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Jon & Vangelis ‎– Short Stories / Polydor ‎Audio CD Stereo / 800 027-7

Polydor Records

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$129.99
SKU:
042280002725
UPC:
042280002725
Weight:
5.00 Ounces
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Product Overview

Jon & Vangelis ‎– Short Stories / Polydor ‎Audio CD Stereo / 8000277

UPC 042280002725

 

Product Details:

Label: Polydor ‎– 800 027-7
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: Europe
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop, Ambient
 
 
Description:
Short Stories is the debut album by Jon and Vangelis, the collaborative effort between Jon Anderson of the progressive rock band Yes and electronic music pioneer Vangelis. This was not the first time that the two had worked together: Vangelis had auditioned to be Rick Wakeman's replacement in Yes in 1974, but the role was given to Patrick Moraz. In 1975, Jon Anderson sang on "So Long Ago So Clear" from Heaven and Hell.
 
 
Editorial Review:
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.
 
 

Tracklist:

1 Curious Electric 6:34
2 Each And Everyday 3:41
3 Bird Song 1:22
4 I Hear You Now 5:09
5 The Road
Acoustic Guitar – Raphael Preston
4:29
6 Far Away In Baagad 2:49
7 Love Is 5:09
8 One More Time 6:12
9 Thunder 2:10
10    
A Play Within A Play 7:01

 

 

More Details:

  • Acoustic Guitar – Raphael Preston (tracks: 4)
  • Design [Sleeve] – Vangelis
  • Engineer – Paschal Byrne
  • Graphics – Alwyn Clayden
  • Photography By – Veronique Skawinska
  • Producer, Arranged By, Instruments – Vangelis
  • Vocals – Jon Anderson
  • Written-By [All Titles] – Jon Anderson, Vangelis

 

 

About the Band:

Jon and Vangelis was a collaborative effort between the singer Jon Anderson (the lead vocalist of the progressive rock band Yes) and the Greek synthesiser musician Vangelis. The duo released four albums between 1980 and 1991.

In 1974, Vangelis was considered as a replacement for Rick Wakeman as keyboardist in Yes, and although the job went to Patrick Moraz, it led to several collaborations with Anderson, who contributed vocals to Vangelis' Heaven and Hell (1975) on the song "So Long Ago, So Clear", harp to Opera Sauvage (1979) on "Flamants Roses" and finally vocals to See You Later (1980) on "Suffocation" and "See You Later".

They recorded their first album together, Short Stories in 1979, producing the major hit "I Hear You Now" as well as "One More Time". Anderson wrote the lyrics and Vangelis composed the music. In 1980, Jon left Yes and while he published his third solo album Song of Seven in 1980, Vangelis did the same with See You Later on which Jon sang two songs. The two reunited to record their second album as a duo Friends of Mr Cairo in 1981, producing the hit songs "Friends of Mr Cairo", "State of Independence" ,"Back to School" and the UK top 10 hit "I'll Find My Way Home". In 1983, Jon Anderson got back with Yes and they published their album 90125, and so did Jon & Vangelis with their own album Private Collection the same year.

In 1986, the duo made a few attempts at writing a new album, but much of this work was never officially released under the Jon and Vangelis name. Twelve tracks were compiled on 1991's Page of Life, while other songs from these sessions appeared in later works, including "Let's Pretend", the last song on the 1989 album Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe. Anderson ultimately took it upon himself to re-work Page of Life, which was released in 1998 in the United States only with nine tracks. In 2011, Anderson approached Vangelis for a possible new collaboration but he did not receive a reply.

 

 

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