Single: Open
Artist: Jon Anderson
2011
Digital download

Jon Anderson: vocals
Jane Luttenberger Anderson: angel vocals
Stefan Podell: 6 & 12-string guitars, classical guitar, electric guitar, percussion, bass, additional vocals
Zach Tenorio-Miller: piano, organ
Zach Page: classical & electric guitar
Kevin Shima: acoustic guitar, vocals
Brian Hobart: percussion
Stephan Junca: drum kit, African percussion
Charles Scott: drum kit
Billy James: additional backing vocals
Cal Poly A Cappella group (Robert Foster, Ian O'Rourke, Madelyn Frey, Jacob Stringfellow, Aaron Wolfe, Amy Stevens): choral vocals
Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz/Jon Fink/Susan Lerner: string trio


Produced by Jon & Jane Anderson
String recording: Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz with Jon Fink & Susan Lerner
Engineered by Michael J Fraumeni at EliasArts Studio
Mastered by Sakis Anastopoulos
Artwork: John Amick/Jay Nungesser
Publicity: Billy James at Glass Onyon PR


Tracks:
1. Open (20:55)
    a. Sun is Calling
    b. Please to Remember
    c. Who Better Than Love
    d. Sun It Sings You/Given Chase

Music/song/lyrics: Anderson
Orchestration & additional music: Podell
String arrangement (1c): Alexandra Cutler-Fetkewicz with Jon Fink & Susan Lerner


Notes: The liner notes thank Jonathan Elias (who produced most of Union) "for the studio time", Jon's children (Deborah, Damion and Jade), his religious guru Audrey Kitagawa and wife Jane.

In the liner notes, Anderson describes starting the work in spring 2010 and then recruiting neighbour Podell. Over spring/summer that year, the orchestration and lyrics "took shape", with Tenorio-Miller, Page and Cutler-Fetkewicz's string trio recording parts. In early 2011, Shima and Hobart added parts, then in the summer of that year, Junca and Scott. Additional vocal parts (Cal Poly group, Jane Anderson, James) came in autumn 2011. Elsewhere, Anderson described the summer 2010 sessions as with being the Paul Green School of Rock All-Stars, which includes Tenorio-Miller and Page and with whom Anderson has performed live. Contemporary reports talked of an album with the All-Stars to be called Amharica. Thus, in May 2010, Anderson said: "Next month I'm actually recording with the same group [the All Stars]. We're going to do an album. We've got two weeks to do an album and I've sent some of the music I want to try out with them because it helps to give them a structure of where I want to go, but at the same time I want them to experience it and evolve through that two week experience". By a June 2010 Facebook post, Anderson said: "just finished an amazing 2 weeks with a dozen teen musicians here on Long Island...It felt like it was the 70's again, everyone listening to each other ..'happy', and thankful, there will be a 20 minute work called 'OPEN'...classic YES style music..plus very exciting ideas......it was meant to be". There have been other references to a Yes-style of music. For example, in the October 2010 issue of Classic Rock Presents... Prog, Anderson said:

I haven't stopped creating Yes music in my heart. One of the things I realised was that all the solo albums that I ever did had nothing to do with Yes; I didn't want to 'pretend' to be Yes, because I don't want to do that.

But now I feel like that it is part of my DNA, and I can't stop wanting to create large-scale pieces of music that obviously have a very strong connection with Yes, because that's what I did with the band. I helped to create these larger pieces of music.

A September 2011 interview had this about the piece:

Anderson allows a brief description about what “Open” is about.

“It’s about being open,” he says without a trace of humor, “and how if you open the doors of your heart that you will be fulfilled in all things that surround you, all the beautiful goodness of the world. Because if you close up, and remain all closed up, and do too many drugs, or do this or that, or eat too much food, shopping, whatever, you [wind up] meeting the same kind of people and everybody drags everybody down to a very unhealthy place.

“So you got to be open about life, and very open about things because there are people out there who are very, very joyful and helpful and beautiful. So, the more that we open up, the more that we will understand how beautiful life is and that we’re all born on this planet and that we [need to] look after Mother Earth, because Mother Earth is ours. And if we’re messing with the planet then we’re messing with [ourselves] [...]”

James has talked of a spring 2012 album to include an alternate mix of "Open" and further tracks. (HP, 27 Nov 11)

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