This is a house divider. It's something I play when I have the place to myself. Fortunately I'd had the pleasure of it for almost 20 years before restrictions were imposed.
So what do you get if you pair off the founding member and lead singer with 'Yes' who was also writer or co-writer of most of their recorded work and a Greek musician and composer, most famous worldwide for his music in the movie 'Chariots of Fire' but who has a further 20 plus studio albums and a dozen or more soundtracks to his name.
You get John Roy Anderson and Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou, or Jon & Vangelis for short.
At first glance these two would appear to be strange bedfellows to collaborate on not one, but four albums, but their relationship had begun as early as 1974 when Vangelis auditioned to replace Rick Wakeman as keyboard player for Yes (he didn't get the job). Despite his long and successful association with writing film scores, Vangelis also falls into the prog rock genre and so fits nicely with Yes and their style.
That combination of - my term - 'musical theatrics', really comes out in this album. Starting with 'I'll Find My Way Home' - this is probably the better known track, released as a single and charting reasonably well.
Strangely though, the album was first released without this song, as only a 6 track LP - it even had a different cover, just a stylised black and white design with a photo of the artists. The record label itself though was very ornate. A few weeks later the album was re-released with 'I'll Find My Way Home' included and the more familiar brown cover. The play list was also changed quite radically.
'State of Independence' is an almost 8 minute oddity, played to a sort of reggae calypso mashup and includes a made up spiritual chant 'Shablam idi shablam ida' with great saxophone breaks provided by Dick Morrissey.
'The Mayflower' takes the story of the pilgrims and sends them into space in a modern twist - while 'Back to School' is an attempt at rock 'n' roll and almost pulls it off ... almost.
Settle back and prepare for the 12 minute stretch that lays before you when the title track opens like a movie, with screeching tyres and gunshots. Getting inspiration from the 'Maltese Falcon' where Peter Lorre played the part of Mr. Cairo, the song uses actors doing voice-over parts setting the scene for a 1930's tale of gangsters and their sweethearts - pursued by the likes of Mickey Spillane and Sam Spade.
This really combines Jon Andersons lengthy Yes format with Vangelis' love for movie scores.
Finishing the album with 'Outside of This (Inside of That) leaves us in a more relaxed gentler frame of mind. The lyrics are a bit .. um .. ?what? .. but the electronic Vangelis orchestration and Jon's unmistakable voice that makes most songs sound like an out-take from 'Tales From Topographic Oceans' creates a dreamy soothing way to end the journey.
If you knew this album from back in the day, it's worth re-visiting. If it's new to you, greet it with an open mind.
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