Return To The Centre Of The Earth

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Free Music Notes for Return To The Centre Of The Earth

Free Music Review: Going back to the Centre of the Earth was worth the trip!
Hit: 5 Stars

This CD is a sequel to the 1974 album, "Journey to the Centre of the Earth". However, while the 1974 album was recorded live, and was limited to one album of about 40 minutes, this CD was a studio production and runs for a phenomenal 76 minutes. What a great 76 minutes it is. There are keyboards (duh - it's Rick Wakeman), guitars, drums, a full orchestra, a choir, songs by Yes compatriot Trevor Rabin, fellow prog rocker Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues, Katrina Leskanich of Katrina and the Waves, Bonnie Tyler ("It's A Heartache"), Tony Mitchell and the one and only Oz-man, Ozzy Osbourne, and a great narration by Patrick (Captain Picard) Stewart. At this point you know you need to read no more, this is a good album.

If you subtract the vocal performances, you find this album is reminiscent of the original. However, the production is substantially better, and you have a feeling that the concept is more fully realized compared to the original. When you add back the vocals, this album becomes fully realized plus.

All the vocals are good, but some stand out above the others. I think the best is probably Ozzy Osbourne's "Buried Alive". I would like to pick which I think is second best, but it's just too darn hard. I like the rest as well. The range of vocals runs from mellow to Ozzy's rocking "Buried Alive" and Katrina's "Ride of Your Life".

Are there any downsides to this album? I'm going to scrunch myself down really small when I say this. The choir gets just a bit annoying in a place or two. The choir is fantastic. Their vocals are great. However, you can have too much of a good thing. Near the end I probably would have cut their vocals back just a touch to finish off the album a little more quickly. A small thing really. It is possible that other listeners may enjoy the choir and wish there had been more of them.

One more teeny little complaint: Rick Wakeman should get a little help on his lyrics. As a composer, he is awesome, as a lyricist, well, let's say that he's a very good composer.

The story here is complete from the beginning to the end, thus putting this album into the same class as Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds". I've always enjoyed stories on albums, and have a complete story set to an appropriate musical background, including a variety of rock songs, makes this album one of the best in class. This album certainly ranks with "War of the Worlds" in concept and execution.

If you liked the original "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", or Jeff Wayne's "War of the Worlds", or any of Rick Wakeman's other albums, then this album is an absolute must have. In the story album genre, this one gets 5 stars plus.

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