Rick Wakeman: The Caped Crusader of Prog

"Over 3 hours of peaceful, beautiful music played by Rick on electronic (in need for a better word) keyboards used mainly as if they were a piano. If you liked the "Airs..." or "Aspirant.." -Trilogy you will probably enjoy "The Art in Music Trilogy" as well. On the cover they call it an "instrumental new world ambient music", but it draws more of your attention than just relaxing background sounds. As ever Rick takes his inspiration from a chosen item, this time it's arts. Every disc has it's own title ("The Sculptor", "The Writer", and "Sketches"), the latter being "a musical pastiche of time that stands still". But it's still not boring. All 3 discs have also their own beautiful artwork, so it's a shame that we can only see the picture of "The Writer"-disc on the cover, remaining two images being reproduced in the thumbnail-format in the booklet and on the discs themselves."

"Just great! Simply wonderful how the man who has been voted "progressive rock pianist of the year" for 7 years, gives a performance that has almost all the ingredients of a classical concert. Rick also shows his great sense of humour in his anecdotes (lots of funny stories, all true). A great buy!"

"If Rick had performed this in the time of Medieval Britain he would have blown them away with this one. For us it awakens the spirit of history. A fine performance of classical meets rock virtuosos embellished with Rick's typical trills and frills with carefully crafted interlacing of majors and minors. One or two surprises though, a sprinkling of synthesised strings and possibly a mix up of titles between The Siege and Castle Rushden. If any of us ever wondered if Rick might have come from another planet, then this album confirms it! I aspire to his mastery of the instrument."

"Ten carols - If ever you need the traditional feel to this season ( even if it starts in February for some ! ) this is the way to mellow in spite of the hassle that passes for the modern Christmas. From Silent Night to Angels from the Realms of Glory, every well known melody is given a simple, effective and atmospheric performance. This may be 2 kilos of Persil to some, it may not be available until Feb. 2001 to others, if you can, buy it, do the Christmas shopping, put the shopping aside, play this and be restored that this is the season of goodwill to all."

"I purchased this at Rick's concert in Atlanta and recommend it to everyone, but esp. to those who will be catching the remaining concerts on this tour since it is one of only 3 available at the shows! For those of you who haven't heard the current line-up of the ERE-it is definitely a "heavier" sound esp. due to Damien Wilson's vocals and Ant Glynne's guitar-which are both excellent and spotlighted on this live recording from 2001. The updated versions of "Journey", "Jane Seymour", and "No Earthly connection/the prisoner" are better than ever, the version of "Buried Alive" really rocks hard, and "Starship Trooper" features great playing by Rick, his son Adam, and Ant. The only thing I really missed was a audio version of 'Merlin" with the duelling keyboards of Rick and son like that featured on the DVD-I realize it is a different show apparently. Overall, great production and mixing-all of the musicians are very tight. Great addition to your RW collection!"

"Rick's interpretations of 7 classic Yes tracks, piano, synth, bass and drums for most. For me this must rate as one of Rick's best yet. His interpretations of Yes music go beyond his original involvement with the tracks and reproduce those glorious Jon Anderson vocals in synth and piano melody lines in a way that only Rick can. I found the interpretation of Close To The Edge rivetting and heard the track in a way which the sometimes raucous guitar never allowed The other standout track is Roundabout where Rick get's another go at the guitar parts as well as keyboards. The album indicates 'solo and duet piano' and I suspect this track is an example where either Rick has grown a third hand (possibly fourth) or it's a "duet" overdub. Either way great listening. The classic Hammond solo isn't as free and wild as the live performances and this may be from the need to keep some kind of time. Fantastic. Push on past Your Move if it's not strictly to your taste, the album is a gem."

"The Treasure Chest is here, and it's one fantastic box! Volume 1 consists of the "real" Lisztomania Soundtrack, as it was intended by Rick, but refused by A&M. From the opening scene narration by Paul Nicholas, through the Country Rag of "Country Sword Dance" and excellent versions of well-known Rick pieces as "Free Song", "Dante Period" a.o., this Soundtrack is hilarious, innovative, funny and provocative. I don't have to tell you, that it beats the one that came out in '75 a thousand times (or more than two thousand, to quote the master himself). Music: A+ Sound Quality: A+ And this is only Part 1 of the Box-Set…"

"When I heard that Rick Wakeman was going to release a "progressive rock" record in 2003, I was very excited. I have already been very pleased that Wakeman is back behind the keys with YES. One of my all-time favourite concert highlights was seeing Wakeman playing the ‘Mighty Wurlitzer’ organ at Radio City Music Hall during a Yes concert this past summer in New York City. To me, Wakeman is one of the most important figures in the history of progressive rock. The idea of him returning to his roots with a progressive release is music to my ears. Needless to say, I am very impressed with the release and Rick and the band are in excellent form throughout. ‘Out There’ contains a beautiful dedication to the seven astronauts who flew the last Columbia mission. This is a very appropriate dedication since the album relates the origin of music to ‘unseen dimensional astral plains somewhere amidst universes known and unknown’. Wakeman’s lyrics constantly reinforce this theme. The album begins with the epic title track, ‘Out There’. Wakeman’s symphonic intro lets the listener know he or she is in for a musical treat. The track, like many great epics, is broken into many sections. Wakeman’s keys are outstanding throughout, as are the vocals of Damian Wilson. Wilson, who reminds me a bit of Cairo’s Bret Douglas, has outstanding range. It is obvious why he was voted by the Classic Rock Society as the best male vocalist of 2002. I am also very impressed by the guitar playing of Ant Glynne. His driving guitar is present throughout the track and he explodes with a few blistering solos. In classic Wakeman fashion, a choir is used on many of the tracks. The choir adds to the emotionality of this particular piece. This song, in my opinion, is a modern day prog classic. ‘The Mission’ opens with Wakeman’s keys, which are joined by long time band member Tony Fernandez’s drums. Once again, Glynne’s guitar is prominent. Excellent playing by bassist Lee Pomeroy is also evident. I especially enjoy Wilson’s vocals on this song. ‘To Be With You’ begins with Fernandez on the electronic drums and the intro reminds me of the Yes song ‘Lift Me Up’. The choir has returned to handle the chorus in a beautiful fashion. ‘Universe of Sound is the most rocking song on the album. Wakeman and Glynne alternate several amazing solos. I really like the variety of sounds that Wakeman is achieving from his keyboards on this album. The song ends with an incredible Wakeman solo. ‘Music of Love’ is another great rocker that features more great keyboard and guitar solos. The final song, ‘Cathedral of the Sky’ is a favourite of mine. In vintage ‘Jane Seymour’ fashion, Wakeman’s presence on the church organ is unmistakable. The church organ/choir interaction is magical. The ten minute plus track is another Wakeman classic. Overall, I feel that ‘Out There’ is an outstanding album. I am very impressed by the band that Wakeman has put together. More than a solo effort, this is truly a band album. Wakeman has never sounded better and his songwriting is outstanding. I am also impressed by how important Ant Glynne’s guitar was to the overall sound of the album. With some albums that feature keyboardists, the guitarist will often take a back seat. This is not the case on this album I really enjoy Wilson’s vocals and Fernandez and Pomeroy are solid throughout. The addition of the choir completes the sound. In my opinion, ‘Out There’ compares favourably with any of Wakeman’s albums from the 70’s. The missing piece now is an American tour from Rick and the Ensemble. Of course, I will settle for some more US Yes dates. After hearing how great Wakeman sounds on this album, I am really excited about the prospect of a new Yes studio release! I highly recommend this album to any lovers of progressive rock and consider it a definite early contender for album of the year."