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50 years ago: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
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Poll Question: How do you feel about this album?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
4 [21.05%]
8 [42.11%]
1 [5.26%]
2 [10.53%]
1 [5.26%]
3 [15.79%]
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Steve Wyzard View Drop Down
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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 View Drop Down
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Points: 13481 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Manuel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2024 at 19:12
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 View Drop Down
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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 View Drop Down
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Points: 29991 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote richardh Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 17 2024 at 23:52
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 View Drop Down
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Points: 13218 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Octopus II Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 00:32
Pure masterpiece! Smile
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Points: 14773 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote octopus-4 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 07:44
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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VianaProghead View Drop Down
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Points: 3069 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VianaProghead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 09:47
It's a masterpiece, but not Rick's best ever. So, I voted "It's really good".
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Hercules View Drop Down
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Points: 7024 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hercules Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 13:44
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.
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Points: 5817 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 13:51
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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AFlowerKingCrimson View Drop Down
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Points: 19183 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 14:32
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 View Drop Down
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Points: 44896 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 14:34
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. Smile



Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 18 2024 at 14:35
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Heart of the Matter View Drop Down
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Points: 3627 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Heart of the Matter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 14:56
A masterpiece of the orchestral approach to prog - but hardly better than 6 Wives.
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Hrychu View Drop Down
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Points: 5817 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hrychu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 14:58
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

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. Smile


this is the dude who played Picard (and prof. Xavier), right?
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Awesoreno View Drop Down
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Points: 3109 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Awesoreno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 18 2024 at 22:48
^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 View Drop Down
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Points: 814 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hector Enrique Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 02 2024 at 16:36
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
Héctor Enrique
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