In 2008, a serious respiratory attack nearly silenced one of the most distinctive voices in rock music. But just three years later, Jon Anderson, the legendary voice of prog rock pioneers Yes, seems as contented, committed and prolific as ever.
He's just released a new solo record ("Survival & Other Stories"), he's about to embark on a tour and he squeezed in an interview while working in the studio on a new musical project that he expects to make available for download Oct. 25 – which happens to be his 67th birthday.
"I'm very happy, very healthy and doing more work than I've ever done in my life," said Anderson.
Anderson joins fellow Yes alumnus Rick Wakeman, arguably the most influential rock keyboardist of all time, for the kickoff of their U.S. tour next Wednesday, Oct. 19 in the Northern Lights Theater at Potawatomi Bingo Casino.
Following a successful UK tour last year, Anderson and Wakeman decided to bring their buddy act to the U.S. in support of their CD "The Living Tree," which was released on the UK label Gonzo Multimedia in 2010. It's a warm, ethereal record – vocals and keyboards only – filled with positive and thought-provoking lyrical content.
"The Living Tree" is the most recent collaboration between these two, who have worked together on and off for almost 40 years. Produced on two continents with Anderson and Wakeman sharing digital files back and forth over the Internet, this record feels like vintage Yes, but its recording was a far cry from the old-school analog recording era where artists spent weeks and months holed up in studios.
"I'm very excited about the future of modern music," said Anderson. "Young people are being given the opportunity to create their own music without being dominated by record companies and corporate interests. The internet is the gateway to modern music. It's an amazing time – when you can co-create with people around the world via the Internet, almost instantly. It's an incredible time for creation."
In addition to number of songs from their most recent collaboration, Anderson said fans can expect to hear a heavy sampling of the songs Anderson and Wakeman are best known for as members of the quintessential lineup of Yes, such as "Starship Trooper," "Long Distance Runaround," "And You and I," "All Good People" and of course, "Roundabout."
Anderson said they'll also undertake the 15-plus-minute epic "Awaken" from 1977's "Going For the One" LP.
While many of those songs may be more than 30 years old, Anderson said they meld together with the new material so well, they sound to him like they were written just a few months ago.
"The show will be wonderful chaos," promises Anderson. "Rick loves to tell his jokes, he's a standup comedian in England, you know. Sometimes, it's hard to play because we're laughing so much. It's always a very entertaining evening for us to play together – and I trust the audience will enjoy it as well."
