AMG Review of Toltec

Gary Hill
All Music Guide

A concept album, Anderson's Toltec is made up of 13 cuts divided into three parts. It tells the tale of the Toltec, a Native American concept of a group of people who have been all over the Earth, existing within different cultures throughout the centuries. They are described in the liner as "Creators of the circles of power, color, perfume, and music healing domes." Musically, this one is arguably Anderson's most ambitious solo effort. It is set in a style that is definitely progressive rock, but focuses less on the rock and more on other elements. Among those elements are new age (no surprise as the CD was released on the Windham Hill label), world music, electronic, and even jazz. Anderson not only provided the expected vocals, but also wrote, arranged, and produced the disc. The result is an album that should appeal not just to fans of the singer, but to those into progressive rock in general as well. It definitely isn't Yes (although it does share some elements with their work), but it is certainly an intriguing and entertaining work.