While this is technically a Jon Anderson solo album, it’s actually a collaborative effort, with Anderson working alongside several other musicians who’ve collectively put together the songs on Survival & Other Stories. The album came about after Anderson placed an ad on his website inviting other musicians to get involved, and ultimately eight different musicians from across the globe contributed, done by file sharing across the net, sending MP3 samples while Anderson performed the songs. Whether this was because Anderson had been running on empty after coming through a debilitating illness, which saw him come close to checking out, or because he felt the need for fresh inspiration is unknown.
But whichever, Survival & Other Stories is a mostly gentle and embracing album featuring a mix of folk, acoustic and new age music, with his belief in spirituality well out in front. This mix is exemplified with the opening two tracks. ‘New New World’ sees Burundi-style drumming giving the track a touch of Africa, and this could have been a Yes track, whereas ‘Understanding Truth’ is just Anderson on an acoustic guitar and well into spiritual mode. His unique voice was always one of the most recognisable in prog rock and, while there’s little here coming close to prog, his voice is still as resounding as on the first Yes album in 1969, no mean feat considering he was 66 when he recorded this album.
Some of the pieces of music on Survival & Other Stories are just acoustic and/or piano based songs, such as ‘Effortlessly’, ‘Big Buddha Song’ and ‘Love & Understanding’. There’s also pieces which see the use of orchestral backing, such as the eight minute ‘Incoming’, and even a hint of new age music in ‘Sharpening The Sword’. But Anderson’s at his most spiritual on the delightful ‘Just One Man’ .. guess who the one man is! .. who would believe the millions He has touched .. and the atmospheric, achingly beautiful ‘Cloudz’, quite possibly one of Anderson’s most ethereal pieces, one which really tugs at the heartstrings, where Anderson contemplates infinity and mortality .. we were standing on the cloudz, looking around at everything.
Achieving a balance between inserting overt spirituality in a piece of music while avoiding preaching is a delicate act, but Anderson has made a credible attempt at achieving this. His message, caring for nature and his love of life, comes across without overkill, making Survival & Other Stories a worthy addition to Anderson’s solo repertoire.
