Yes Music Podcast · Kevin Mulryne and Mark Anthony K

706 - Solo songs that could have been Yes songs - Part 2 - Jon Anderson

·51 min·3 clips

Mark calls "Animation" "a rare example of a perfect Yes song for Yes to have done."

1. Yes Music Podcast 706 covers John Anderson solo songs that could have become Yes songs, with Elias of Sunhillo, Song of Seven, and Animation as the three albums. 2. Kevin Mulrhyne hosts with Mark Anthony Kaye as co-host, and Billy Sherwood opens the show with a recorded greeting as a member of Yes. 3. The episode asks which John Anderson solo tracks could be "yes-ified" by adding Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Alan White, Patrick Moraz, or Rick Wakeman. 4. Kevin and Mark return to Elias of Sunhillo, which Kevin calls Anderson's "absolute masterpiece" and a record with a strong fantasy feel. 5. Mark chooses "Flight of the Morglade" from Elias of Sunhillo and says it could gain more Yes character through Squire's bass, White's texture, and Howe's guitar effects. 6. Kevin agrees that the song has a "wondrous stories vibe" and suggests Patrick Moraz could add keyboard color after his work on Relayer. 7. The hosts note that Yes tried songs from Elias of Sunhillo during the solo-albums period, but "Ocean Song" and "Flight of the Morglade" did not stay in the setlist. 8. Mark says the failures may reflect how the band changed the material in rehearsal, while Kevin asks listeners to comment if they know of rehearsal recordings. 9. The discussion moves to Song of Seven, which Kevin dates to 1980 and describes as a more collaborative album than Elias of Sunhillo. 10. Kevin names Ronnie Leahy, John Giblin, Simon Phillips, Jack Bruce, Johnny Dankworth, Damian Anderson, Jade Anderson, and Deborah Anderson as part of the album's credits. 11. Mark chooses "Everybody Loves You" and calls it a very upbeat three-and-a-half-minute song that could become a Yes track with stronger harmonies and bass. 12. Kevin says the record shows Anderson looking for chart success and points to multiple singles, including "Some Were Born," "Take Your Time," "Harder Than the Matter," and "Everybody Loves You." 13. Kevin also highlights the contrast between Elias of Sunhillo and Song of Seven, saying Anderson moved from a solo statement toward a broader collaboration model. 14. The hosts then shift to Animation, which Kevin links to the John and Vangelis period and a higher-profile public image in the UK. 15. Mark describes his connection to the album through producer Neil Kernan, who mixed a Piledriver album in Chicago and called John Anderson "an interesting character." 16. Mark chooses the title track "Animation" and says it is a rare example of a song that already feels close to a Yes composition. 17. The episode's tone is conversational and analytical, with Kevin and Mark swapping references, production details, and personal listening notes. 18. The format is a back-and-forth comparison show, not a track-by-track review, and the hosts repeatedly test songs against hypothetical Yes arrangements. 19. People who enjoy Yes deep cuts, solo-era comparisons, and musician credits will likely enjoy this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a brief mainstream overview of Anderson's solo career may skip it.

As heard by us

A loose, informed comparison that finds the Yes-shaped edges in Anderson's solo work.

Yes Music Podcast takes a straightforward compare and contrast route through John Anderson's first three solo albums, asking which songs could have passed for Yes tracks.

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Why you'd press play

If you like tracing Yes DNA through Anderson's solo years, press play here.

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