New (Old) Music

I got a new CD today: Private Collection by Jon and Vangelis. For the unfamiliar, Jon Anderson is the long-time lead singer of Yes, and Vangelis is the composer for Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, and some of the Cosmos soundtrack.

I have actually owned this album (yes, it was originally released on vinyl) for several years on cassette. In one of my recent searches, I found it cheap on Amazon, so I indulged myself.

It's probably been years since I listened to this album, and rediscovering it has been quite pleasant. The instrumentation and vocals are, of course, superb. Jon's distinctive, ethereal voice fits smoothly into Vangelis' unique blend of organic and electronic sounds and textures. This album is softer and more subdued than the pair's The Friends of Mr. Cairo; even the relatively upbeat fifth track, "He is Sailing", has a soothing rhythm to it. It makes for a good, calming listen at the end of a busy day.

For the curious, Jon also did an album called Dream with legendary New Age artist Kitaro a few years ago. Jon only appears on four of the ten tracks, but it's still definitely worth a listen.