The Friends of Mr. Cairo

by

Jon and Vangelis

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It's hard to believe that there is a musical foundation for Jon Anderson that fits better than Yes, but The Friends of Mr. Cairo suggests that such a foundation might exist, and his name would be Vangelis. The real standout on this album is the extraordinarily melodic and lyrical "Friends of Mr. Cairo." Vangelis creates a sonically lush yet notewise spare framework over which Jon Anderson lays a picture of movies, gangsters, and sentimentality. Absolutely stunning and worth the price of the album if you don't listen to anything else. Assuming you do get beyond it, though, you'll likely hear some other familiar melodies. "State of Independence," for example, whose Donna Summer cover is better known than the (quite good) original. It can be argued (and I'd be happy to) that no one has rendered Jon Anderson's ideas into music better than Vangelis, and it is almost impossible to imagine anyone else singing atop a Vangelis melody.

At least after The Friends of Mr. Cairo it is.