Jon Anderson remains one of the most iconic voices and songwriters in prog rock. His more than forty-year history with Yes yielded some of the genre’s defining tracks, and saw the band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. Yet throughout his career, Anderson has constantly sought out other creative channels for his music, from working with the likes of King Crimson, Tangerine Dream, and Vangelis, to his own prolific solo career.

Technically 1000 Hands is a re-release. Anderson first dropped the record in March 2019, but has chosen to release it now outside of its original digital and limited edition vinyl-only run, making this essentially his first solo album since 2011’s Survival And Other Stories. That record was a mixed affair, the result of his interesting approach to crowdsourcing material and inspiration for the album through his official website.

This, then, is Anderson’s first foray into a genuine solo record in almost a decade, and it is from the outset, a suitably eclectic record that brings together his myriad styles, from prog to Latin to folk to spiritual. There’s a lot going on here, but thankfully, and crucially, Anderson’s voice is sweet enough to carry the record and the production is faultless.

Opening track Now is a delicate starter, with gentle finger-picked guitar strings that soon melt into Ramalama, a joyous blend of layered vocals, electro and violin that combine for one of the albums standout tracks. Activate, meanwhile, is a near nine-minute number laced with beautiful flute sounds, and Makes Me Happy is a truly wonderful slice of feel-good reggae.

Twice In A Lifetime is the pick of the album’s ballads, mixing accordion and violin with some mystical lyrics, before WDMCF ramps up the tempo again with its dance-infused rhythms. Now And Again closes out the album and bookends it nicely, sitting as it does as a companion track to the album’s opener.

Ultimately 1000 Hands is a great collection that highlights Anderson’s skill and variety as a singer and songwriter. Hopefully, this re-release takes it to a wider audience.

1000 Hands track list:

1. Now

2. Ramalama

3. First Born Leaders

4. Activate

5. Makes Me Happy

6. Now Variations

7. I Found Myself

8. Twice In A Lifetime

9. WDMCF

10. 1000 Hands (Come Up)

11. Now And Again

 prog-rock 

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.