What does it sound like?:
In February 2023 Rick Wakeman, accompanied by the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir, performed two sold out shows at the Palladium, which are captured on this four cd set. He showcases his three most well known, and best, solo efforts, plus of course a smattering of classic Yes songs. I remember buying each of the featured solo albums, Six Wives, Journey and Myths and Legends, back in the day, all resplendent in their gatefold covers. The Six Wives is an album I was very fond of back then, and I think it still stands up today – here it’s faultlessly reproduced down to the last note. The second cd is devoted to the Myths and Legends – I was disappointed with this one on release, and I still find it rather underwhelming to this day. To be fair, this version has more energy than the studio one, but the music doesn’t quite live up to what was on paper a great idea for a concept album. Next up comes the reworkings of some Yes classics. We get the usual suspects – Roundabout, And You and I and Starship Trooper – all well played of course but I wish maybe he’d been a bit more adventurous in his choices. More interesting is a new piece incorporating new interpretations of The Meeting, Wonderous Stories and Southside of the Sky. As good as these are though, they inevitably still pale in comparison to the superb Yes originals. Finally we get to Journey, an album I have always loved – I can and do still listen to this regularly, and still enjoy it as much as I did fifty years ago. This is a fine version, lapped up by the audience, and is a great climax to proceedings. If you want to hear the best of Wakeman’s vast solo back catalogue then this is as good a place to start as any, but it’s certainly worth seeking out the original albums too, with the latter two having been rerecorded about ten years ago with extra material incorporated.
What does it all *mean*?
Age has not dimmed Rick’s musical virtuosity. A short UK tour is about to commence – catch him if you can as he’s retiring from live work this year.
Goes well with…
Looking back fondly at years gone by. 1971-75 was a golden period of creativity for Wakeman, and this set neatly rounds up the jewels in the crown from that prolific time.
Release Date:
16 Feb
Might suit people who like…
Yes, Wakeman, concept albums, keyboard wizardry.
Nice review, Bargepole. I’m going to the Brighton show for old times sake, and looking forward to a bit of retro flash and knob jokes. Give this man a TV interview show. He’s the prog Jools Holland.
When I saw him last, playing solo seated at a Steinway only a couple of years back, the evening flew past in a jiffy, chucklesome anecdotes and glorious musical passages interrupted only by fleeting thoughts about his trainers, which looked well dodgy, situated as they were a few metres in front of us at eye level.
He’s a top entertainer as well as a very accomplished musician, and I hope this set includes some of the stage chat; I may very well be investing.
*opens the gatefold of the Journey, marvels at the technicolor printing and all the stalagtites*
Saw him with band in Dublin at the tail-end of the eighties. A good night with very entertaining anecdotes. Good programme too – very self-depreciating IIRC.
I must confess: I’ve had this on advance order since it was first announced last year. I’m pleased it got a good review from you, Bargey!
I saw an interview with him where he talked about the Myths And Legends On Ice show. That is one of the funniest stories I’ve ever heard. He really knows how to roll with the punches and turn lemons into lemonade!
There’s one Wakeman album that is very hard to get… Criminal Record. It has a couple of excellent songs on it, but apparently he doesn’t like it and has buried it. Wakeman has released a LOT of live stuff for sale through his website. I got the big live box and there’s some great concerts in there from multiple decades.
Yes indeed: my old LP copy of Criminal Record is now locked in the vault, with two big guard dogs outside…ironic, really…
Criminal Record? I’ve got that? *checks condition* Hmmm. Cover a bit battered with ringwear and a little round hole in the top right – some sort of cutout presumably. A £2.50 sticker. As for the record, the spindle area is mint but the vinyl has a couple of odd marks on side one. *checks ebay*
What? There are LOADS of copies from 99p upwards. Hmph.
Oh well…TWO guard dogs was probably overkill, anyway…
search for Criminal Record on CD
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115728658056?norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-169407-652593-0&mkcid=2&itemid=115728658056&targetid=297512520417&device=t&mktype=pla&googleloc=20480&poi=&campaignid=20773818845&mkgroupid=155011380425&rlsatarget=pla-297512520417&abcId=&merchantid=5300608724&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItoTQodyshAMVvphQBh3JIAe8EAQYBCABEgKhEPD_BwE
There’s a NM copy, BIN for £27.99 inc. P+P. I’ve seen worse.
Daylight robbery!
That’s a decent price for the CD actually. It was only in print a very short time. Wakeman released a box set of his albums, but omitted this one. It’s a shame, because I really like the song with Bill Oddie and the one called Judas Iscariot.
Well, the next cheapest copy on eBay is five times the asking price. They mostly seem to be sub-fifty quid on Discogs.
I prefer him as an accomopanist (accompianist?), TBH. But the first 3 solo albums have nostalgic associations. I saw the “no Earthly Connection” tour when I was 15, and it was “good in parts” (the gags, the dry ice during “Merlin the Magician”) but the songs from the lastest album were a bit boring. As long as he doesn’t play anything from the 100+ solo albums since then, i should be fine.
Full album available on streaming as of today, 23rd Feb
There’s YouTube videos showing up from the tour now. A nice highlight of the show is when Wakeman has a synth duel with his son on Starship Trooper.
Useless fact: RW’s manager is apparently Ventriloquist Roger de Couercy.
Nookie Bear went through that period of wearing a cape. Now all is explained.