I have a problem with Rick Wakeman's later works (my father owns most of Rick Wakeman's albums):

His Keyboards sound extremely bland and artificial after his 70s albums. His songwriting is uninspired, non-prog, and not creative at all. Worst of all, his new age albums are extremely dull.

What is your opinion on Wakeman's solo career after his last great album? (Criminal Record)

Easy, guys. Maybe you missed these:

1984 (released in 1981). His best album of the '80s. Great instrumental and vocal tracks, including the title track as sung by one Chaka Khan!!

Zodiaque isn't bad, it just hasn't aged well. 2000 A.D. Into The Future is better, and while the digital synths are all over, the final track ("The Seventh Dimension") is a great Rick piece.

I like Out There a lot. Damian Wilson's a great singer, and this was easily Rick's best album in a long time.

There's something else coming up: a new album in which Rick will re-utilize an almost entirely analog/vintage synth/keyboard setup. I can't wait to hear it!

Mmm...

I more or less liked 1984, but I found Zodiaque and 2000 AD dredful, the former without a single memorable melody and the latter like a bad J. M. Jarre record.

Out there is good, and Return to the Centre of the Earth is one of my favourite Wakeman's albums, and that includes his 70s output.

His New Age stuff is more than often not interesting at all (Visions, the Aspirant albums...), but there are some solo piano cds that I really like: Romance of the Victorian Age and Preludes to a century aremy favourites.

I do like Rhapsodies, 1984, Return to the center of the earth, Out there.

From other albums that I have heard Crimes of Passion and Softsword are digestable, most others are crap.

• Country Airs
• Sea Airs
• Night Airs
• The Classical Connection
• The Piano Album
• Return To The Center Of The Earth
• The Wizard And The Forest of All Dreams
• Out There
  

Zitro wrote:   I have a problem with Rick Wakeman's later works (my father owns most of Rick Wakeman's albums): His Keyboards sound extremely bland and artificial after his 70s albums. His songwriting is uninspired, non-prog, and not creative at all. Worst of all, his new age albums are extremely dull.   What is your opinion on Wakeman's solo career after his last great album? (Criminal Record)

I agree to a great extent, with a few exceptions:

- though the keyboard sounds bland and artificial as you say, 1984 and Rock'n'roll Prophet are worth a spin. Someone even call them '70's albums in the spirit. The music itself is good. Not to mention the one-and-only Jon Anderson colloboration!

-after the '90's, Wakey also went through a reawakening. some examples I can suggest are Return and Out There albums, both of which are great (well, these were already mentioned). I like return even better than the original Journey.

-lastly, you're bloody well right, his new age albums suck! Maybe not from the new-age PoV, but as prog albums they shouldn't have been there!!!!

Bilek wrote: -after the '90's, Wakey also went through a reawakening. some examples I can suggest are Return and Out There albums, both of which are great (well, these were already mentioned). I like return even better than the original Journey.

I also like  Return better than Journey. It may worth mentioning a faily unkown album: Stella Bianca. I liked that one a lot.

Well, when exploring my father's Rick Wakeman Collection, I seem to find a few albums that are very good, but most of them are disappointing.

I disagree with Return to the Center of the Earth : I find it extremely incoherent musically (mainly because they are pop songs sang by different singers), and most of those songs are mediocre in quality and melody-wise.

1984 is by no means a bad album, but the music mood didn't match the one of the book, and it is inconsistent in places. (Still, the overture track is one of the best songs Wakeman has ever composed)

Out There seems interesting from the samples in Wakeman's site, I might buy it someday ... It feels like No Earthly Connections, 1984, and Heavy Metal combined.

His piano albums are mostly boring, except for a few gems (Heritage Suite, and Preludes to a Century)

He completely ripped me off with his album inspired by 'lord of the rings' which is not inspired by it! they are tracks from earlier albums.

These are the albums I consider good after Criminal Record:

_Landscapes of Middle Earth (do not buy if you have 'Seven Wonders' or Heritage Suite)

_1984 (Interesting, but flawed concept album with great keyboard playing)

_Suite of Gods (New Age with an excellent opera singer)

_Wakeman With Wakeman (It mixes the styles of Six Wives and Rhapsodies)

_Stella Blanca (If you don't mind french lyrics, this is an enjoyable short listen with an amazing cover of 'Ocean City')

_Heritage Suite (classical and varied piano album)

_Preludes to a Century (his best post 70s album in my opinion, and his best piano album)

But some of these albums could have been better if only Wakeman hired a drummer and played better keyboards.

Wakeman admits himself that he made a number of albums just to "pay the bills".

Regardless of what you think of "Return to the centre of the earth", it certainly didn't fall into that category, I suspect it probably actually lost money. (I felt it was disappointing too).

Out there was a good band album, nominally the belated follow up to "No earthly connection".

Some good reviews coming through from you Zitro by the way!

Hi,

Just noticed this thread, this area is of geat interest to me as it was 'Journey' that first got me hooked into this music back in the late 70's.

I stopped collecting his works after 1984, an album which I was anxious to own when it was launched but really never did it for me. I saw him live shortly after 1984 was launched in the as was then Hammersmith Odeon ! & he obviously did a lot of stuff from this one. Chaka Khan was not there (shame!) but some other artist whose name escapes me. I recall she sang off key quite a bit which didn't help the cause an awful lot!

It never ceases to amaze me how someone with so much talent capable of works such as Myths, VI Wives, No Earthly, Journey etc just seemed to stop & therafter just bring out material that bares no resemlence to these former milestone albums at all (IMHO).

However from what people have said I really ought to check out a few of the post '77 named titles in this thread 

Cheers

M

yaksongs wrote: Hi, Just noticed this thread, this area is of geat interest to me as it was 'Journey' that first got me hooked into this music back in the late 70's. I stopped collecting his works after 1984, an album which I was anxious to own when it was launched but really never did it for me. I saw him live shortly after 1984 was launched in the as was then Hammersmith Odeon ! & he obviously did a lot of stuff from this one. Chaka Khan was not there (shame!) but some other artist whose name escapes me. I recall she sang off key quite a bit which didn't help the cause an awful lot! It never ceases to amaze me how someone with so much talent capable of works such as Myths, VI Wives, No Earthly, Journey etc just seemed to stop & therafter just bring out material that bares no resemlence to these former milestone albums at all (IMHO). However from what people have said I really ought to check out a few of the post '77 named titles in this thread  Cheers M

Journey was my second album of Wakeman, and it is easily my favourite from the 50+ albums of Wakeman my father owns.

If you want Rick Wakeman at his best, check out "preludes to a Century" ... I never heard him play so well. The only possible downside is that it is a 100% piano album. And Also, "Out There" because of the positive public opinions/ratings (I haven't heard that album, only samples from http://www.rwcc.com - www.rwcc.com  )

Yep, Wakeman made many albums of low quality. My least favourites of them being Rock&Roll Prophet, Phantom Power, Zodiaque, and of course how can I forget the dreadful G'ole? : 

RICK WAKEMAN G'olé O.S.T.
Review ( http://www.progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=43146 - Permanent link ) by http://www.progarchives.com/Collaborators.asp?id=102 - Zitro @ 11:09:51 PM EST, 8/16/2005
PROG REVIEWER

 —  Rick Wakeman, A legendary brilliant and vituosic keyboard player and songwriter. Composer of classic works such as 'Gone But Not Forgotten', "Merlin', 'Judas', and 'Catherine of Aragon'. He is rivaled only by Keith Emerson in skills. He also is a vital member of Yes who helped make the band symphonic with classical keyboard orchestrations.

So, what gift of genius does he present us? An extremely lifeless and bland instrumental soundtrack with some of the worst synths I have ever heard. The songs are extremely simple and straight-forward which can be very boring to listen to more than once. They are either mellow sleep-inducers with no hints of good melodies, or happy bouncy terrible tunes.

Avoid this album!! It is the soundtrack of the world cup in which my country emerged champions, yet I still pass a horrible time when I spin this disc.

Wakeman failed to make the goal ...

I have the first three, of which Six Wives is definitely my favourite ... I also have a double-CD collection called Masters ... most of it is rubbish and yes sometimes Richard Wakeman sounds like Richard Clayderman (mmm, will use that line in my review one day) ... I really like Return Of The Prophet though ...

I've also heard a couple of tracks off 7 Wonders Of The World (but not the whole album) ... sounded good ... what do you guys make of that album ... is it one of his proggiest (post 1977)?

I rated the 7 Wonders of the World 3 stars, and I forgot to include that album. I do not know whether to call it prog or not. It is more like New Age, yet the rhytms are a little rocking sometimes. That album has 3 excellent songs (the first 2, and the last one)

• Return to the Centre of the Earth
• Out there

They are by far the best records Rick Wakeman has done in the last 20 years and IMO are as good as "King Arthur" and "Six Wives".

By the way I've always found that "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" is a bit overrated, the concept is very interesting and the project itself is daring but it has too many flaws to be considered an "essential" album: the orchestration is somewhat poor and naive (in that aspect I can tell that Rick was a still young at the time), and the vocals and guitars are terrible; there are some enjoyable parts on "Journey" but I'll always go back to the other albums of that period. "Return to the Centre of the Earth" has everything "Journey" lacks: great orchestration, good songwriting and excellent performances.

Prosciutto wrote: Return to the Centre of the Earth Out there They are by far the best records Rick Wakeman has done in the last 20 years and IMO are as good as "King Arthur" and "Six Wives". By the way I've always found that "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" is a bit overrated, the concept is very interesting and the project itself is daring but it has too many flaws to be considered an "essential" album: the orchestration is somewhat poor and naive (in that aspect I can tell that Rick was a still young at the time), and the vocals and guitars are terrible; there are some enjoyable parts on "Journey" but I'll always go back to the other albums of that period. "Return to the Centre of the Earth" has everything "Journey" lacks: great orchestration, good songwriting and excellent performances.

I totally agree, Return and Out There are by far the best post-'77 albums by Wakey. Not to mention they are actual follow ups to Journey and the amazing No Earthly Connection album

Your idea about the original Journey is also legitimate. The vocals are not only terrible in this album, Ashley Holt sings the crap out of every Wakey album he participated!!! Yet, there are very shiny moments, and perfect keyboard solos by The Man...

maybe you (and all others interested) should check on the Treasure Box Set. I have the entire set in an MP3 disc, and has a studio version of Journey, albeit with a lower sound quality... THe musicianship is better nevertheles... I forgot which CD it was, but all appear as seperate CD's in progarchives discography...