What releases have you been looking forward to?

In the run up to the news of Yes's new album, The Quest, I read an online discussion where some people were saying they were looking forward more to certain other projects than to Yes's new album. It makes sense to me that some would: if you're more a fan of Jon Anderson, then you are going to be more excited about a project like Invention of Knowledge 2 than a new album from the Steve Howe-led Yes. But I wanted to get a feel for how many people where excited about what forthcoming projects, so I ran this poll, and 153 of you voted.

Which new album are you most looking forward to?

1. The new Yes album (Howe, Davison, Downes, White, Sherwood): 73% (112 votes)

2. Trevor Rabin's next solo album: 10% (16 votes)

3. Anderson/Stolt 2: 9% (14 votes)

4. Jon Anderson's 1000 Hands: Chapter Two: 4% (6 votes)

5. The new Rick Wakeman and English Rock Ensemble album: 3% (5 votes)

Since the poll began, we finally got the announcement around the new Yes album, plus "The Ice Bridge" as a single, so that makes the new Yes album rather more concrete than some of these projects. However, the results didn't seem to change much after the announcement.

It appears from this poll that The Quest is the main focus for readers of the site. Anderson gets the second most votes across his two different projects, with Rabin close behind. Also since the poll began, we've had an interview where Anderson (not for the first time) says he isn't going to do an album releases any more, so maybe we shouldn't expect Chapter Two or Invention of Knowledge 2? Anderson's plans often go back and forth: I expect he will have new music out in some form. Indeed, also since the poll began, we got the surprise release of Sunlight... albeit followed by the sudden withdrawal of that release (story here)!

Bottom of the list, Wakeman's next album isn't attracting much attention, although The Red Planet got good reviews and fan reaction.

Poll: What was the best Yes-related album of the first half of 2019?

58 votes are in and the results were:

1. Jon Anderson: 1000 Hands: Chapter One (w/ Howe, Squire, White): 26 votes, 45%
2. Trevor Horn: Reimagines the Eighties: 11 votes, 19%
3. King Crimson: Live in Newcastle, December 8, 1972 (w/ Bruford): 10 votes, 17%
4. Billy Sherwood: Citizen In the Next Life: 8 votes, 14%
5. In Continuum: Acceleration Theory Part One: AlienA (w/ Davison, writing by Anderson): 2 votes, 3%
6. Trevor Horn: Reimagines the Eighties Instrumentals: 1 vote, 2%
7= Kilty Town: Kilty Town (w/ Wakeman): 0 votes, 0%
7= Deckchair Poets: A Bit of Pottery (w/ Downes): 0 votes, 0%
7= United Progressive Fraternity: Planetary Overload Part 1: Loss (w/ Davison): 0 votes, 0%

I am not surprised that 1000 Hands, Jon Anderson's mix of '90s and recent sessions, won, and with nearly half of the votes. It's a great album and Yes fans have been thrilled to hear Chris Squire and Alan White playing, but mostly by the reunion of Anderson and Howe on the final track, with hopes that this might presage a reunion. (I don't think it will!)

Second, by just one vote, is Reimagines the Eighties, the most high profile release of the period, making #11 in the UK album chart.

There are, at least to my ears, some gems at the bottom end of the chart too. The In Continuum album is the latest project from Dave Kerzner, and his best yet. "Scavengers" is the stand-out track for me. Kilty Town, which had a small release back at the beginning of the year, is worth tracking down: world folk from Nic Cacciapo and friends, including Rick Wakeman guesting on two pieces.