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Live, released in 1998
Track Listings
1. Elizabethan Rock/ Make Me A Woman (10:00)
2. After Henry (20:34)
a) Catherine Of Aragon
b) A Crying Heart
c) Jane Seymour
d) A Crying Heart (part 2)
e) Catherine Howard
3. The Realisation/ The Prisoner (9:40)
4. King Arthur (20:37)
a) Guinevere
b) Lancelot And The Black knight
c) The Last Battle
Total Time: 60:51
Line-up/Musicians
Rick Wakeman/ keyboards
Davy Paton/ bass, guitars
Tony Fernandez/ drums, percussion
Ashley Holt/ vocals, percussion
"I think this is a great album - I should make it clear from the start that I am a Christian which perhaps makes me biased. Because of my beliefs I love the message that the music is giving. However on a purely musical level, it rates very highly also. The outstanding track for me is "Children of Mine" which musically has a Tubular Bells feel. The narrated passage telling the story of the two apostles meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus gives me goose-bumps every time I listen to it. The one small criticism I have of the album is the occasional excessive amount of vibrato in Ramon Remedios's voice - whose is otherwise excellent. Interestingly when seeing Ramon on Rick's recent church tour I detected no vibrato in his singing.
review by Julian Simpson on 23/07/1999"
Track List:
01 Galilee/The Word/Power
02 The Gift/The Magnificat
03 The Welcoming/Welcome a Star
04 The Way/The Baptism
05 Tempt Him
06 The Sermon on the Mount
07 The Lord's Prayer
08 The Road to Jerusalem
09 Trail and Error
10 Await The Hour
11 The Cross
12 Children of Mine/The Last Verse
Artist List:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
David Paton - Bass
Garfield Morgan - Narration
Ramon Remedios - Vocals (Tenor)
The New Gospels Choir - Choir
Track List:
1)Hymn of Hope 3' 19"
2)A Little Piece of Heaven 2' 5"
3)Part of the Crowd 4' 25"
4)Stay With Me 6' 46"
5)The Answer 4' 40"
6)Believe Me 6' 31"
7)A Cry Without Tears 6' 4"
8)Why Keep Hiding? 1' 51"
9)Running Away 7' 44"
10)I Can Hear You 9' 14"
Line-up:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards/Chrissie Hammond - Vocals/David Paton - Bass/Guitar/Fraser Thorneycroft-Smith - Guitar/Phil Laughlin - Bass/English Chamber Choir - Choir/Guy Protheroe -Conductor/Stuart Sawney - Percussion Programming
Additional Information:
Studios: • Bajonor Studios, Isle of Man • The Music Centre, Wembley (Choir) • Palladium Studios, Edinburgh (David Paton)
"This album misses the big set of instruments that Rick used in earlier days, like Journey and Arthur. Ashley's voice is not as good as it use to be either. What's good about this album is "The Prisoner", where Rick shows his great ability of playing the keyboard in baroque-style, As voice fits nicely. The tracks on the Arthur and the Wives sections are put together in a different way, quite nice to hear as a change from the original albums. The best point of the album is "Jane Seymour" which is very different from the original, with great rock/heavy metal-guitar added. For more richful instrumentation, check out the "King Biscuit"-album.
review by Max Hult on 12/01/2000"
Track List:
01 Elizabethan Rock
02 Make Me A Woman
03 Catherine of Aragon
04 Crying Heart (pt 1)
05 Jane Seymour
06 Crying Heart (pt 2)
07 Catherine Howard
08 Music Reincarnate - The Realisation
09 The Prisoner
10 King Arthur
11 Guinevere
12 Lancelot and the Black Knight
13 The Last Battle
Artist List:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
Ashley Holt - Vocals/Percussion
David Paton - Bass/Guitar
Tony Fernandez - Drums/Percussion
Rick's Perspective:
Notes: After going out yet again on tour with a second Classical Connection line up, it was deemed necessary to have another release to coincide with such an event and so Classical Connection II was born which was half live and half studio, which always made it an unsatisfactory compromise as far as I was concerned.
Wakey's Verdict: If you've already got Classical Connection in your collection, then I suppose it makes sense to have Classical Connection II as well.
Track List:
01 Eleanor Rigby 8' 8"
02 Birdman of Alcatraz 4' 28"
03 The Day After The Fair 4' 38"
04 Opus 1 3' 10"
05 The Painter 3' 7"
06 Summertime 6' 5"
07 Dancing In Heaven 6' 36"
08 A Garden of Music 3' 18"
09 Mackintosh 3' 49"
10 Farandol 2' 45"
11 Pont Street 4' 30"
12 Art And Soul 5' 1"
Line-up:
Rick Wakeman - Piano/Keyboards
Bill Bruford - Drums
Chris Squire - Bass
David Paton - Guitar/Bass
Frank Riccotti - Tuned Percussion
Steve Howe - Acoustic Guitars
"I was initially not to sure about buying this disc but I am glad I did it contains some great songs. Hymn of hope is has had its arrangement added to and now makes the Softsword version seems under worked. "I can hear you" is one of my all time favourite tracks it is an absolute Gem. The album contains readings by various people and I have to admit that I would normally program them out. Although the Devotion track it very thought provoking. A person purely interest in the songs should get the reworked versions on Can you Hear me? But I would recommend this to completists and the moog solo on "I can hear you" is at it full splendour on this.
Review by Jon Hinchliffe on 09/08/1997"
Track List:
01 A Wish 1' 23"
02 Hymn of Hope 3' 25"
03 A Prayer For Creation 2' 10"
04 A Cry Without Tears 6' 7"
05 A Prayer For All 1' 54"
06 The Answer 4' 44"
07 The Empty Vessel 2' 2"
08 Silent Prayer 4' 43"
09 Devotion 3' 13"
10 The Lord's Prayer 3' 42"
11 Prayers of the Prophets 3' 7"
12 Stay With Me 6' 52"
13 The Only God 3' 39"
14 I Can Hear You 1' 43"
15 Evening Prayer 1' 43"
16 A Final Wish 1' 35"
Artist List:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
Chrissie Hammond - Vocals
David Paton - Guitar/Bass
Nina Wakeman - Narration
Stuart Sawney - Percussion Programming
The Manx Girls Choir - Choir
Studio Album, released in 1991
It's a very sad situation.When Rick Wakeman releases lamentable albums over and over again,it can become frustrating,tasteless and damaging for that person who seeks quality."The Classical Connection 2" is not far from the "lamentable album" status,keeps a certain dignity within it,but not much and nothing else than that drop of decency.My dissapointement however is the fact that this album comes as a follower of an album that was great in every aspect.While the 1991 "Classical Connection" equaled in value with the amazing project of the "Airs" trilogy and is weaker only to "The Piano Album",this second achievement of the project is of low quality,it generates no emotional effect and makes no impression whatsoever.And that,for me,equals zero.I don't recommend this album to anyone who enjoyed the charming virtuous music in the first "Classical Connection" and expects a similar thing in this one also;cause they will be dissapointed.It is at the same line with any of the numerous weak albums in Wakeman's musical acomplishm,ers history.No motivation to create something worthy.It is of the same recipe that has made the 80's and the 90's so cheap.And being an album of old material,reworked in a special,apparently,way makes it even more unimportant.You listen to it and you forget it as soon as it finishes.Cause there is nothing there to make you interested.It can even prove tiresome,lethargic,inexpressive,unemotional and unsatisfacatory material.Again,this is no major surprise,as album and concepts like this started being created long before 1992 and will continue till present time in the same manner,without even the slightest sign of desire to improve to appear.When you face a situation like this is to just listen to it and focus on the better albums,that's all (doing,of course,a more thoroughly examination of what exactly do you expect from Wakeman the next time you think of listening again).But the most disturbing aspect remains that it is a failed sequel.
So what ruined everything (well,almost everything) here? There are many debatable aspects and posibilities.The main presumption of mine would obviously be the influence of that new age,soft ambiental,mellotronic etc. period."Classical Connection 2" has the same recipe as "Classical Connection":reworked themes,in a personal interpretation,focusing on Wakeman's keyboardist capabilities and powers,the same line-up of Wakeman and Patton (Bruford,Squire and Howe guests only on the tenth track,thus of no relevance),so basically the same (or at least similar) approach,concept and method.The flaw however comes in Wakeman's decision to focus more on the keyboards than on the grand piano,used preponderently and with a great effect in the 1991 album.And thus he launches in that inexpressive,tiresome,old-fashioned manifestation.There is no point in talking too much about the pieces,one at a time.Simple themes,with repeative elements and musical phrases,typical to Wakeman perspectives,getting either monotonic,either of little importance.Personally,I find a small spark only in the "Art and soul" piece.The rest just flows without anything interesting happening.But that is me,being used to this.Other may interpret things differently.Who knows,some may enjoy this style.Anyway,from where I stand,it is a problem of mentality that caused this weak result.Improvising and finding new ways of expression was not really Wakeman's ace of spades this period.
Track Listings
1. Gone But Not Forgotten (5:48)
2. After the Ball (3:32)
3. Elgin Mansions (6:06)
4. Sea Horses (4:58)
5. Merlin the Magician (5:58)
6. Catherine of Aragon (3:59)
7. Catherine Howard (7:20)
8. 1984 Overture (3:50)
9. The Hymn (5:08)
10. Finale (Incorporating Julia) (6:11)
Total Time: 53:36
Line-up/Musicians
- Rick Wakeman / piano, keyboards
- David Paton / acoustic guitar, bass
Rick's Perspective: Only after agreeing to make this album did I discover that it was meant as a tax loss for the investors which upset me greatly. The album is all about how I saw not just South Africa at the time but also countries and people of the world in similar circumstances. I rate this as the best album of songwriting that I have ever made.
Wakey's Verdict: This is an album that I genuinely recommend for both musical and lyrical content.
Track List:
1 African Bach 3' 56"
2 Message of Mine 4' 0"
3 My Homeland 4' 16"
4 Liberty 5' 18"
5 Anthem 6' 8"
6 Brainstorm 4' 35"
7 Face in the Crowd 4' 19"
8 Just a Game 4' 10"
9 Africa East 5' 44"
10 Don't Touch The Merchandise 4' 38"
Line-Up:
Rick Wakeman - Keyboards
Ashley Holt - Vocals
David Paton - Bass
D'zal Martin - Guitar
Tony Fernandez - Drums
South African Choir - Choir
Live, released in 1998
"I think this is a great album - I should make it clear from the start that I am a Christian which perhaps makes me biased. Because of my beliefs I love the message that the music is giving. However on a purely musical level, it rates very highly also. The outstanding track for me is "Children of Mine" which musically has a Tubular Bells feel. The narrated passage telling the story of the two apostles meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus gives me goose-bumps every time I listen to it. The one small criticism I have of the album is the occasional excessive amount of vibrato in Ramon Remedios's voice - whose is otherwise excellent. Interestingly when seeing Ramon on Rick's recent church tour I detected no vibrato in his singing.
Track List:
"This album misses the big set of instruments that Rick used in earlier days, like Journey and Arthur. Ashley's voice is not as good as it use to be either. What's good about this album is "The Prisoner", where Rick shows his great ability of playing the keyboard in baroque-style, As voice fits nicely. The tracks on the Arthur and the Wives sections are put together in a different way, quite nice to hear as a change from the original albums. The best point of the album is "Jane Seymour" which is very different from the original, with great rock/heavy metal-guitar added. For more richful instrumentation, check out the "King Biscuit"-album.
Rick's Perspective:
"I was initially not to sure about buying this disc but I am glad I did it contains some great songs. Hymn of hope is has had its arrangement added to and now makes the Softsword version seems under worked. "I can hear you" is one of my all time favourite tracks it is an absolute Gem. The album contains readings by various people and I have to admit that I would normally program them out. Although the Devotion track it very thought provoking. A person purely interest in the songs should get the reworked versions on Can you Hear me? But I would recommend this to completists and the moog solo on "I can hear you" is at it full splendour on this.
Studio Album, released in 1991
Rick's Perspective: Only after agreeing to make this album did I discover that it was meant as a tax loss for the investors which upset me greatly. The album is all about how I saw not just South Africa at the time but also countries and people of the world in similar circumstances. I rate this as the best album of songwriting that I have ever made.
