Rick Wakeman appreciation thread

Jim Garten wrote: Tha man himself at a very rainy Cropredy Festival 2 years ago: Played a stunning 90 minute set & despite the bulldog-chewing-a-wasp expression on the lady in the foreground, he went down a storm (appropriate for the weekend's weather that year), especially when he encored with Starship Trooper. Most recently saw him on the duet tour with Jon Anderson last year; plenty of banter between the two, some great music (plus some reallllly banal ballads...), overall a great evening.

I'm afraid I have missed many concerts I would have liked to see, many of which because I discovered the bands a bit (or not so bit) too late. But at least I'm grateful enough that I was able to go to Wakeman's performance of 6 Wives at Hampton Court, with orchestra and all (and that's the CD version I have of that concert, for they recorded it and sold it after the show... with great sound quality I may add). It was particularly great for me that I was able to attend to that concert, considering that I live in Mexico, and was able to schedule some holidays I had planned to Europe on the date of the concert so I could attend

I really love that concert, by the way. It may be the best concert experience I have attended along with Waters' "The Wall".

Dayvenkirq wrote: richardh wrote: I think I appreciate him more as a personality than a musician. He went through a distinctly weird phase around about 1980 when his personal problems (booze) seemed to overtake him. I remember him saying he was bankrupt but couldn't understand why ( I guess the 7 Rollers he purchased might have had something to do with it). What I really like about Rick is that he's a proper bloke. Enjoys his currys and the ermm aforementioned booze. Likes to moan about the government and stuff. He is also a commited Christian which even makes him a bit enigmatic.   Over the years I've collected various CD's and DVD's (you virtually can't avoid bumping into them there are so many) and seen him live (solo, with Yes and also the stand up routine). Great fun really.   The albums I like the most are 6 Wives , Criminal Record and King Arthur. All of those rank alongside the best keyboard based prog albums ever made. I have also given positive reviews to the Retro albums whihc have been unfairly overlooked/dismissed by many fans. OK they have Mr Holt 'singing' on them but there is much to enjoy depsite that. I also love the recent Six Wives DVD.   Overall I feel that Rick could have achieved a lot more than he has. Too many medicore releases would be a kind way of putting it. Those few gems make it for it though. I don't know. I think Rick achieved enough as a keyboardist in his lifetime. He has his own classic solos. How far can he really get? Give the man a break  (my actual smile is more genuine than that one) .

Those three are also my favourite Wakeman albums... perhaps I could throw in Journey and Out There too. I also liked the Retro albums quiet a bit, though not as good as the other albums mentioned, I think Wakeman proved he still has the prog flame burning brightly, and there are some wonderful prog songs in both albums, specially "Just another Day" and "The Temple of Life" (along with "Cathedral in the Sky", from Out There) are among my favourite prog songs from the last decade, as good as anything from the 70's. Oh, and "The Temple of Life" features Jemma Wakeman on lead vocals, his doughter, who did a very fine job at singing here. All in all, perhaps if Wakeman had made only one "Retro" album, with the best songs from both, he might have achieved another 5 star masterpiece.

My very favourite albums from him are 6 Wives and Arthur, and for me they are some of the very best prog albums. Arthur may just as well be the album guilty of getting me into prog. I first heard it because a friend from High School lent me a cassette copy of it, she said it was just their at her house (from her parents, I guess). I copied it, and was rather intrigued by it... of course I had now idea what it was, nor who Rick Wakeman was, nor what prog was, and it was all rather weird and old fashioned, and had all this ridiculous "humorous" bits or whatever, but still I was intrigued, and came back to it some times. Of course, later I discovered Wakeman wasn't the singer, but the keyboard player, and he was considered among the best keyboard player in rock (and prog), and he was famous for being in the band "Yes"... well then I thought Yes was a mediocre little known band, perhaps just a one hit wonder with "Owner of a Lonely Heart"... but whatever. Still, now Arthur is among my favourite albums, and I no longer can hearr that "old fashioned" thing that bother me, though I still can't get into the "Chaplin-like" part on the middle of Merlin... but the rest of the album is sublime, and the title song is among my favourite prog songs. Six Wives is also a perfect album for me... a survivor poll for this album would be some kind of Hell for me... just no way I could choose any song below (or above) any other, they are all great.

Slartibartfast wrote: I put in an order for a used copy of that at half.com.  Many days passed before it arrived and I was about to report it.  It came from somewhere in Russia.  Had some pretty cool stamps on it and was wrapped in old typing paper with Cryllic typing on it.  I think it was a pirate copy.  Anyway, for all of that it was really disappointing musically.

lazland wrote: And to think, we gave the world a language to be forgotten and abused

Slartibartfast wrote: lazland wrote: Criminal Record remains to this day one of my favourite albums. When he is good, he is excellent, although, by his own admission, some of his stuff was to pay off the bank and ex-wives and total dross. 1984?

lazland wrote: Criminal Record remains to this day one of my favourite albums. When he is good, he is excellent, although, by his own admission, some of his stuff was to pay off the bank and ex-wives and total dross.

Slartibartfast wrote: Regarding the avatar, it is taken from our wedding cake topper that I concocted:

Rick is my second favourite keyboardist behind Mr.Anthony Banks. My favourite Wakeman moment is the Eclipse section of And You And I. I am just awestruck on how they could have composed that piece of music. Surely the most epic, cathartic and beautiful chord progressions and melodies that I've ever heard

Slartibartfast wrote: Yaaaehhh Rick Wakeman!!! Thanks to him I was into prog before I got really into prog.  The culprits: Journey & King Arthur (edit...) I got the LPs through Columbia Record House club.  Gatefold covers and LP size booklets!!!

Dear Slartibartfast,