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Rating: This is a little-known project by Jon Anderson with composer Carvin Knowles. The project also features the talented singer Caitlin Elizabeth. The album is composed of soothing pastoral pieces inspired by the tales of J.R.R. Tolkien, as one can gather from the title. The most interesting aspect is probably the fact that some of the songs are sung in the language created by the author of The Lord of the Rings. The album, from 2006, is entirely acoustic and shows Jon in fine form.
The album is structured in such a way that the odd-numbered tracks are always sung by Caitlìn. Tir Im is one of the many short a cappella pieces, sung in Elvish by the talented Elizabeth. Of the many that we find, it is perhaps the least interesting. The next is one of the four pieces sung by Anderson, and one of the two he composed; this one is in English. As the title says, Dan Barliman's Jig, it’s a truly delightful lively jig, perhaps one of the most successful pieces. It’s nice to hear the old Jon still so fit. It continues with the medieval The Silver Bowl, in which Caitlìn narrates a short medieval tale accompanied by a few chords.
The Man in the Moon is, in my opinion, the most successful instrumental of the album. It gently rocks you in a truly ancient atmosphere, and if that was the goal, then it is perfectly achieved. A Verse to Elbereth Gilthoniel is again a piece by Caitlìn that stands out for the happy use of the choir. Jon always sings the same Elvish phrase of the old fashioned Elechoi, surprising us with glissandos one would not expect from someone his age. This is one of the truly medieval pieces, in structure, rhythm, and atmosphere. The sad Beware the Wolf is a slow and dark ballad with a beautiful chorus splendidly sung by Elizabeth, one of the most expressive offerings of the album.
Instead, with the flat and instrumental Orome: Lord of the Hunt we have the worst. Repetitive and uninspiring, it merely repeats the same motif, mournfully played by many winds. Creation Hymn is the best of the brief Elvish pieces, very cheerful and colorful, featuring a textbook intermezzo with recorder and flute in my opinion. It continues with the sad and instrumental When Durin Woke, a slow crescendo piece that has good energy but wastes it by returning at the end to the initial theme. Another brief piece for voice, guitar, and flute is called Eala Earendel, a successful hymn to the goddess of the elves. Jon comes back strong with The Sacred Stones, very successful. Sung in English, its theme is the Silmarils and its structure is comparable to other works by Yes. It will appeal not only to fans of the band but also to new followers.
A singer joins Caitlìn in covering the famous Battle Of Evermore (Page and Plant the authors, IV the glorious album). Although well arranged, this bold choice is greatly penalized by the excessive lengthening of the song, which ends up being diluted into almost seven tedious minutes. The male voice also does not quite hit the mark for me. With The Blood Of Kings we find the best instrumental: powerful, varied, driving yet relaxing, epic to the right degree. Jon's last piece is the Elvish Verses to Elbereth Gilthoniel, which revisits the theme previously tackled, expanding it pleasantly. The epilogue is entrusted to Elizabeth’s voice in the wonderful Evening Star, dreamy and delicate like the sunset it evokes. This at least is worth listening to, if you find it on the tube, dear Fantasy fans.
Undoubtedly an ambitious and "progressive" project this is. In fact, although there is not a trace of rock, one can note how Jon's "shamanic" nature has infused the work with an avant-garde feel despite it referring to ancient (and nonexistent) eras. It’s not common to hear songs in an artificial language unless you're a fan of Magma. I recommend it to lovers of folk, medieval, romantic, Celtic music, and fantasy fans. Among the few drawbacks that prevent me from giving it four stars: the use of an instrument, I believe the hurdy-gurdy, which has a particular sound that I do not love, a certain repetitiveness in the short pieces, and the overuse of the gong which seems a bit out of place at the end of a bar even though I do not feel it necessary, and which concludes some pieces.
A pleasant entertainment for those who love music made with heart!
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