''Olias of Sunhillow'' is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter
Jon Anderson
John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
, released in July 1976 by
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...
. When the
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
band
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
took a break in activity in August 1975 for each member to record a solo album, Anderson, having established himself as their frontman, decided upon a
concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
that tells the story of four tribes of an alien race and their journey to a new planet after their home is threatened by a volcanic eruption. Olias, a magician, builds a spacecraft named the Moorglade Mover and is helped by fellow magicians Ranyart and Qoquaq to gather and carry the population to their new home.
The album was recorded using a mobile studio situated at Anderson's country home in
Seer Green
Seer Green is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, east-north-east of Beaconsfield and south-west of Chalfont St Giles.
History
The Toponymy, toponym "Seer" is derived from the Norman language, N ...
, Buckinghamshire, with himself as the sole producer and Mike Dunne as the engineer. Musically, the album features elements of progressive rock with
psychedelic folk
Psychedelic folk (sometimes acid folk or freak folk) is a loosely defined form of psychedelia that originated in the 1960s. It retains the largely acoustic instrumentation of folk, but adds musical elements common to psychedelic music.
Chara ...
, experimental electronics, and
world music, and features Anderson playing every instrument, which includes a variety of keyboards, guitars, and percussion. The track "Ocean Song" was performed live at select shows during Yes's 1976 North American tour.
''Olias of Sunhillow'' peaked at number eight on the
UK Album Charts
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, the best performing chart position of the solo albums released by the band at the time. It reached number forty-seven on the US
''Billboard'' 200. The album received generally favourable reviews from music critics, and was reissued in 2021 with a remastered stereo mix, from which a
5.1 surround sound mix was created. Since 2000, Anderson has been working on music for a sequel album entitled ''
The Songs of Zamran: Son of Olias'', which centres around the creation of Earth's structure.
Background and writing
By mid-1975, Anderson had been the lead vocalist in the progressive rock band
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
for seven years. In August of that year the band, which was then a line-up of Anderson, bassist
Chris Squire
Christopher Russell Edward Squire (4March 1948 – 27June 2015) was an English musician, singer and songwriter best known as the bassist and backing vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes (band), Yes. He was the longest-serving original memb ...
, guitarist
Steve Howe
Stephen James Howe (born 8 April 1947) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist in the progressive rock band Yes across three stints since 1970. Born in Holloway, North London, Howe developed an interest in the guitar and began to l ...
, drummer
Alan White, and keyboardist
Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
, completed the
1974–1975 tour in support of their seventh album, ''
Relayer
''Relayer'' is the seventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released in November 1974 by Atlantic Records. After keyboardist Rick Wakeman left the group in May 1974 over disagreements with the band's direction following ...
''.
The group, who had been recording and touring consistently for the past five years, felt a break was necessary and agreed to take time off for each member to make their own solo album.
[
]
For his solo effort, Anderson wished to present a concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
which told a "semi-science fiction" story inspired by the artwork that Roger Dean had designed for Yes's fourth album, ''Fragile
Fragile or The Fragile may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Fragile'' (film), a 2005 film by Jaume Balagueró
* "Fragile" (''Smallville''), a television episode
Literature
* ''Fragile'' (manga), a 2016 Japanese series by Bin Kusamizu and Sab ...
'' (1971).[ Dean's first piece of work for the group, the front cover depicts a tiny planet breaking apart and a glider escaping into space, which Anderson adapted into the story with additional inspiration from the novels ''The Finding of the Third Eye'' and ''The Initiation of the World'' by writer, painter, and mystic ]Vera Stanley Alder
Vera Dorothea Stanley Alder (29 October 1898 – 26 May 1984) was an English portrait painter and mystic. She wrote several books and pamphlets on self-help and spirituality. She founded the World Guardian Fellowship.
Background and fam ...
and ''The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
. The latter book by Alder describes the theory of four "nature tribes" that once lived on the planet: Negro
In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...
, Oriental, Nordic, and Asian, which became the four tribes in ''Olias'' that were not of people, but "music consciousness tribes".[ On the first day of recording Anderson had yet to have a concrete story, but started to formulate one slowly from watching the sunrise that morning.][ He spent about a year on the story.][ Looking back on the album, Anderson thought it was "not that well mapped out" with "vague" interpretations of the different characters and settings. "I just thought of the story as three magicians coming out of space to take these tribes from one planet to another to save them from destruction. It's a very simple story ..I hope it will be taken on a level without people thinking there are any hidden meanings."][
Anderson's growing desire to learn about musical structure and his own performing capabilities with various instruments made ''Olias of Sunhillow'' a platform for him to explore this with a self-taught approach, without help from other musicians. He had previously relied on his Yes bandmates for seeing his ideas for songs through. Despite his insecurities regarding his own instrumental abilities, he had collected multiple instruments during Yes tours and dabbled with them. Having considered spending time learning to play the piano with a teacher, he eventually decided against this, choosing instead to spend several months practising on everything within his instrument collection until he was satisfied that he'd progressed enough to record with them.] Halfway through the album, it became clear to Anderson what he could and could not do: "You just find out where you're at in being able to express yourself. It was an intense period of time."[ Despite not being proficient with keyboards or percussion instruments at the time Anderson thought that "What I've pulled off attracts me and sounds right", and focused on the accuracy of expressing his ideas to tape rather than the technical ability of his playing.
]
Plot
The planet of Sunhillow is home to four tribes—Nagrunium, Asatranius, Oractaniom and Nordranious[—each of which represents a different aspect of music consciousness, which comes under threat after a catastrophic eruption of its volcano.][ Olias, a magician, is the chosen architect of an ark, named the Moorglade Mover, to fly Sunhillow's people to a new planet. He is helped by fellow magicians Ranyart, the harp-playing navigator of the glider, and Qoquaq (pronounced "ko-quake"), the mystic and appointed spokesperson who unites the four tribes to leave the planet together.][
Olias fashions the Moorglade Mover by persuading Sunhillow's trees and fish to sacrifice their lives and substance to form it, while Qoquaq travels across Sunhillow using trance singing to bring together the mutually suspicious tribes to unite and board the ship. With the population on board and in a collective trance, the ship leaves Sunhillow just before the planet explodes into millions of silent teardrops. As the glider travels through deep space, the refugees succumb to the mysterious Moon Ra, a force of disorientation. Creating an evil form out of their panic and frustration, they are reassured and reunified by Olias through his singing of chords of love and life.
The Moorglade Mover lands on the plains of a new planet named Asguard, and the tribes disembark and go their separate ways. Their mission completed, Olias, Ranyart, and Qoquaq ascend the highest of Asguard's mountains to sleep and "become one with the universe".][
]
Recording
The album was recorded in approximately four months in Anderson's then home at Long Grove in Seer Green
Seer Green is a village and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It is in the Chiltern Hills, east-north-east of Beaconsfield and south-west of Chalfont St Giles.
History
The Toponymy, toponym "Seer" is derived from the Norman language, N ...
, Buckinghamshire, which housed a garage that housed a mobile recording studio named the Mobile Mobile. Anderson performed all of the vocals and instruments himself, playing over thirty instruments (amongst them different types of keyboards, guitars, lutes, percussion, harp, wooden flute, Asian bells, sitar, Moog synthesiser
The Moog synthesizer is a modular synthesizer developed by the American engineer Robert Moog. Moog debuted it in 1964, and Moog's company R. A. Moog Co. (later known as Moog Music) produced numerous models from 1965 to 1981, and again from 201 ...
and Turkish saz).[ He still considered his voice his primary instrument and used layered vocals to create impressions of a new language on "Sound Out the Galleon". He chose the words particularly for his voice as he was technically unable to play a dedicated solo on an instrument and called them "a vocal exercise ..I sang it until we created twenty voices and finished up with this tangible energy."][
Two-thirds of the album was initially recorded in demo form onto 8-track tape, which Anderson used as a guide to write the complete arrangements that were then re-recorded onto 24-track.][ To help with operating the recording desk and obtaining the desired sound for the album, Anderson hired Yes sound engineer Mike Dunne. Anderson worked for as long as ten hours a day on the album and took weekends off.][ Anderson praised Dunne's involvement on the project, particularly during the mixing stage, the second side of which lasted within a week. Mixing the first side, however, was problematic because Anderson continued to make changes to the music due to his dissatisfaction with it. In the end, Anderson commented of the final mix that, with Dunne's help, "It was what I wanted to hear. Mike was more than the second man, he was part of the mix."][ In the end, over 100 tracks were used to make the album.][ The pressure of recording it resulted in delays which caused Atlantic to push its release by some months. Anderson said: "There were points when I didn't think I was going to finish it, and that I was going to end up a nervous wreck."][
Anderson was cautious over the music and refused to play it to anyone in case they did not like it, including his wife and Atlantic president ]Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist.
Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...
; Dunne was the only other person that heard the album.[ Anderson named Yes keyboardists ]Rick Wakeman
Richard Christopher Wakeman (born 18 May 1949) is an English keyboardist best known as a former member of the progressive rock band Yes across five tenures between 1971 and 2004, and for his solo albums released in the 1970s.
Born and raised ...
and Patrick Moraz
Patrick Philippe Moraz (born 24 June 1948) is a Swiss musician, film composer and songwriter, best known for his tenures as keyboardist in the rock bands Yes and The Moody Blues.
Born into a musical family, Moraz learned music at a young age a ...
, and Greek keyboardist and composer Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
as influences in his keyboard work on the album.[ After the album was finished, management of ]RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
informed Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
(who was signed to the label at the time), of their dissatisfaction that he had played on ''Olias of Sunhillow'' without informing them. Vangelis denied any involvement on the album despite RCA having thought the keyboards on the album were performed in his style. Vangelis said: "I myself was very surprised it had my name on the thank you-list. Maybe I have influenced Jon, I don't know. And it's clear that it's closer to this than you get with Yes. But maybe it's a coincidence. In any case, it's a formidable feat there is such a record when it features like Jon a debutante on keyboards. I believe the record represents more the way he is than what he does with Yes, no offense intended ..Anderson is not an instrumentalist in the old sense of the term and yet he has made, with lots of effort, a marvellous record."
Artwork
Despite repeated requests from Anderson, Roger Dean was too busy to commit to designing the cover, so Anderson decided upon a series of designs by artist David Fairbrother-Roe, who was suggested by a friend.[
]
Release
The album was originally set for a release around Christmas of 1975, but it was pushed back some months so Anderson could complete it.[ In early 1976 he was pressured by his Yes band mates to complete the album before a proposed Japanese tour, but the plan was cancelled due to Anderson's exhaustion from working on ''Olias''.][ The album was released in July 1976 on Atlantic Records. The album peaked at number 8 on the UK and number 47 in the United States. "Ocean Song" was performed by Yes on their 1976 tour, but as with the other songs they performed from other members' solo albums, it was dropped after the first few weeks.][
]
Reception
Writing in ''RAM'' in July 1976, Bob Edmunds described the album as being "as impressive as anything Yes have produced collectively... Musicians with greater skills (e.g. Mike Oldfield
Mike may refer to:
Animals
* Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum
* Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off
* Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and documen ...
) have created instrumental works on this scale but have always been denied access to the wonderful instrument of Jon Anderson's voice. Endless tours have done nothing to detract from one of the richest, purest voices in rock…. ''Olias'' has a continuity of intensity rarely found on any album, let alone one this ambitious. It won't go down too well with those who reject anything except full-tilt rock'n'roll. But there's no way you can deny the sheer ''grandeur'' of Jon Anderson's music, no matter what opinions you hold about rock."
Paul Stump's 1997 ''History of Progressive Rock'' called the album "probably the most complete manifesto to Progressive ideology (infinitely more so than '' Topographic_[Oceans">ales_fromTopographic_[Oceans.html" ;"title="ceans.html" ;"title="ales fromTopographic [Oceans">ales fromTopographic [Oceans">ceans.html" ;"title="ales fromTopographic [Oceans">ales fromTopographic [Oceans')." Stump praised the album's divergence from the normally accepted practices and language of mainstream rock, while noting that it is also very accessible to a mainstream rock audience. In AllMusic, Dave Connolly concluded "the idea may seem overly ambitious, but Anderson fills the record with enough magical moments to delight fans of Yes' mystic side... at no point does the music lose its spellbinding effect for lack of sonic detail. ''Olias of Sunhillow'' is faithful to the spirit of Yes, though decidedly more airy than that band's visceral style ... ''Olias of Sunhillow'' is not the missing Yes album some might hope it to be, though it does prefigure the later Jon & Vangelis
Jon and Vangelis was a music collaboration between British rock singer Jon Anderson (lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes) and Greek synthesiser musician Vangelis. The duo released four albums between 1980 and 1991.
History
In 1974, V ...
collaborations of the '80s." Writing on his own ''Progrography'' website, Connolly has also commented that "it's not a stretch to say that ''Olias of Sunhillow'' looks and sounds like (Roger) Dean's previous Yes artwork come to life. Since Anderson himself handles all the instruments, the album is an airier affair than Yes, and yet at the heart of these songs is the same captivating, intoxicating core that the singer brought to that band.... ''Olias of Sunhillow'' is the one Anderson album most likely to please Yes fans, immersed as it is in their mystical aura. It's also a gorgeously packaged product (in LP form, anyway), which helps set the mood immeasurably."
Writing about ''Olias of Sunhillow'' on his ''Mewsings'' blog in 2009 (thirty-three years after the album's initial release), Murray Ewing reflected "there’s a dangerous swerve towards the New Age in Anderson’s first solo album, both in the optimistic whimsy of its fantasy world, and the musical palette of soft, sparkling synths and world instruments. Thankfully, it easily escapes that particular doldrum of musical hell through sheer energy (on the musical front) and sheer weirdness (on the fantasy front). This isn’t music to attune your chakras to, it’s adventurous, full of drama, uplifting melodies, evocative soundscapes, and a fresh unearthliness that makes it the only fantasy album I can think of which genuinely sounds like it could have come from another world."
Reissues
The album has been released several times. Wounded Bird Records
Wounded Bird Records is an American compact disc only re-issue record label that was founded in 1998 in Guilderland, New York.
They re-release lesser known albums from popular and lesser known artists, including Paul Butterfield, Cactus, Herbie ...
in the US released the album on 28 February 2006. Contrary to some earlier releases it presents all the artwork, but very small. Some earlier CD releases include only part of the original artwork and story, omitting pages 3–6 of the original vinyl album. The Japanese pressing on MMG Inc/Atlantic AMCY-18 presents the complete artwork in a booklet, like the vinyl version with 8 pages (including frontcover and backcover).
The album was reissued in January 2014 on SACD
Super Audio CD (SACD) is an optical disc format for audio storage introduced in 1999. It was developed jointly by Sony and Philips Electronics and intended to be the successor to the Compact Disc (CD) format.
The SACD format allows multiple aud ...
by Audio Fidelity Records
Audio Fidelity Records, was a record company based in New York City, most active during the 1950s and 1960s. They are best known for having produced the first mass-produced American stereophonic long-playing record in November 1957 (although this ...
.
In 2021 the album was reissued in a CD+DVD package from Cherry Red Records
Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...
. The CD contains a remastered version of the album in stereo. The DVD contains the remastered audio in 96/24 stereo LPCM, as well as a 5.1 surround mix in both DTS 96/24 and Dolby AC3 formats; the 5.1 audio is upmixed from the stereo masters because the original 24-track tapes could not be located. The packaging includes reproductions of the original album art and story, although again with small reproduction that may make the lettering hard to read. Two enclosed booklets contain track listings, technical information, lyrics, and an interview with Jon Anderson by Malcolm Dome
Malcolm Dome (1955 – 29 October 2021) was an English music journalist.
He wrote about rock and heavy metal from 1979. In addition to writing books, he was a journalist for ''Record Mirror'', ''Kerrang!'', ''Metal Hammer'' and ''Classic Rock ...
.
Sequel
In 2004, Jon Anderson called for collaborators to contact him via his website. He described a project that would be a "return to Olias".
In 2006, around the time ''Olias of Sunhillow'' was re-released, Anderson announced that he was making a sequel called '' The Songs of Zamran: Son of Olias''.
In late 2008, he announced on his Myspace page that he was hoping to finish the sequel soon.
In a Rockline interview on 20 July 2011, Anderson was asked about the sequel. He said that he hoped to have the first bits of ''Zamran'' out in a year.
In late 2012, a web site was launched (www.sevendragons.org/zamran now closed) entitling it ''Zamran Experience'', showing a short preview and describing it as "an interactive audio-visual album".
On 3 January 2013, Anderson confirmed he was still working on ''The Songs of Zamran: Son of Olias''.
On 1 December 2014, Anderson stated on his Facebook page: "I keep myself busy working on the ''Zamran'' project."
Track listing
Words and music by Jon Anderson
John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
.
Personnel
Adapted from the 2021 release booklet notes.[
Music
*]Jon Anderson
John Roy Anderson (born 25 October 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. He was a member of the band across thre ...
**Vocals
**Keyboards (Minimoog
The Minimoog is an analog synthesizer first manufactured by Moog Music between 1970 and 1981. Designed as a more affordable, portable version of the modular Moog synthesizer, it was the first synthesizer sold in retail stores. It was first popul ...
, Korg miniKORG
The miniKORG is a two VCO monophonic analog synthesizer that was released in 1972 from Korg. It featured 37 keys, three ring modulators and built in analogue effects. It has wooden side panels and all the controls for the unit are not on the fro ...
s Mk 1 & 2, Farfisa
Farfisa (Fabbriche Riunite di Fisarmoniche) is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy, founded in 1946. The company manufactured a series of compact electronic organs in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Compact, FAST, Professiona ...
organ, Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
66 electric piano, double manual
Manual may refer to:
Instructions
* User guide
* Owner's manual
* Instruction manual (gaming)
* Online help
Other uses
* Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ
* Manual (band)
* Manual transmission
* Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
, church organ in Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield ( ) is a market town and civil parish within the unitary authority of Buckinghamshire, England, west-northwest of central London and south-southeast of Aylesbury. Three other towns are within : Gerrards Cross, Amersham and High W ...
, Baldwin baby grand piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
, Freeman String Symphonizer The Freeman String Symphonizer was a 5-octave synthesizer of the 1970s. (The first prototype being shown prior to 1970, but the most well known shown in 1970, the second according to the Sound on Sound article) It was finally manufactured by the C ...
)
**Guitars (Martin Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
and Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
acoustic guitars, Gibson Melody Maker
The Gibson Melody Maker is an electric guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. It has had many body shape variations since its conception in 1959.
Model history Regular issue (1959–71)
The original Gibson Melody Maker was first launche ...
electric guitar, Höfner violin bass guitar, Gibson mandocello
The mandocello ( it, mandoloncello, Liuto cantabile, liuto moderno) is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It is larger than the mandolin, and is the baritone instrument of the mandolin family. Its eight strings are in four paire ...
, sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...
, tampuri, bouzouki
The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...
, saz)
**Percussion ( Ludwig wood blocks, tambourine
The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...
, triangle
A triangle is a polygon with three Edge (geometry), edges and three Vertex (geometry), vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC.
In Euclidean geometry, an ...
, custom-built cymbal
A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs soun ...
tree, assorted cymbals and gong
A gongFrom Indonesian and ms, gong; jv, ꦒꦺꦴꦁ ; zh, c=鑼, p=luó; ja, , dora; km, គង ; th, ฆ้อง ; vi, cồng chiêng; as, কাঁহ is a percussion instrument originating in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Gongs ...
s), marimba
The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...
, glockenspiel
The glockenspiel ( or , : bells and : set) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the vibraphone.
The glo ...
, toy xylophone
The xylophone (; ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets. Like the glockenspiel (which uses metal bars), the xylophone essentially consists of a set of tuned wooden keys arranged in the ...
, bell
A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inter ...
s, Chinese bells, African cowbells
The cowbell is an idiophone hand percussion instrument used in various styles of music, such as Latin and rock. It is named after the similar bell used by herdsmen to keep track of the whereabouts of cows. The instrument initially and traditio ...
, Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
bells)
**Other instruments (Irish harp
The Celtic harp is a triangular frame harp traditional to the Celtic nations of northwest Europe. It is known as in Irish, in Scottish Gaelic, in Breton and in Welsh. In Ireland and Scotland, it was a wire-strung instrument requiring great ...
, thumb piano
Mbira ( ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and pl ...
, assorted African wooden flutes, drums, large brass band drum, brass band snare drum
The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...
, Caribbean long drums, assorted Navajo
The Navajo (; British English: Navaho; nv, Diné or ') are a Native American people of the Southwestern United States.
With more than 399,494 enrolled tribal members , the Navajo Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United ...
drums, African skin drums, tabla
A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల ...
Production
*Mike Dunne – engineer
*Brian "It's Going Now" Gaylor – electronics
*John Martin – co-ordination, equipment, goodies
*Brian East – mastering at RCA
*Dave Roe – illustrator, designer
*Hipgnosis
Hipgnosis were an English art design group based in London, that specialised in creating album cover artwork for rock musicians and bands. Their commissions included work for Pink Floyd, T. Rex, the Pretty Things, Black Sabbath, UFO, 10cc, Ba ...
– art direction
*Jeff Cummings – portrait
*Richard Manning - portrait colouring
Charts
Certifications
References
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1976 debut albums
Progressive rock albums by English artists
Concept albums
Jon Anderson albums
Atlantic Records albums