RHAPSODIES

It looks as if Rick Wakeman recorded this dreadful double album ONLY for contractual reasons. 1979 was a dreadful year for prog: all the major British bands from the seventies were at the end of their tether; only King Crimson was on the verge of being resurrected in a truly spectacular way. I have often wondered why Rick lost his fizz. On SIX WIVES, WHITE ROCK and parts of CRIMINAL RECORD he'd proved himself an incredibly inventive soloist, but in the 1980s and 1990s there was nothing left for him but dreary New Age stuff and desperate collaborations with terrible vocalists.

I guess that by 1979 Wakeman felt there was nothing left to do on either moog synthesizers or hammond organ. He completely lost the spirit of exploration. RHAPSODIES is incredibly cheesy - what a shame Rick had to sink this low!