Search - Jon Anderson :: More You Know

Pleasant Yet Unmemorable

Kevin Caffrey | Fredericksburg, VA | 01/23/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I have most of Jon Anderson's solo albums, but after listening to _The More You Know_ when it first came out in the spring of 1998, I rarely ever put it on again. Recently, I pulled it out to see if I had made a mistake by not dedicating more time to it. And while there are a few noteworthy spots on the album, shelving it on my part was probably not a mistake.Basically, _TMYK_ is in the vein of _In the City of Angels_, but not as focused. Consisting of Jon & his wife Jane on vocals, and the family team of Bobby and Francis Jocky on the musical arrangements, the album is pop and r&b influenced. Initially this sounds like a weird thing for Jon Anderson to be trying his hand at - but one look at his solo catalog tells you that this is what he likes to do. Certain songs such as "Say", "Magic Love" and "Maybe" work well; other songs such as "Take, Take, Take" and "Gimme Love" do not. The highlight of the album is a beautiful song called "Heaven's Love," which actually could've probably had a chance on Adult Contemporary radio if the record company had the initiative (funds?) to release it. It's typical Jon Anderson lyrics, but considering that in the mid-90s he was in an often-frustrating situation with getting Yes back on track, lyrics such as "Everything that comes to you each time, no matter how it ties, no matter how it breaks, no matter what it takes to know that you believe in you" take on a different meaning. In the same song, when he sings "Don't forget that you were made for loving," it reinforces the same things that Jon Anderson has been saying in his music since he first started out - and with his crystal clear vocals, this remains a beautiful thing. Aside from this one standout track, everything else varies from good to ok. If you *loved* _In the City of Angels_, you'll probably find stuff to like on this album. If you detested it, and still yearn for the Jon of _Olias_ days, this will not be something you will like."

ONE OF MY FAVORITE ANDERSON RECORDINGS

Unlucky Frank | Lalaland, CA United States | 12/26/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I thought most YES fans were more open minded listeners. Some of the reviews for this recording are just scathing. At the time this came out Anderson was bombarding us with some fine madrigal sounding solo projects. (I saw him perform the DESEO project live at a little theater in Pasadena for members of his fan club. I have a friend who is a member and a Jon Anderson fanatic. He dragged me to this show seeing as how I've been a YES fan since I was 13 years old. Jon bought everyone dinner after the show and passed out signed watercolor prints to everyone in attendance. It was a pleasant suprise. The print is framed and holds a special place of honor on my wall.) Anyone who knows the members of YES can tell you they are open minded music lovers who dig all kinds of music. Not just classical, but R&B, jazz, and world music.



When I bought THE MORE YOU KNOW I hadn't heard a thing about it. I love all kinds of music. I love R&B, and blue eyed soul such as HALL AND OATES, BOZ SCAGGS, and STEELY DAN. So, when I first heard this recording I immediately fell in love. Wow, this sounded like Anderson's earlier solo project, IN THE CITY OF ANGELS. But more R&B with a world music feel. Certain world cuts sound like something PETER GABRIEL would do. If you love Anderson and you like soul and world music, it won't take repeated listening to get this record into YOUR HEART. I played this continuously for 2 straight months when I got it. This is not OLIAS or SONG OF SEVEN. But, it still has that madrigal feel to the vocals, which is why you love Jon Anderson in the first place. Next to OLIAS, this is my FAVORITE Jon Anderson solo outing. And I've been a YES fan since 1973.



This is perfect for candlelight dinners, dancing with your sweetheart, a night on the town in your car, or for just bopping around the house. My favorites are MAGIC LOVE, HEAVEN'S LOVE, SAD, and EVER. THANKS JON. I LOVE THIS RECORDING!! YOU SHOULD TOO. I haven't heard it in a while so I'm playing it now. AWESOME!! Sample it. There's not a bad cut on this record. ENJOY.



IT WORKS FOR ME. Close minded YES fans should show MORE LOVE for Jon.



"

The More it Grows

William A. Everett | Port Isabel, TX USA | 12/30/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No Anderson (or Yes) fan will enjoy this one the first time around. A sad shake of the head, and the thing goes into cold storage. Six months later, on second hearing, you hear something you didn't hear before. A few more times on rotation, and it begins to grow on you. I don't like Jon's reaching for gritty, tough-guy vocalisations -- and there are moments that simply don't ring true for that reason. But it's a wonderfully produced album, with quite a bit of original material that complements Jon's already eclectic solo collection quite well. The bottom line is that Jon is an experimental musician who has his musical fingers in a great many pies. Bravo for this daring venture into R&B..."