Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow -1976-Art Rock, Prog Rock (vinyl)

Jon Anderson Olias Of Sunhillow -1976-Art Rock, Prog Rock (vinyl)

stock photo only

For his solo effort, Anderson wished to present aconcept albumwhich told a “semi-science fiction” story inspired by the artwork thatRoger Deanhad designed and illustrated for Yes’s fourth album,Fragile(1971).[4][5]Dean’s first piece of work for the group, the front cover depicts a tiny planet breaking apart and a glider escaping into space, which Anderson adapted into the story with additional inspiration from the novelThe Initiation of the Worldby writer, painter, and mysticVera Stanley AlderandThe Lord of the Ringstrilogy by writerJ.R.R. Tolkien.[5]Regarding the story, Anderson has admitted “it’s not that well mapped out – there’s a vague interpretation of a planet and four tribes being representative of rhythm, scale and bell tones creating sound around scale, and chorale… I just thought of the story as three magicians coming out of space to take these tribes from one planet to another to save them from destruction. It’s a very simple story really, it isn’t so complicated. I hope it will be taken on a level without people thinking there are any hidden meanings.”[4]

Story

The planet Sunhillow is home of four tribes, Nagrunium, Asatranius, Oractaniom and Nordranious,[4][5]each of whom represent a different aspect of “music consciousness”, which becomes comes under threat of a catastrophic eruption of its “harnessed volcano”. Olias is the chosen architect of an ark named the Moorglade Mover to fly Sunhillow’s people to a new planet. Ranyart is the harp-playing navigator of the glider, and Qoquaq (pronounced “ko-quake”) is the mystic who unites the four tribes to leave the planet together.[6][2]

Olias fashions the Moorglade Mover by persuading Sunhillow’s trees and fish to sacrifice their lives and substance to form it, while Qoquaq travels across Sunhillow using trance singing to bring together the mutually suspicious tribes to unite and board the ship. With the population on board and in a collective trance, the ship leaves Sunhillow just before the planet explodes “into millions of silent teardrops”. As the glider travels through deep space, the refugees succumb to the mysterious Moon Ra, a force of disorientation. Creating “an evil form” out of their panic and frustration, they are reassured and reunified by Olias through his singing of “chords of love and life”.

The Moorglade Mover lands on the plains of a new planet named Asguard, and the tribes disembark and go their separate ways. Their mission completed, Olias, Ranyart, and Qoquag ascend the highest of Asguard’s mountains in order to sleep and “become one with the universe”

Sleeve Condition (Out of 10) ~9 cover sprung/ with sleeve
Label Condition (Out of 10) ~10
Vinyl Condition ~ (Out of 10)
side # 1 – 10 / side # 2-10 awesome shape
BIN # 169 / # 251 – 8/10 great vinyl / R25

Label:Atlantic SD 18180Format:Vinyl, LP, Album,GatefoldCountry:CanadaReleased:Jul 1976Genre:RockStyle:Art Rock,Prog Rock

Tracklist