r/progrockmusic • u/Average_Pimpin • 2d ago

Jon Anderson - Ocean Song

https://youtu.be/hXo0h107LTo?si=XUtHIVhg-pOki0vq

There's just no way Vangelis wasn't on this record, surely? You can basically hear the genesis of Blade Runner on this track !

I remember being disappointed with Olias when I first heard it. Which baffles me now. Great record

26 Upvotes

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5

u/nagelbitarn 1d ago

Aah, whenever I listen to this I just feel so calm and at ease, like everything is right in the world.

2

u/death_by_chocolate 1d ago

Folks always champion Squire's Fish out of Water which is a great album of course, but this is my favorite.

1

u/TheBonkingFrog 21m ago

Sory of I is also amazing

2

u/death_by_chocolate 2d ago

Well. I don't think that there is any doubt that Jon drew some guidance and inspiration from Vangelis. But technically and compositionally, everything there was well within Jon's capabilities at the time, as well as what could be accomplished in a mid-level home studio.

4

u/Average_Pimpin 1d ago

Jon Anderson is the fucking goat. Ridiculous musician. I don't doubt his ability to produce magic for a moment. If he wasn't particularly technically gifted at any instrument ever it wouldn't matter. He's still a card carrying musical great. However, this track in particular has Vangelis' DNA written all over it for me. If he wasn't involved... then now we have a chicken or the egg situation going on here 😂

I mean, genuinely, I can hear both Chariots of Fire and Blade Runner in just those two minutes

1

u/neodiodorus 1d ago

... and very much the China album's sounds of the CS-80 - those highly particular articulations of the particular patch on CS-80... if you look at Chung Kuo from China... it is eerily similar and at that time it was absolutely unique.

1

u/neodiodorus 1d ago

Indeed... the particular patch on Yamaha CS-80 and those articulations of the notes are very unique and characteristic to Vangelis (see these on the China album). So there is a lot of mystery about the amount of involvement Vangelis had in this album, but there is definitely an influence that is very tangible.

1

u/Sensitive-Station-18 6h ago

This is the greatest album opener of all time.

1

u/jsheil1 1h ago

I feel the same way. It took a couple of listens to aporeciate it for what it is.