Change We Must

by Dave ConnollyJon Anderson joins conductor Nigel Warren-Green and his London Chamber Academy for orchestral arrangements of new material and old favorites on Change We Must (and that sound you hear in the distance is the small army of Anderson's detractors crying "This time he's really gone too far"). But far from being the exercise in self-indulgence that some would charge, Change We Must proves to be a lovely setting for Anderson's compositions. Expertly produced by the vocalist and Tim Handley, the disc finds Anderson's voice in harmonic balance with a wonderful landscape of orchestral sounds. The combined effect is, in a word, lovely. Beginning with the Jon & Vangelis chestnut "State of Independence," the singer and orchestra achieve a natural beauty that the previous pairing aimed at but rarely captured. Likewise, "Hurry Home" and "Under the Sun" -- both of which originally appeared on In the City of Angels (the latter as "It's on Fire") -- are given a second life with Celtic and Third World arrangements, respectively. Some of the new material -- such as the "Chagall Duet," with soprano Sandrine Piau, or "Candle Song," with daughter Jade -- offer a double dose of sweetness, while other songs (notably John Adams' adaptation "Shaker Loops") are intentionally edgy. Anderson even steps out of the spotlight for a trio of piano-led instrumentals co-written with David Tolley and featuring pianist Gwendolyn Mok. These serve as a spirited interlude between songs and represent a unique departure from Anderson's often-elusive arrangements. For nostalgists, who might regard the lack of anything from Olias of Sunhillow as a missed opportunity, the Yes song "Hearts" is given a faithful but welcome reading. The title track serves as a fitting finale, with flawless production and otherwordly arrangements transporting the listener to Anderson's own plane of consciousness. Dedicated to spiritualist Nana Veary, Change We Must speaks in a multitude of musical tongues -- classical, rock, Third World, choral -- with beauty as its common thread.