50 years ago: Journey to the Centre of the Earth |
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Steve Wyzard
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 30 2017 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 2102 |
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Posted: January 17 2024 at 17:44 |
On January 18th, 1974, Rick Wakeman recorded Journey to the Centre of the Earth with band, choir, and orchestra at London's Royal Festival Hall. It was a huge success on both sides of the Atlantic, and to this day most of Rick's solo work has lived under its shadow. At the same time, the album does have its detractors, what with the laughable vocals and someone figuring out that David Hemmings's narration takes up 20% of the album.
For myself, I had heard so many disparaging reviews that I avoided it for the longest time. But when I finally sat down to listen to it, I was completely blown away. Yes, the recording is very rough, but those gripping themes! Those horns and trumpets! I'd take it over almost any other Yes solo album (Fish Out of Water excepted, natch) ever released. I will definitely be spinning this tonight to celebrate the anniversary. But how do you feel about it???
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Manuel
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 09 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 12481 |
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I think it's a masterpiece. Considering the time it came out, nothing like that had been tried, so it was quite an innovation.
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verslibre
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It's a really good Wakeman solo excursion. Ambitious. Bombastic. Anyone into Yes should hear it.
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richardh
Prog Reviewer Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26397 |
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It's a pretty horrible recording so I do prefer the re-booted version a lot more. I saw Rick play the whole thing with an orchestra not that long ago along including an actor on stage to narrate it. I found it dragged massively and struggled to stay awake in truth. Rick has better music but then he has a lot of music!
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Octopus II
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Pure masterpiece!
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octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams Joined: October 31 2006 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 13444 |
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Masterpiece, but not his absolute best. I'm maybe the only one, but the one I love the most is "No Earthly Connection". He pleyed it in its entirety in 1990 in Rome, together with Journey To The Centre Of Earth in front of a very little audience as the gig was not advertised. I had the possibility of counting his fingers to verify that he has only 5 per hand.
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Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
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VianaProghead
Prog Reviewer Joined: July 15 2015 Location: Portugal Status: Offline Points: 2678 |
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It's a masterpiece, but not Rick's best ever. So, I voted "It's really good".
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"PROG IS MY FERRARI".
Jem Godfrey (Frost*) |
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Hercules
Prog Reviewer Joined: June 14 2007 Location: Near York UK Status: Offline Points: 7024 |
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I really like 6 Wives, but JTTCOTE is awful. The vocals are horrendous. I found it over Christmas when I was cataloguing my record collection and I suspected that I hadn't listened to it for 30 years, so I gave it a spin. That reminded me why.
1*.
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A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.
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Hrychu
Forum Senior Member Joined: November 03 2013 Location: poland? Status: Online Points: 4313 |
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Other. It's not that good but it's not really overrated either imo. It's a very uneven album, with as much of the good material in it as the bad fillery stuff. A mixed bag.
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“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong |
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AFlowerKingCrimson
Forum Senior Member Joined: October 02 2016 Location: Philly burbs Status: Offline Points: 16568 |
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It's a bit dated sounding now and maybe even a little bit cheesy but it's fun to listen to every once in a while.
Edited by AFlowerKingCrimson - January 18 2024 at 14:41 |
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Psychedelic Paul
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The original Journey to the Centre of the Earth is so good that I bought it twice, but I still prefer the new studio version with Patrick Stewart baldly going where many men have gone before.
Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 18 2024 at 14:35 |
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Heart of the Matter
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A masterpiece of the orchestral approach to prog - but hardly better than 6 Wives.
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Hrychu
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“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong |
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Awesoreno
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^Correct. A few months I went to a live interview of him promoting his autobiography. Interviewer was LeVar Burton (also on Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as Roots).
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Hector Enrique
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 26 2019 Location: Lima, Peru Status: Offline Points: 660 |
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It is an excellent album and for me one of the best of their discography along with "The Six Wives...", "The Myths..." and "No Earthly Connection", and perhaps "Criminal Records". Then he has released tons of albums between good and not so good
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Héctor Enrique
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