Music Banter - Love or Hate?

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Title: Olias of Sunhillow
Artiste: Jon Anderson
Genre: Progressive Rock
Familiarity: Some; I know Yes, have heard some Anderson solo material but am not as versed in either as I would like.

Track 1(Love) So this is Anderson's debut solo album huh? Excellent start with what sounds very like Vangelis influences. Great intro.
Track 2(Love) Bit more uptempo and now we get Anderson's unmistakable vocals. More Vangelis style keys (surely he worked on this, though he denies it?) Plenty of overdubs on the vocals of course.
Track 3(Love) Bit of an oriental feel to this, at least at the beginning; I don't know what instrument that is doing the glissandos but it sounds like a harp. Seems this is totally Anderson's project, with nobody else (other than, possibly, the V-Man) involved. Most of this is instrumental, then a spacey sort of very later-Yes-style piece on which Anderson brings in the vox again.
Track 4(Love) Lovely ambient passage, again very Vangelis, again instrumental other than some sort of chanted vocals in the background, quite Indian sounding, then it breaks into a kind of native tribal dance rhythm, getting a lot more intense with some pretty sweet sitar. Returns more or less to the ambient theme that opened the track right at the end.
Track 5(Love) Probably the closest the album comes to having a potential single, very catchy and simple with Anderson's by-now-familiar “hope for the world” motif. One thing I have to say about this guy: he almost always sounds happy. Even when singing about darker themes like Bonnie and Clyde on “Shoot high, aim low” from Big generator or “Shock to the system” on Union.
Track 6(Love) Speaking of darker, this is another ambient piece but much moodier and bleaker, with a sort of ominous organ line that builds as the track advances along till Anderson comes in with a powerful vocal and exits on a strong choral passage attended by keys with a final flourish of darkness right at the end.
Track 7(Love) The longest track on a short album, just over twelve minutes. Starts with the sound of thunder and then another tribal chant into which come Anderson's vocals in an almost angelic way. Some fine flute here, and that feeling of hope and optimism and joy continues to permeate the album like sunlight filtering through heavy clouds. In the fifth minute it becomes a keyboard instrumental, soft and gentle before Anderson comes back in with a choir of his own voice multi-tracked and with a certain Genesis feel to the melody. Soft little flute pasage then before acoustic guitar takes over, very beautifully, and we head into the eighth minute. Then a complete pause for about three seconds before another slow ambient keyboard piece takes us towards the conclusion, with wind sounds and a sort of vibrato choral vocal, very low.
Track 8(Love) An uptempo acoustic guitar brings in a joyous vocal from Anderson as the album wraps up, more sitar coming in with some fine squiggly keyboard, leaving a final flurry from the flute before the big finale on keys and choral vocals.

End result: I didn't expect to anything but really like this album. I'm not a fan of 70s Yes, though I really haven't heard enough to make that decision, but I've always enjoyed Jon Anderson's voice, whether he was with Yes, Vangelis or Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, so this album is no surprise to me, but a very pleasant confirmation that when it comes to innovation and storytelling, as well as superb singing talent, there are few can compete with him.

So, Love or Hate? Obviously, Love

Chances of a full review: 9/10