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Rick Wakeman: A Gallery Of The Imagination album review
Rick Wakeman’s latest concept album presents the songs as if they were pictures in a gallery
As a true prog rocker Rick Wakeman is acutely aware of the visual presentation of his music, whether that’s the glittering cape he wears onstage or a bunch of ice skaters dancing around to one of his concept albums.
In his dotage he’s turned the tables. The music on his latest album is aimed at challenging listeners to actively create their own impressions through painting, sculpting, dancing or whatever. But the tracks are not a succession of ambient scene setting.
Wakeman has conjured up a variety of moods and styles, from the festive Cuban Carnival to the memory-driven A Day Spent On The Pier, although there is a dreamlike atmosphere to A Mirage In The Clouds and My Moonlight Dream.
Eight of the twelve tracks have vocals by Hayley Sanderson who follows Wakeman’s lead and skilfully brings out the different lyrical themes while the English Rock Ensemble echo and embellish Wakeman’s sonic sketches.
Source: loudersound.com
