Out There review!

[Bugeyes]

In case you forgot, gawd I luv him! Now go, buy!

http://www.getreadytorock.com/album_reviews1.htm

RICK WAKEMAN and the New English Rock Ensemble‘Out There’
(Classic Pictures MFW6093X) (2003)

His latest solo album is a prog rock concept album, with the story line being the exploration of space to discover the origin of music. Joining Rick are vocalist Damian Wilson (ex-AYREON/THRESHOLD & he also appeared on a touring version of the musical Les Miserables), guitarist Ant Glynne, his long-time drummer Tony Fernandez and bass player Lee Pomeroy. The album is dedicated to the NASA astronauts who lost their lives aboard the STS-107 space shuttle.

Guitarist Ant Glynne adds a prog metal feel to the proceedings, none more so than on opener ‘Out There’, where the guitar drives the song along. The track also features some great parping keys! It is the albums epic tune, weighing in at over thirteen minutes and the track where Rick’s keys show most prominence. ‘To Be With You’ mixes choral passages into a laid back beat to produce a very effective song. The rocky ‘Universe of Sound’ follows, with a driving rhythm and Damian’s vocal not unlike Jon Anderson in pitch. The nearest to a Yes sounding track on the album. ‘The Cathedral in the Sky’, starts with a church organ before adding more choral touches. The whole song has a pomp rock feel reminiscent of Styx. It rounds the album of in fine style.

Special mention to the cover as well, with a clear picture (a spaceship made-up of musical instruments) as there is no band logo on it. The inlay sleeve is well illustrated with all the lyrics, making it a good package all round.

Superbly played and arranged throughout, the album will delight longstanding Yes and Rick Wakeman fans. But it has a wider appeal to fans of prog rock in general, particularly those who enjoy a more modern leaning like Threshold, Arena, etc. Worthy of a place in your CD collection, with the highlights being Rick’s keys and Damian’s vocals. Even if you think you hate prog rock try this as the melodies are tightly composed and there are no ‘waffly’ passages that put so many people off prog rock.

Review by Jason Ritchie

[Bugeyes]

Oh man!

Bumping all over the place!

Let me out of here.

[soundchaser77]

Im soooooo in love with this cd and feel its 1 of good ol Ricks best work in a long time! Bravo! Mr Wakeman as alwayss Rick! :rightG:

[neilius]

Its one of his better albums. In fact, probably his best since the 70's. Definately on par with Return.imho.

[soundchaser77]

Its one of his better albums. In fact, probably his best since the 70's. Definately on par with Return.imho.

And i thank you neil for turning me on to this cd and thanks for sending me it, Your a real yesfan friend man dank jou wel!=thank you! hey want to go and chat?
:theband:

[neilius]

OK! see you there!

[YesJen357]

My favourite Rick album.
Interestingly, when I spoke to Rick and told him it was my favourite, he said that it was a strange album in that it got terrific reviews but didn't sell too well.
This surprises me that it didn't sell.

[YesJen357]

Jason Ritchie uses a good turn of phrase to describe the album too.
I love the graphics on the DVD, but also enjoy listening to the cd. They didn't put the Apollo 11 moon landing audio on the cd, so there are minor differences between the two.
For the life of me, I couldn't choose between them; I just find the music on this wonderful work of Rick's to be the most inspiring, powerful and magestic of my musical collection.

[Internaut]

My 3 year old son, Chris ("playing" our organ in my avatar) frequently asks for "wuggle wick, DDD" which translates to Uncle Rick DVD! He insists on the Out There DVD. He loves the NASA footage and the graphic of the engine, which he says is a "cool car". He also loves to sing along near the end of the title track, repeating (rather loudly) "Out There, Out There..."

I've found the DVD to sound much better than the audio CD, and I only use the Stereo, so that aspect is the same. As I told my wife last night, in fact, we don't have to watch the DVDs all the time, we can just listen to them, especially if we need to be in another room, like the kitchen.

[new_sum_do_solve_ay]

My favourite Rick album.
Interestingly, when I spoke to Rick and told him it was my favourite, he said that it was a strange album in that it got terrific reviews but didn't sell too well.
This surprises me that it didn't sell.

It's not that the sales are slow its the distribution. I've said it so many times, Wakeman CDs do NOT find their way into the major stores in America like they ought to: Sam Goody, Best Buy, Barnes & Nobles, or CD Warehouse. These are where the sales would pick up for him. His people have to push to get on the shelf there. I have had a tough time finding Wakeman stuff and everything I find is great! But it's a chore. And half of what I have I've only been able to find on vinyl. Aside from ordering online its just a chore for Americans to get Wakeman CDs. Why????

I can't wait to get 'Out There.' Sounds like classic themes.

[creamy]

It's not that the sales are slow its the distribution. I've said it so many times, Wakeman CDs do NOT find their way into the major stores in America like they ought to: Sam Goody, Best Buy, Barnes & Nobles, or CD Warehouse. These are where the sales would pick up for him. His people have to push to get on the shelf there. I have had a tough time finding Wakeman stuff and everything I find is great! But it's a chore. And half of what I have I've only been able to find on vinyl. Aside from ordering online its just a chore for Americans to get Wakeman CDs. Why????

I can't wait to get 'Out There.' Sounds like classic themes.


Houston is not a Yes town my fellow Houstonian

[fovman]

Too bad the singer, Wilson, quit right before the tour. Wakeman recruited old friend, Ashley Holt. Wilson was quite metal!

[Mostly Harmless]

Houston is not a Yes town my fellow Houstonian


I have the same problem finding his CDs in Massachusetts.

[YesJen357]

They aren't very easy to get in Australia either!

I order mine from Amazon. Oh, and I got the DVD direct from Classic Pic's in England.

[HaroldLand]

I got the DVD when it first came out and I'm only familiar with it. I think it's great and still enjoy. The NASA footage is very cool.

[sissywoods]

In case you forgot, gawd I luv him! Now go, buy!



I did, did you?

[Bugeyes]

No!! Every three months, (when I get to the stores :lmao: not really), I can never find it!

If I do find it, it's mine. I've looked three times in the last two weeks. Searching for birthday presents are fun, but I always look for me too.

And I haven't found Word is Live either! These two are on the spot purchases.

[Yes2Yes]

Don't know if this has been posted all ready, but I found it interesting!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://yesmuseum.org/guest/Keyboard2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://yesmuseum.org/guest/Keyboard.html&h=432&w=410&sz=31&tbnid=EZy1H45fXQcJ:&tbnh=123&tbnw=116&hl=en&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyes%2Blogo%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26l r%3D%26sa%3DN

[Buglunch]

It's not that the sales are slow its the distribution. I've said it so many times, Wakeman CDs do NOT find their way into the major stores in America like they ought to: Sam Goody, Best Buy, Barnes & Nobles, or CD Warehouse. These are where the sales would pick up for him. His people have to push to get on the shelf there. I have had a tough time finding Wakeman stuff and everything I find is great! But it's a chore. And half of what I have I've only been able to find on vinyl. Aside from ordering online its just a chore for Americans to get Wakeman CDs. Why????

I can't wait to get 'Out There.' Sounds like classic themes.


Canada used to be great: Yes' first North American show was Edmonton, June 1971; I found lots of prog stuff there and that got me going.
Now huge multinational distributors have to move tons of each release or you get dropped or forgotten. Middle-aged people buy little prog now and almost no people say anything or bug store for long.

I do, but it's hard and a LONG wait IF the store's only distributor deigns to try to carry any.
Not good nowadays.

[Bugeyes]

That's it! I must have it. I'm going on a hunt soon...

My mission I have accepted is to find this before the year ends.

[Bugeyes]

No, I hadn't seen that. THANKS!
Don't know if this has been posted all ready, but I found it interesting!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://yesmuseum.org/guest/Keyboard2.jpg&imgrefurl=http://yesmuseum.org/guest/Keyboard.html&h=432&w=410&sz=31&tbnid=EZy1H45fXQcJ:&tbnh=123&tbnw=116&hl=en&start=5&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dyes%2Blogo%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26l r%3D%26sa%3DN
KEYBOARD
August 1991
******************************************
RICK WAKEMAN & TONY KAYE FACE OFF
YES

After A Quarter-Century Of Grandiose (Some Would Say Pretentious) Art Rock, Yes Is Blazing Down The Reunion Trail. In Spite Of Their Stylistic Differences, Two Of The Band*s Keyboard Pillars Have Finally Joined Forces.

By Robert L Doerschuk
Interviews by Robert L Doerschuk and Mark Vail
******************************************
[Part 1 of 3]

It all seemed so simple in the liner notes.
Jon Anderson called Trevor Rabin. Trevor
played Jon some of the stuff he was doing
with Chris Squire, Alan White, and Tony Kaye.
Jon suddenly decided he'd like to do vocals
on these cuts, while Trevor simultaneously
realized that Jon's vocals might make a nice
addition. Then, of course, "it was only logical"
that Chris return the favor by singing on the
latest Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
(ABWH) album, which coincidentally was
wrapping up at the same time. "Naturally, it
followed that" all the prodigal sons would
join hands, recant the errors of their separatist
ways, and come together as they always
should have been„as a single entity. A union
of kindred souls.

...

[sissywoods]

Have you tried Amazon Peggy?

[Bugeyes]

No. I just love to *walk it*. Go to stores and when you find the thing, it's like EUREKA! It brings me so much joy that way. I'll wait until I'm desperate before I go on-line shopping.

[smatt]

No, I hadn't seen that. THANKS!

KEYBOARD
August 1991
******************************************
RICK WAKEMAN & TONY KAYE FACE OFF
YES

After A Quarter-Century Of Grandiose (Some Would Say Pretentious) Art Rock, Yes Is Blazing Down The Reunion Trail. In Spite Of Their Stylistic Differences, Two Of The Band*s Keyboard Pillars Have Finally Joined Forces.

By Robert L Doerschuk
Interviews by Robert L Doerschuk and Mark Vail
******************************************
[Part 1 of 3]

It all seemed so simple in the liner notes.
Jon Anderson called Trevor Rabin. Trevor
played Jon some of the stuff he was doing
with Chris Squire, Alan White, and Tony Kaye.
Jon suddenly decided he'd like to do vocals
on these cuts, while Trevor simultaneously
realized that Jon's vocals might make a nice
addition. Then, of course, "it was only logical"
that Chris return the favor by singing on the
latest Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe
(ABWH) album, which coincidentally was
wrapping up at the same time. "Naturally, it
followed that" all the prodigal sons would
join hands, recant the errors of their separatist
ways, and come together as they always
should have been„as a single entity. A union
of kindred souls.

...


Gobbeldygook...... It was the DOUGH, kindred souls my ass.......

[Internaut]

That's it! I must have it. I'm going on a hunt soon...

My mission I have accepted is to find this before the year ends.

Funny, as the best song on the CD / DVD is called The Mission.

[Bugeyes]

WOW!
I'm so in tune!
I so dig it!

Seriously, I didn't remember any titles. It'd been so long since I really eyeballed the available info.

[Internaut]

Peggy, I think I've seen it in a Borders here in Boston... so maybe one near you might have it...

[Bugeyes]

Hey, never thought of Borders. And Kansas City doesn't have a Tower Records! Geeze...

...but Denver has a Towers. :sneaky: