Wick Wakeman Wecording

Ok, I promised a reason for such much Rick Wakeman. I always liked Yes, once I discovered them on my own. But I had no real reason to like Rick Wakeman. I had none of his albums. Like many people, at the time I barely even knew he was in the band. Had no idea who anyone was in any band. But sometime in the 80's (1981 to be exact) I professed my love of the band Yes to a girlfriend. She was surprised that I did not know Wakeman's solo stuff. She was very into making mixtapes and so she picked this collection. I re compiled it from higher quality sources much much later. After I had started collecting Wakeman's solo stuff. So this is the PZA pick of Rick Wakeman made for me in 1981 and what got me started on liking Rick Wakeman. I redid the cover just today, but left the spelling. Notice that there is only one double with my pick. Not why we broke up (or that she left me heartlessly). I was an idiot and emotionally even more stupid. But I did learn eventually. In the meantime, I got into some great music because of her.

Wick Wakeman Wecording

01 Rick Wakeman - Searching for Gold

02 Rick Wakeman - Crime Of Passion

03 Rick Wakeman - Birdman Of Alcatraz

04 Rick Wakeman - After the Ball

05 Rick Wakeman - Catherine of Aragon

06 Rick Wakeman - Catherine Howard

07 Rick Wakeman - Anne Boleyn

08 Rick Wakeman - Catherine Parr

09 Rick Wakeman - Merlin the Magician

Rick Wakeman Yes

I'm still on Rick Wakeman. I know. The Wakeman Guest pick was yesterday. That's enough already, but I actually have one more after this. I hadn't included any Yes before this and now you will see why. Wakeman has such great songs with Yes that feature his virtuouso-ness (if that's even a word) that you have to include a few at least in a separate pick. Only problem is that they are all mostly really long. Here are a few (including one from "Anderson, Bruford,Wakeman, Howe" which you know I don't quite consider Yes). Tomorrow I will explain why he got so many comps from me. If you don't go with the how great he is story. Although he is great and has an even greater ego (deservedly so.)

Rick Wakeman Yes

01 Yes - Don't Kill The Whale

02 Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman, Howe - Brother Of Mine

03 Yes - Mind Drive

04 Yes - Awaken

05 Yes - Close To The Edge

06 Yes - Heart of the Sunrise

Rick Wakeman Guest

I promised something a little different, but still associated with Rick Wakeman. See, besides all of his huge amounts of solo albums (see Wakeman pick 2), Wakeman also guested on numerous other artist's projects. And remember I haven't included a single track he did with Yes. I normally would call this his family pick, but it really is only his guest spots. And not even all of them. He has guested for so many. And it is a wide variety. I really like how different they are in scope. Lou Reed? Black Sabbath? David Bowie? T. Rex? C'mon, who else has a pedigree like that. And I'm sure you know of more that I missed. But you know when you get to guest with Elton John the piano man, you are doing pretty good.

Rick Wakeman Guest

01 Ozzy Osbourne - I Just Want You

02 Lou Reed - Berlin

03 Black Sabbath - Sabbra Cadabra

04 The Strawbs - Temperament Of Mind

05 Vivian Stanshall - Smoke Signals At Night

06 Jon Anderson & Rick Wakeman - Living Tree, Part 1

07 The Strawbs - A Glimpse Of Heaven

08 Billy Sherwood - Crime Of The Century

09 T. Rex - Bang a Gong (Get It On)

10 David Bowie - Life On Mars

11 Ian Gillan, Rick Wakeman, Steve Howe, Ricky Joyce - Light My Fire

12 Al Stewart - Roads To Moscow

13 Cat Stevens - Morning Has Broken

14 David Bowie - Space Oddity

15 Elton John - Razor Face

Rick Wakeman Pick 2

Continuing with Rick Wakeman's pick of mine (Wakeman pick one), this is the second hour and therefore volume two. Not much more to add, except that listening to it again, it almost isn't rock in one sense. Wakeman's flourishes defy category. They can be very melodic and beautiful and also as raucous as can be. He tends to be different than most other keyboardists. Tomorrow I will show more of his prolific output. And completely different than the last days. It is weird to have such short connections. But they are each a CD in length.

Rick Wakeman Pick 2

07 Rick Wakeman - Lure Of The Wild

08 Rick Wakeman - Judas Iscariot

09 Rick Wakeman - The Mission

10 Rick Wakeman - Music Reincarnate

11 Rick Wakeman - The Pulse

12 Rick Wakeman - White Rock

13 Rick Wakeman - The Pharos Of Alexandria

Rick Wakeman Pick 1

I'm continuing the Yes members output with my picks. Rick Wakeman is going to get a lot of coverage. Mostly because I was exposed to Wakeman for longer. I will start with my pick of his solo stuff. It's slightly different than his best of compilations, although any of those would be a good start to listen to his solo stuff. His pick is divided into two volumes, just over an hour long sets and they are each beat matched, for all the good it would do you.

Rick Wakeman Pick 1

01 Rick Wakeman - Battle-The Forest

02 Rick Wakeman - Statue Of Justice

03 Rick Wakeman - Journey-Recollection

04 Rick Wakeman - Catherine of Aragon

05 Rick Wakeman - Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight

06 Rick Wakeman - Merlin the Magician