THE DEFINITIVE MUSIC OF RICK WAKEMAN

I was lucky to find this double CD set in a bargain bin in a mall music store, at a rediculously low price, so even if it wasn't good, I wouldn't be terribly upset. But you know what? It's not bad.

The liner notes say that all of the tracks were compiled from releases on Wakeman's Music Fusion label, and although most of the tracks are well known pieces from Wakeman's classic albums of the seventies, the recordings are live versions, and re-cordings of those songs. Which for many of them, that's not a bad thing.

The majority of the tracks come from "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth", "The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table" and "The Six Wives Of Henry VIII". And these fare quite well. The vocalists are much better than those from the original tracks, and Wakeman's arrangements are splendid. Merlin The Magician and a half hour Journey (without narration are the best of these.

There is also a fine rendition of Starship Trooper and Wurm. And Wakeman's performance of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby is beautiful. I wish I could say the same about his cover of The Rolling Stones' Paint It Black. Also not faring well is a spiritual song Fields Of Green. Surprisingly, it's not the lyrics that drag the song down, but some dreadfully banal music. And even worse is a maddeningly simplistic and repetitious Oriental Iceman.

Luckily, the bad parts are quite short.

Even if you pay more than I did, this album is worth it.