English Rock

Rick Wakeman spent much of the '80s and '90s recording instrumental albums that veered toward either classical or ambient, so 2003's Out There comes as a bit of a shock: it's an honest to goodness revival of the full-throttle prog rock Wakeman pursued on his solo albums in the '70s. A large part of this is due to his decision to form a full-fledged supporting rock band. Called the New English Rock Ensemble, they're a quintet led by Wakeman and featuring Damian Wilson on vocals, Ant Glynne on guitar, Lee Pomeroy on bass, and Tony Fernandez on drums and percussion. They're a powerful and skilled outfit, able to follow Wakeman's shifting tempos and moods with dexterity without ever losing sight of their forceful rhythmic core, which keeps this rock, not new age.

Rick Wakeman's return to YES in June of 2002 coincided with the completion of the recording of "Out There", his first progressive rock album with his own band for 26 years. In true Wakeman tradition, "Out There" is a musical concept continued from where he left off in 1976 with his quest for the origins of all music with "No Earthly Connection" which sold in excess of five million copies worldwide…

Keyboard legend Rick Wakeman has released his new concept album 'A Gallery Of The Imagination' on 24th February 2023 via Madfish. The conception of the album began at the age of five. Rick's childhood piano teacher, Mrs Symes, taught him that musicians with instruments are like an artist with paint; something that Rick carried through his life, creating sonic paintings through his composition. Wakeman says: "One of my great loves is going to museums & art galleries & seeing all the different types of art, so I thought, why not a music gallery?… A Gallery Of The Imagination? People can paint their own mind pictures to the different types of music that are on the album. It is very diverse & for me it works very well because the concept holds it all together".

The Red Planet is a studio album by English keyboardist Rick Wakeman, released on June 2020 and featuring an alternative line-up of his backing band, The English Rock Ensemble. The Red Planet is Wakeman's first progressive rock album with his English Rock Ensemble since Out There (2003), another rock album of his with connections to space, the others being No Earthly Connection (1976) and 2000 A.D. Into the Future (1993). Wakeman said the album is different to his previous ones with a band, not only that its is instrumental but the diverse styles of music on it.

Released in 1976, just as prog rock's hold in the popular imagine was starting to slip, No Earthly Connection is, comparatively, a streamlined album by Rick Wakeman…

One of the bastions of progressive rock and an innovator in the use of keyboards in rock music, former Yes keysman Rick Wakeman is a true musical pioneer. The 2001 live album Out Of The Blue spotlights the man in all his synthesizer glory, each track an epic in itself. It is also evident that he has influenced nearly every keyboard player in the progressive rock and metal field. Performing with Wakeman at this concert, recorded at the Teatro Coliseo in Buenos Aires, are vocalist Damian Wilson (Ayreon, Threshold), drummer Tony Fernandez (The Strawbs), guitarist Ant Glynne, bassist Lee Pomeroy, and Wakeman’s son and fellow keyboardist Adam Wakeman.

This is a CD release of Wakeman's show on April 27, 1976 for the BBC's Old Grey Whistle Test, a live music television program. The sound quality is below par - seemingly, it's in mono. The show itself is nothing spectacular, either; Wakeman is good, but the brass is awkward and the vocals are downright embarassing. The material leans on the recently released No Earthly Connection, and consequently isn't Wakeman's best. We do get to hear Wakeman's between-song jokes, though.

Keyboard Legend Rick Wakeman & The English Rock Ensemble has released "The Red Planet" on June 19, 2020. The album features 8 newly composed pieces, especially for this project, and harks back to Wakeman's critically acclaimed debut album "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" where there were 6 heavy keyboard pieces based around a central subject matter. It is a serious return to "Wakeman Prog". Rick has blown the dust off his favourite analogue keyboards and along with his with the latest keyboards, has used the same formula he devised when making his legendary albums "The Six Wive's of Henry VII" and "Criminal Record".

Rick Wakeman spent much of the '80s and '90s recording instrumental albums that veered toward either classical or ambient, so 2003's Out There comes as a bit of a shock: it's an honest to goodness revival of the full-throttle prog rock Wakeman pursued on his solo albums in the '70s. A large part of this is due to his decision to form a full-fledged supporting rock band. Called the New English Rock Ensemble, they're a quintet led by Wakeman and featuring Damian Wilson on vocals, Ant Glynne on guitar, Lee Pomeroy on bass, and Tony Fernandez on drums and percussion.