The Six Wives Of Henry

11/14/2011 - London, UK - As a follow-up to their critically acclaimed CD 'The Living Tree' from 2010, YES legends Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman prepare to release 'Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree In Concert Part One' on Gonzo Multimedia on November 28th. The CD was recorded during the duo's British tour in 2010 and comes housed in a sleeve design by Mark Wilkinson who was also responsible for the design of the artwork for 'The Living Tree'…

Rick Wakeman's third solo album is among his best, as he employs his vast array of keyboards to their full extent, musically describing the characters pertaining to the days of King Arthur's reign. With orchestra and choir included, although a little less prevalent than on Journey, he musically addresses the importance and distinguishing characteristics of each figure through the use of multiple synthesizers and accompanying instruments. "Lady of the Lake" is given a mystical, enchanted feel, perpetrated by a more subtle use of piano and synthesizer, while the battle of "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight" is made up of a barrage of feuding keyboard runs and staccato riffs, musically recounting the intensity of the duel. But it's on "Merlin the Magician" where Wakeman truly shines, as the whimsy and peculiarity of this fabled figure is wonderfully conjured up through the frenzy of the synthesizer.

Rick Wakeman's third solo album is among his best, as he employs his vast array of keyboards to their full extent, musically describing the characters pertaining to the days of King Arthur's reign. With orchestra and choir included, although a little less prevalent than on Journey, he musically addresses the importance and distinguishing characteristics of each figure through the use of multiple synthesizers and accompanying instruments. "Lady of the Lake" is given a mystical, enchanted feel, perpetrated by a more subtle use of piano and synthesizer, while the battle of "Sir Lancelot and the Black Knight" is made up of a barrage of feuding keyboard runs and staccato riffs, musically recounting the intensity of the duel.

The key components to every great prog-rock album comprise memorable guitar riffs, punchy immediacy that draws you into the song, ample rhythmic kick, and the imaginative capacity to transport the listener to a place well beyond the confines of reality. Yes’ The Yes Album features all of these rare qualities and more, the 1971 record as significant for saving the band’s career as well as for establishing new parameters in virtuosic technicality and skilled composition. The first set recorded with guitarist Steve Howe, it remains Yes’ grandest achievement and claims a musical vision the British quintet’s contemporaries struggled to match…

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".

Four CD set. Features both of the concerts performed by Rick Wakeman, the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir at the London Palladium. In February 2023, Rick Wakeman performed two sell out concerts at the London Palladium which celebrated his most acclaimed work as a solo artist and as a member of Yes. The first concert saw Rick Wakeman, the English Rock Ensemble and the English Chamber Choir, conducted by Guy Protheroe perform his first solo work, ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’ and ‘The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table’, while the second night’s concert featured a set of classic Yes material and ‘The Meeting’ (originally performed by Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman And Howe), along with the multi-platinum-selling solo work ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’. The concerts were some of the most memorable of Rick’s career.