THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD

A low "one man band" effort from one of the greatest keyboardist in progressive rock, sounding a lot like records of his French and Greek brothers in arms. Imagined to represent a musical vision of seven world's wonders, with short narrative introductions to every one, it hardly succeeds except in last song, enough sad to easy connect it with it's "wonder", a tomb in Halicarnassus. On the other hand, songs about pyramids, hanging gardens and other human developments can't be connected with it's "wonder", and someone can changes song order not disturbing already loose connections. The complexity of music doesn't correspond to information that CD is recorded between September 1994 to March 1995 and looks more like exercise in using digital keyboards and programming rhythm machines.

The music itself has three layers. First is similar keyboards wallpaper to each of songs, the second is artificial uniform programming rhythm and percussion sound, and the third is some keyboard soloing which is the only thing that reminds me of who is actually playing. Maybe it can be useful in some TV reportage about world's wonders, but in home ambient, listen to it once or twice will be maximum. Not recommended even to Rick Wakeman and Yes completionists, considering the number of his better works.