ illustrious career outside Yes. From the opening █
█ notes of the title track to the final sound of █
█ "Know" Anderson/Stolt delivers the goods. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Close up of brightly coloured flowers. Zoom back █
█ to get the sun beaming down from an azure sky with █
█ a few billowy cumulus clouds drifting by. Pan to █
█ the sparkling river and then pull back to include █
█ the full view with green hills and Jon Anderson █
█ standing in white robes with his arms held out to █
█ his sides, palms to the sky, head back, eyes █
█ closed and smiling. Now raise the view higher and █
█ begin revolving the camera around him while choirs █
█ sing, strings and wood winds play, some uplifting █
█ lead rock guitar, keyboards, emphatic █
█ percussion... █
█ When Yes released "Fly from Here" in 2011, Jon █
█ Anderson was not to be just dropped at the side of █
█ the road. Though he'd suffered vocal troubles due █
█ to an illness, he soon teamed up with Yes alumni █
█ and long time friend Rick Wakeman to produce an █
█ album which to my ears was slow, sleepy, pretty, █
█ and offered little to captivate my ears. █
█ Anderson's vocals sounded frail and shaky. █
█ However, a couple of years back I read about how █
█ Anderson was enthusiastically writing new music in █
█ the spirit of Yes. So when I saw he had teamed up █
█ with Roine Stolt, I reckoned that this should be █
█ an album with some "adventurous music". █
█ After the first listen, I wasn't sure what I'd █
█ heard. At least not in detail. The album sounded █
█ like one extended journey through Anderson Land, a █
█ sweeping ride through an world of Love, Light, █
█ Life, and Truth. Bright smiling faces, vivid █
█ colours to lighten the spirits, beams of light, █
█ everything and everyone simply radiant. It took █
█ three listens before I began to identify a song or █
█ two that stood apart, and a fifth listen with full █
█ attention to learn to recognize each song for some █
█ outstanding feature. █
█ The songs here are essentially sweeping, █
█ uplifting, spiritual messages both lyrically and █
█ sonically. Anderson's vocals are lead and backing █
█ with a chorus of background vocals. Though Stolt █
█ is an accomplished lead vocalist with a distinct █
█ voice, he's not obvious here. The only times I █
█ notice that Roine Stolt is on the album at all is █
█ at the albums opening when the music resembles a █
█ Flower Kings song (and we know that the Flower █
█ Kings are inspired by Yes) and in a few places █
█ where the guitar sounds like Stolt's style. As for █
█ the other guest musicians, everyone is swept into █
█ the sparkling rainbow swirl that is Anderson Land. █
█ At times there are classic Yes-like moments with a █
█ cascade of bright synthesizer notes, some cheerful █
█ guitar chatter, or some conspicuously placed bass █
█ notes. Classic Yes it is not however with only a █
█ slight resemblance to "Tales from Topographic █
█ Oceans", "Relayer" or "Going for the One". I █
█ personally feel there's more similarity to █
█ "Magnification", "The Ladder" or even "Keys to █
█ Ascension", though notably different due to the █
█ absence of Maestros Howe, Wakeman, and Squire. █
█ Some reasons that the music all seems at first to █
█ be part of the same spiritualized hippy fantasy █
█ nebula is because a number of songs segue into █
█ each other while the songs have a free-flowing █
█ structure, shifting to new melodies and themes █
█ within songs and sometimes drifting through gentle █
█ atmospheres or rising up to powerful crescendos. █
█ One never knows so readily if a song has shifted █
█ gears or if another has begun unless you're paying █
█ attention, which is not easy to do as it's easy to █
█ get drifting on a glowing cloud while watching █
█ cherubim and rainbow-horned unicorns dancing by. █
█ There's also the fact that some songs reprise the █
█ lyrics and accompanying melodies from other songs, █
█ so with your mind sailing through radiant beams of █
█ light and love, you might be excused for thinking █
█ that "Knowledge" is still "Invention". █
█ Nevertheless, this is not a bad album by any █
█ means. If you can handle about 65 minutes of "Love █
█ and Light" lyrics about truth, holding Jon's hand, █
█ standing together, and the Spirit coming to you, █
█ you are eternal, etc., and Anderson Land theme █
█ music, then fans of the force behind Yes music and █
█ what inspires The Flower Kings should enjoy this. █
█ This is where Yes could have / might have been by █
█ now if Anderson had stayed on with them. █
█ Or this is just where Jon Anderson has always been █
█ traveling toward. Three stars, four stars, five █
█ stars all possible. If there's a two star rating █
█ or two I wouldn't be completely surprised. But you █
█ can't deny the greatness of the effort that goes █
█ into making an album like this. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Seemingly a match made in Prog heaven, `Invention █
█ of Knowledge' brings together two massive █
█ progressive rock icons in Roine Stolt and Yes' Jon █
█ Anderson, the two spiritually minded musicians █
█ (along with several additional notable prog █
█ guests) delivering what is easily the standout █
█ Symphonic Progressive work of 2016. This is really █
█ a meeting of two vintage prog-era players, because █
█ despite finding more personal status in prog █
█ circles with the Flower Kings in the Nineties █
█ onwards, Roine was one of the key musicians of █
█ Seventies Swedish symph-prog group Kaipa, playing █
█ on their first few albums. But despite one or two █
█ niggling issues discussed later, they've delivered █
█ a complex, ambitious and endlessly grand symphonic █
█ work that can easily be considered creative █
█ high-points in their already endlessly impressive █
█ careers. █
█ Although Stolt and Anderson will deservedly █
█ receive all the attention, closer inspection █
█ behind the scenes reveals several other gifted █
█ musicians lending crucial musical contributions to █
█ this project. Jonas Reingold, no stranger to the █
█ Flower Kings as well as working with side-projects █
█ such as Karmakanic, Barracuda Triangle and the █
█ Tangent, is simply one of the most consistently █
█ impressive bass players currently active in modern █
█ prog circles, and as always, his inclusion pretty █
█ much makes this album an instant `must buy'. █
█ Fellow Karmakanic member and keyboard player Lalle █
█ Larsson has also delivered several outstanding █
█ solo albums worthy of investigation (especially █
█ his `Weaveworld' trilogy and solo piano disc █
█ `Until Never'), Michael Stolt, brother of Roine, █
█ is from an earlier version of the Flower Kings, █
█ and Feliz Lehrmann is the skilled latest drummer █
█ from their last few albums. The disc also includes █
█ some welcome backing vocals from the likes of █
█ Unifaun /Agents of Mercy singer Nad Sylvan and █
█ Pain of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlow amongst █
█ others, and keyboardist Tom Breslin will be █
█ familiar to many Yes followers, being the keyboard █
█ player on Yes' superb `Live Symphonic' DVD from █
█ 2002. Giving credit to these guests is important, █
█ for reasons mentioned later on. █
█ Although early press-release comments compare the █
█ album in spirit to Yes' (perhaps!) defining █
█ classic `Tales from Topographic Oceans', this is █
█ not really the case very often here. It sounds █
█ more like the most dense Flower Kings album to █
█ date without the flashy soloing given an extremely █
█ vocal-heavy fronting by Anderson, so fans of both █
█ those groups should be quite at home here. █
█ Although comprised of nine tracks, most of the █
█ sixty-five minute album is divided into four █
█ multi-part pieces. Stolt is no stranger to lengthy █
█ compositions in any of his music, and considering █
█ the complexity of the album, all of the █
█ transitions between passages here are seamless and █
█ natural, with plenty of constant clever reprises █
█ that slyly return before you even know you're back █
█ again! Symphonic themes with plenty of organ, █
█ whirring synths and tasty guitar solos rising into █
█ the heavens constantly weave in and out of the █
█ entire disc, and the sound of Stolt's soloing will █
█ be instantly noticeable to Flower Kings and █
█ Transatlantic fans, but thankfully he never █
█ resorts to aping the tone of Yes' Steve Howe in an █
█ attempt to make this sound more `Yes-like'. █
█ But the album pretty much belongs to Jon Anderson █
█ (with Stolt surrendering all vocal duties to his █
█ more famous counterpart), and to his credit, he █
█ hasn't sounded so relaxed, inspired and varied in █
█ decades. Jon completely drives the course of the █
█ album with his distinctive breezy, hopeful and █
█ embracing lead voice, but also surprises with some █
█ exquisite multi-part harmonies that seem to hover █
█ in the air around the listener, and he leaves █
█ Stolt to craft these weighty majestic passages to █
█ hold his new age proclamations and spiritual █
█ musings. Plenty of passages see the two musicians █
█ successfully gelling and complimenting each-other █
█ perfectly, others sometimes come across as if █
█ Anderson's gems of belief are added on top █
█ afterwards, but most of the time the album is █
█ surprisingly and consistently cohesive. It's also █
█ a welcome relief to find that `Invention of █
█ Knowledge' is hardly commercial or (gulp!) █
█ AOR-driven, something that many of the older █
█ prog-related musicians depressingly resort to! █
█ As for the music itself, the three-part LP █
█ side-long length title-track is full of stirring █
█ orchestration and victorious chimes, Anderson's █
█ voice impossibly pretty and announcing with plenty █
█ of rumbling drums, chunky bass spasms, strains of █
█ sitar and regal synth veils, Stolt delivering █
█ everything from drowsy slide guitar, reflective █
█ slow-burn wisps and scorching quick little bursts. █
█ The uplifting melody in the opening minutes of the █
█ two-part `Knowing' is one of the loveliest moments █
█ of the disc with intricate vocal arrangements over █
█ commanding organ, piano ringing through and █
█ booming symphonic bluster breaking out, and this █
█ eighteen-minute track perhaps drifts the closest █
█ to Jon's old band, with an almost `Awaken'-like █
█ quality in the dreamier spots. "Faith to the real █
█ salvation life" Jon offers on the sweetly romantic █
█ and reassuring three-part `Everybody Heals', with █
█ some crisp soaring guitar runs ringing through █
█ from Stolt and very welcome brisk jazzy piano █
█ races. `Know...' is simpler and stripped back, █
█ floating gracefully and triumphantly, containing █
█ some of the only longer instrumental moments of █
█ the disc which thankfully allow all the players to █
█ shine brightly, and a final reprise of themes from █
█ `Knowing' bring a satisfying sense of closure. █
█ But it all comes down to this - How much you enjoy █
█ this album may depend on exactly what Jon Anderson █
█ personally means to you, because, make no mistake, █
█ this whole album is completely geared around his █
█ personality, word view and spiritual beliefs. To █
█ many, he is in the heart and spirit of true Yes, █
█ so many will adopt this as `the best and most true █
█ Yes album since (for instance) `Going for the █
█ One', but the truth is - this album sounds nothing █
█ like Yes. Nor is it an experimental loopy tour- █
█ de-force like his `Olias of Sunhillow' solo album █
█ was, yet `Invention of Knowledge', whilst sounding █
█ nothing like that one either, is absolutely the █
█ most complex and dynamic prog-related work he's █
█ been involved with since that landmark distinctive █
█ release. █
█ If you're one of those more easy-going Yes fans █
█ that believe Anderson CAN be a wonderful █
█ ingredient to making up the beautiful music of █
█ Yes, but are just as thrilled by Steve Howe's █
█ fiery guitar runs or Chris Squire's upfront █
█ chugging bass, then this album will make you very █
█ aware of what's missing - longer instrumental █
█ passages. `Invention of Knowledge' boasts some █
█ exceptional players providing endless █
█ progressive-music colour and skill to the █
█ arrangements, but they're almost constantly pushed █
█ behind Anderson's airy vocals. There's fleeting █
█ little instrumental breaks of 30 seconds or so █
█ here and there, but then it's right back to more █
█ vocals, and unless you are simply the biggest █
█ Anderson fan-boy in the world (which is not █
█ actually a slight in any way), this can become █
█ very tiresome over the course of an album than █
█ runs over an hour. Of course, it's natural with an █
█ icon of the genre such as Anderson that he's going █
█ to be a main attraction to the work and it makes █
█ sense to have him constantly front and center, but █
█ it kind of short-changes the contributions of some █
█ fine musicians who deserve to given more attention █
█ in undistracted showcase opportunities, that you █
█ have to sometimes strain to hear in the background █
█ beneath the endless vocal trickery. █
█ But in the end, it's still a joyous triumph of █
█ progressive music that doesn't merely remain █
█ lazily vintage-flavoured or resort to tiredly █
█ remaking the sounds of the classic bands of the █
█ style. `Invention of Knowledge' is impeccably █
█ performed and produced, is lyrically, vocally and █
█ musically utterly convincing, even sometimes a █
█ little overwhelming, but holding true magic in █
█ several standout spots. It should have provided █
█ more interludes of longer purely instrumental █
█ sections to break up all the vocal flamboyance, █
█ but it's no doubt going to remain the biggest █
█ symphonic prog moment of the year that lovers of █
█ that grandest of prog-rock styles will absolutely █
█ adore to bits. Now let's see if the Anderson/Stolt █
█ project is going to become a recurring concern or █
█ the iconic pair will just leave us with this one █
█ teasing masterwork! █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Jon Anderson is one of the more prolific members █
█ of the Yes family tree with a large number of solo █
█ albums and also several collaborations with other █
█ artists over the years, for example with Vangelis █
█ in 80's and more recently with fellow Yes man Rick █
█ Wakeman and with Fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty █
█ in the Anderson Ponty Band. The present album is a █
█ collaboration with Swedish musician Roine Stolt. I █
█ was previously familiar with Stolt from █
█ Transatlantic and I also saw him live with Steve █
█ Hackett's band recently. █
█ The Invention Of Knowledge is a vocally driven █
█ album, and Jon's vocals are almost constantly to █
█ the forefront. His voice sounds very well indeed, █
█ better than on other recent releases. The style is █
█ what I would like to call "soft progressive Rock". █
█ A reasonable comparison in terms of the style here █
█ could be to Open, a digital only release from Jon █
█ which consists of one 20 plus minute epic piece of █
█ symphonic music. Anderson/Stolt is not similar to █
█ Yes music, but the closest you get is probably on █
█ Tales From Topographic Oceans. The mood of The █
█ Invention Of Knowledge is almost constantly █
█ uplifting and bright and even though the music is █
█ thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable, it is not very █
█ challenging. I feel that it never really truly █
█ gets off the ground and with a running time of █
█ over an hour, it tends to get a bit samey at █
█ points. █
█ I like The Invention Of Knowledge. Indeed, I think █
█ it is better than most of Jon's solo albums and I █
█ would say it is one of his best non-Yes releases. █
█ It is well worth having certainly, and a nice █
█ listen, but I do not find it terribly impressive. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Invention of Knowledge is up there with the best █
█ Yes or The Flower Kings albums. It is an excellent █
█ creation from two of the greatest talents in the █
█ history of Progressive Rock. Both Yes and The █
█ Flower Kings are favorites of mine, so I was █
█ really excited when I heard this was coming out. I █
█ did NOT expect it to be this good. It really is a █
█ work of art combining that early Yes feel with █
█ that modern The Flower Kings vibe. You absolutely █
█ can hear both influences at work as Invention of █
█ Knowledge unfolds into a masterpiece of modern █
█ Progressive Rock. If you are a fan of Yes, The █
█ Flower Kings, or Progressive Rock, then this is █
█ absolutely a must buy. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ Wow, a collaboration of Roine Stolt of The Flower █
█ Kings and Jon Anderson of Yes! How exciting to see █
█ the old school and the not-so-old school (Roine █
█ will be 60 later in 2016) working together! Or is █
█ it?? That's the question my mind pondered as I █
█ fell asleep multiple times while listening to █
█ this. Or perhaps the meaning of this music is █
█ simply above the ability of my brain to █
█ comprehend? Like it was intended for spirits in █
█ another dimension to listen to and maybe humans █
█ simply have not evolved (at least in my case) █
█ enough to understand Anderson's enlightened █
█ gibberish. █
█ Let's get the first thing everyone wants to know █
█ out of the way. Does it sound like the Flower █
█ Kings? No. Does it sound like Yes? Barely. What █
█ does it sound like? It sounds like the plodding, █
█ slow-moving, new age music Anderson has featured █
█ on many of his solo albums (Olias of Sunhillow is █
█ one reference point), with an occasional Howe-like █
█ nod from Stolt. There really is no prog rock █
█ workout here. It plods along at the same speed for █
█ over an hour, occasionally reaching minor █
█ crescendos in places. The music is by no means █
█ simple either. It has some complexity to it in an █
█ almost orchestral fashion. And with musicians such █
█ as Lalle Larsson, Jonas Reingold, Tom Brislin, and █
█ Felix Lehrmann at their disposal, I'm shocked that █
█ there wasn't anything worthy enough to provide the █
█ "rock" portion of prog rock. The entire album had █
█ this folky, new age vibe running throughout; a █
█ never-ending "sameness." █
█ Now, maybe there were some interesting █
█ instrumental things going on, but they were lost █
█ on my ears from the incessant wordiness of this █
█ album. Anderson's vocals are nice, but they are █
█ forced way above the rest of the mix and there are █
█ few moments on the album where he isn't singing. I █
█ never imagined Anderson's vocals being "too much" █
█ for an album until now. █
█ I can't really comment on the lyrics much as I █
█ don't understand them (as I suspect most humans █
█ that haven't reached whatever world Jon lives in). █
█ There is much repetition, but that still doesn't █
█ help me understand them either. I would have █
█ better luck understanding the output of a random █
█ word generator than this gibberish. █
█ Fans of Anderson's solo career will probably like █
█ this; maybe Yes fans that like the softer, █
█ sleepier side of Yes. Fans of gibberish will also █
█ enjoy this. If you want the rock equation of prog █
█ rock, look elsewhere. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Invention 9:39 ░
░ 2. We Are Truth 6:41 ░
░ 3. Knowledge 6:31 ░
░ 4. Knowing 10:31 ░
░ 5. Chase and Harmony 7:18 ░
░ 6. Everybody Heals 7:35 ░
░ 7. Better by Far 2:03 ░
░ 8. Golden Light 3:30 ░
░ 9. Know.. 11:13 ░
░ 65:01 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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