| Toltec | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 30 January 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1989–90 | |||
| Genre | New age | |||
| Label | High Street//Windham Hill Records | |||
| Producer | Jon Anderson | |||
| Jon Anderson chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Toltec is the ninth solo album by Yes lead singer Jon Anderson, released in 1996. Musically, it is progressive rock with elements of new age, world music, electronic, and jazz. Anderson provided the vocals, wrote, arranged, and produced the work.
The concept of the album was initially conceived by Anderson in the late '80s while reading the book The Power of Silence by Carlos Castaneda, and attending a reception for the displacement of native Hopi people in California. As a result of that gathering, he was able to later connect with Chief Ernie Longwalker who reluctantly allowed for his spoken word stories to be recorded for use on the project, which revolved around Jon's songs inspired by the stories of indigenous people, including the mysterious Toltecs.
While Anderson was signed to Geffen Records, the album was never released beyond a promo album called The Power of Silence which they released in 1992 (only on cassette). Following legal threats preventing the use of Castaneda's title (Jon had initially wanted "to marry them together, to sell the record and the novel"), and with Geffen Records unhappy with the perceived lack of commercial potential (and Anderson's refusal to edit it for radio), the album's rights were sold to Windham Hill, who eventually released it – essentially the same music, with added narration – as Toltec in 1996. [2] [3] [4] [5]
The 1996 Toltec release is made up of 13 cuts divided into three parts. It tells the tale of the Toltec, a Native American concept of a group of people who have been all over the Earth, existing within different cultures throughout the centuries. They are described in the album liner as "Creators of the circles of power, color, perfume, and music healing domes."
All music written by Jon Anderson; except where stated above
Jon Anderson: all vocals
With
Yes are an English progressive rock band formed in London in 1968 by lead singer Jon Anderson, bassist Chris Squire, guitarist Peter Banks, keyboardist Tony Kaye, and drummer Bill Bruford. The band has undergone numerous lineup changes throughout their history, during which 20 musicians have been full-time members. Since February 2023, the band has consisted of guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Geoff Downes, bassist Billy Sherwood, singer Jon Davison, and drummer Jay Schellen. Yes have explored several musical styles over the years and are most notably regarded as progressive rock pioneers.
John Roy Anderson is an English and American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the former lead singer of the progressive rock band Yes, which he formed in 1968 with bassist Chris Squire. Renowned for his alto tenor range, he was a member of the band across three tenures until 2004, and was also the singer of the Yes-linked project Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman. Born a citizen of the United Kingdom, he became an American citizen in 2009.
90125 is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 7 November 1983 by Atco Records. After Yes disbanded in 1981, following the Drama (1980) tour, bassist Chris Squire, drummer Alan White and Trevor Rabin formed Cinema, and began recording an album with original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye, who had been fired in 1971. They adopted a more commercial and pop-oriented musical direction as the result of their new material, much of which derived from Rabin's demos. During the mixing stage, former Yes singer Jon Anderson, who had left in 1980, accepted an invitation to return and record the co-lead vocals, and subsequently Cinema became the new lineup of Yes.
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Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe (ABWH) were an English progressive rock band active from 1988 to 1990 that comprised four past members of the English progressive rock band Yes. Singer Jon Anderson left Yes as he felt increasingly constrained by their commercial and pop-oriented direction in the 1980s. He began an album with other members from the band's 1970s era: guitarist Steve Howe, keyboardist Rick Wakeman, and drummer Bill Bruford, plus bassist Tony Levin.
Drama is the tenth studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 22 August 1980 by Atlantic Records. It was their only album to feature Trevor Horn on lead vocals and the first with Geoff Downes on keyboards. This followed the departures of Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman after attempts to record a new album in Paris and London had failed. Drama was recorded hurriedly with Horn and Downes, as a tour had already been booked before the change in personnel. The album marked a development in Yes' musical direction, combining the band's progressive signature with Horn and Downes' new wave sensibilities.
Big Generator is the twelfth studio album by English progressive rock band Yes, released on 28 September 1987 by Atco Records, their last album of new music for the label. After touring in support of their previous album, 90125 (1983), which saw the band move from progressive rock towards a pop-oriented and commercially accessible direction, Yes started work on a follow-up in 1985 with producer Trevor Horn. It was a laborious album to make; recording began at Carimate, Italy, but internal and creative differences resulted in production to resume in London, where Horn ended his time with the band due to continuing problems. The album was completed in Los Angeles in 1987 by Trevor Rabin and producer Paul DeVilliers.
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The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection is a compilation album by the English progressive rock band Yes. It was originally released on 2 CDs on 28 July 2003 by Warner Music in the United Kingdom. A 3 CD edition with additional material, including new recordings from October 2003, was released in the US on 27 January 2004 by Rhino Records.
Deborah Leigh Anderson is an English musician, photographer, and film director. Her early music work was as a vocalist on her father Jon Anderson's albums. Her 1995 single "Feel the Sunshine" was her first song that charted, hitting the UK Dance and European Hot 100. She has also contributed vocals to a number of collaborative works with other recording artists. Her 2009 debut album Silence accompanied her photography book Paperthin, a work featuring photos of actors and musicians.
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