Sir Galahad (Rick Wakeman) (LP 4806 - 4814)

Rick Wakeman  The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Vinyl and CD, A&M Records, 1973) *****  

Rick Wakeman  The Six Wives of Henry VIII Live at Hampton Palace (CD and DVD, Eagle Records, 2009) ***  

Rick Wakeman  Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Vinyl and CD, A&M Records, 1974) ***  

Rick Wakeman  The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (Vinyl and CD, A&M Records, 1975) **** 

Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble  No Earthly Connection (Vinyl, A&M Records, 1976) **  

Rick Wakeman  Rock n' Roll Prophet (Vinyl, Dureco Benelux Records, 1982) ** 

Rick Wakeman  Silent Nights (Vinyl, President Records, 1985) **  

Rick Wakeman  Country Airs (CD, Coda Records, 1986) ****  

Rick Wakeman and the Martian Rock Ensemble  Red Planet (Vinyl, Madfish Music, 2020) ***** 

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: DJ Records, HMV, Real Groovy Records, JB Hi Fi, Spellbound Wax Company.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight

Gear costume: Glory Boys (Silent Nights)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Thanks to Yes' Fragile album I was a fan of everything in Yes World, which led me to The Six Wives of Henry VIII back in 1973. Consequently, I fell in love with the brilliant, but barking mad, world of Rick Wakeman - hence all these albums!

Six Wives is a majestic series of songs that thematically conjure up the spirit of each wives' personality, according to Rick. This was his second solo album, but kinda his first real one. He'd made an album called Piano Vibrations in 1971. It was a series of cover versions of popular songs, whereas Six Wives features his original content.

The album was recorded live in its entirety for the first time at Hampton Court Palace in 2009. The palace is a fitting venue - as it was home for Henry VIII. The show was released on DVD and as an album. 

It fools around with the order of tracks and includes one for Henry that was left off the original album. It's a fine performance, but I prefer the original sound and order. The live version is a bit too slick.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth was another epic concept album. I bought it and sold it off at some point, then many years later had a hankering to listen to it again. I bought a CD copy with terrible packaging so found a record with the original (also terrible, but not as terrible) packaging. 

It's easy to see where Alan Parsons got his concept ideas from - I bet he wished he'd found this idea first. Rick chose a live setting for this recording, and it pays off with the London Symphony Orchestra and English Chamber Choir. The whole album is entertaining and unpretentious for the most part.

The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Spiders from Mars, oops - I mean Knights of the Round Table, is one of my favourites. It helps that I love the source material.

Again, the packaging for the vinyl edition is missing from the el cheapo CD version. A shame, because the booklet that comes with the vinyl album is superb and it deserves wider distribution.

The music and story line are mostly in synch, except for the bits that sound like you've entered a western saloon. I can never figure out why prog rock gods like Wakeman and Emerson insert those bits. Aside from that quibble, it's another entertaining album.

No Earthly Connection was another album that had Rick playing with his English Rock Ensemble - a loose Plastic Ono Band style group. This time he focuses his talents on one song that covers all of side one and half of side two of the vinyl - called Music Reincarnate. It drifts by pleasantly but doesn't linger long in the memory.

From its tacky cover and title, to the fact Rick sings on three tracks, Rock n'Roll Prophet is a really weird one! It's a hard album to like, which is why critics derided it at the time. Apparently, the album was intended as a spoof but it seems sincere, so who knows. Easy to say that in hindsight, I guess. Oh, and his vocals aren't terrible.

The whole album is not that bad, but the chintzy synths do give the album a goofy veneer. When he plays piano he's on much more solid ground; clearly he wasn't in a serious mood though.

Onto the dreaded mid-eighties and Silent Nights had a much better cover and title for a start. It also had the mix of novelty songs (terrible) instrumentals (both excellent) and sub-par songs that strived to be current (meh). The mid-eighties were bleuch for a lot of artists who had a post punk curse to contend with. Rick was unfortunately no exception. Do love that cover though.

Maybe Rick realised all this and decided to record a beautiful instrumental solo piano album instead. Although Country Airs does encroach on new age pianist George Winston's territory, it's distinctly Rick Wakeman.

Side note - beware Rick's re-recorded version in 1992 because of Coda (the record company) going bankrupt. That version uses a digital piano, so the original is the superior one.

That Rick is at his best in an instrumental setting is borne out by his 2020 album - Red Planet. He's joined on the album by the latest iteration of his band, now renamed The Martian Rock Ensemble (I see what he did there).

It's similar in approach to Six Wives - lengthy prog rock songs married to a central concept. In this case life on Mars (b.t.w - Rick's piano is a feature of that Bowie song). Rick is back with a band who supplement his talents with drums and guitars. I especially like the guitar layers on the album.

Each of the song features plenty of twists and turns (I swear he suffers from ADHD) so there are always new things to listen out for. Each track is brilliant and the whole album coheres around the theme. It's a triumph!

Where do they all belong? He's extremely prolific and I'm not a completist. I'm happy with what I've got and there's a lot more of Rick to come when we reach Yes.

Carnaval (Santana) (LP 4802 - 4805)

Argent  Circus (CD, CBS Records, 1975) ***  

John Lennon  Johnny Moondog (Vinyl, Bootleg recording) *

Van Morrison  Remembering Now (Vinyl, Virgin Records, 2025) ****  

Santana  Festival (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 1977) *** 

Genre: Prog rock, pop, celtic soul, rock 

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Down to Joy (Van)

Gear costume: Let the Children Play (Santana)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: These four albums are from a recent purchase from Real Groovy. I saw they had a copy of Johnny Moondog so I got that and padded that out to get free shipping with three other albums on my list. I lost the Lennon bootleg in that infamous house move, so it's good to find a replacement. The quality is pretty dire at times and the songs have all appeared elsewhere but it repairs a hole in my psyche, so it's invaluable.

I think the only two missing bootlegs I'm still looking for are a Lennon 10 inch called A Guitar's All Right, John, and The Beatles Hahst az Son - made up of Let It Be sessions on a double album.

The Argent album is their sixth album, their last for CBS and their first without Russ Ballad. John Verity is the new vocalist/ replacement for Ballad. 

My reviews of other Argent albums can be found here, here and here. Why so many, and why Circus? I like Argent's unpretentious brand of prog rock. Yes, this is a concept album but it's built around a circus experience as a metaphor for life. As Obi Wan might say - nothing pretentious going on here, move along, move along. It's a solid mid seventies light prog album which does no harm.

I've written about my Van Morrison collection three times so far (here, here and here). He's an artist that refuses to be ignored as the years go by and his releases stack up.

The reviews for Van's 47th studio album, 2025's Remembering Now, were uniform in their opinion that this one of his best ever albums. It's staggering that his first album was released almost 60 years ago. Obviously, given the amount of music he releases (22 albums in the last 26 years), the quality will vary. Plus, being in his eighties - he's no spring chicken. When the inspiration hits, though, as it does on this album, he's in a class of his own.

There's something extremely gratifying when each song starts and then Van the man begins his vocals - that familiar reassurance that comes with his familiar delivery. May he make many more albums like Remembering Now. 

I was alerted to the fact that I failed to own Santana's Festival album when I did the late seventies section of my Santana posts. I haven't been missing much it seems. Only Carnaval/Let the Children Play and Let the Music Set You Free stand out. The rest is slow paced and sludgy. Not Santana's best moment.

Where do they all belong? Back to the countdown next - we're up to Rick Wakeman.

Ice cream man (Tom Waits) (LP 4797 - 4801)

Tom Waits  Closing Time (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1973) ***  

Tom Waits  The Heart of Saturday Night (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1974) ***  

Tom Waits  Nighthawks at the Diner (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1975) *****  

Tom Waits  Blue Valentine (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1978) ***

Tom Waits  Heartattack and Vine (Vinyl, Asylum Records, 1980) **** 

Genre: Folk, jazz, blues, alt rock

Places I remember: Marbecks Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Heartattack and Vine

Gear costume: (Looking for) the Heart of Saturday Night

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: Typical of Tom Wait's sharp sense of humour that he'd call his debut album, Closing Time. The songs on it are often gentle folk songs - his voice was yet to develop his ravaged drawl. I Hope That I Don't Fall In Love With You is a good example. It sounds slightly cynical until the last line and the listener has a wry smile.

The highlights are that song, Ol' 55 which the Eagles covered in their smooth Southern Californian style, Grapefruit Moon, and Martha. All point to his way with a melody, his skewed world view and his potential. The rest though don't particularly do it for me and so the key feeling I have from the album is that it's a decent start, but much greater was to come.

Tom's early albums are on Asylum Records, home to The Eagles, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell amid others. Tom is the outlier in this bunch with Closing Time pointing towards a jazzier, late night sardonic vibe.

That's certainly the vibe The Heart of Saturday Night, his second album. It's an improvement on the debut with some more fully realised songs like New Coat of Paint, Shiver Me Timbers and the title track. Overall, it's a bit patchy.

His next album was not patchy at all. Instead, Nighthawks at the Diner is a 'live' in the studio effort. I don't know why more artists don't do this - it's a brilliant way to record with a small audience. On Nighthawks, you get a juiced up but easy going ambience going conducive to a relaxed but controlled performance with a sympathetic jazz combo. Michael Melvoin is on piano, with Jim Hughart on bass, Bill Goodwin on drums and Pete Christlieb on sax. Tom also plays piano and guitar during the set.

In this instance Nighthawks sounds like an intimate jazz club where Tom does his best barfly beatnik poet's impression over four sides. He is hilarious too! The jazz setting and musical accompaniment suits him superbly, as he smoothly does his hipster jive routines and songs. 

There are plenty of highlights but I need to single out two of my absolute favs - Eggs and Sausage (In a Cadillac with Susan Michelson), and Big Joe and Phantom 309.

I missed a few of his mid seventies albums for some reason. In 1978 I was in my second undergraduate year, being paid in records while working at Marbecks Records during my holidays - which is where I listened to Blue Valentine. We played it a lot in the store and Roger loved Tom's version of Somewhere. RM has superb taste, so I needed a copy. 

It has its moments but it's inconsistant. The aforementioned Somewhere, Romeo is Bleeding, and A Sweet Little Bullet from a Pretty Blue Gun are all top efforts but some of the other tracks don't feel too inspired or committed. I notice this when those three songs come around.

I was again working my holidays at Marbecks when Heartattack and Vine was released. I didn't have to think too much about this purchase. Tom's last album in his Asylum years was also the last one in his beatnik persona. 

Although it's a transitional record, Heartattack and Vine should be enjoyed for what it is - a jagged rocky guitar based sound that matches his visceral vocals.

By this stage, thanks to a diet of cigarettes and alcohol, his voice was a deep rasp with overtones of Captain Beefheart/ Howlin' Wolf's more gutteral delivery. It makes Blue Valentine a tougher listen at times but it really suits the grittier approach on Heartattack and Vine. I love the album - along with Nighthawks at the Diner, it is my go-to Tom Waits album.

Where do they all belong? The Used Songs 1973 - 1980 compilation is a good in-point for his Asylum years. I did buy a few of his Island albums but I never listened to them much so I sold them off.

I'm alright (Loudon Wainwright III) (LP 4796)

Loudon Wainwright III  Live at the Cactus Cafe (CD, All Access Records, 2013) ****  

Genre: Folk

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Road Ode (a live version from elsewhere)

Gear costume: People in Love (studio version)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: This is a live broadcast from 1990. The sound is superb and Loudon is at his brilliant best throughout.

It's just him - on guitar, vocals, and harmonica. He's pretty much a musical genius as the deft mixture of humour and melancholia is often in the same tune while he breezily goes from song to song.

Loudon is a fun presence along the way, and this album is warmly recommended.

Where do they all belong? I've sold all my other albums by him over the years, but I've hung onto this one.

Coming home (Von Hertzen Brothers) (LP 4795)

Von Hertzen Brothers  Nine Lives (CD, Spinefarm Records, 2013) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Insomniac

Gear costume: Flowers and Rust

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: The Von Hertzen Brothers hail from Finland and they play some mean as prog rock. There are actually three brothers - Kie (guitars), Mikko (the lead singer, guitars), and Jonne (bass). Nine Lives is their fifth album.

I heard them on a Prog Rock magazine sampler and loved their sound - hence buying the album. There are a variety of prog approaches from moody sounds to hard rocking sounds, so it consistently rewards repeat listens.

Where do they all belong? I'd buy other albums by them if I came across them fersure.

Comrade (Volcano Choir) (LP 4794)

Volcano Choir  Repave (CD, Jagjaguwar Records, 2013) ***  

Genre: Indie rock, post rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Tiderays

Gear costume: Bygone

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: This is Volcano Choir's second album. I was alerted to it by the presence of Justin Vernon (a.k.a. Bon Iver).

His presence is key for me - his vocals blend well with others and are distinctive enough on their own to add texture to the vocal arrangements. The music begins in quiet tones and often develops its dynamics along the way to create interesting and rewarding soundscapes.

This is music that you need to listen to a lot to gain the nuances. I'm still listening and still gaining insights from the process.

Where do they all belong? Well worth the journey and an interesting offshoot for Bon Iver fans.

(Kurt Vile) (LP 4793)

Kurt Vile   B'lieve I'm Goin Down... (CD, Matador Records, 2015) ****  

Genre: Indie rock

Places I remember: FOPP

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Pretty Pimpin

Gear costume: Dust Bunnies

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8

Active compensatory factors: This is his sixth album, bought on the strength of a review in Mojo magazine (how many times have I written that?). They said 'hypnotic and wonderful'. It's also been described by others as 'his masterpiece to date' which I'll take their word for, as it's the first (and only) Kurt Vile album to date for me.

The highlights are the opener Pretty Pimpin, Dust Bunnies (a beautifully languid song that Neil Young would love), Life Like This, That's Life Tho (with some terrific acoustic guitar).

Where do they all belong? I'm not sure why I only have one Vile album. I love this and would have bought more if I'd stayed in the UK.