CRIMINAL RECORD

Although the album features a concept, I find it much to vague and, besides the ending of Chamber Of Horrors, the music here plays just as well without it. Rick Wakeman's performances on each of these six tracks are really great so I can understand why his fans consider it to be one of his career highlights. Unfortunately the last minute of The Breathalyser ruins my overall appreciation for the album. Sorry Bill Oddie, although I have great respect for you, this vocal contribution feels completely unnecessary and out of place here. Yes, you've probably understood that I'm not a fan of practical jokes especially the one's that have no place on an instrumental recoding of this sort.

Still, this little incident by no means makes Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record a bad album, on contrary I consider it to be his last great release. Judas Iscariot comes close to a great performance but the composition is a bit too long and probably overstays its welcome by about 4 minutes or so. I just can't rate it higher than the good, but non-essential rating it deserves.

**** star songs: Statue Of Justice (6:20) Crime Of Passion (5:46) Chamber Of Horrors (6:40) Birdman Of Alcatraz (4:12) Judas Iscariot (12:15)

*** star songs: The Breathalyser (3:51)

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