Opinions/ ranking of Jon & Vangelis albums

[Soundchaser413]

Sometime last year I re-bought the best of Jon & Vangelis. However, it's the only one I have heard by them. Some say it's all you need. What are opinons of the official studio albums and or rankings of them (if you heard them how would you rate/ rank them?). Thanks.

After hearing of the recent passsing of Vangelis I'm curious to hear more than just the "hits."

[Homemade Parachute]

Of the four, I find Page of Life pretty expendable, but the other three exceptional, well beyond the "hit". Private Collection might be my favourite, state to finish, especially finish, with "Horizon" as their masterpiece, but "He is Sailing" is also strong, the kind of song that could only be Jon and Vangelis. The Friends of Mr Cairo is also pretty great, although "Back to School" is, uh, well… a song… Short Stories is maybe the one that flows seamlessly, with fewer curveballs or drastic changes in direction. But I treasure all three, plus Heaven and Hell, with Jon's contribution in the middle there ("So Long Ago, So Clear" is pretty essential/best of in my mind).

Man, the 80s were good to Jon Anderson (or vice versa), just an incredible run from Short Stories, Song of Seven through Mr Cairo, Animation, Private Collection, 90125, Big Generator, City of Angels, ABWH…

[Gilly Goodness]

The first album Short Stories was described by Jon as Spont Rock. As in spontaneous creation. So they were 2 peas in a pod. Jon chantin' along with V's noodlin' and magic occurin'. It had Curious Electric. Jon embracin' technology. Had a naive charm. Sounded fresh and futuristic. I Hear You Now was a big hit.

Friends has the classics SoI and IFMWH. Bigger beats. More expansive production.

My fave however is Private Collection. Epic electronic tone poem. Horizon is a gem. Takes you away. As does HIS. Like bein' rowed to Heaven by a tribe of blissed out Polynesians. There's a rythm to it that is overwhelmin'. Polonaise is beautiful.

[Roundabob]

I own Short Stories, The Friends of Mr. Cairo, and Private Collection. I also have Vangelis’ album Heaven and Hell on which Jon makes an appearance on a beautiful song, So Long Ago So Clear. I listened to all of these quite often in the late 70s and early 80s. They were very effective as a duo. It wasn’t the full body sound of Yes, lacking guitars and bass, but they made some very emotive songs. Going from memory, I would rate Short Stories as the most well rounded and consistent of the albums. I loved the title track on the Friends of Mr. Cairo, but was less enthusiastic about the remainder of the album. Private Collection featured a couple of memorable songs (Italian Song and Horizon). A lot of Vangelis’ work would take a basic theme, then build on it (somewhat like Ravel’s Bolero) as the song develops and becomes more dramatic and dense. The theme from Chariots of Fire is very typical of this. Jon and Vangelis collaborated on some interesting music that I enjoyed. It is unfortunate that they weren’t able to work together after creating some memorable and sometimes majestic pieces. RIP

[True]

I remember having to work hard to track down a vinyl copy of Heaven and Hell when it came out. I really enjoyed that album and it made me excited when I learned they were coming ourt with a full album together. I'd rank Private Collection and Mr. Cairo as my two favorites. I'd always hoped to hear a version of Mr. Cairo with the actor's voices removed, but as far as I know, no such version exists.

[Soundwaveseeker]

The first one I heard was Friends Of Mr Cairo in 1988. I had been a Yes fan for a few years by then but had never heard of Jon & Vangelis until I heard the title track on the radio. I went out and got the album, the American version has the extra song 'I'll Find My Way Home'.

There is beautiful music to be found on these albums. Anyone who likes the more ethereal and angelic stuff from Yes/Jon (Awaken, Song Of Seven, etc) would be happy to hear these. Short Stories is the most consistent - wonderful stuff, Friends Of Mr. Cairo is the most straightforward (the groove of State Of Independence is well loved), Private Collection is the most ethereal (Horizons is heavenly). Page Of Life came out a bit after the first three (1991) and isn't as bad as some make it out to be. It's an extra album and has some decent stuff on it. I haven't heard the re-released and changed-around version of that from later in the 90's, the album that led to J & V falling out over. Other then hits, there's a lot of good other tracks to be found on all 4 albums: Mayflower, Curious Electric, Polonaise, Money, Far Away In Baagad.

I personally rank them:

1) Short Stories
2) Friends Of Mr Cairo
3) Private Collection
4) Page Of Life.

Pretty much in the order they came out.

[Ceasar’s Palace]

I personally rank them:

1) Short Stories
2) Friends Of Mr Cairo
3) Private Collection
4) Page Of Life.

Pretty much in the order they came out.

+1.
I only play songs from the first two. And So Long Ago So Clear.

The strange thing about this duo: I never have an emotional response to music, not even Yes, other than joy.
But with Jon & Vangelis I almost get sentimental/nostalgic. The mood sort of wraps around you like a blanket.

[Soundwaveseeker]

Yeah, there is something emotional and romantic about their music, its epic and dreamy at the same time. Like a soundtrack without a film.

[Yorkshire Square]

Short Stories is brilliant, you can feel the spontaneity that bleeds out of the record. The others, less so, there are a few bright spots here and there but on the whole I can take them or leave them. So Long Ago is also a lovely song and in the context of the album is just right, a bit like On Horseback at the end of Ommadawn. Leaves of Green tries something similar, but doesn't quite make it.

[Ash Armstrong]

I don't have Page of Life, and I don't know it very well, but the first three I love. Back to School on Friends of Mr Cairo not so much, but that's the only track across the three albums.
I bought I Hear You Now single when it came out, and had sex to Short Stories on a couple of occasions so I have a 'special relationship' with the album. It is, love is, it is....
Back to School aside, there's nothing about any of them I don't like. Jon's voice on Horizon is unreal, just stunning, and the same heights are hit on quite a few others as well.

[Kevin W]

All essential albums. Page of Life is not as good as the first three but when it's good it's very good - Garden of Senses is just perfection - the reason by Jon and Vangelis went together like strawberries and cream. Almost, but not quite, as good as So Long Ago, So Clear.

[Soundwaveseeker]

Page Of Life is well worth adding to the collection, maybe not as good as the first three but only off by a molecule because it doesn't have as much of a flow as the other ones. Agree, Horizons and Garden Of The Senses - crystal clear and up to the heavens. Mayflower is an overlooked one with a similar ethereal glow. Back To School? That one's a bit silly, but I don't mind it when in the right mood.

[Olorin]

I haven't listened to these albums in a very long time, so this thread encouraged me to give them a relisten. I think in general it can be said that the best cuts on the first three albums are the same songs featured on the best-of disc, though sometimes the versions from the original albums are superior because the best-of used radio edits. There are also some album tracks from the first three that are pretty cool; Mayflower springs to mind.

I like Page of Life quite a bit in both its versions. Some of the songs are pretty weak but some of the others are great...and I think the exact same thing could be said of each of the first three albums. The special highlight to me from Page of Life, and my favorite of all Jon and Vangelis tracks, is Garden of Senses. I like the title track "Page of Life" quite well too. The song Is it Love is great. I always wondered if it were an Anderson solo song tacked on, as it sounds nothing like any other Jon and Vangelis track. I'm guessing that's not the case, as otherwise Anderson would not have omitted it from the "tampered with" US release. Great song, nonetheless.

A lot of folks have commented on Heaven and Hell, with So Long Ago, so clear, and yes, another great song. Funny story. I read a comment online once from someone picking up the album and getting to that track and finding it awful. They thought Vangelis had found some drunken woman in a pub and had her sing it. I replied that it was actually a man who was the former lead singer of one of the most accomplished prog rock bands of all time, who enjoys near-messianic status among the band's fans, so probably best not to share such an opinion with any Yes fans.

What may be less known to casual fans is that Jon also supplied vocals for two cuts on Vangelis' 1980 album See You Later, including the title track and Suffocation.

[Sharp On Attack]

Like most people here, I rank them in chronological order
1. Short Stories : The only one that is a consistent great listen with no dud track although without a "hit"
2. The Friends of Mr Cairo : Two very strong highlights and some less striking tunes
3. Private Collection : He Is Sailing could be my favourite of all J&A songs yet lots of cringey tracks, including Jon's sex song.
4. Page Of Life. The reissue is better as it features the Vangelis version of Change We Must -but with a dreadful cover and no Vangelis permission-
Lots of dull material with the exception of the beautiful title track and the slightly ironic Money

[Gilly Goodness]

Short Stories had I Hear You Now. Wasn't that a top10 hit? Played heaps on the radio down here.