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On Rick’s website you can find a listing in which Wakeman fans have
voted for their best Wakeman album ever. It’s strange to witness that
all those years later the top five albums all date from the period
1973-1977 ! Number one with only one vote difference (at the time of
writing !) is “Myths and legends” (’75) followed closely by my alltime
favourite “Six wives of Henry VIII” (’73), then “Journey” (’74),
“Criminal record” (’77) and finaly “No earthly connection” (’76). So
thirty years after the start of Rick’s solo career his fans still regard
his oldest work to be his very best. Isn’t that sufficient for the caped
crusader to think about what might be the reason for all this ? Finances
might be one thing as “Return to the centre of the earth” which did get
a fair financial backing comes in as 6th alltime best album.
So in a way there’s nothing wrong with Rick’s composing talents yet it
has everything to do with the budget the album has been given, with the
arrangements money can buy.
Instead of yet another dozen of lowbudget
semi-ambient CD’s, “Out there” is not only a Rick Wakeman solo venture
but also kind of conitinues where “No earthly conection” left off. So
please welcome the NERE, the New English Rock Ensemble, which puts the
necessary flame into the project. I’ll be very honest here because
having been president of Rick’s fanclub and being a close friend I have
never liked the albums on which a drumcomputer is delivering the beats.
Prog to me comes from the heart, not out of a box ! Again you need the
right amount of money in order to get the right musicians for the right
amount of time in the studio. The endresult however is “Out there” and
right now ‘out there’ there’s only one band capable of delivering such
great wonderful music and that’s Rick Wakeman and the NERE !
I will also be honest in saying that I
have always had my doubts what Rick’s choice for vocalists is concerned.
I never had a soft spot for Ashley Holt nor for Gary Pickford Hopkins
(just watch those ‘old’ DVD’s and you know why !). Ramon Remedios never
was my cup of tea either and I witnessed several concerts with Chrissie
Hammond which once again to my ears was far inferior than Rick’s
splendid keyboardplaying. Only Gordon Neville was OK for me and of
course … Damian Wilson. I’m not too keen the way Damian treats the Yes
classic ‘Starship trooper’ on the “Live in Buenos Aires DVD” however,
yet what he does with this brandnew material on “Out there” really is
outstanding.
Written and recorded over a period of five
years “Out there” is kind of a sequel to “No earthly connection” as it
is also based on the unexplained. Here the main question is ‘where does
music come from’ ? Whether it’s from a psychologocial point of view or
from a Christian belief certainly Rick has enough vision on this topic
to fill five albums. Next to Rick’s impressive rack of Korg instruments,
including the new Karma, I’m pleased to say also a Kurzweil KR 2500 and
the immortal Mini Moog are present. It’s exactly the mixture between new
and vintage instruments and samples which is the power behind “Out
there”. For sure it would be unreal to think Rick could or would deliver
an album which would sound exactly like “Six wives”. We all love that
album but that was 1973. This however is 2003 and we want to hear great
prog material as well as powerful drives, licks and chords. The NERE
having been on numerous tours with Rick play ever so well together which
is what you can hear clearly all over this album. As said before I’m
really really pleased that we hear real drums for a change because these
make all the difference. Add to that the smokin’ guitarsolo’s courtesy
of Ant Glynne and the pumping bass of Lee Pomeroy and Rick has one of
the best backing bands he can dream off.
The album begins with some eery solitary
stringsounds before it delivers one of the best synthsolo’s Rick has
delivered for a very long period of time. Drums, bass and guitar really
lift this titletrack to incredible heights forming ideal soil for the
experimental voice of Damian Wilson. Throughout this track Rick really
plays the best synthsolo’s I have heard for a long long time so I’m
really pleased to hear he’s still the talent we have known and loved for
thirty years and more. When Damian Wilson sings in the higher regions I
can’t help thinking about a young Ozzy Osbourne. Listen to ‘The mission’
and you’ll agree. I also like the great sounds of the drums here as well
as the daring medieval interlude. The highlight comes when Wakeman
delivers a wonderful organsolo yet I don’t understand why he didn’t use
an authentic Hammond B3 on this one as the original instrument still
sounds much better than the best sample available. Contrary to the work
of Stuart Sawney, Tony Fernandez’ use of electronic drums during ‘To be
with you’ works rather well. Also the choir mingles well with the piano.
‘Universe of sound’ begins in a very straight forward rock’n roll
fashion and gets extra power injected courtesy of Ant Glynne who kind of
battles with Rick’s solo’s.
More power and wonderful vocal melodies,
fantastic synthsolo’s, splendid guitarsolo’s and soothing piano form the
backbone of ‘Music of love’. But my absolute highlight out of this
incredible new Wakeman album certainly has to be the final track ‘The
cathedral of the sky’ which to me can be rated along the same lines as
Yes’ ‘Awaken’. Glorious church organ and choir set this one off to a
great start before every single NERE member once again shines with
Damian Wilson putting a great finish to a superb album. Even 50 minutes
seems way too little here as I was expecting more similar music. Yes,
it’s that good ! On the strength of this album the band has been booked
for no less than forty dates in Britain alone which is a great
improvement compared with earlier tours. So there is still hope.
Somewhere in june a DVD should be out as well and no doubt Rick’s
girlfriend Alina Bencini will have a big say in this with her artwork.
Dedicated to the seven astronauts who died during the STS-107 mission,
Rick now also declares the fact that for the last eight years he has
been working together with Nasa. His album “2000 AD into the future” was
flown aboard the 68th flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour
STS-67. In the year 2000 the album “Journey to the centre of the earth”
was sent aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-99. No doubt these
shuttles have taken Rick’s music “out there” waiting for
out-of-this-world applause and recognition. For sure the next Nasa
mission should certainly have a copy of “Out there” on board. Great to
have you back where you belong Rick : right at the very top !
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