Inspired by the artwork of Roger Dean and the writings of Ver Stanley Alder,
Jon Anderson developed an entire story around the idea of an interstellar exodus from Sunhillow, writing this album around the narrative (named for the spaceship's architect, Olias). The idea may seem overly ambitious, but
Anderson fills the record with enough magical moments to delight fans of
Yes' mystic side. The music is written and performed almost entirely by
Anderson, who dubs vocals, plays guitar and harp, and adds percussion and the occasional synthesizer to flesh out his ideas so that 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 -- its closest comparison would be
Fragile's "We Have Heaven" or
Going for the One's "Wonderous Stories" (which was clearly influenced by this record) on the vocal tracks, and Greek progressive electronic composer (and future
Anderson collaborator)
Vangelis on the instrumental tracks. Although the album is effective in its entirety, "Sound Out the Galleon," "Olias (To Build the Moorglade)," and "Solid Space" are some of the more memorable excerpts. The arrangements incorporate elements of the four tribes of Sunhillow, the most noticeable being Oriental elements that prefigure
Vangelis' own
China (especially on the opening "Ocean Song"). While there are several songs that could have easily fit in
Yes' own catalog, and the lyrics continue to mine the mystical musings that
Yes fans had come to enjoy,
Olias of Sunhillow is not the missing
Yes album some might hope it to be, though it does prefigure the later Jon & Vangelis collaborations of the '80s. If possible, pick up the LP version of this release, since the packaging is stunning and features terrific artwork by
Dave Roe. ~ Dave Connolly