Jon Anderson’s Olias of Sunhillow charted a course of separation from Yes

Olias of Sunhillow, Jon Anderson’s utterly unique solo debut, was always meant to be listened to completely — and at very high volumes. With its fantastical storylines (a flaxen hero, the promise of a better day, some seriously weird outer space stuff) and enveloping soundscapes, the ex-Yes frontman created a rich and rewarding world unto itself.

It arrived on July 24, 1976 amidst this burst of creativity from a fully engaged Jon Anderson, who made use of the entire studio bandwidth: He plays every instrument, wrote every word, sang every line — and through that process created a swirling, deeply atmospheric album that was all about feel, about musical textures, about the journey. Olias of Sunhillow ultimately became as dense as it was sun-flecked, however, and that kind of complexity makes for a richly rewarding listening experience, decades later.

Along the way, Jon Anderson’s ambitions gave new insight into his central role in a series of earlier collaborative triumphs with Yes, even as it helped chart a course for his future musical path.

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