Rick Wakeman: His best solo album.

[StevegSr]

What do you consider to be the best solo album from the great Mr. Wakeman?

[Mister Triscuits]

Six Wives by a long shot.

[Man In The Mountain]

He has about 10,000 solo albums it's so hard to choose.... but any dumb dumb knows it's Six Wives.

[zravkapt]

No Earthly Connection

[lazland]

This "Dumb Dumb" goes for Criminal Record.

[jamesmanzi]

Totally this.

[miamiscot]

1) Six WIves
2) Criminal Record
3) No Earthly Connection
4) King Arthur
5) Journey

You can keep all the rest.

[2steves]

Six Wives by a long shot.

Yup same for me.

[Progbear]

1. Six Wives
2. Everything else.

To be fair, White Rock is pretty good, although nowhere near Six Wives quality. Criminal Record has its moments, but I find it to be extremely overrated (inconsistent compositionally, cheesy synth tones, appalling Bill Oddie cameo, etc.). The rest are good for a laugh but not much more than that.

[Progatron]

He did a lovely trilogy of solo piano albums called Country Airs, Sea Airs and Night Airs. Tasteful stuff, not his usual offering. I often spin Sea Airs when I want some nice, relaxing music.

[yamishogun]

No Earthly Connection

Wasn't there a thread a while back that showed Jon Anderson played some of the keyboard parts? Which songs?

[happytheman]

This "Dumb Dumb" goes for Criminal Record.

Ditto.. then I would agree 6 Wives and White Rock are great.. I'll even say Rhapsodies has some nice moments on it as well.. This has been discussed ad naseum on PE before but for me the vocals on a lot of his other albums are cringe worthy which kills it for me..

[Mister Triscuits]

Wasn't there a thread a while back that showed Jon Anderson played some of the keyboard parts? Which songs?

Jon Anderson played all the keyboard parts; Rick played only the Greek bouzouki.

[arturs]

He did a lovely trilogy of solo piano albums called Country Airs, Sea Airs and Night Airs. Tasteful stuff, not his usual offering. I often spin Sea Airs when I want some nice, relaxing music.

Love these. In a just world these would have outsold George Winston.

In addition to those three, my favorites are:
Six Wives
Criminal Record
Out There
and (believe it or not) Suite of the Gods.

I will have to check out White Rock. Sounds like I may like that one.

[regenerativemusic]

Wakeman has a fun output, considering him as a composer/songwriter. He obviously wanted to keep in the rock realm as opposed to soundtracks and he's never written a symphony or concerto like other rockers have done. I'm surprised at all the vocals in his solo album. I think he wants to have "something to say" as far as his solo records, like in Retro's "Men in Suits." It would be a very nice instrumental as is with no vocals, but it becomes a strange genre rock song, a little bit easy listening, a little bit prog. I wonder truly how many people have heard it. It seems like it could fit into soundtrack music if he removed the vocals and had an agent shop his stuff around to the various stations and studios.

[flowerking]

For as cheesy as some may think it is, my favorite is Journey and always has been. It might be because it was one of the first albums I ever owned. Or maybe because its based on one of the first sci fi books I ever read.

[2steves]

For as cheesy as some may think it is, my favorite is Journey and always has been. It might be because it was one of the first albums I ever owned. Or maybe because its based on one of the first sci fi books I ever read.

I have to admit I went thru a period of liking the live Journey too
Try to listen to it last year and couldn't get thru it lol
All of Yes solo stuff with a few exceptions were very hit or miss---the guys needed the group
Bruford is the only consistent exception.

[gilawi]

My take: Myth and Legends of King Arthur by far.

[Yassa]

Arthur!

[JJ88]

Six Wives. A great album for those who love vintage keyboard sounds.

Runner-up is No Earthly Connection...always had a soft spot for this, and play it more than the two which preceded it. BTW, for any interested parties, there's this coming out next month:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/5-Classic-Al...0093827&sr=1-5

[Shutoku]

For me it is Criminal Record. I think a lot of people sort of default to 6 wives, because it was the first (not counting a piano covers album he never intended to be an album) and because it was sort of featured on Yessongs, but I think over all Criminal Record is astoundingly good, and if more people listened to it, it would supplant 6 wives and the standard answer.

All that said, 6 wives is second for me.

[JJ88]

^Criminal Record has 'The Breathalyzer'. Six Wives doesn't.

I also find the ending of 'Chamber Of Horrors' to be deeply, deeply corny.

[Svetonio]

What do you consider to be the best solo album from the great Mr. Wakeman?

[eduur]

1. Criminal Record
2. White Rock
3. Journey to the Centre Of the Earth
4. Myths and Legends
5. Return to the Centre of the Earth
6. Rhapsodies
7. No Earthly Connection
8. Six Wives
9. Black Knights at the court of Ferdinant IV
10. 1984

Honorable mention goes to "Unleashing the tethered One" - Fantastic Bootleg with Live Journey

[grego]

Myths & Legends probably...his most ambitious release. I had a vinyl in the 70s, and as he listed every participator, I counted how many musicians he involved for this project.. 105! One hundred and five...quite a band, isn't it..
But I haven't heard many from his huge catalogue...Maybe some of his piano solo albums would please me more..