“I Hear You Now”, the opening track and lead single from the 1980 album Short Stories, marks the inspired collaboration between Jon Anderson of Yes and electronic music pioneer Vangelis. Released in 1980, the song blends Anderson’s celestial vocals with Vangelis’s lush, synthesizer-driven soundscape, creating a piece that feels both ethereal and warmly intimate - an early touchstone in the synth-pop era that still retains a unique, spiritual character.
The track opens gently, with ambient electronic textures and a soft synth motif that sets a meditative tone. Vangelis’s production is rich but never overpowering; his use of synthesizers and subtle rhythms gives the song a spaciousness that allows Anderson’s voice to float unencumbered. When Anderson begins to sing - “After the first embrace from you, my senses knew…” - there’s a sense of serenity and quiet revelation. His lyrics are characteristically abstract, leaning into the poetic and spiritual, as if channeling a kind of universal longing or cosmic connection.
“I Hear You Now” stands out not because of complexity, but because of how much emotion and atmosphere it conveys with such economy. The melody is simple and direct, carried by Anderson’s high, pure tenor. The synth lines swell and recede like gentle tides, giving the impression of something timeless - almost like a hymn for a digital age that hadn’t fully arrived yet.
Though some might view it as soft or overly sentimental, the sincerity in its delivery gives it real depth. In an era just stepping into the possibilities of electronic pop, Jon and Vangelis used the tools not for novelty but for evocation. The song doesn’t aim for drama - it leans into stillness, and in doing so, creates space for reflection and peace.
“I Hear You Now” is a quietly radiant song - an elegant fusion of new-age introspection and early synth-pop warmth. Jon Anderson’s ethereal voice and Vangelis’s gentle electronic textures form a graceful partnership that feels timeless in its simplicity. More than four decades on, it remains a serene, uplifting listen - a message of connection whispered across the cosmos. Ideal for moments when music needs to be both grounding and transcendent.
The track opens gently, with ambient electronic textures and a soft synth motif that sets a meditative tone. Vangelis’s production is rich but never overpowering; his use of synthesizers and subtle rhythms gives the song a spaciousness that allows Anderson’s voice to float unencumbered. When Anderson begins to sing - “After the first embrace from you, my senses knew…” - there’s a sense of serenity and quiet revelation. His lyrics are characteristically abstract, leaning into the poetic and spiritual, as if channeling a kind of universal longing or cosmic connection.
“I Hear You Now” stands out not because of complexity, but because of how much emotion and atmosphere it conveys with such economy. The melody is simple and direct, carried by Anderson’s high, pure tenor. The synth lines swell and recede like gentle tides, giving the impression of something timeless - almost like a hymn for a digital age that hadn’t fully arrived yet.
Though some might view it as soft or overly sentimental, the sincerity in its delivery gives it real depth. In an era just stepping into the possibilities of electronic pop, Jon and Vangelis used the tools not for novelty but for evocation. The song doesn’t aim for drama - it leans into stillness, and in doing so, creates space for reflection and peace.
“I Hear You Now” is a quietly radiant song - an elegant fusion of new-age introspection and early synth-pop warmth. Jon Anderson’s ethereal voice and Vangelis’s gentle electronic textures form a graceful partnership that feels timeless in its simplicity. More than four decades on, it remains a serene, uplifting listen - a message of connection whispered across the cosmos. Ideal for moments when music needs to be both grounding and transcendent.