Rick's new piano interpretations album, Piano Portraits, inspired by the success of his piano version of "Life on Mars", is now out, with a TV advertising campaign behind it. It's made #6 in the UK midweek chart.
Henry
Rick's new piano interpretations album, Piano Portraits, inspired by the success of his piano version of "Life on Mars", is now out, with a TV advertising campaign behind it. It's made #6 in the UK midweek chart.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
I'm listening to my copy for the second time this morning. It is an amazing recording of solo piano music. I love the wink at Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds at the end of Help.
These are not just straight up covers of the tunes. They are more often than not, variations on the songs. The recording quality of the Steinway D grand piano is outstanding.
Highly recommended.
Wakeman management's put out a press release saying the album "has become the first solo piano album ever to reach the UK Top 10." Problem is, that's not true! Leaving aside that this is only the midweek chart and not the main chart, there's the issue that multiple other piano albums have reached the top 10, e.g. by Richard Clayderman, as people have been pointing out on Twitter! This comes after Wakeman complained that the Hall of Fame didn't induct The Who while Entwistle was alive, when in fact they had, and Wakeman acting as if the Hall of Fame agreeing to give Squire's award to his widow was a breakthrough rather than standard practice going back years. Which came after various hyperbolic comments about ARW, including describing them as the "Holy Trinity of Yes" (well... that phrase is ascribed to Wakeman in a press release, but he's denied ever saying it). It's all very like... what's the word... a synonym for "fart"... rhymes with "dump" and "lump"...
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Wakeman is in the fake news business. Very popular thing today I hear.
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
So....you're saying that....Originally Posted by Kcrimso
Wakeman is a fake, man?
Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally
Dick Fakeman.
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
Is Brian Lane involved?? I know he is with the ARW project...
We can (and will!) laugh about the hype but it's working- I can't remember the last time one of his albums charted.
I really like the CD, and I very much like Rick, he is a vastly entertaining man, charming whoever I have met him, yet he does have a dodgy grasp of certain realities!
He was interviewed on Danny Baker's Radio 5 show on Saturday morning, it was excellent and well worth podcasting (it is half way through the show and he is on for about 45 minutes), many stories that you will have heard, but some new ones too.
Brian Lane is most certainly involved, he said on the radio that he was still his manager, and then went on to spout some hyperbole about the telepathic link he has on stage with Trevor Rabin, and how this is the best Yes incarnation ever. Take it with a handful of salt, but he is still an entertainer.
I didn't realize Wakey has a new solo piano album. I love Night Airs and The Piano Album so this is an autobuy.
If Lane screwed up, blame him. I remember Clayderman's '80s commercials. They were on constantly.
Holy cow, dude. Chill.I don't think that's what he meant, I think he was indirectly saying it would've been nice for Chris to receive that honor while he was still around.
Oh no.
People exaggerate the problem of fake news.
We should be here celebrating that Piano Portraits has just been certified gold by the RIAA!
Rick Wakeman - Piano Portraits - A Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHRpUIPXy9c
Well I heard him on the radio the other day explicitly claiming credit for getting the Hall of Fame to change its policy ("do a u-turn" as he puts it) re inducting dead musicians by threatening to boycott the Yes induction.Holy cow, dude. Chill.
He talks about it here (as well as his new album) - starting around 51 minutes: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08829lf
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087sq9k
(This is just the Wakeman bit of the show.)
Henry
Last edited by bondegezou; 01-19-2017 at 06:43 AM.
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
His "Life on Mars" single, that led to Piano Portraits, did well. It made #1 in the UK physical sales singles chart... although physical sales are a minority of all singles sales.
His last album to chart was Return to the Centre of the Earth, which made #34 in the UK in 1999. The link here is Return and Piano Portraits are on big labels who've done loads of advertising, while all the albums in between were on tiny labels with next to no advertising and often not much distribution.
Henry
Where Are They Now? Yes news: http://www.bondegezou.co.uk/wh_now.htm
Blogdegezou, the accompanying blog: http://bondegezou.blogspot.com/
Thanks. Does he mention discovering The Tubes? And penicillin?
In celebration, Wakeman is releasing 17 new recordings of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth.
Sleeping at home is killing the hotel business!
That's correct, Piano Portraits is one of the first new CD's you see when you walk into HMV as I discovered today, major label backing makes a big difference even in the context of 'visual' exposure in major high street retailors.
That could almost be true!
Ker-ching!
I could see him organize a huge concert in one of those enormous mining holes.
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