Tuesday 14 November 2023

No Earthly Connection - RICK WAKEMAN***

The Warning/The Maker/The Spaceman/The Realisation/The Reaper/The Prisoner/The Lost Cycle

No Earthly Connection was an uneven album from keyboardist Rick Wakeman where the blandness of some of the compositions exceeds the passages that are more inspirational. (US:67 UK:9)

“I strongly believe that this is Wakeman's music as it should be. A fantastic good album with unique and unreachable sound. It's definitely my all-time favourite and my connection with many-faced keyboard's performance.”

“The album was inspired by mysterious phenomena like the Bermuda Triangle, the pyramids etc. and was a prime example of prog rock's decline after the mid-70s.The grand opus Music Reincarnate contains some of prog rock's best and worst moments. Fantastic classical influences, jazzy interventions, orchestral majesty and keyboard virtuosity/complexity. But these all go along with overly very pompous vocals and pretentious lyrics along with some clichéd choirs. This one flirts dangerously with both majestic and bland music.”

“This is a very underrated album from Rick Wakeman, supported by the excellent English Rock Ensemble. There are many excellent mellotron, piano, clavinet and harpsichord parts, and the bass even sounds like a clavinet. The tracks are very rhythmic and loaded. The omnipresent brass arrangements are very special and excellent, and give the music a very original sound.”

“All the tracks are excellent, and the music is very progressive. This splendid album is introspective, serious, beautiful, and it naturally predisposes the listener to a religious contemplation. The music is perfectly balanced between Wakeman's progressive keyboards and the omnipresent sophisticated rock dimension provided by the English Rock Ensemble. All the tracks can be uninterruptedly listened without any problem.”

“An average Wakeman outing. The opening five part suite is marred by vocals that just don't cut it and lyrics that are, to be polite, strained. The Prisoner and The Lost Cycle save the LP as both are better performed and more interesting songs. Wakeman is a great performer and plays well throughout.”

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