Almost Live In Europe Review by Gary Hill While you can debate as to what music should or should not have been included to make this a better disc, there’s one thing you probably won’t quibble about. That’s the sound quality of the recording.
Aspirant Sunrise Review by Gary Hill There was a time when a lot of musicians were jumping on the “new age” bandwagon. As this recently reissued release from Rick Wakeman shows, he was definitely one of them. In fact, this was the first of a trilogy of new age albums.
Aspirant Sunset Review by Gary Hill This is one of a series of three discs Rick Wakeman did in 1990 as a restful relaxing type of experience. Remember, this was the era of New Age music.
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Aspirant Sunshadows Review by Gary Hill The third CD in a trilogy of “new age” discs from Rick Wakeman, this might be the best of the bunch.
This is an uneven, but interesting solo album from Rick Wakeman. I think there are at least a couple throwaway songs here, but there are some that work so well.
This is a new release of Rick Wakeman's 1984 soundtrack album. There are two songs here with vocals (one is a bonus track) serving as book-ends to the release.
Fields of Green Review by Gary Hill Another in the series of Rick Wakeman reissues, this disc originally came out in 1997. It opens with a couple of intriguing pieces that, by themselves, make this a must have for Wakeman fans
Live at Hammersmith Review by Gary Hill This live album from 1985 captures Rick Wakeman and his band performing tracks from his Six Wives of Henry the VIII, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Myths and Legends of King Arthur albums.
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Out of the Blue Review by Gary Hill This live album from the most recent incarnation of Wakeman’s band – The New English Rock Ensemble is a killer. While the sound might possibly be just below that of Almost Live in Europe – and that’s iffy – I’d have to say that I like the setlist here better.
Out There Review by Bruce Stringer The first thing I noticed about this CD is the bizarre spaceship on the front red-coloured cover booklet, which looks like a weird marriage between V8 engine and mechanical fish with a protruding golf putter to add to its other-worldly imagery.
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Return To The Centre of The Earth Review by Gary Hill By going back to his past, Rick Wakeman has created an album that is nearly a masterpiece. A sequel to his Journey to the Centre of the Earth disc, Return to the Centre of the Earth is a very potent progressive rock concept album. More...
Romance of the Victorian Age Review by Gary Hill This might not be one of the better known Wakeman solo releases, but it’s actually one of the strongest.
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Sixty Minutes with Rick Wakeman Review by Gary Hill This new compilation of songs from Rick Wakeman includes a nice cross section of his solo career. It’s really hard to encapsulate what he’s done over the years into one CD minute set, so certainly fans will come up with something they think is missing.
The Burning Review by Gary Hill Long out of print, this soundtrack album is now available on CD. With all the music written and performed by Rick Wakeman, it’s a foregone conclusion that Wakeman fanatics will be all over this.
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The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table Review by Rick Damigella Who so pulleth out the sword from the stone is the trueborn king of all of Britain. While this greatest of tales of heroism and chivalry has been told numerous times in written and filmed form, only a handful of music based tellings have been done.
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I'm a big fan of progressive rock, and especially Yes (and by extension Rick Wakeman). I'm also a fan of horror movies, including the old classic ones.
The argument could be made that the Rick Wakeman solo releases of the 1970s were the golden era of his career outside of Yes. Surely they set the bar next to which his later releases would be judged.
Tribute Review by Gary Hill Keyboard great Rick Wakeman turns his attention on this disc to the music of The Beatles. It has to be said that for musicians of a certain generation (and Wakeman is certainly in that group) The Beatles were a groundbreaking influence.
I've read where people have been disappointed by this album because it was not full Yes versions of these songs. All I have to say is, if you want the original version, buy the original disc.
White Rock II Review by Gary Hill If anyone out there remembers White Rock (the first disc), you’ll know that it was music that Wakeman composed for the Olympics film. Well, when they set about to redo some of the film footage they wanted some additional music and White Rock II ensued.
Rick Wakeman - The Other Side of Rick Wakeman DVD Review by Gary Hill For those who are Wakeman fanatics, myself included, this DVD is great. Like his CD of Yes songs, this DVD is strictly solo piano, and Wakeman shows that he needs neither fancy Moog synthesizers nor other musicians to make great sounds.
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Rick Wakeman - Live in Nottingham, UK, 2003 Review by Bruce Stringer I was very excited when I heard that Rick Wakeman was to be appearing at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham and, being my first time ever seeing any member of Yes perform live, I didn't know quite what to expect. Originally, I had tried to arrange a brief interview with Rick however that fell through at the last minute.
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Interviews
Rick Wakeman Interview by Gary Hill and Josh Turner Interview with Rick Wakeman from 2005
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus Review by Gary Hill Before the Union album, Jon Anderson, frustrated with the musical direction of the Rabin era Yes, left the group and reunited with former classic Yes-mates Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Bill Bruford. Although, they were four fifths of the same lineup that brought such albums as Fragile and Close To The Edge to life, Chris Squire owned the rights to the name "Yes", and wasn't interested in letting them use it.
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Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe - An Evening of Yes Music Plus DVD Review by Gary Hill As someone who saw this tour live (twice, I believe) and owned the VHS of this for years, it’s a pleasure to finally have it on DVD. For those who don’t remember, Anderson Bruford Wakeman and Howe spun off of Yes during the Trevor Rabin era (between the Big Generator and Union albums).
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This single from Anderson, Bruford Wakeman and Howe is out of print, of course, but these days, it’s not that hard (or sometimes expensive) to get your hands on something like this.
Various Artists - Back Against the Wall Review by Gary Hill There are few people who haven't at least heard of Pink Floyd's The Wall. I would hazard to say that those who have never heard the album are in the minority as well.
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This single from Anderson, Bruford Wakeman and Howe is out of print, of course, but these days, it’s not that hard (or sometimes expensive) to get your hands on something like this.
Yes - Classic Yes Review by Gary Hill This compilation of Yes material came out at the same time as Yesshows, shortly after the break up of the band following the Drama tour. This truly does feature some classic Yes material and would represent a great first look at the band.
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Yes - Close To The Edge Review by Gary Hill This is the first Yes album that I ever heard, and although it took me several listenings to get into it (I actually hated it first time through) it completely won me over. It is truly my favorite Yes album and the disc that got me interested in the band, and in progressive rock.
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This new set from the ever-changing group of musicians recording under the name "The Prog Collective" does feel a little darker than some of the rest of their music.
Yes - Drama - Remastered and Expanded Review by Greg Olma This is the bastard child of the Yes family. Many Yes purists don't acknowledge its existence with even Jon Anderson refusing to play any of the material live.
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Yes - Extended Versions - The Encore Collection Review by Gary Hill So, you've probably seen this set around and wondered what it is and if you should pick it up. Well, I have saved you the trouble and will reveal what is in store for you here.
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Yes - Fragile - Remastered And Expanded Review by Gary Hill Rhino has begun a series of remasters of Yes albums, restoring the original artwork and adding bonus cuts to the discs. This is their version of one of the more classic Yes recordings, Fragile.
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Yes - Friends and Relatives Review by Gary Hill Friends and Relatives is a two CD set that is a compilation of two Yes tracks from the KTA albums with solo works from the various artists. Other than the two stellar group performances, the Rick Wakeman pieces and Steve Howe`s take on Tales From Topographic Oceans stand out the most.
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Yes - Going For The One Review by Gary Hill Being an album that had Rick Wakeman rejoining the fold, this one was looked upon as a very strong and welcome release to Yes fans. Indeed, it still ranks among the favorites of many of them.
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Yes - Greatest Hits Review by Gary Hill With this Yes compilation recently reissued, it seems a good time to have a look at it. It always seems a bit odd when you get a “Greatest Hits” compilation from a band that isn’t known for hit singles, but such is the case here.
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Yes - Greatest Video Hits DVD Review by Gary Hill Originally released on VHS, this collection was put out on DVD in 2005. This video is a collection of videos (many of which have not often been seen) interspersed with interview clips from band members (recorded during the Union tour).
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One World Project - Grief Never Grows Old Review by Josh Turner Out of all the progressive rock relief projects, this one features the biggest names: Barry and Robin Gibb (The Bee Gees), Paul Von Merten, Randell Kirsch and Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Boy George (Culture Club), Steve Winwood (Traffic), Rick Wakeman & Jon Anderson (Yes), Dewey Bunnell & Gerald Beckley (America), and a handful of others.
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Yes - Keys To Ascension Review by Gary Hill The majority of this 2 disc set is a series of live recordings from the three SLO concerts that Yes did in 1996. The live material is augmented by two new studio cuts.
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Yes - Keys to Ascension 2 Review by Gary Hill Keys to Ascension 2 contains live tracks from the San Luis Obispo concerts, recorded March of 1996(disc one), and 5 new studio songs(disc two). The lineup for the album is Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White.
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Yes - Keys To Ascension DVD Review by Gary Hill Recorded in 1996, this one is the one that almost makes it in the quest for ultimate live Yesshow video. Those who were there say that the video includes a lot of overdubs, but for the uninitiated, you really can't tell.
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Yes - Keystudio Review by Gary Hill Talking about the album that should have been! When these songs were originally released it was as bonus new studio recordings at the end of the two Keys to Ascension sets.
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Yes - Live at Montreux 2003 Review by Gary Hill Yes is a band that has no shortage of live albums. For this reason, the next statement I’m going to make is all the more profound. This may well be the best live CD they have ever released.
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Yes - Live At Montreux 2003 DVD Review by Gary Hill Another in the Live at Montreux series, this DVD is one of the best of the bunch. Mind you, a good deal of that is about the performance that was captured here.
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It seems that a common occurrence these days is for different factions within a classic band to form versions of the band and go out and tour. Well, it has now become a thing with Yes.
Yes - Live In Chicago, 2002 Review by Gary Hill First things first, a warning since the tour is still underway, if you are one of the people who is going to see one of the shows, and if you like to be surprised, don't read this review until after you see them - because there are spoilers in the review.
Yes - Live in Chicago, November 21, 2002 Review by Steve Alspach Only four months after previously playing in Chicago, Yes returned and put on an superb show that showcased some of the highlights of the band's 33-year career. With Rick Wakeman back into the fold, the band showed that it still hasn't lost any of its chops.
Yes - Live In Nottingham, England, June 6, 2003 Review by Bruce Stringer Firebird Suite / Siberian Khatru was not the smashing introduction to the set that I had hoped, but none-the-less quite strong. The crowd had been stamping and yelling and were quite worked up over the 65 minute wait for Yes to arrive on stage.
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Yes - Live in Rosemont, IL, May 4th, 2004 Review by Gary Hill The last couple Yes shows it seemed that the band was just getting better and better live. Probably a lot of this was due to heightened excitement and energy from the return of Rick Wakeman.
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Even if all you know from Graham Bonnet is his two best-known bands, Rainbow and Alcatrazz, you have to know that there is a wide range of sounds in his repertoire.
I am a big fan of pretty much anything Billy Sherwood is involved with and I love Supertramp, so when I heard Sherwood was in charge of assembling an all star tribute to Supertramp, I was excited.
Various Artists - Steinway To Heaven Review by Gary Hill It seems like a rather novel, but still somewhat obvious concept. Take various keyboardists, mostly from the world of progressive rock and have them record various classical piano pieces.
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I generally like things like this where an album is created by taking the track list of a famous album and having different artists reproduce the songs.
Yes - Tales From Topographic Oceans Review by Gary Hill This is quite possibly the most derisive Yes album of the entire catalog. Certainly many critics panned it, but that wasn't all that unusual.
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Whenever a live album (or any album from that matter) comes out featuring two of the most charismatic and popular former members of a band like Yes comparisons to that group are obvious.
Yes - The New Director’s Cut DVD Review by Gary Hill In some ways you can say, “we’ve seen it before.” Of course, isn’t that par for the course whenever you see “Director’s Cut” anywhere in the title or subtitle of a DVD?
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Various Artists - The Show That Never Ends Review by Gary Hill This album is a compilation of various progressive rock performances that were presented on the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show. All of the outings are quite good, and the selection of artists is also.
There have been a few books written about the band, Yes but this one really includes the involvement of many of the members of the group through extensive interviews.
Yes - Tormato Review by Gary Hill An album that is rather maligned in fan circles, Tormato is a bit pop oriented, but really has some wonderous moments. The bass sound on this one is a bit experimental, having a very processed approach, and although the majority of the songs are more accessible, there is a spirit of prog rock jamming that creates an openness and spirit of virtuosity throughout.
Yes - Tormato (Expanded and Remastered) Review by Greg Olma Back in the late 1970's, Yes must have been a bit scared of the changing musical landscape. Punk was trying it's hardest to kill off bands like Yes; calling them dinosaurs.
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Like last year, there is a new Yes picture disc released for Record Store Day. Last year it was 90125. This year they turned their attention to Tormato.
Yes - Union Review by Gary Hill The great experiment - at the time of this album's recording there were essentially two versions of Yes out and making music. The first was the Trevor Rabin "Yes West" lineup (consisting of Rabin, Chris Squire, Alan White and Tony Kaye - Jon Anderson had left the group, but been working his way back into the fold) and Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe (the splinter group of one of the most classic lineups).
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This album is fully instrumental. It’s a great disc, too. Some of the music here has appeared elsewhere (although most of the time in different arrangements)
Yes - Yesshows Review by Gary Hill When Yes broke up after the aborted Drama tour, their label released two "new" albums, Classic Yes (a compilation) and Yesshows (a live album recorded before Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman chose to take their leave of the band).
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Yes - Yessongs Review by Gary Hill At the time that Yessongs was released, the critics were calling Yes a studio phenomenon, and saying that they could not reproduce their complex arrangements live. This release, at least partially, was meant to dispel that rumour -- and it worked.
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This is a new reissue of the original Yes concert film. While the main film remains unchanged from older editions, there is quite a bit of added material here.
Yes - Yessongs DVD Review by Gary Hill The only true Yes concert film (as in it was shown in theaters as a motion picture) this movie suffers a lot from the time period in which it was made. Granted, this classic performance from December of 1972 is a great time capsule, but filmmaking has come a long way since then.
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Yes - Yesspeak DVD Review by Gary Hill This DVD is documentary (remember when these things were called "rockumentaries") on Yes. It focuses on interview segments with each of the current members of the band (Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White) but focuses on the entire history of the band.
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Yes - Yesterdays Review by Gary Hill This compilation is composed almost entirely of material from the first two Yes releases (Yes and Time and a Word) - the majority from the second album. As such the lineup consists of Jon Anderson, Peter Banks, Bill Bruford, Tony Kaye and Chris Squire.
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Yes - Yesyears Box Set Review by Gary Hill Released during the flurry of activity surrounding the Union tour, this four CD set is a pricey, but fairly solid addition to the Yes catalog. While any compilation will undoubtedly bring up complaints as to what was included and what was not, this album presents a fairly accurate representation of the chronology of the band.
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Yes - Yesyears DVD Review by Gary Hill Before there was Yesspeak, there was Yesyears. In some ways this documentary is superior to the more recent one.
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