Straight from the mixing board on their recent mini-tour, Adam and Rick Wakeman have released this lengthy 2-cd live set. The material ranges from classic Rick (Six Wives, Journey, King Arthur) and recent W+W studio material to covers of Beatles and Stones tunes, all of which has been very well recorded and produced to yield a sound quality far beyond what we normally associate with the term "bootleg." Backing musicians Tony Fernandez and Alan Thomson (electronic drums and bass, respectively) provided the live rhythm section but this set is obviously a synthesizer orgy. Rest assured, there's enough synth here to drown in. Adam and Rick light it up with all modern gear and techie-types will pick out the trademark Roland JD-800/990 and Korg O1W/WS/T1 patches easily, especially the electric guitar lead sounds. Rick once prided himself in always using his own sounds (never factory presets) to create his own identity, but that notion has dropped by the wayside for this tour, perhaps due to the haste in which it was thrown together.
Adam and Rick work well together, in fact so well that you can never be sure who is playing what parts, but it would be nice if the younger Wakeman could find his own identity rather than follow in his dad's footsteps. Musically, all the typical Wakeman flourishes are here: rapid 16th note arpeggios, Bach-like motifs and embellishments, and the always corny honky tonk blurb. Unfortunately the music always draws from the same set of predictable and limited classical influences, and if you've heard it once you've heard it a thousand times. Rick has always had better technique than taste in writing and with two discs of two Wakemans, that adds up to about three too many. The whole package is overkill, plain and simple. Recommended only for die-hard Wakeman freaks.
(Originally published in Expose #5, p. 26, Edited for Gnosis 8/11/02)
Rick Wakeman, well-known keyboard virtuoso, has had a quite prolific and varied solo career. While most known for his tenure with Yes, his best-known solo works are from the 70s. I will take a look at those and give a brief overview of his more recent recordings.
Most are familiar with his first and possibly best album, The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Recorded while he was in Yes, it showcases his ability as a keyboardist, writer, and arranger. Six tracks, each with the name of one of Henry's ill-fated wives, combine classical themes with prog rock. Most of the Yes members participate.
His second and third releases are also considered classics of his repertoire, but denounced by some as being too pretentious since they use a full orchestra and choir. One weakness felt by some is Wakeman's poor choice of vocalists. Journey to the Center of the Earth is based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name and was recorded live. It mixes instrumental tracks, vocals, and narration to form a grand concept album. The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, while similar in scope, is a studio recording. It is musically strong, recounting tales of knights and such. Some great keyboards here.
Lisztomania is the soundtrack to a film by Ken Russell, starring Roger Daltry. It is a rock opera about Liszt. White Rock is the soundtrack to a film about the 1976 Winter Olympics. This is one of his stronger efforts, made up of all instrumental keyboard type pieces. Great mini-moog jamming on the title cut.
In '76, his group was called the English Rock Ensemble and was pared down from a full orchestra to standard rock instrumentation plus a few horns. No Earthly Connection is a strange album. It is supposed to be about the universality of music, or something like that. It's kind of strange and musically substandard in spots.
However, 1977 saw him return to Yes and return to form. Criminal Record is one of his best releases, helped by Alan White and Chris Squire. Six pieces having to do with criminal justice, it showcases Wakeman at his best. A great keyboard album with strong compositions.
His swansong with A&M records, Rhapsodies, is a mixed bag. It has some great uptempo keyboard songs (including his version of "Rhapsody in Blue"), and a couple of nice piano ballads, but also included are some really goofy pieces that you'll want to skip over. Since it is a two-record set, he should have put the best cuts onto one record. That would have made it much better.
Throughout the '80s, '90s, and '00s, he has put out many albums including concept albums, modern rock, new age keyboards, and solo piano. Although his skills on the keyboards are top-notch, his ability as a composer and bandleader vary considerably. Many of his more recent albums feature very forgettable work. He seems to thrive better in a cooperative environment, although he seems to favor not doing so. Many of his more recent efforts seem like they were quickly cranked out to pay bills. Also, many of his newer albums feature bland preset patches from digital synths, so the overall sound is less inspiring than his older works.
The following are descriptions of selected albums of his from the 80s and 90s:
1984: This is a concept album based on the novel of the same name. One of the tracks features vocals by Jon Anderson and lyrics by Tim Rice. The music has a "rockier" edge than Cost Of Living (below), but there is no shortage of Wakeman's lead and chord work on keyboards. It features full orchestra on some cuts. Vocals provided by Chaka Khan (!) and Jon Anderson, along with a few instrumental pieces. This was his first album after leaving A&M Records and one of the better of his '80s albums.
Cost Of Living: Another album of keyboard pieces and vocal cuts. The last piece, with a narration of Thomas Gray's "Elegy - Written In A Country Churchyard", is extremely dull.
Black Knights At The Court Of Ferdinand IV: This is a nice release. Wakeman teams up with Italian vocalist Mario Fasciano, who has a nice warm voice. Musically somewhere between prog and new age, with Italian vocals.
The Family Album is a simple new age album. The pieces are named after all the members of his family (wife, mom, dad, kids, pets). They are based around piano, with simple synth orchestration. One piece (Nina) would later be re-done with lyrics as "The Meeting" from the Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe album. Nothing to get excited about overall.
The Classical Connection: Acoustic piano arrangements of older tunes with David Paton on classical guitar. Again, not that essential.
Softsword (King John & The Magna Charter): Based on music composed for the grand finale of a UK Dickens Festival. This CD features regulars Chrissie Hammond, Stuart Sawney, and David Paton. The music, as usual, features the keyboard pyrotechnics of Wakeman, and combines the symphonic aspects of his earlier works with dramatic vocals. Five of the eleven tracks are instrumental. Not bad but not very compelling overall.
Wakeman With Wakeman: Instrumental rock/prog tracks played in collaboration with his son Adam. Keyboard playing is alright; compositions are fairly simple and lackluster at times.
Classic Tracks: On this recording, Wakeman re-records older tracks such as "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" (just under 32 minutes in length), "Catherine Howard," and "Merlin The Magician" with American musicians. He plays with many flourishes and solos that hearken back to his glory days, but all in all it's nothing to get excited about.
Suite of Gods: A bit of Wakeman new age stuff with a pretty good opera singer.
Greatest Hits is a two-disc recording, basically re-recordings of older tunes. They differ from Classic Tracks in that everything is instrumental. Disc one is his versions of various Yes tunes, while disc two are some of his best known works, like "Journey," etc. The overall sound is pretty lush, and it blurs the line between progressive and new age, but is not necessary for more casual Wakeman listeners.
Time Machine is a slick rock production. It features a few different vocalists. The tracks with Ashley Holt can be unlistenable (why does Rick keep using this guy?), but three of the tracks feature Tracey Ackerman, a great female vocalist. Modern, uptempo rock with some decent keyboard action sums this one up. Not recommended.
Silent Nights is another more accessible album and features mostly uptempo rock vocal tracks, with a few new agey instrumentals to balance things out. Overall ok, but a couple of tracks are on the cheesy side. Forgettable.
Live at Hammersmith is a live recording from 1985 with the same band members as on Silent Nights. However, all the pieces are from Six Wives, Journey, and Arthur. It's a pretty good live recording, with updated renditions of his classic pieces. Recommended.
The Official Bootleg is a two-disc recording of the Wakeman with Wakeman tour. Again it features selections from Journey, Arthur, Six Wives, a couple from the Wakeman with Wakeman studio albums, and a couple of rock covers. Keyboardus maximus from father and son, backed up by Tony Fernandez and Alan Thompson. Sometimes though, a little goes a long way. Two discs of endless keyboard solos without much variation becomes tiring.
Zodiaque is a simple new age album with 12 pieces based on the signs of the zodiac. I like this disc to relax to. It is made up of simple synthesizer arrangements, with electronic percussion provided by Tony Fernandez. All instrumental.
Light Up the Sky is a four-song EP. The first two are upbeat vocal tracks. The third and fourth are instrumental, and I like the fourth one in particular, "The Bear." Shows some echoes of his glory days. Not bad overall, but definitely not essential.
One of his most recent major offerings is Return to the Center of the
Earth, in which he tried to re-create the original. Same type of
concept, using orchestra, choir and Patrick Stewart on narration. I don't
really see the point.
