Rick Wakeman: Criminal Record (you jerks!)

[3-LockBox]

Delicious Agony has been playing this album in its entirety this evening and it is superb. Hows come yous guys never talk about this album (is it because its nearly 30 years old?)

I find it entirely enthrawling (sp?). Bird Man and Judas are incredible tracks. I'm going to look for this over on Amazon---RFN!

[Dusty Chalk]

One of my favourites -- not discussed much because it's been in and out of print...mostly out. Good luck finding it.

"Judas" is transcendant.

[BarryL]

Delicious Agony has been playing this album in its entirety this evening and it is superb. Hows come yous guys never talk about this album (is it because its nearly 30 years old?)

I find it entirely enthrawling (sp?). Bird Man and Judas are incredible tracks. I'm going to look for this over on Amazon---RFN!

Lots of early Wakeman solo stuff is sadly overlooked. First off, Six Wives is killer, and features the likes of Bill Bruford, Alan White, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Dave Cousins, Dave Lambert, and more. It is a great prog-fussion album.

Journey is pretty solid, but schmaltzy, and King Arthur has some great cuts on it.

No Earthly Connection is also a killer album for the most part. What killed Wakeman wasn't the material, but the corny concepts he tried to contrive to put that material across.

I haven't heard Criminal Record in about 20 years, although I have it on vinyl along with Rhapsodies, 1984 (with lyrics by Tim Rice and vocals by Chuka Kahn), and another album that think it was called White Rock or something.

Rick's discography is a complete mess, and as many times as I've tried to figure out what is worth buying, I just can't figure it out. There are so many compilations are re-releases that I can't figure out what is good and what is just crap. He's re-recorded the same stuff over a number of times, so you can't even go by the track listings. I bought a Greatest Hits double CD with a Roger Dean cover that was his best songs reworked into trashy muzak. I'm sure there are a lot of gems in his post A&M years, but I don't know how to distinguish the good from the bad.

[Dave_G]

I love Wakey but alas have never heard 95% of his recordings, including Criminal Record.

Journey pt. 1 and 2 are great.

Dave

[Dusty Chalk]

No Earthly Connection is also a killer album for the most part. What killed Wakeman wasn't the material, but the corny concepts he tried to contrive to put that material across.

I agree that the concepts were corny, but I don't think that's what killed the deal. I think what killed the deal was that it was such a depressing record -- very much a 'downer'.

3lb -- a couple more you must track down: 1984 and Cost of Living.