Jon Anderson's first project following his departure from
Yes was to reunite with the equally airy
Vangelis for a collaborative effort as Jon and Vangelis.
Short Stories actually marks their second collaboration -- the first took place on
Vangelis' 1975 album, Heaven and Hell, with the track "So Long Ago, So Clear." The pair returns to that song's successful formula of combining Anderson's otherworldly voice with
Vangelis' pithy melodies in a few spots on their debut together, notably for the popular single "I Hear You Now" (which recalls
Vangelis' "To the Unknown Man") and the middle section of "Far Away in Bagaad." Otherwise,
Short Stories favors amorphous arrangements that feature wisps of melody and little more (a style that has its precedent on
Yes' Tormato rather than their own solo work to date). The effect can be, frankly, underwhelming -- "Curious Electric" and "Each and Everyday," for example, seem content to settle for the happy accidents of collaboration rather than fusing their individual sounds into a cohesive whole. Despite a handful of nearly memorable moments, including the playful "Thunder" and the charming "Love Is/One More Time," the pair would have had more success sticking to their established idioms -- after all, China and Olias of Sunhillow were good albums -- rather than trying to meet in some equidistant, ethereal plane. Given the record's paper-thin arrangements, an appreciation for the music of
Vangelis and
Jon Anderson is no guarantee that
Short Stories will please. ~ Dave Connolly