Rick Wakeman - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
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Free Music Notes for The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Free Music Review: Six Colorful Personalities
Hit: 4 Stars
If you've heard Yes, you'll know that Rick Wakeman has a great way with sonic textures, and he puts it to good use on his 1973 solo album "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". There's lonely flute at the end of Catherine Howard, for instance, that reflects her sad end. There's alarming opening whirl of keys at the beginning of Anne of Cleves and the turbulence that follows is almost like the turbulence that Anne must have felt, having been taken from her country to marry Henry. The church organ and spine tingling synth of "Jane Seymour" give the sense that there is something monumental happening, and there was, Jane Seymour was the mother of Henry's son Edward, future king of England.
The album wouldn't be the same without the selection of guest musicians, particularly the drummers Alan White and Bill Bruford, both from Yes. A couple of other members of Yes (Steve Howe and Chris Squire), make an appearance too, on "Catherine of Aragon". The five vocalists (who basically "ooh" and "ah") give the tracks they sing on a character that you'd only find on a Rick Wakeman record.
I prefer "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", but "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" is definitely a worthwhile experience for fans of the keyboard and of instrumentals.
(The CD booklet is a short, fold-out affair, but does have a list of who-plays-what, as well as a small profile for each of Henry's six wives.)
Free Music Review: A masterpiece
Hit: 5 Stars
As a fan of Wakeman in his Yes years and beyond, this is the best of his work, no contest.Free Music Review: Still a deserving classic.....an all-time favorite (nearly) instrumental prog rock album!
Hit: 4 Stars
A short but impressive prog rock classic you could call instrumental if pushed into the issue. I'd gladly give it 5 stars if not for production values that are poor enough in spots that they can't be ignored. The writing and performances by everyone involved is brilliant. Most of his fellow band members from Yes pop up in various places on the album. Wakeman is a guy that any real musician must admire. He always blends rock and classical music together nimbly in a way that seems so natural and comfortable. All the songs are original (except for a minute or so at the end of one tune where he plays a classical piano version of an old British hymn over background female voices [not singing lyrics, just adding voices] that beautifully compliments RW's original tune). RW uses a large variety of keyboards, expressing the range of technology (including multiple tracking) which was a hallmark of early '70s music. There are spots where it is difficult to tell if the backing vocals are sung or played on keyboards...and since vocals are rare on this work and lyrics are NEVER involved, just mood vocals, sometimes he mixes singers and keyboards to create the impression of backing vocals. One stand-out tune is even recorded mostly on a pipe organ in St. Giles Catholic Cathedral in London, and that is one of my favorite tunes on what is still one of my favorite Wakeman solo albums. The poor production values become painfully hard to ignore during one or two songs where what were presumably guitar solos were completely drowned out in the music, and you can barely tell they were supposed to exist at all. In fact, you could play this album and not even notice any guitar solos. All in all, even though this is a short concept album with poor production values, it is still one of my favorite prog rock albums from the era! I highly recommend it!
Free Music Review: So, so
Hit: 1 Stars
I bought this on a whim after owning "Journey To The Center Of The Earth".
For me it wasn't all that great. I wished I never bought it.
Free Music Review: Rick's finest and first studio record
Hit: 5 Stars
I am longtime Strawbs and Yes listener, so I know Rick Wakeman's music very well. I am a proud owner of the album. It's one of the best records ever. And, with musicians like Bill Bruford, Chris Squire, Barry De Souza, Dave Cousins and Alan White lending a hand, you know it's going to be great.
The record was released in 1972 on A&M records, and features six songs based on all six of Henry VIII's wives. As Wakeman describes it, he tries to put the women's stories into music, which is a brilliant concept to me.
And, it paid off. 'Anne Of Cleves,' 'Anne Boleyn,' and 'Catherine Howard' are also masterpieces. Consider this rock and roll with a touch of classical.
Rick's unique keyboard style really shows on this record. I prefer this over 'King Arthur' and 'White Rock,' believe it or not. This record has a charm that no other Wakeman record could quite capture. But all of Wakeman's records are great!!!
Overall, this is highly recommended for any prog rock, Yes, Strawbs or Rick Wakeman fan. This is a very entertaining record that I love.
ENJOY!!!