THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS OF KING ARTHUR AND THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE

This is another Rick Wakeman's album with some EXCELLENT orchestral arrangements: compared to the previous "Journey to the center of the Earth" album, the album here is more lively and dynamic: there are some choir parts with more predominant male singers, although there are still many ethereal female choirs. The foreground orchestra really participates to the rhythms and melodies involved: the textures are still very heroic, mythic and enchanted. Wakeman plays nervous & melodic moog solos, and he uses very much the piano. There are some delightful & magic small bells parts. Ashley Holt and Gary Pickford have EXCELLENT lead vocals, as usual. The very complex and elaborated last bit on "Merlin the magician", purely classical, is absolutely PERFECT! There are some variations on the same theme, but the variations are so well made that it is not annoying at all.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!