Defend The Indefensible: Rick Wakeman

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (122 of them)

View Previous Page...

i wish there were more monkeys playing music, actually.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 18 November 2004 19:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

And I'm surprised Ned doesn't even like "Long Distance Runaround".

It's sorta goofy.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 18 November 2004 19:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

it is goofy. I do like the beginning bit, though, that's kind of cool. It's funny to me, they way they try to funkify the backing tracks with that drum/bass interaction.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Thursday, 18 November 2004 19:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

A monkey could've played it.

A MONKEY, eh. Apparently you've never heard Kaye on 9012Live: The Solos.

― savetherobot, Thursday, 18 November 2004 19:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

Oh but I have — but of course we're making the same point. Look, I'm fine w/ people saying Kaye didn't screw things up like Wakeman maybe did or didn't, depending on your taste. But to sit there and say, "Those three chords he played on organ there are truly the bee's knees"? I mean, seriously — give me a fucking break. That's like complimenting a session drummer for managing to keep time. Yay.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 19:58 (8 years ago) Permalink

NTI, you are unnecessarily harsh on Tony Kaye.

Give it up for the white-haired wonder!

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

I mean, look at that shirt!

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:39 (8 years ago) Permalink

I'm w/Sundar & Eddie & all the other folks who rate The Yes Album uber alles and preferred Tony Kaye's minimal contributions because of the less-obtrusiveness factor. No question Wakeman was a better player and a major component of those twin '72 masterpieces, but he could be obnoxious at times: One of the best things about his "Close To The Edge" Hammond solo is the respite it provides after many minutes of "I Get Up I Get Down"'s near-painful sustained cathedral-organ chords.

I admit I haven't heard Rick's solo LPs, but only because I don't want to.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

NTI, you are unnecessarily harsh on Tony Kaye.

I have nothing against Tony Kaye. I do, however, find the notion of praising his abilities to be patently ludicrous on its face. The guy stayed out of the way — that's it, folks.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:55 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, I mean, seriously, that's true. Wakeman is a more skilled player and more entertaining to watch. But on the other hand, as generally agreed, to some people's tastes there's something to be said to Yes as a whole without Wakeman. I'm just sort of jokingly lionizing Tony Kaye as an anti-Wakeman.

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 18 November 2004 20:59 (8 years ago) Permalink

The guy stayed out of the way — that's it, folks.

I should note, however, that Robert Fripp once gave Bill Bruford a writing credit for choosing not to interrupt an improvisation by playing. Perhaps he learned such restraint from his time spent in Yes with The Indomitable Tony Kaye!

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 21:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

Speaking of Bruford, in The Music's All That Matters he does give Wakeman the credit for knowing how to write smooth transitions between the "movements" in Yes's songs.

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 18 November 2004 21:28 (8 years ago) Permalink

... and implies Jon Anderson was not good at same...

― wetmink (wetmink), Thursday, 18 November 2004 21:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

Hey! This is a Wakeman thread? What's with all the Tony Kaye love?!

Listen to 90125. The man added practically nada to the situation.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 18 November 2004 21:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

Thank you. Thank you.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Thursday, 18 November 2004 23:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Listening to Close to the Edge today (after having found my cassette tape, yes cassette tape, again), it occurred to me that, perhaps, just perhaps, Rick Wakeman actually had a great sense of humor, even if he didn't realize it. I mean the harpsichord break on Siberian Khartu is effing hilarious. The prance-y electric rennaisance faire shit is a bit too much though.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 04:30 (8 years ago) Permalink

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 21:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000879J.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 21:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

Greatest album cover ever.

― Joe (Joe), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 21:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

I fear to ask, but what does the 'plus' mean?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 21:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

he wears that gold cape in every picture from 75-78 it seems

― chaki in charge (chaki), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 21:47 (8 years ago) Permalink

Oh my.

― 57 7th (calstars), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 22:25 (8 years ago) Permalink

Well, the original album was called "Rock n Roll Prophet", and for the CD release he added on some tracks. Hence: "Rock n Roll Prophet Plus". This album, by the way, features the positively outstanding "I'm So Straight I'm a Weirdo" and "Do You Believe in Fairies?", with Wakeman himself taking lead vocals (ironically, he's better than 99% of the people he actually hired to sing lead vocals on his albums).

Back to the album cover,I particularly like the Snoopy doll hanging from the coat rack.

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 30 December 2004 01:20 (8 years ago) Permalink

Or maybe it's the model with the lollipop and McCartney bass...

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 30 December 2004 01:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

am i the only one who thinks that this album cover is almost momus-esque?

I fear to ask, but what does the 'plus' mean?

it's like the "32" on every bottle of rolling rock beer!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 30 December 2004 06:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, but "Perpetual Change" and "Yours Is No Disgrace" are both vastly superior on Yessongs
All Yours Is No Disgrace Are Belong To Yes!

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

Que?

― Joe (Joe), Thursday, 30 December 2004 12:07 (8 years ago) Permalink

Isn't it Wakeman who turns up on Grumpy Old Men? He's pretty funny on that - better than J Clarkson anyway.

― Charles Dexter (Holey), Thursday, 30 December 2004 13:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

it's like the "32" on every bottle of rolling rock beer!

What kind of drunk are you? It's 33

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 30 December 2004 13:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

It's 32 PLUS 1.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 30 December 2004 14:05 (8 years ago) Permalink

Que?
Sorry. Was a lame joke on this already lame joke.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 30 December 2004 20:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 years pass...

(But quite why I like Jon Lord a lot, say, is a mystery.)-- Ned Raggett (Ned), teisipäev, 16. November 2004 11:50 (3 years ago)

Oi, man. Had we met in, say, '75 or samthung, I woulda been ready & willing to talk away on JonLord-iana for days on end. :)

― t**t, Thursday, 10 January 2008 23:01 (5 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

er, lol?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IHVdG3rKqE

― gershy, Monday, 26 May 2008 06:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

Reminds me of somebody but I can't put my finger on it.

― Noodle Vague, Monday, 26 May 2008 18:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

Rick Wakeman, per chance?

― t**t, Monday, 26 May 2008 18:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

Or Gandalf the Grey with a reddish Rick Wakeman mane photoshopped unto 'im?

― t**t, Monday, 26 May 2008 19:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

('m making them silly jokeses just to alleviate the strain of awaitin' my cd copy of six wiveses, which i orderered on teh cheap, to arrive...)

― t**t, Monday, 26 May 2008 19:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

there some super funky shit on journey to the centre of the earth and no earthly connection.

― chaki, Monday, 26 May 2008 19:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

one of my first threads *tear*
Taking Sides! Rick Wakemen vs. Keith Emerson!

― chaki, Monday, 26 May 2008 19:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

All I'll say is he plays an INSANE keyboard. In fact two at the same time. I'm just echoing the sentiments of various youtube viewers but Rick can play, he's adventurous musically but I feel that you really shouldn't ignore the fact that he destroyed Yes because he did it so spectacularly.

― VeronaInTheClub, Monday, 26 May 2008 19:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

(pace the thread header, i WOULD kinda want to hear mr. wakeman's take on dizzee rascal).

― Eisbaer, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 05:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

Beck?

― Autumn Almanac, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 11:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

Rick creates a riotous pastiche of his extraordinary life and escapades

Eh?

― Ned Trifle II, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 11:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 16:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

What Yes albums does he play on? When were they destroyed?

― filthy dylan, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 17:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

there some super funky shit on journey to the centre of the earth and no earthly connection.

totally insane that the brilliant No Earthly Connection is STILL unavailable on cd. that needs fucking sorting out.

― mark e, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 18:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

but I feel that you really shouldn't ignore the fact that he destroyed Yes because he did it so spectacularly.

Yes, we should. Nonsensical claim. Wakeman's part & parcel with the crew of over-the-top keyboard players working in Britain at the time: Keith Emerson -- ELP sold even more than Yes, Wakeman, and Vincent Crane, who never enjoyed much commercial success.

As for the classic Yes albums with Wakeman on them -- Fragile, Close to the Edge, Yessongs are great. Tales not so much although it's not his fault. Yes with Tony Kaye -- the first two can be passed on although the cover of "Every Little Thing" starts getting into the territory of righteous. The tunes arrive for Yes Album but not because of the keyboard player.

― Gorge, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 19:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

Going for the One's awesome too. Wakeman was back in the fold for that one after taking the (incredible) Relayer off. Whoever says he destroyed Yes has no idea what he's talking about.

― Bill Magill, Tuesday, 27 May 2008 19:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

Rick Wakeman is a genius and the main reason why Yes were so great in the 70s.

Solo Wakeman is largely indefensible though.

― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 08:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

"White Rock" though?

IT'S ABOUT SKIING BEFORE ANYONE STARTS!!!

(it's great)...

― Mark G, Wednesday, 28 May 2008 08:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 22 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.