Jon Anderson New Album Release: The Living Tree Hits U.S. Retail On 1-11-11
Jon Anderson (www.jonanderson.com)—one of the most recognizable voices in rock as the lead vocalist and creative force behind one of the world’s most famous stadium bands, YES—inaugurates 2011 with the new album release, The Living Tree, which hits U.S. retail today, January 11, 2011. Anderson’s legacy as a celebrated singer/songwriter is evidenced by his influence on current pop culture. His vocals from “High Places” (by Mike Oldfield, written by Anderson and Oldfield) are sampled on Kanye West’s new track “Dark Fantasy” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The project was voted top album of 2010 by Rolling Stone magazine.
Anderson has continually inspired musicians and writers, as evidenced by West’s use of his vocals, in addition to two new books that feature Anderson: Mountains Come Out of the Sky: The Illustrated History of Prog Rock by Will Romano and Innerviews: Music Without Borders by Anil Presad. Innerviews features 24 of the worlds most renowned musicians sharing incredibly candid, in-depth thoughts on the joy and pain of the creative process, their careers and aspirations, conflicts and collaborations, and the realities of today’s music business.
On the heels of turning 66 on October 25, 2010, and the recent finish of a triumphant U.K Tour with keyboardist Rick Wakeman (an original YES band mate) to celebrate the release of their new album, The Living Tree, Voiceprint is proud to present the U.S. release of the new Anderson/Wakeman album. It is available digitally in online stores, including Amazon, Gonzo, iTunes and Rhapsody. Anderson and Wakeman performed with YES together various times throughout the band’s history. They also collaborated on two albums as Anderson Bruford Wakeman & Howe. The Living Tree is their first album created together.
Songs that will be heard hitting the radio airwaves include “Just One Man,” a song reflecting Anderson’s ever-present faith in higher spiritual power. “The Living Tree” (Part 1) relates to the necessity and power of trees and nature to sustain our lives, both physically and emotionally. In “Morning Star,” he sings about the power of youth, and the legacy of the 60’s: love, peace and enlightenment. The song “23/24/11” relates to the current war in Afghanistan, and how a soldier is counting down the hours and minutes before he can return home.
All lyrics and melodies are written by Anderson with music by Wakeman, except the song “Just One Man,” which was written by Anderson and music is by Jeremy Cubert with music performed by Wakeman. The album is produced by Anderson, Wakeman and Erik Jordan with engineering and mixing by Jordan. All songs are published by Write Notes Ltd. and Warner/Chappell. Album artwork is by Mark Wilkinson.
Anderson also will be continuing his World Tour in February throughout North America as he leads up to his new solo album release, Survival and Other Stories. The album, which does not yet have an official release date, has already become a worldwide sensation with Anderson’s fans after being pirated on the Internet. The album is the dynamic and soulful product of an ambitious experiment that Anderson began in 2007 by posting the following ad on his website: “Musicians Wanted…Send me your music, just one minute will do.” The response was so incredible that he was able to work via the Internet with musicians from all over the world. The inspiring and exhilarating result reflects themes such as the state of world change, spirituality, and his near death experience in 2008.
He frequently performs with youth orchestras and is slated to perform with the San Antonio Youth Orchestra in March. Over the past five years, Anderson has composed and performed a number of times with teens via the School of Rock, the national leader in music education for kids. HDNet recently aired his collaboration with the 112-member Contemporary Youth Orchestra (CYO) of Cleveland and 60-member student chorus in an exhilarating performance titled, “State of Independence: Jon Anderson and the Contemporary Youth Orchestra.”
For more information on Anderson’s upcoming shows, please visit http://www.jonanderson.com/news.html.
About Jon Anderson
Jon Anderson is undoubtedly one of the most recognizable voices in rock as the lead vocalist and creative force behind YES. Anderson was the author and a major creative influence behind the series of epics produced by YES and his role in creating such complex pieces as “Close to the Edge,” “Awaken,” and especially “The Gates of Delirium,” which was central to the band’s success. Additionally, Anderson co-authored the group’s biggest hits, including “I’ve Seen All Good People,” Roundabout,” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” He has recorded with Oscar winner Vangelis many times, creating four unique albums, which have sold millions around the world. He has also performed with the Grammy Award and Golden Globe-winning Japanese musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist Kitaro—even performing a special concert with him for the Royal House of Thailand. It is a commonly held misconception that Anderson sings falsetto. This is not the case, as his normal singing (and speaking) voice is naturally above the tenor range. In a 2008 interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he stated, “I’m an alto tenor and I can sing certain high notes, but I could never sing falsetto, so I go and hit them high.” Anderson is also responsible for most of the mystically-themed lyrics and concepts. The lyrics are frequently inspired by various books Anderson has enjoyed—from Tolstoy’s War and Peace to Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. A footnote in Paramahansa Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi inspired an entire double album: “Tales from Topographic Oceans” (1973). Recurring themes include environmentalism, pacifism and the search for truth. Anderson had a respiratory health scare in 2008 that kept him from touring with YES in 2009. The band chose to go on without him as he recovered. He is now better than ever and venturing into unique special projects such as working with teens, both in orchestras (i.e. Contemporary Youth Orchestra) and in rock n’ roll (School of Rock), and collaborating with musicians from all over the world via the Internet. He is also composing modern symphonies, violin concertos and theatrical musicals, including a Rap Opera. As a consummate multi-layered artist, a true passion for Anderson is painting, and he uses his art as yet another channel for his limitless creativity and self-expression. His artwork, which he also designs on clothing, is available to view on his official website, www.jonanderson.com.
Source: MI2N
