Jon Anderson: all instruments

with
Mike Marshall: orchestrator (2)
Ernie Longwalker: narration (4)
 

Tracks:
Cassette release
Side A
1. Release
2. Eireland
3. Miraval

Side B
4. Longwalker Speaks
5. Homage To Sun Ra
6. Opio Symphony
    i. The Heralding
    ii. Spring Dance Eternal
    iii. Earth Awakening
 

CD release
1. Release (27:24)
2. Homage to Sun Ra (9:36)
3. Miraval (8:21)
4. Eireland (7:40)
5. Opio Symphony (8:55)
    1st Movement: The Heralding
    2nd Movement: Spring Dance Eternal
    3rd Movement: Earth Awakening
6. Longwalker Speaks (17:36)

all pieces written by Jon Anderson
 

Notes: The material here was recorded by Jon Anderson in the south of France in 1989 (or thereabouts). Anderson found the tapes again and released them as a cassette only through his Opio Foundation, with proceeds going to UNICEF. With a slightly different name and a new track order (reflecting the original DAT), the album was released on CD as part of The Lost Tapes box set and is due to be released separately (with again proceeds going to UNICEF); see The Lost Tapes for more details.

In Anderson's notes for the CD release, he says "Release" was written on the day Nelson Mandela was released from prison. That date was 11 Feb 1990, which puts the piece later than the supposed 1989 date for this material. "Homage to Sun Ra" is, as the name suggests, an homage to jazz musician Sun Ra and his Arkestra band. "Miraval" is about a chapel in Miraval, France, where Anderson once lived. "Opio Symphony", Anderson says, was "realized in 1987". (6) is the first tape Anderson recorded with Longwalker. Portions of Longwalker's narration were used on Toltec and he also appears on The Mother's Day Concert. (25 Dec 2006, HP/Ray Riethmeier)